Archives for October 2007

Police cite duo for underage drinking

With the Austin Scott caper hanging over the team’s head like the Sword of Damocles, the off-field shananigans continue. In this latest round of player transgressions, true freshmen Joe Suhey and Ryan Breen were cited for underage drinking in two separate incidents. These two had seen no playing time. Suhey is the son of a legendary Penn State fullback, Matt Suhey, who subsequently enjoyed a successful, 10-year career with the Chicago Bears.

What the hell is going on with this Penn State team this year? First the Scirrotto fracas, then Quarless and Harriott, then Austin Scott, and now these two. Taken individually, some of the incidents might seem minor, but in the aggregate they constitute evidence of an egregious problem. Once again, I am impelled to blame the transgressions on the dearth—or at least the vacuousness—of team leadership, which is to a large extent responsible for the Nittany Lions’ failures both on and off the field this season. A leaderless sports team is like a captainless ship. Someone needs to take charge, kick ass, take names, and do whatever else is necessary to coalesce these individual players into a homogeneous unit—a real team. Someone needs to establish some discipline and focus—both on and off the field! Freshmen—as well as those older players who act like freshmen, no matter what their class standing—need to be mentored by their more emotionally and intellectually mature peers. It is abundantly clear to this Turkey that the tri-captaincy of Connor, Golden, and Morelli does not provide that sort of leadership; thus, it is an abject failure.