Isn’t it kind of obvious that you might want a local player in something as aimless and trivial as the Home Run Derby?

Cano is a Yankee, and the day it becomes uncool to boo the Yankees is the day we need to reevaluate what the national pastime is all about.

The only thing I wish had happened was for [Billy] Butler himself to have come out during the Derby, put his arm around Cano, maybe waved a white flag. That would have been cool. And maybe, with three or four outs to go, Cano would have turned the bat over to Butler. They should really have a lot more fun at these things.

Besides, Cano could have ended the booing any time he liked. All he had to do was hit a few home runs.

What if the game had been in San Fran, ya gonna invite Posey and his 10 HR? Or SD, is it going to be Headley?

Or what if the Royals got the game? Their best HR hitter is tied for 16th in the league.

Or what if the Royals got the game? Their best HR hitter is tied for 16th in the league.

I find this notion silly. A homer in the celebrity softball game by all means. A Royal on the coaching staff sure. What if the game had been in San Fran, ya gonna invite Posey and his 10 HR? Or SD, is it going to be Headley? (Quentin not a bad choice actually)

Dirk Plouffe … Butch Plouffe … Rocky Plouffe

It's a _derby_, not an athletic contest of any importance. Advertising.

Chauncey?
Jesus?
Tyronne?
Emerson?

Speaking of Posnanski boo boos, hows about that Joe Paterno! Great call, Joe!

It's going to be interesting to see if Poz can ever really be taken seriously as a judge of, well, anything more weighty than the All-Star Home Run Derby.

In an interview last week with Dave Kindred of the National Sports Journalism Center, Posnanski said he hoped to finish the book by the end of April. He said the biography had become a “very, very different book,” in light of the startling final chapters of Paterno’s life.

“But in many ways, it’s still the same,” Posnanski said. “It’s still about his life — a life that changed dramatically at the end.”

Why not just make the whole thing Royals, then.

According to the Freeh report, Paterno was in on the cover-up from as far back as 1998. Had full knowledge of Sandusky's behavior, and went to major lengths in multiple instances for multiple incidents to keep Sandusky's actions away from the police and the press and to allow Sandusky to continue to rape and molest young boys.

"Curley emails Spanier and Schultz, discussing Sandusky's retirement options: "Joe did give him the option to continue to coach as long as he was the coach."

At the press conference, Freeh reiterates again and again that top Penn State officials showed no concern for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s victims. They didn’t even talk to Sandusky about it. “In short, nothing was done and Sandusky was allowed to continue with impunity,” Freeh said.

Freeh said that Paterno received a report from a younger coach that Sandusky had behaved inappropriately with a young boy in a locker room shower, but delayed passing along the information because he did not “want to interfere” with people’s weekend plans. At no time did the officials try to identify the boy, Freeh said.

The Freeh Report concluded that, as many had assumed, Paterno (as well as other administrators) was aware of a 1998 criminal investigation on allegations that Sandusky abused a boy in Penn State locker room showers. While the local district attorney did not prosecute, the Freeh Group condemned Paterno and the others for not setting up further precautions against Sandusky's behavior.
It concluded that Spanier, vice president Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley also knew and did nothing.

Is this true? I've never heard this before.

"The evidence shows that Mr. Paterno was made aware of the 1998 investigation of Sandusky, followed it closely, but failed to take any action, even though Sandusky had been a key member of his coaching staff for almost 30 years, and had an office just steps away from Mr. Paterno's," the report's conclusion reads.

"At the very least, Mr. Paterno could have alerted the entire football staff, in order to prevent Sandusky from bringing another child into the Lasch Building. Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley also failed to alert the Board of Trustees about the 1998 investigation or take any further action against Mr. Sandusky. None of them even spoke to Sandusky about his conduct.

"In short, nothing was done and Sandusky was allowed to continue with impunity."

"Based on the evidence, the only known, intervening factor between the decision made on February 25, 2001 by Messrs. Spanier, Curley and Schulz to report the incident to the Department of Public Welfare, and then agreeing not to do so on February 27th, was Mr. Paterno's February 26th conversation with Mr. Curley," the report wrote.

The Freeh Group believes the interest of avoiding bad publicity allowed Sandusky to remain free, where he would go on to abuse additional boys and maintain near full access to Penn State facilities and the inner workings of the football program.

"It is more reasonable to conclude that, in order to avoid the consequences of bad publicity, the most powerful leaders at Penn State University – Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley – repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky's child abuse from the authorities, the Board of Trustees, Penn State community, and the public at large. Although concern to treat the child abuser humanely was expressly stated, no such sentiments were ever expressed by them for Sandusky's victims."

People jumped down Poz's throat for basically saying, "let's wait until the facts are in". Is that worthy of tarring-and-feathering?

“I think [Paterno] is a scapegoat. I definitely think that…I think he tried to do the right thing, and the right thing didn’t happen.”

“A lot of people came here to bury Joe. As a writer, I’m mad with that, as someone who’s come to know the Paternos, I’m heartbroken”

I think Poz was wrong, but I don't think refusing to believe at first blush the most terrible things you've ever heard about a person is exactly an unforgivable offense, even with those tweets.

I can't believe Joe Posnanski said nothing while Joe Paterno molested all those kids under his watch.

Remember, Pos didn't "say nothing". He actively defended Paterno and PSU. If Posnanski had written something to the effect of, "Obviously, this story has an enormous effect on me personally and professionally. If true, it's horrifying. Like everyone else, I want to know the truth." and then ended discussion, he wouldn't be lampooned like this.

Does organized religion have to go away for a generation or so?

Football didn't cause children to get molested so I'm don't see why football has to go away.

Football didn't cause children to get molested so I'm don't see why football has to go away. Does organized religion have to go away for a generation or so?

Unless there are any NCAA infractions (I haven't heard of any, although I haven't been following that closely), I don't see why the NCAA should get involved.

Does organized religion have to go away for a generation or so?

No, that was quite clearly because people are people. People cover up unpleasant things all the time because they believe it is in their own self interest to do so.

Which is stupid. Does the NCAA have the power to fire people at colleges? I know they can suspend coaches for games but can they just say "you're done"? It seems to me the NCAA punishes programs because they don't have direct authority over the employees of colleges.

Organizations are made up of human beings that make decisions. You wouldn't be hiding behind a rock or something you'd be hiding behind a large group of human beings that are making a decision to help you get away with it just you made the decision to help your buddy cover up the rape. Are you an organization?

If you wish to beleve that the people acted the way they did independently from the cult of Penn State football, go ahead. I think that's ridiculous.

Again, the people who created that "cult" are now gone or awaiting trial. But, hey, go ahead kick the dead horse if it makes you feel better.

Posnanski, who freakin' moved to State College, never heard a whit of this? Some journalist.

The NCAA sanctioned Ohio State coach Jim Tressel for "unethical conduct" for failing to report his players selling memorabilia for tattoos, even though (AFAIK) that's not a specific NCAA infraction. I would guess they will try to go after the PSU actors for "unethical conduct", but I don't know if that can be applied to an institution. My guess is Eddo's argument will be what they use, "lack of institutional control."

I believe it was an infraction. Players aren't allowed to sell memorabilia when students because otherwise it would make an easy circumvention of rules regarding player compensation.

So what? You're going to blame football because people acted selfishly? The root cause wasn't football it was people being people.

Again, the people who created that "cult" are now gone or awaiting trial.

IIRC, his background is as a journalist.

So, he's like what, Rick Reilly without the alcohol problem? IIRC, his background is as a journalist.

I'm not talking about the player infractions, I'm talking about the sanctions against Jim Tressel. AFAIK (and I could be wrong), there was nothing in the bylaws about not turning that in, but it falls under the NCAA's "unethical conduct."

hogs have really good immune systems interestingly enough. similar to humans

I know they can suspend coaches for games but can they just say "you're done"?

My guess is Eddo's argument will be what they use, "lack of institutional control."

Tressel was informed about the players selling their jerseys to a tattoo shop and failed to report it to the NCAA, although he did let his QB's mentor know that people were on to the players. He then lied to OSU when the university asked him about the deal, saying he had no knowledge of anything. (OSU had been informed of the players actions bu the justice department that was investigating the tattoo shop for different illegal activities). Tressel also had a history of covering up player misdeeds while the AD at Youngstown State. This was a case of the university getting it right and firing a popular, winning coach for not playing by the rules.

While acknowledging that Posnanski is a columnist and not an investigative journalist, wasn't he at PSU doing research rather than just penning columns for SI on how green the practice fields' grass was?