Happy Valley, the Penn State campus, once the site of a renowned Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno,and the fierce animal energy, behind his
triumphs over 46 years, begun at age 39. . The year 1965 while the Nam war was raging.
II
"Go thee to a nunnery,." were the words akin with Ophelia's despair , Hamlet leaving her at the alter.
But here in Happy Valley,coach Joe demonstrated no game face,nor did his players dress rehearsal before Saturday's Nebraska gig at
UInhappy Valley.(the Trustees firing coach Joe ipso facto, late tonite).
He broke down and cried on knowing in hindsight he should have reported his defensive coorinator's sexual dalliance with a ten year old boy, in the gym's showers, to the police.
A graduate assistant caught the alleged defensive coordinator in the act ten years ago,and reported it to the athletic director and his alter ego.The coverup broke recently, the two men fired,for perjuring themselves before the grand jury...the innocence of eight boys caught up in the perversion.
III
The moral turpitude issue enflames the information highway and the already economic nightmare griping the day to day on line air waves abounding the .
fraternity&sorority rows.
Where it will stop, nobody knows.
IV
Who could or would have forseen such a maelstrom at the end of WW2 when optimism swept over Ucla's Rose Bowl bound players. Coach Burt Labrucherie and his T or a single wing offense. Been around their "fierce energy" at Spaulding Field, the dining hall,scribbling about their proclivities.
Whether the moral influence of coach Wooden at Pauly Pavilion had a different rhythm and chemistry, it's hard to discern. The need to suceed was the paramnount on both ends of the continent,. for even a Rasputin masked in a the athlete's attire...
Wasn't it, Horatrio.?
V
Again coach broke in at Happy Valley at 39 years and for 46 years, honored the game,and his players. A surrogate father, he lived a few blocks away,and strolled to his "stage" for that many moons.
Hewing his players rough energy.
VI
Joe Paterno lived the campus dream.. Walking to his stage for 46 years while thinking out his offense&defense has a scent of Shangri-la about it. Not that far from ourselves at Ucla's quad, Royce Hall and the Regent meetings, their upligfting dialogue, closing in on Pericle's ideals and Plato's work ethic.
The sublimation of such an enchantment within the bounds of college life goes right to the mission of educating young humans and the professors, in their reciprocity. It all being relative..
The hubris demonstrated here means a shake up is necessary. How else can the Happy Valley leadership give their fledglings the character to go out into a corrupt cosmos and carry on, with their futures.
VII
Who could the freshmen sophomores juniors seniors graduate students identify with?. Post graduate life requires that fierce animal vitality,doesn' it? Horatio?
Carrying that rough energy carries a high price for role playing...
Just ask other coaches like Jerry Tarkanian (UNLV) Bobby Knight (Indiana) and Woody Hayes (Ohio State) They seemed to be thriving within their own Happy Valleys until their coming to grips with themselves and breaching the bond with their fledglings. Free of doubts,yearning for strong leadership in their futures..
********
"What's the good word,at what was once Happy Valley, Horatio?"
"Lasciviousness, sire. Lasciviousness."
the city that never sleeps, November 10,2011
