We learned this weekend of the passing of a FOOTBALL LEGEND. Coach Joe Paterno of PENN STATE. A man seeking to do the best job he could to lead young men in the sport that he so dearly loved. This he did for more than 4 decades. Winning on the field was important. But he left his players knowing the real winning came off the field. The real winning was in how they lived their lives and the contributions made to society. Somebody told me they thought he had over 400 players go on to the pro ranks. Plus such a long line of records I won’t bother to go into them here. Most college football fans know these; well. A man of his credentials could easily have found a job coaching a Professional team and earned a lot more money. But he loved to work with the young men preparing them for life. He loved Penn State. In fact I believe it was once reported he donated more than 4 million dollars to his employer,, Penn State. That is not just loyalty; that is LOVE. So let us salute Joe Paterno with the deepest respect for his lifetime of effort forming a lifetime of goodwill and fair play on the field of football and life. You will be missed. That Is How I see It. Views: 150
Tag: College
College Football Hall of Fame
The National Football Foundation has decided to move the College Football Hall of Fame from South Bend Indiana to Atlanta Georgia. South Bend Indiana. Home of Notre Dame. Can any school match the football tradition held by Notre Dame. Their heritage dates back to 1887. The actual name of the town where they are located is named NOTRE DAME. Bet most of you didn’t know that. A little history and facts about Notre Dame football. Did you know that Notre Dame has a winning percentage of .723. An all time record of 899 wins, 301 losses, and 42 ties. Their postseason record is 14-15. With 11 National Titles, 7 Heisman winners, 96 All Americans. Notre Dame may actually have 13 National Titles, as the 1938 and 1953 are in question, Notre Dame only claims the 11 that are not in doubt. Their record includes 7 undefeated seasons, and 4 single loss seasons. As for the 122 year history (No team in 1890 and 1891), Notre Dame has 103 winning seasons, and only 13 losing seasons. With 48 players and coaches in the Hall of Fame. The BCS even has a “NOTRE DAME” rule. Speaking of Bowl games Notre Dame is in another one this year looking to make them 15-15 in bowl games. Who can ever forget the Knute Rockne speech “…win one for the gipper….” Why would you want to move the College Hall of Fame from such a tradition laden area. Surprise “MONEY” that’s all it could be. I don’t know as a fact. But I figure Atlanta made it monetarily well worth the move. Oh well why fight it MONEY really does talk and those without it walk. That Is How I See It. Views: 134
College Conferences
Have you noticed how College conferences have spread out. At one time we had ACC with schools on the East coast (near the Atlantic Ocean). We had PAC 10 with schools on the west coast (near the Pacific Ocean). Big 10 in the midwest with schools in the midwestern states. I find it amusing the Big 12 Conference has 10 schools. The Big 10 had 11 and now 12. Should these two conferences just switch names. But recently, I will use only the Big 1o-11, now 12 , and the Big East conference as examples. The Big Ten, a few years ago, expanded east with the addition of Penn St. Now they have added a school which is in the west Nebraska. Now we have a team from the “Wild West” TCU joining the Big East. Why would these Conferences want these schools and why would these schools want to join so distant a conference? The colleges join for economical reasons these conferences give them more exposure, and better recruiting influences. The conferences also want the REVENUE. Take the Big 10. Big 10 usually has at least 2,3, or more representatives in Bowl Games. The money paid to the participating teams is split at least 3 ways. Some to the school who plays, some to the schools who didn’t get a bowl bid, and the rest to the CONFERENCE. Unfortunately, again, Money rules our college athletics. To get off the subjects just a mite, look at the coaches. Why do small colleges retain coaches longer. In small schools, and I am talking about small liberal arts colleges, the emphasis is not so much on winning but building character. These colleges do not give Athletic scholarships. The coaches job is to instill qualities of leadership, teamwork, and other elements to make a better person. Much of the time they do not even charge admission to their games. But there have been several of these athletics go on to play on pro teams. The large Universities use athletics to bring in revenue. Losing teams don’t draw big crowds. The coaches get paid BIG money to produce winning programs. The more successful the team the more money they make. The university is closely aligned with their successful coaches. UCLA and Johnny Wooden. Mention Joe Paterno and people think Penn St. Bobby Knight people think Indiana University. These are great coaches of their games and building character. But if they did not win as many games as they did, and have, The fact that they instilled proper ethics, they would not have been at their jobs as long as they were/are. When it comes to athletics and Conferences MONEY is the bottom line. That Is How I See It. Views: 148
