OT: It looks like the statue is coming down today

Submitted by buckeyeh8er on

ESPN just showed police and a construction crew around the Joe Pa statue.  It looks like the statue will be coming down very soon. 

BILG

July 22nd, 2012 at 10:46 AM ^

We could bash PSU from now till eternity given the cult-like nature of their football program and university community as well as for all the poor and immoral decisions made over the past 2 decades.  It is all deserved.

That being said, this is the first good and responsible decision made by anyone in a leadership role at PSU as it pertains to the Sandusky apocolypse.  While the Paterno family is looking to discredit the Freeh report, and many fans are still in denial, the university president stood up and made the right call.  Many would say this was an obvious step, an easy decision, a no brainer.  I would say that is an overly simplistic claim giving far too little credit to PSU President Rodney Erickson. 

Happy Valley is a very insular community and what may seem to be the inevitable right choice to the rest of the country was actually a difficult and divisive move by their leadership.  Joe Pa was a God for these people (a huge reason the Sandusky thing was able to take place) and removing that statue is the equivalent of renouncing a religion for some.  Acceptance is tough, especially when it comes to a fallen icon from which a people have drawn much of their community's identity.  Some would even go as far as to claim that keeping the statue is a sign of "strength of unity", a trite rallying call for the university against all the outside "spin" and pressure if you will.  As misguided as that would seem, such a scandal always induces the "us against the world" reaction amongst many who feel their identity being stripped away.

Well done Mr. Erickson.  And compliments on the timing and relatively covert tactics as well, (early Sunday morning with limited exposure prior to the actual removal).  Good way to keep all the loons, protestors, apologists, etc from rioting and causing further embarrassment to the institution.

Sometimes we should give credit to people for making the "obvious" right decision, as often those are the hardest ones to recognize....looking at you Joe Pa and PSU coverup stooges.

MGlobules

July 22nd, 2012 at 12:11 PM ^

this a.m., the conference call that took place between trustees was all about forestalling action by the NCAA, and whether taking the statue down was a step that might ameliorate forthcoming sanctions. Much as I think that the statue needed to come down, I agree with those saying this looks more like desperate reaction by a school anxious to stop the bleeding than part of any careful, concerted effort.

 

EDIT: Maybe BILG (just up above me with the long, thoughtful comment) is right: the sooner the U starts to face up to reality the better, and this is a strong symbolic first step.   

dcmaizeandblue

July 22nd, 2012 at 11:52 AM ^

Guh the people they interviewed on ESPN and BTN are really not helping. The lack of perspective is just sickening.

Also I've never agreed with Howard Griffith more. Spot on by him.

Brown Bear

July 22nd, 2012 at 12:09 PM ^

http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2012/7/22/3175512/joe-paterno-statue-re…

"In the state of PA, you are required to request a utility markout prior digging below ground.The removal of the statue required a markout request because they used jackhammers to dig below ground.

The purpose of the markout request is to know the locations of underground utilities before digging so that you are less likely to inadvertently damage them, which may compromise public safety. The utility locations are marked on the ground with spray paint by each utility company prior to digging. The request must sent 3 business days (not including weekends) in advance of digging to allow utility companies time to respond. Thus, the request would have needed to be sent in by last Tuesday at the latest. The markout request must state the purpose and location (i.e. Paterno statue removal at Beaver Stadium)

I’m guessing they didn’t send in the markout request. If they did, word of the statue removal would have probably gotten out before the statue was removed. You also might have seen spray painted marks on the ground in the general vicinity of the statue representing underground utility locations. The photos I’ve seen don’t indicate any such marks.

Below is an explanation of the law…

http://www.pa1call.org/pa811/Public/About/FAQ/Public/POCS_Content/About…

I know this may seem like a minor technicality some people, but I think its ironic given the supposed new direction of transparency and law abiding."

LSAClassOf2000

July 22nd, 2012 at 1:19 PM ^

It's a pity he didn't read further into this, because it is an even thinner straw than this guy at BSD realizes. This law is basically the same as "Miss Dig" here in  Michigan, and I have to guess that PSU owns much of its internal infrastructure as the University Of Michigan does. The FAQ for Pennsylvania's law says - as ours does here - that private utilities will not be marked and are the  responsibility of the utility owner. Being that they put barriers all over the place, if they did mark their own  equipment or if the base was free-standing and did not require earth to be broken will undoubtedly spark furious debate among the PSU faithful at BSD for days. 

CRex

July 22nd, 2012 at 2:40 PM ^

I think you underplay the threat of some company sneaking in late at night and burying fiber or some trunk line for phone system directly under a 900 pound statue.  Plus it's right next to a massive stadium that draws (or is that drew) crowds in excess of 100k.  When I look for accessible places to bury infrastructure, I always look for those two things.  

BSD's commentators are so petulant it just makes me want the NCAA to drop that much larger of a nuke.  

MadMonkey

July 22nd, 2012 at 3:14 PM ^

and mint commemorative medallions with proceeds going to the victims and child support/advocacy groups."Storing" the statue sounds like the thing is coming back some day.

dcmaizeandblue

July 22nd, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^

I think they should leave the blank wall up with a small plaque about what happened and the dangers of allowing athletics to overcome the needs of people. That would be JoePa's true legacy and recognizing it in a similar fashion would be a big step for Penn State.

Aurelius50

July 22nd, 2012 at 8:44 PM ^

Given the circumstances surrounding Penn State and considering some of the other issues that have popped up as of late throughout the NCAA, does anyone else get the feeling we may be hearing of other violations/cover-ups over the next year or two?