Random Posting for Penn State 1/1/14

While everyone else is busy talking about their teams and their post-season and their bowl games ... I was starting to feel a little left-out.  After all, "my" team is currently living underneath its ban, so we don't get much news coverage this time of year.

Well ... kind of.  What I first thought was maybe just a social media sham that had a greater shelf life because of the holiday ... now seems more and more likely to be a done deal.

To which I say, change is always a challenge ... but I'm a little disappointed about all the accusations of betrayal flying around the Facebook.  In any other situation, begrudging someone their deserved career advancement would seem a little selfish and childish and a bunch of other -ishes.

Agreed, the Penn State story of the last few years doesn't necessarily qualify as "any other situation", but can't we look past the initial shock of the news and focus on why Bill was named the Big Ten coach of the year in 2012?  And at all that he did at just the right time for just the right reasons in light of the Sandusky scandal?  Look -- I thought we had learned our lesson about placing coaches on too high of a pedestal.  He was an employee who was hired to do a job -- a job he did well for two seasons.  Now he's moving on and there will be a new one brought in to continue the rebirth of the program post-Paterno.

Or to put it in the parlance of O'Brien himself ... the focus should be on the fact that "they're a great bunch of kids".  He never said "they're MY great bunch of kids".  Nor did he say "they're a great bunch of kids because of ME".  Truth be told ... "they're going to be a great bunch of kids, regardless of who is leading them".

So, Bill ... thanks for what you did -- which was an amazing job in light of the challenges you faced -- many of which you didn't even know when you took the job.  And congrats on your new opportunity.  Now let's not belabor anything ... pack up your stuff and head down south ... because we've got to be in Dublin in 242 days ... and there's lots to do between this week's announcements and that trip.

[Can I get a "WE ARE"?]

THE SOURCE OF THE PHOTO:
 http://www.fantasyfootballoverdose.com/nfl-football-news/will-houston-texans-get-hands-bill-obrien/

THE LATEST CONFIRMATION:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24394043/texans-to-hire-penn-states-bill-obrien-as-new-coach

THE 20-20 HINDSIGHT ARTICLE MAKING THE ROUNDS TODAY:
http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/bill_obrien_the_outsider_arriv.html