Penn State's Shame

(Penn State Assistant Jerry Sandusky with Legendary PSU head coach Joe Paterno)

Where do I begin?  I am going to write this and be as vague as possible because the Jerry Sandusky conviction on child molestation is awful and the details disgusting.  I have coached at every level in basketball and baseball ultimately the varsity boys' basketball coach at Henryville and varsity baseball coach at both New Washington and Borden.  High school jobs are nothing compared to be the head coach of a college program especially one as prestigious as Penn State football, but there are some similarities I can draw from it.

First, in the late 1990's, Penn State Asst. coach Jerry Sandusky was caught by a grad assistant coach doing something inappropriate with an under age male in the showers of the PSU locker room.  I just can't believe that Sandusky would do anything inappropriate in the showers in the late 90's with anyone that was legal, needless to say an underage boy.  This under grad coach reported the incident to head coach Joe Paterno, the Godfather of PSU football, someone almost virtually untouchable at Penn State.

Joe Pa reported this incident to his superiors and apparently that is where it stopped.  I had a discussion with fellow coaches on this and couldn't believe that he wouldn't have followed up again (and again, and again ultimately confronting Sandusky if needed) to make sure HIS superiors were doing what they should be doing, like having Sandusky fired, arrested or banned from the premises none of which happened.  Instead, with newly released email that the university President, trustees and quite possibly Joe Paterno himself, not only didn't stop Sandusky but covered up what he was doing with under age boys, keeping him from being fired, keeping him from being arrested, and allowing him to have a key to the facility even after his resignation.

I don't know all the details and I really don't want to know all the details, but I do know this there are many people at Penn State who should lose their jobs.  Anyone associated with Penn State who knew, covered up and especially were in a position of leadership should be fired period.  And from what I have seen in some of the emails, there just may need to be some people go to jail besides Sanduskey including the President and Athletic Director during this time. 

I hate to think what the players for Penn State football are thinking, I mean, what the NCAA did to IU men's basketball program was drastic for too many phone calls (which by the way is legal again during certain times of the year), what will they do to Penn State football or worse yet, Penn State athletics?  It is bad enough that Sandusky did what he did with under age boys, that he started a faith based group (The Second Mile) to have more contact with under age boys, and that he used Penn State's football facilities as a way to lure boys in, but the people in charge at Penn State from the President, to the Athletic Director, to the Head Coach, what they did is also disgusting.

We are talking about protecting children here, children that were used by an adult with prestige and some star power (Penn State football is huge).  During the 12+ years that Sandusky ran amok on these boys, I guarantee you that where were rumors.  What should have been done?  I am not so sure that I have the answer, but I do know that an answer was not doing anything, covering up, or looking the other way.

So what is the legend Joe Paterno's legacy?  What Joe Paterno did through the years for Penn State that was good could never be listed in this article.  From bringing notoriety in for their football successes to the money raised for the university to money raised for needy people and probably even taking care of needy people in the surrounding areas.  But this happened on his watch and the emails that are coming out is that he knew about it for years.  First, he needs to remain in anything that they put out when it comes to their history, but he does not need to be exalted, at all.  Second the statue of him at PSU needs to come down.  Both are definites for the short term and may be something that changes 20 years from now as we get better perspective and information about what he knew and when he knew it.

We aren't talking about recruiting violations, we aren't talking about phone call violations, we aren't talking about violations of adult women (this too would be awful), we aren't talking about violating ethics or integrity when it comes to coaching or dealing with other adults.  We are talking about violating young people, we are talking about violations that those violated will never completely get over.  We are talking about something so despicable and heinous that I haven't even mentioned here. 

I guess I am writing as a father and don't have much compassion for those involved. I guess I think that if my son had to endure something this bad, that it wouldn't take 14 years for justice to occur, that those in charge would go "the second mile" to ensure that my son was protected. Then if something did happen like this those in charge would do anything to make sure it didn't happen to anyone else....ever.

IHSAA Speaks: Class Basketball Here to Stay...For Now

The Indiana High School Athletic Association's (IHSAA) Commissioner Bobby Cox recently issued his final report on the study of the boys' and girls' state basketball tournament formats in Indiana and I am not sure that it surprised anyone.  What was probably more frustrating to me is that it came in response to Senate Bill 236 in the Indiana State Senate in which state Senator Mike Delph had language in this bill that would make it illegal to participate in a multi class tournament, you read that right....illegal.  This sounds and reads like an attack on the IHSAA itself which doesn't bother me as much as we have state senators getting involved in high school sports.  I am sure Mr. Delph is a very good man, but aren't there more serious problems to deal with?

I am a supporter of multi class sports and probably we need to move to classes in all sports (if it's good enough for football and basketball...well, those are arguments for another time, I guess).  There are so many arguments for and against that I won't go into here because to be honest, it has made me physically ill listening to both sides and how the opposite sides use the same arguments each time with neither side actually listening to the other side (think politics or religion). But what I found interesting is how the IHSAA went about coming to the conclusion of their decision that class sports are here to stay...for now.

They held a series of town meetings and surveyed the IHSAA member schools.  I don't know about anyone else, but the findings in both were not surprising to me.  The town meetings, you know who is going to be motivated to travel to one of these things, it is usually, for the most part those that are not happy with the current set up.  Not only were they mostly attended by those that dislike the current set up, there weren't very many in the first place.  There were 11 town meetings and 514 votes were cast with 68% wanting to return to the one class tournament.  514 votes isn't much when you compare the voting population of the entire state of Indiana.

Secondly, they had principals, athletic directors, coaches and players fill out surveys online.  This was a direct contact with a group that did not surprise me of their findings. A high majority (in 70% of all groups except basketball coaches, but they approved by 55%) supported the current set up.  I don't have the numbers, but I am going to guess that more than 514 people voted with the online survey.  Does that matter?  I mean, it should come down to percentages, right?  Maybe, but what if the 2 million plus people who voted in the 2008 presidential election were given the opportunity to vote on the issue?  That would be considerably more than 514 votes at the town meetings and then would the percentage still be 68% or would it be higher or lower?

I have two ideas to help settle this issue.  1. make it a public referendum in the next election.  Let the people decide and then do what a large percentage wants to be done.  Make it 70%.  If 70% vote either way, we will do what that group wants done and then it would be over with (yeah, right).  But, 2. if the class vote wins, let's do a compromise, a real compromise that I think many people would be behind (put that on the referendum too).  Let's have class basketball, baseball...whatever sports you want to include for the sectional and regional levels.  After that throw the best four teams from each class into one final state tournament.  Smaller schools get a chance for some success in the tourney (that's what most want, it isn't about winning more state championships, it's about having the opportunity for some success) then allows for one state champion. This is known around basketball circles at the Hickory Compromise that HickoryHusker.com's Leigh Evans has pushed for many years.

It would set up small school vs. big school and allow for one state champion.  I mean, it has so much common sense to it, it probably has zero chance of ever happening, but I can dream can't I?

Indiana University Men's Theme for 2012-13?

Rhema Soul (Christian rap group) from the Album "Red", the song is Celebration.  The whole song is good but around the 1:40 mark, they talk about basketball and say "we got the big guns, the young guns to orchestrate The Movement..."

Coach Cal Has it Figured Out

John Calipari becoming the head coach at the University of Kentucky couldn't have put two entities together that were made for each other more than those two.  UK and Coach Cal are a match made in heaven.  Whether you like it or not, UK is one of (if not "THE" right now) the elite basketball schools in the country with fans that Cal calls "crazy".  And Coach Cal is not afraid to sell UK for what it is known for...a basketball school.

With UK's Anthony Davis going #1 and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist going #2, Coach Cal is lord over the NBA draft.  In his three years at UK he has sent 11 players out the door in the first round of the NBA draft and had two #1's.  The success he has had from an Elite Eight to a Final Four to the 2012 National Championship all the while using one and dones is exactly what UK fans want and is exactly what someone who is willing can do to take advantage of the current rules.

Do I think Coach Cal is developing these guys into NBA players, he isn't hurting, but what I do believe is that the recruiting that he does makes him the best in the college game.  He isn't selling academics, academics, academics, then basketball, he is selling them both...equally and maybe with more of an emphasis on basketball.  And it is working.

Let's be honest, Coach Cal is probably doing nothing wrong when it comes to recruiting (we can never know about anyone).  But what he does is promise the top high school picks that they will go pro, and really, you cannot argue with his success rate on the court or in getting them to where they want to go.  I don't like how he does things sometimes (call me old school on this one) but he isn't doing anything wrong.  He has just circumvented the NCAA's belief that college is about academics for top athletes, it isn't.  The NCAA is making millions off of these people who aren't allowed to take any type of salary which isn't right (call me new school on this one).  (Sidenote: I read once that top math, science and other students get paid to attend elite universities.  This way when they graduate and get a Nobel prize or do some other groundbreaking historical thing, the university will be associated with them...interesting, huh?)

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said that at UK you won't have somebody "standing in the way of you accomplishing what you want."  I agree completely.  And as much as I disagree with how Cal does things at UK, he is winning and how is it any different for other sports or even non athletes?  What is the job of college?  To ultimately prepare you to make a living.  If you can do that after one year, you do it.  If a college baseball player leaves early for the draft, you don't hear many people getting upset about it.  If a college freshman is a brilliant computer programmer and can get a job after one year making a million dollars, you don't hear anyone complaining about that, but you do with college basketball players. I will let others smarter than me (a whole lot of people think this) figure that out, but I have often wondered why there was a different standard.

 Wrapping up, if I were a UK fan, I wouldn't like having a new team every single year, but I would enjoy winning and Coach Cal has had good guys (minus one or two) representing UK while they were there; I will put John Wall, Doron Lamb, Anthony Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist and others up against anyone when it comes to being role models on behavior on and off the court.

So good luck college world because while Coach Cal is at UK you have a combining of the perfect storm.  It is ridiculous fiction according to Jay Bilas to believe that colleges are pursuing basketball players first as students.  Coach Cal has proven that he is pursuing basketball players who will be drafted into the NBA, and he tells them so, and he does so while still winning games and championships.

Help...We Need Somebody.....

Here in the near future, I will be going on a mission trip with Athletes in Action.  In resigning as basketball coach, sports ministry is something I definitely want to be more involved with at this time in my life.  We are heading out soon and the amount of financial support I have needed, I have raised.  I need no money from anyone, however, I will definitely take any prayer support you can dish out for me and my family, and really for the whole trip and those involved.

However, it has come to my attention recently that many of the players, people who don't have the same opportunities I do in raising financial support, are below the amount needed for the trip to break even.  And that is really what we want more than anything.  To be able to travel to a foreign country, share the gospel, and make sure that AIA doesn't lose money. 

Unfortunately, in this world, money is needed for many things that can further the work of God.  Hopefully, I am doing my small part in that furthering, but imagine what it will do in the lives of the players that will go, play basketball, and share their testimony and be transformed by the people they can help?

If anyone who reads this is interested in helping out financially, and I wouldn't ask if it weren't for the players, please email me at phunter@wclark.k12.in.us.  I know that I have often wondered how I can do something to help others and it seems nothing comes along, or just falls in my lap, but this is something you can do.

You will be able to help someone do something that will be life changing not just for them, but for the people they come into contact with, including children.  I will appeal to any part of you reading this to help because not only could you be the answer to a prayer, but you can write any donation off on your income taxes.

Please think, pray, meditate and ask yourself....am I doing enough?.....am I doing anything?  I know that what little we do is non comparable to other ministries going on, but this one is important to us, right now.

Thanks....hope to hear from some of you soon and God bless you whether you help financially, with prayer, or not at all.

Inspiration at Kye's II

Thurday, I went down to Kye's II to listen to IU coach Tom Crean, Bellarmine coach Scotty Davenport, and Hall of Famer and former U of L coach Denny Crum speak and take questions from 400 people.  The Raise the Bar for Kids event benefits Greater Clark County Schools raising money and highlighting that corporations academic successes and does a great job in doing both.

By the time I was 16 years of age, both of my grandfathers (Gilbert Hunter and Frank Jones) had passed away.  I will be honest, I missed out not having them around.  The main reason is that around 16 - 23 years old is when you become really, really stupid as a male.  You think you know everything and you don't know anything and you sure as heck will not listen to your Dad (sorry Dad).  It would have been nice to have someone like a grandfather around to head me in the better direction that my father wanted for me.  I have substituted different men like that in my life from Ed Carroll of Nabb to Jerry Jones from Jeffersonville, but they have left my life for one reason or another through the years.

But, maybe because of that lack of an elder to sit and listen to stories and values and just life in general, I enjoy being around people like the coaches at the Raising the Bar event.  To listen to these three men tell stories especially Coach Crum is to have that elder to sit and listen to.  Yes, you are sharing him with 400 other people, but you appreciate (at least at my age) his experiences, his humor, and his humility.  His experience and opinions come so easily to people like me who struggle day to day over silly things, and Coach Crum responds to questions like it is so "matter of fact" what you should do.

To listen to these three men answer questions and talk about what is important, from Davenport talking about Jeremy Kendle and Braydon Hobbs wanting to help in Henryville during the D2 NCAA tournament; to Crum (enough said), to Crean actually interviewing Coach Crum at one point, is priceless.  Coach Crean, no dummy, realizes when he is around people that he can learn from and he did ask Coach Crum about Crum's defense and other basketball questions.  To watch those two interact was well worth the price of admission.

In the last year and a half, if you follow Coach Crean on Twitter, you will have noticed that his tweets have changed.  He has become more faith based retweeting some strong Christian leaders.  As a Christian, I appreciate it, and I asked a question at the event: When an IU player graduates or leaves the program what are 3 things you hope they take with them from their experiences at IU.

Coach Crean replied that he wants his players to be selfless.  He wants them to go out in the world and help expecting nothing in return but to do it because it is the right thing to do.  He wants his players to be able to go out in the world and be problem solvers - in life we often deal with so many things that has no manual, you have to figure it out on your own.  Finally, he wants his players to be the spiritual leaders of their families - he wants them to be the example that their families see and follow.

As I have aged, I realize how little I know and that older guys have so much knowledge to share.  The problem is, most of the time, we are either ig-nor-ant or ig-nor-ing these bastians of knowledge, these people who can make our lives easier that we don't take advantage of it.  I heard this recently about parents who mess up with their children, but it can also go vice versa when it comes to our elders.  Be careful believing you have an unlimited amount of tomorrows and then wake up one day with no more todays.