This is the year.
From where I sat for more than two thirds of the matches this season, I was privileged enough to witness a transformation. I watched a team grow up right before my eyes and I do not think they know it just yet. The message all season was to be better in December than in September. Deep down, this team took that message to heart.
This is the year.
Sunday night was more bitter than sweet on many different levels. While I personally realized that my 2011 radio campaign was in the books, the team I was fortunate enough to work found out they were going to be traveling for the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament. In my experiences of watching collegiate athletics, I have never seen a team get bent over like this team was Sunday night. The more I reflected, the more I knew it was not going to be an issue. At this point it does not matter where the match is being played, this team will be there.
This is the year.
The last month of volleyball was one for the ages and I had a front row seat. I saw seniors taking leadership roles on and off the court, motivating and willing their team to victory. I saw something that had not been done in over ten years at this school. I saw comeback after comeback, followed by sheer and utter domination of opponents. By the time the regular season I ended, I saw a group ready for the next level.
This is the year.
What I hope this team realizes and my humble message to them is that no matter who the opponent, they have what it takes to win six in a row. I have watched you all at your highest highs and lowest lows. When you play with the intensity that you have over the last month, there is a fire that surrounds this team that nobody is going to be able to put out. Go and play like the bad asses I know you are and show the country what Florida Volleyball is all about. Do not focus on the possibility that each match could be the last but rather how each match is still making you better for the next. Dig deep and remember how it felt in Baton Rouge to finally break through and win a match after dropping the first set. Go even deeper and bring back the feelings of the insane comeback in Fayetteville. Play with the intensity and drive that you brought back into the O'Connell Center for Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina.
This is the year.
Not winning the SEC was the best thing to ever happen to this team. You all started playing with more guts and determination once the focus was on being where you are right now. While you travel to another team's campus and gym, remember that the Gator Nation is everywhere. Summon the strength of those who walked onto the court before you and leave behind a legacy of memories for those that will follow you when your time at Florida is through.
Six matches...this is the year.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
What next?
For nearly five days, the media has run amok with the story out of State College and for five days, I have done my best to try and digest the information that has been brought forth. I am sick. I am not physically ill but I am emotionally drained over an event that I had no part in. I have looked to humor to try and ease the pain felt inside but it has not done the same as it once did in the past. It is just not funny anymore. It was funny for a little while when Jim Tressel was caught lying about knowing his players were given tattoos for clothing and championship merchandise. It was practically hilarious when Nevin Shapiro decided to own up to all of his misdoings at the University of Miami AFTER he was incarcerated. But this is just not funny. Lives have seriously been ruined over the cover up at State College and they are continuing to be ruined minute by minute as this story develops. I will close the introduction to this by saying what has been said by many, including my own father, EVERYONE is to blame.
They all knew about the incidents and they did nothing. First and foremost, Jerry Sandusky, followed by the State of Pennsylvania and their legal teams, namely then-Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar for letting Sandusky off the hook after he promised not to shower with Victim 6 again, the janitors who kept silent for fear of losing their jobs in 2000, Mike McQueary, former Athtletic Director Tim Curley, former University VP Gary Schultz, whoever was appointed to run Second Mile and was running it when the 2002 incident was reported, (still current as of this writing) University President Graham Spanier, and Football Coach Joe Paterno are ALL to blame. There is no punishment for this crime that could ever be worse than what the victims of Sandusky's predatory ways have to live with.
Why was it hard to write that paragraph, especially the last name on the list? It seems pretty cut and dry, right? The names of the above are the names in the grand jury report and the timelines all over the internet today. But it is that last name that leaves some with a gross feeling of betrayal.
The name of Joe Paterno was revered in the state of Pennsylvania and among the college football world. Growing up I can remember that the second college football game I ever attended was the University of Southern California vs. Penn State in 1992. It was Penn State's first year in the Big Ten and it was my first trip to Happy Valley. I got to see an amazing campus, visit the Creamery, and then watch the great Joe Paterno pace the sidelines against then USC coach John Robinson. The final score that day was 21-20 in favor of the Nittany Lions and I was immediately hooked on college football. Two years later, we moved to Gainesville, Florida and I was introduced to another kind of legend and a different brand of football. Steve Spurrier was the coach who came back to his Alma Mater and at the time he was in the process of revolutionizing not only college football at the University of Florida but throughout the Southeastern Conference as well. It was not hard to take what I experienced at Beaver Stadium and transition it to being a fan sitting in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Living in Gainesville and hearing the stories eventually start to grow regarding coaching contracts, I was always drawn back to the stories of my grandfather and my father about Joe Paterno. I knew the number was low, but I checked to see and Paterno made just over half a million dollars a year for the first time in 2007. 2007?!? The man was a head coach for 41 years before he cleared half a million dollars. Well he must have kept all of that money for himself all those years, right?
Anyone who knows anything about Joe Paterno knows that he is one of the biggest philanthropists and believers in college athletics throughout the NCAA. He has donated over $4 million to Penn State over the years. If you watched the video that aired last night where Paterno emerged from his house like Willy Wonka from the Chocolate Factory, you saw that he does not live a lavish lifestyle. It has been publicized for years that the man loves college football and he loves being a coach. To me, Joe Paterno was what was good about college football and collegiate athletics. In a world where winning is the only answer, Paterno stood the test of time and rode the highs and lows with dignity and class.
The legacy of Joe Paterno remains to be known but everything stated previously about the man happened. It happened and because of a major misjudgement of what he thought was right, it has all gone away. It saddens me beyond words to say that but Joe Paterno was someone to look up to in the game of college football. He was someone to look up to if you have ever coached anything. That is no longer the case. When the children of our society are not being protected from the predators, the number of accolades you have accomplished are all meaningless. No matter what Joe Paterno can say from here on out, it does not erase the fact that his name is right there in the grand jury report saying that he knew about the events that took place in his locker room showers and that he WAITED to tell someone.
Again, this is not just on Joe Paterno. A piece of this caliber can and probably will be written about everyone involved at some point if it has not been already. It is almost a sure bet that Law and Order: SVU is paying someone to write the script for this two hour season finale. The media will not and they should not let this story go. It does not end with Joe Paterno. He will ride off into a jaded sunset as one of the greatest coaches the game of college football will ever see. He is no longer the greatest. What we do in our lives outside of the professions we carry has to come into play. Nobody is absolved because of their status.
The hurt that is felt for me is all in the letdown. If you asked me to write a list of people whom I admired, my parents would be at the top for following their dreams, taking the chances they did, and for always supporting my sister and I in whatever we chose to do. Beyond that I could name a handful of historical figures whom I have researched their stories and admire the way they dealt with adversity. Abraham Lincoln is near the top of that list. It is hard to imagine taking on the task of keeping a country together amidst the differing opinions of those around you while still standing up for what you believe in. The Carter family, Mississippi sharecroppers who became the first black family to send their children into an all-white school district in Drew, Mississippi in 1964 are another set of people whom I admire. They stood for what they believed in and paved the way for generations after (see the book Silver Rights by Constance Curry for their story).
Out of the folks still alive, Joe Paterno was one of those people I admired for a long time. I knew it was going to be a sad day when he left college football. No fan in their right mind could have ever imagined this would be the way he made his exit. Which finally leads me to the title of this blog entry: What next? Who do we have to look up to besides our parents (and not everyone has parents good enough to look up to)?
We live in a world where information is flying by faster than we can read it. Within seconds of someone famous dying, they have become a trending topic on Twitter. The second any information of any value to anyone is available, millions of people are on it. It was not long ago, 2002 to pinpoint a date of validity, when people still picked up the phone to call one another to share their information. Now, information is sent with a push of the button and within seconds, the court of public opinion INSTANTLY renders a verdict.. Jerry Sandusky did not rape these kids yesterday, but on November 5 when the grand jury report was released to the public and the spread was worse than any wildfire, he was guilty along with everyone else who failed to report his behaviors. He can claim his innocence until he is blue in the face. He might even walk away from this if the court of law does not find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. It has happened all too often before. Casey Anthony was guilty...nope. OJ was guilty...nope. Bill Clinton was guilty...nope. Would it honestly surprise anyone if they read this a year from now and Jerry Sandusky was a free man?
What does not go away, whether Sandusky is guilty or not guilty, is the fact still that there is no court of law for the people like Joe Paterno. And sometimes, the moral guilt one has to live with can far outweigh a guilty conviction within the legal system. I hope that society learns from this horrific set of incidents if only to prevent anything like this from EVER happening again.
They all knew about the incidents and they did nothing. First and foremost, Jerry Sandusky, followed by the State of Pennsylvania and their legal teams, namely then-Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar for letting Sandusky off the hook after he promised not to shower with Victim 6 again, the janitors who kept silent for fear of losing their jobs in 2000, Mike McQueary, former Athtletic Director Tim Curley, former University VP Gary Schultz, whoever was appointed to run Second Mile and was running it when the 2002 incident was reported, (still current as of this writing) University President Graham Spanier, and Football Coach Joe Paterno are ALL to blame. There is no punishment for this crime that could ever be worse than what the victims of Sandusky's predatory ways have to live with.
Why was it hard to write that paragraph, especially the last name on the list? It seems pretty cut and dry, right? The names of the above are the names in the grand jury report and the timelines all over the internet today. But it is that last name that leaves some with a gross feeling of betrayal.
The name of Joe Paterno was revered in the state of Pennsylvania and among the college football world. Growing up I can remember that the second college football game I ever attended was the University of Southern California vs. Penn State in 1992. It was Penn State's first year in the Big Ten and it was my first trip to Happy Valley. I got to see an amazing campus, visit the Creamery, and then watch the great Joe Paterno pace the sidelines against then USC coach John Robinson. The final score that day was 21-20 in favor of the Nittany Lions and I was immediately hooked on college football. Two years later, we moved to Gainesville, Florida and I was introduced to another kind of legend and a different brand of football. Steve Spurrier was the coach who came back to his Alma Mater and at the time he was in the process of revolutionizing not only college football at the University of Florida but throughout the Southeastern Conference as well. It was not hard to take what I experienced at Beaver Stadium and transition it to being a fan sitting in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Living in Gainesville and hearing the stories eventually start to grow regarding coaching contracts, I was always drawn back to the stories of my grandfather and my father about Joe Paterno. I knew the number was low, but I checked to see and Paterno made just over half a million dollars a year for the first time in 2007. 2007?!? The man was a head coach for 41 years before he cleared half a million dollars. Well he must have kept all of that money for himself all those years, right?
Anyone who knows anything about Joe Paterno knows that he is one of the biggest philanthropists and believers in college athletics throughout the NCAA. He has donated over $4 million to Penn State over the years. If you watched the video that aired last night where Paterno emerged from his house like Willy Wonka from the Chocolate Factory, you saw that he does not live a lavish lifestyle. It has been publicized for years that the man loves college football and he loves being a coach. To me, Joe Paterno was what was good about college football and collegiate athletics. In a world where winning is the only answer, Paterno stood the test of time and rode the highs and lows with dignity and class.
The legacy of Joe Paterno remains to be known but everything stated previously about the man happened. It happened and because of a major misjudgement of what he thought was right, it has all gone away. It saddens me beyond words to say that but Joe Paterno was someone to look up to in the game of college football. He was someone to look up to if you have ever coached anything. That is no longer the case. When the children of our society are not being protected from the predators, the number of accolades you have accomplished are all meaningless. No matter what Joe Paterno can say from here on out, it does not erase the fact that his name is right there in the grand jury report saying that he knew about the events that took place in his locker room showers and that he WAITED to tell someone.
Again, this is not just on Joe Paterno. A piece of this caliber can and probably will be written about everyone involved at some point if it has not been already. It is almost a sure bet that Law and Order: SVU is paying someone to write the script for this two hour season finale. The media will not and they should not let this story go. It does not end with Joe Paterno. He will ride off into a jaded sunset as one of the greatest coaches the game of college football will ever see. He is no longer the greatest. What we do in our lives outside of the professions we carry has to come into play. Nobody is absolved because of their status.
The hurt that is felt for me is all in the letdown. If you asked me to write a list of people whom I admired, my parents would be at the top for following their dreams, taking the chances they did, and for always supporting my sister and I in whatever we chose to do. Beyond that I could name a handful of historical figures whom I have researched their stories and admire the way they dealt with adversity. Abraham Lincoln is near the top of that list. It is hard to imagine taking on the task of keeping a country together amidst the differing opinions of those around you while still standing up for what you believe in. The Carter family, Mississippi sharecroppers who became the first black family to send their children into an all-white school district in Drew, Mississippi in 1964 are another set of people whom I admire. They stood for what they believed in and paved the way for generations after (see the book Silver Rights by Constance Curry for their story).
Out of the folks still alive, Joe Paterno was one of those people I admired for a long time. I knew it was going to be a sad day when he left college football. No fan in their right mind could have ever imagined this would be the way he made his exit. Which finally leads me to the title of this blog entry: What next? Who do we have to look up to besides our parents (and not everyone has parents good enough to look up to)?
We live in a world where information is flying by faster than we can read it. Within seconds of someone famous dying, they have become a trending topic on Twitter. The second any information of any value to anyone is available, millions of people are on it. It was not long ago, 2002 to pinpoint a date of validity, when people still picked up the phone to call one another to share their information. Now, information is sent with a push of the button and within seconds, the court of public opinion INSTANTLY renders a verdict.. Jerry Sandusky did not rape these kids yesterday, but on November 5 when the grand jury report was released to the public and the spread was worse than any wildfire, he was guilty along with everyone else who failed to report his behaviors. He can claim his innocence until he is blue in the face. He might even walk away from this if the court of law does not find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. It has happened all too often before. Casey Anthony was guilty...nope. OJ was guilty...nope. Bill Clinton was guilty...nope. Would it honestly surprise anyone if they read this a year from now and Jerry Sandusky was a free man?
What does not go away, whether Sandusky is guilty or not guilty, is the fact still that there is no court of law for the people like Joe Paterno. And sometimes, the moral guilt one has to live with can far outweigh a guilty conviction within the legal system. I hope that society learns from this horrific set of incidents if only to prevent anything like this from EVER happening again.
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