User: jsoprano Time: 07-14-2012 22:36 Product: Times_Leader PubDate: 07-15-2012 Zone: Main Edition: Main_Run PageName: sports_f PageNo: 1 C
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SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2012
P E N N S TAT E S C A N D A L
Reflection in an Unhappy Valley
Nittany Lions consider how to move forward as more details of the school’s abuse scandal are revealed. By MARC LEVY Associated Press
child sex-abuse scandal — and a report that said school officials hid accusations against him — the school is bracing for civil lawsuits and perhaps NCAA sanctions. Meanwhile, Penn Staters are trying to protect Happy Valley, the almosttoo-good-to-be-true nickname for the campus enclave at the foot of Mount Nittany and the protective veil the community feels in its central Pennsylvania home. “I think it’s one of the finest universities around and the crimes of a few doesn’t dictate the university’s reputation,” said Craig Lehnowsky, whose son just finished getting three degrees in eight years. “If today was the day to deAP PHOTO cide where my son would go (to college), he’d be coming here.” The release of the Freeh report on Thursday has Penn State students and
STATE COLLEGE — They’ve had to reconcile the school whose sports programs vow “success with honor” with one of the worst scandals in sports history. Almost inconceivably, they have been forced to reconsider the integrity and iconic status of the late Joe Paterno, the longtime football coach whose program helped turn a school focused on agriculture into one of the nation’s biggest and most respected research universities. In the wake of the Jerry Sandusky See PSU, Page 7C
alumni re-examining their feelings on Joe Paterno and the university as a whole. Reminders, such as the name on a school library, remain everywhere.
LITTLE LEAGUE
Strong start to sectionals for locals
G I A N T S D E S PA I R
Start your engines
South Wilkes-Barre scored five runs in the final two innings to open the Section 5 tournament with a win. By JOHN ERZAR jerzar@timesleader.com
DALLAS — South Wilkes-Barre won the District 16 title via some big hits. It took a small one Saturday to get the offense going in the first round of the Section 5 Little League Major baseball tournament. Kyle Ostrowski beat out a chopper to third to start the fifth inning and a rally as South Wilkes-Barre opened with a 5-1 victory over Old Forge at the Back Mountain Little League. South Wilkes-Barre S. WILKESwill play D31 champ BARRE Back Mountain American at 5:30 p.m. today at Back Mountain Little League in the winners OLD FORGE bracket final. D17 champion Old Forge will play at 7:30 p.m. today against D32 champ Green Ridge in the elimination final. American defeated Green Ridge 18-2 in Saturday’s nightcap. South Wilkes-Barre, which scored in double digits several times in the D16 tournament, had a lone hit going into the fifth – a double by Simon Peter in the fourth. But after Ostrowski – the No. 9 hitter – legged out his single, Old Forge replaced starting pitcher Mason Boettger. Boettger had six strikeouts to that point as Old Forge clung to a 1-0 lead. Reliever Shane Smith did fare well after getting the first out of the fifth. Josh Montalvo followed with an infield single, and he and Ostrowski scored when Jake Tomolonis doubled down the leftfield line. Paul Fox then singled to left, giving South Wilkes-Barre a 3-1 advantage. “The bottom of our order picked us up today and really got things going and really made the difference,” South WilkesBarre manager Vito Pasone said. “That’s
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AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER
Jack Danko makes his way out of the starting area onto the Giants Despair Hillclimb. The Danko family remains heavily ingrained in the event as Jack’s brother Darryl goes for a course record today. By JAY MONAHAN For The Times Leader
LAUREL RUN — Darryl Danko can’t catch a break with the 1998 Lola Indy. Save for a test run in last year’s race, the sixtime winner hasn’t competed in his prized vehicle at the Giants Despair in three years. With a course record on the line, his Lola Indy met mechanical malfunctions that slowed it to a 40.1-second time in the first day of competition at the Giants Despair Hillclimb on Saturday. Danko leads George Bowland, of Mill Spring, N.C., by a 2.64-second margin. Competition continues today on the East Northampton Street course in Laurel Run. “We had limited runs,” Danko said. “We did the best we can with the mechanical problems. We had a lot of things fighting us.” The Indy car experienced mechanical issues. It had problems
with the throttle position sensor and the right side of the car began scraping several places throughout the day. “The car is just a handful at that point,” Danko said. “I have to go a lot slower through the turns than I want to.” Danko did not return to the bottom of the 1-mile hill following the fifth run of the day. Unlike
previous years, he and his team drove straight to his Laurel Run garage to make alterations on the Indy. “We’re trying to correct some of those problems overnight,” Danko said. “We’re trying to raise it up a little bit so we don’t scrape bottom so bad.” Bowland, Danko’s top competition, had to make an early exit from the race due to mechanical issues with his custom-built 2002 BBR car. Bowland ended Danko’s five-year championship streak in 2010 and did not compete in last year’s Hillclimb. “I don’t know if he could catch this car when it’s running,” Danko said. “I would have loved to see him to try to catch up to a 40 (second time). When this is running right, his car doesn’t have the horsepower that we have. He’s a great driver, and he’d give it everything he’s got. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t going his way today.” See HILLCLIMB, Page 7C
SENIOR LEGION BASEBALL
Greater Pittston cruises into today’s final round By DAVE ROSENGRANT drosengrant@timesleader.com
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Chupka. But Chupka’s thinkGREATER ing also paid off for GP PITTSTON as he laced a three-run double in the bottom of the fifth when he clobbered a first-pitch fastTUNKHANball down the left field NOCK line from Tunkhannock pitcher Alex Zaner to catapult Greater Pittston to a 6-0 win in the win-
RICE TWP. — A great number of pitchers have been throwing complete games during the Wyoming Valley American Legion League season. The Greater Pittston coaching staff decided to make opposing pitchers work for the accomplishment telling their players to take pitches and not swing at the first one delivered. Everyone on the team stuck to that philosophy on Saturday, except for Bart See LEGION, Page 11C
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BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER
Greater Pittston’s P.J. Bone (right) dives safely back to first base ahead of the tag of Tunkhannock’s Ryan Weiss in American Legion baseball playoff action on Saturday afternoon in Rice Township.
PAUL SOKOLOSKI OPINION
A place where Paterno statue would fit best
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t shouldn’t be this difficult for Penn State to decide what to do with the Joe Paterno statue still sitting outside Beaver Stadium. Put it in the darkest room of the Lasch Building. Then lock it away for good. That would be the perfect place to remember a man whose historic coaching career was so revered, yet is now reviled by many. Only because protecting the reputation of his proud football program apparently meant more to Paterno than protecting young boys from a sexual predator in his midst. It says so in the Freeh report. That’s the Penn State-sanctioned investigation by former FBI Director Louis Freeh that determined the school’s most powerful leaders, including Paterno, buried sexual abuse allegations against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, perhaps to avoid bad publicity for the school and its football team. That cover-up enabled Sandusky to continue preying on young boys from his Second Mile charity for more than a decade. He was recently convicted of charges against him and is facing life in prison. Paterno’s life ended in January, when he passed away following a battle with lung cancer and after being fired during the 2011 season from a head coaching job he held at Penn State for 46 years. And life at Penn State changed – for the football players, coaching staff, students and administrators – with the blight of the Sandusky scandal. Yet some who still patronize Paterno’s legacy want his statue standing outside Beaver Stadium until the end of time. Others want it destroyed, now painting a portrait of Paterno as a pathetic figure following the findings in the Freeh report. Really, the statue should find a proper resting place in the Lasch Building. It’s the football facility where Penn State’s players have practiced for years, and where Paterno did much of the work during the week that made him the winningest head coach in major college football history. His supporters can pay tribute to Paterno’s legacy there. And they can also remember how their once-great football leader lost his way. Because the Lasch Building is also where some of the most horrific crimes Sandusky committed took place. It is where former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary reported seeing Sandusky sexually abusing a child in the showers in 2001, which led to Sandusky’s arrest and a grand jury investigation that ended last year. It also led to Paterno’s downfall. McQueary testified he told Paterno about witnessing Sandusky’s attack, and Paterno fumbled away the opportunity to be the real leader everyone at Penn State always believed him to be. It turns out Paterno may have persuaded university officials not to call the cops on Sandusky and his deviant behavior a couple years before the 2001 incident, according to the Freeh report. If he were alive today, Paterno may be facing charges for perjury, conspiracy and child endangerment. All because the super-secretive coach always insisted on serving as lawyer, judge and jury for any matter regarding his football program, shielding it from the eyes of the outside world. So put his statue in a dark room at the Lasch Building, to represent the dark secrets he carried with him to the grave. Maybe there, the memory of an iconic football coach being allowed too much power will finally be buried. Paul Sokoloski is a Times Leader sports columnist. You may reach him at 970-7109 or email him at psokoloski@timesleader.com.
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TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012
P E N N S TAT E S C A N D A L
WE ARE … OVERWHELMED
NCAA, Big Ten inflict massive penalties on PSU
AP PHOTO
ABOVE: Penn State running back Silas Redd, left, with a Walter Camp Football Foundation backpack, leaves the Lasch football building after a team meeting explaining the ramifications of the NCAA sanctions against the football program in State College. BELOW: Starting quarterback Matt McGloin wears items touting his family’s business while leaving the Lasch building Monday.
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By DEREK LEVARSE | dlevarse@timesleader.com
TATE COLLEGE -- Not long after Bill O’Brien took over as coach at Penn State, a few new signs appeared at the team’s Lasch Building headquar-
ters. One, posted on a door in the back, gives five bullet point reminders for players “WHEN YOU LEAVE HERE,” outlining expectations in the community and the classroom. The fifth and final directive instructs players to “Ignore the Noise.” Dozens of Nittany Lions, upon exiting that same door on Monday morning following a team meeting, did just that, silently walking past a large crowd of media seeking comment in the aftermath of the NCAA’s severe sanctions against the football program and university.
Lewis’ commitment to PSU remains strong … for now By DEREK LEVARSE dlevarse@timesleader.com
STATE COLLEGE – Before ever playing a down at Penn State, Eugene Lewis learned that he may never get to play in a bowl game for the Nittany Lions. Heavy sanctions levied by the Lewis NCAA against the football program on Monday have clouded the future for the Wyoming Valley Conference standout. On one hand, Lewis’ father said his son will remain at Penn State. “Oh yeah, that’s no question,” Eugene Lewis Sr. said Monday evening. “He’s that type of person, when he’s committed to you, he’s committed to you.” Lewis’ former football coach at Wyoming Valley West said, however, that Lewis was unsure if he would transfer to another school when he last heard from him in the late afternoon and early
Most did not acknowledge questions asked of them. The few that stopped only said that they had no comment. Further attempts to contact players over the phone, at their apartments and on campus See NCAA, Page 4B
evening Monday. “Well, we were texting, so I wasn’t able to tell any emotion with him, but I’m sure he’s pretty devastated,” Pat Keating said. “He told me he’d take a day or two to make his decision.” Adding to the confusion was the fact that Lewis, along with Penn State players and coaches, were not available for comment Monday. The football team also traditionally does not allow first-year players to speak to the media. Lewis, who starred as a quarterback and wide receiver at Valley West, arrived in State College earlier this month and would have a chance to see the field as a true freshman at wideout. If he plays immediately in 2012 and does not use a redshirt season, however, he will not have the opportunity to play in a bowl game during his Penn State career. Among Penn See LEWIS, Page 4B
The late coach really dug the Lions a grave They paralyzed Penn State’s football program. They pillaged its once-storied past. And they fouled up any future new coach Bill O’Brien hoped to build in his early years as the team’s new leader. Not NCAA president Mark Emmert and his band of college sports regulators. Joe Paterno and his Penn State cronies did all this. If you’re looking for someone to blame for all the harsh penalties handed down by Emmert on Monday, point the finger at Penn State’s late head coach. He’s the one who turned Penn
PAUL SOKOLOSKI OPINION State pride into a symbol of shame, remaining quiet while his former defensive coordinator and recently-convicted sexual predator Jerry Sandusky preyed on young boys for more than a decade. And Paterno’s the one who became so swelled with power, people feared challenging his football program to the point where they covered up a crime. “There is no action we can take that will remove their pain,” Emmert said in a televised press conference. So instead, the NCAA crippled
the program Paterno built a day after his disgraced statue was rightfully removed from outside Beaver Stadium. He’s no longer the all-time winningest coach in major college football history, down to a record of 298-136-3 after losing 111 career victories the NCAA forced Penn State to vacate over the past 15 seasons, starting from 1998. “The 1998 date was selected because that’s when the first (child abuse) incident was reported,” Emmert said. “The university’s failures began at that point.” Now future generations of Nittany Lions will suffer for the sins of the all-powerful Paterno, who was See GRAVE, Page 4B
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AP PHOTO
Penn State football was all but leveled Monay by an NCAA ruling that wiped away 14 years of former coach Joe Paterno’s victories and imposed a mountain of fines and penalties.
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PAGE 4B TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
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LITTLE LEAGUE
LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL
Season ends early for Back Mountain
Nanticoke defeats West Side for title
Section 5 champ is eliminated the losers bracket, the more arms by Dillsburg squad on second you have to throw.” Dillsburg used six pitchers on day of state tournament. Sunday, but just one Monday – By JOHN ERZAR jerzar@timesleader.com
STROUDSBURG – As Back Mountain American exited the Stroudsburg Little League on Monday – eliminated from the Little League Major Baseball state tournament – manager Steve Mathers accentuated accomplishments. And there were plenty even after Dillsburg’s offense erupted and bumped off American 14-6 in the elimination bracket. Still, the end wasn’t easy. “It’s tough,” Mathers said. “For the last four summers I was fortunate enough to manage this team into late July, August. Four district titles, two section titles, two trips to states last year and this year. Not many kids can say they won a district title, let alone four. They are a great bunch of kids, a great bunch of ballplayers.” And a bunch that had the misfortune of Dillsburg, out of York County, finding its hitting groove after struggling in its state opener Sunday. Dillsburg had just two hits in a 14-0 loss to Warrick Township. The Section 7 champ had two hits after three batters on Monday. It finished with 16, including five in a five-run fifth inning to open a 14-4 lead. “Well, they certainly didn’t get here because they couldn’t hit the ball,” Mathers said. “Obviously, that’s kudos to Warrick’s pitchers. I’ve said it in the past, these tournaments are grueling on pitching. The further you go in
Trent Culver. The lefty mixed four different off-speed pitches with a fastball to keep American from bunching its hits together. A delay of about 45 minutes due to lightning didn’t derail him. American led once, 3-2, after two innings. J.D. Barrett had a solo homer in the first after Dillsburg struck twice in the top of the frame. Two more runs came across in the second, one on Carl Markowski’s RBI single and the other when David Schuster’s single was misplayed in the outfield. Christian Roberts added a solo homer in the fourth for American. Chris Hadsall had an RBI double and Barrett knocked in another with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Those runs, though, barely put a dent in the deficit as Dillsburg scored four times in the third and three times in the fourth before its big fifth inning.
Little League Major Baseball State Tournament Dillsburg 14, Back Mtn. American 6 Dillsburg Back Mtn. American ab r h bi ab r h bi Culver p 4 1 2 2 Mathers p 3 1 1 0 McKeever cf 5 3 2 0 Hadsall ss 3 0 1 1 McLaughlin c 4 3 4 2 Barrett c 2 1 1 2 Peifer ss 3 2 1 1 Roberts cf 3 1 1 1 Sacoman rf 4 1 1 2 Holdrdge 1b 2 1 1 0 Shumaker 2b 2 1 0 1 Schuster 2b 3 1 1 0 Brownawell lf 2 1 0 0 Markwski lf 2 0 2 1 Ishler lf 2 0 1 1 Kaleta lf 1 0 0 0 Stuckey 1b 2 0 2 1 Pertl 3b 1 0 0 0 Lilja rf 2 1 1 0 Robbins rf 2 1 0 0 Cotton 3b 4 1 2 1 Kovalick rf 1 0 0 0 Lydon 3b 0 0 0 0 Totals 34141611 Totals 23 6 8 5 Dillsburg ................................... 204 350 — 14 Back Mtn. American................ 120 120 — 6 E – DIL 2, BMA 3. DP – BMA 1. LOB – DIL 8, BMA 3. 2B – McLaughlin, Hadsall, Markowski. HR – Barrett, Roberts. SF – Culver, Barrett. SB – Shumaker. IP H R ER BB SO Dillsburg Culver (W)................. 6.0 8 6 4 1 6 Back Mtn. Amer. Mathers (L)................ 3.0 9 7 3 2 1 Hadsall ...................... 1.0 5 6 4 1 0 Robbins ..................... 2.0 2 1 1 3 1 Mathers pitched to one batter in the 4th. Hadsall pitched to four batters in the 5th. HBP –Lydon (by Culver)
NIKO J. KALLIANIOTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER
Back Mountain American’s Josh Lydon looks on from the dugout during the fifth inning against Dillsburg on Monday afternoon in Stroudsburg.
LEWIS Continued from Page 1B
State’s numerous penalties is a four-year postseason ban that runs from 2012 to 2015. Scholarship reductions that will run through the length of his college stay may also affect the level of talent around him, especially in his later seasons with the Lions. Lewis Sr. said that the sanctions weren’t a surprise to him or his son. “We were not shocked. We were OK,” Lewis Sr. said of learning of the NCAA’s decisions. “We already knew it wasn’t going to be easy. And it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. “We were not shocked. Both of us are still excited about Penn State.” The NCAA also announced Monday that Penn State players would be free to transfer to another school and play right away rather than sitting out for a season because of the sanctions. That is an option that Lewis was considering on Monday, according to Keating. The coach said he had been contacted by roughly 12-15 other college programs from across the country Monday interested in recruiting Lewis to come to their programs. Because of the sanctions against Penn State, the NCAA has ruled that other schools are permitted to recruit players already on scholarship, provided they first give notice to Penn State. Despite the turmoil that struck the Lions in November,
Lewis had said in the past that he never seriously considered wavering from his verbal commitment to Penn State. He signed his letter of intent to play there without incident in February. Lewis Sr. said his son’s commitment has not changed. “He loves it. He loves Penn State,” Lewis Sr. said. “He just loves the university. He loves Happy Valley and he’s just enjoying himself. “Don’t get me wrong – he’s probably discouraged a little bit. But when it comes down to it, he looks at the big picture, not just the right now.” “But at the same time,” Keating said, “I feel for the fact that he probably wouldn’t get to play in a bowl game. That’s a big reason to go to play in college. “It’s just an unfortunate incident, and the kids are stuck in the middle of it.”
GRAVE Continued from Page 1B
found by the Freeh Report to be involved in an institutionwide cover-up of Sandusky’s crimes. The four-year bowl ban Emmert handed down means incoming recruits from the 2012 class will have no opportunity to play in a postseason game unless they take a red-shirt season. He said he wants the school worrying about balancing its priorities, “Not whether or not Penn State is going
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SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Bob Horlacher state champions. Kneeling, from left: Hope Jones, Jena Simmons. Standing, first row: Delaney Romanchick, Kaci Coole, Faith Jones, Erin Dunn, Megan Straley, Kassidy Shirtz, Mackayla Quick, Sarah Kuderka. Second row: Coaches Doug Jones, Pete Romanchick, John Kuderka, Jim Dunn.
Horlacher wins state title Team comes home to play in the East Regional tourney this weekend in Old Forge.
Atlantic Region play, which begins Saturday in Old Forge. Horlacher’s first game will be against the New York representative Sunday at 3 p.m. Horlacher entered the bottom of the fifth inning trailing West Point 1-0. But Megan Straley lead off with a hit and Casey Coole followed with a walk. Quick then drove a ball to center field for a two-run double. It was all the runs Jones would need. She struck out 11 in six innings.
Straley finished the day 2 for 2, while Jones, Sara Kadurka, Quick and Faith Jones all had one hit. Bob Horlacher finished the state tournament with five wins, averaging 6.6 runs per game and allowing 2.0 per game. The team scored six or more runs in each of its first four state tournament games. Milton scored five runs against Horlacher in the semifinal, while Horlacher’s remaining opponents scored five runs total in four games.
were met with similar silence. An ESPN report said that “players were instructed within that meeting not to speak with members of the media.” A small handful of players took to the internet to address the punishments, which include a four-year postseason ban and a drastic reduction in scholarships. Most vocal was tight end Garry Gilliam, a projected starter for 2012, who wrote on his Twitter account that he would not be leaving Penn State. The NCAA has ruled that Penn State players will be able to transfer to other schools without penalty and can play immediately. Likewise, the Big Ten is waiving a restriction that prevented players from transferring within the conference and still receiving a scholarship. In a statement, the Penn State Football Letterman’s Club took issue with the NCAA President Mark Emmert’s assertion that a football-first culture at the school created an imbalance between athletics and academics, calling it “baseless and intellectually dishonest.” “It is with great pride that the members of our club know that we have done it the ‘right way’ for several decades,” the group said, “and we will not allow Dr. Emmert’s careless remarks to tarnish the legacy of Penn State football.” On campus and in downtown State College, students, alumni and local businesses reacted with frustration and anger -some of it directed at the NCAA and some of it directed at Penn State’s leadership. Terry and Teresa Kerestes, dressed in Penn State gear and visiting Terry’s alma mater while on vacation, stopped briefly by the big-screen TV at the HUB student union to watch coverage of the situation.
“I just feel it was it was a miss (by the NCAA),” Teresa Kerestes said. “It takes the focus off of the victims” of former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted of 45 counts of sexual abuse of children. “I don’t see how this is going to help those children.” Terry Kerestes, who received his masters degree from Penn State, said the fate of the football program does not diminish his view of the school. “Nah, this is all just garbage,” Terry said with a wave of his hand toward the giant TV. “It doesn’t change how I feel about Penn State.” Students watching events unfold at the HUB had mixed feelings about the sanctions, acknowledging the need for them but questioning the severity. “I think it’s a very steep penalty and maybe not fair to punish the current players. Something had to be done, but these guys were like 4 years old when those things happened,” said Anthony Pesavento, a freshman from the Harrisburg area who described himself as a lifetime fan. “(Football) was definitely one of the reasons why I came here, but I came here for the education first and foremost.” Employees and managers of stores in State College did not wish to speak on the record, concerned how their opinions could affect their businesses. Generally, they were concerned how sanctions -- which will seriously damage the football team’s on-field success -- will affect interest in the team and trickle down to the local economy. Two such people also expressed their exhaustion of media coverage of the Sandusky scandal and its fallout since November and thought the NCAA was being hypocritical in its punishment of Penn State, choosing to make an example of the school to make a point. A group called Penn Staters
for Responsible Stewardship -which formed in the wake of indictments of Jerry Sandusky, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz in November -- issued strong criticism of the university’s Board of Trustees on Monday. In a statement, the group said it was most upset at use of the Freeh Report -- an independent investigation commissioned by Penn State that concluded that university leadership covered up reports of sexual abuse of children -- as definitive evidence against the school and the football program. "To rely upon such a report to issue punishment is beyond reckless, and should not be supported in any way by the leadership of Penn State," the group said. "By agreeing to these sanctions, every single member of the Penn State Board of Trustees has blatantly failed in their fiduciary responsibilities to the university. With each passing hour, we are gaining additional alumni support in our demand to have them resign immediately." One trustee, the newly elected Anthony Lubrano, however, said that the board was not consulted before the university agreed to the NCAA’s sanctions. “My view is that we rolled over and played dead,” Lubrano told USA Today. The consent decree that finalized the sanctions was signed only by Penn State President Rodney Erickson and Emmert. Another recent addition to the board, former Penn State football player Adam Taliaferro, was upset that the NCAA vacated Penn State’s wins from the past 14 seasons. Taliaferro played during that span, suffering a life-threatening spinal cord injury in a game in 2000. “NCAA says games didn’t exist,” Taliaferro posted on his Twitter account. “I got the metal plate in my neck to prove it. I almost died playing for PSU. Punishment or healing?”
to a bowl game.” Why would talented freshmen such as former Wyoming Valley West star receiver Eugene Lewis and Nyeem Wartman, a heavy-hitting linebacker from Valley View, stay at a place that’ll be reduced to relative obscurity for most of their careers? Why would starting quarterback Matt McGloin out of West Scranton spend his final college season driving the Nittany Lions down a road that’ll lead to a dead end? They couldn’t answer that immediately, muzzled by an edict from the coaching staff preventing current team mem-
bers from speaking about the sanctions. But they’re free to leave now, along with any other Penn State player feeling trapped by the penalties. The NCAA opened the cage and let all the Nittany Lions loose, allowing current team members the rare opportunity to transfer to another university and play immediately. It won’t be easy to find replacements. Penn State’s quota will be reduced from 85 scholarships to just 65 over the next four years, and the number of new scholarships to be awarded has been reduced by 10
each year. That means the Lions will lose 40 tremendously talented players. That’ll deplete the quality of the depth chart for at least eight years, because those missing scholarship spots will have to be filled by walk-ons. Nobody would blame O’Brien for walking out, although the new coach said he’s at Penn State for the long haul. But he didn’t sign up for $60 million Penn State must pay – equal to one year’s worth of revenue generated by the football program, according to Emmert -- or the five-year probationary
The Times Leader staff
GREENSBURG -- Hope Jones had a dominating performance on the mound and Mackayla Quick drove in two runs as Bob Horlacher defeated West Point 2-1 Monday to claim the state softball 9-10 championship. Horlacher advances to Mid-
NCAA Continued from Page 1B
WILKES-BARRE – Nanticoke used a three-hit effort by Colby Butczynski to defeat West Side 5-1 for the Wilkes-Barre 9-10 Rec Championship on Monday. Dylan Sczychowski, Austin Norton, Jacob Kruginski and Jaden Held each produced a hit for Nanticoke. Butczynski picked up the win on the mound. Mike O’Kane, Jim White, Dave Menzel and Jim Harding each had a hit for West Side.
SWOYERSVILLE 11-12 TOURNAMENT
Hanover 6, Plymouth/Swoyersville 4
Noah Jackson tallied three hits, including two doubles, to lead Hanover to a win. Mike Piscotti and Brett Stevens each had a hit. Matt Clarke picked up the win by pitching 51⁄3 innings, yielding two hits and striking out seven. Clarke also contributed a pair of doubles.
JENKINS TWP. 10-AND-UNDER SOFTBALL Jenkins Twp. 9, Mountain Top 6
Jaden Weiss, Alexis Armstrong and Tori Harper had hits for Mountain Top.
EXETER 8-9 TOURNAMENT
Nanticoke 11, Back Mountain Light Blue 3
Nick Matson threw three shutout innings to earn the win, while Joey Day had two hits and three RBI. Justin Spencer, Owen Brown and Ethan Egemski had two hits apiece for the winners. Drew Dickson, Logan Taczewski and Cooper Lewis had hits for Back Mountain. Back Mountain-C 12, Hanover 2
Will Youngman was 2for-2 and Austin Finarelli was 2-for-3 to pace Back Mountain-C. Brayden Saracino added a hit while A.J. Bednar picked up the win on the mound. Brendan Boehm tripled for Hanover.
TOMMY’S PIZZA CORNER 9-10 TOURNAMENT Bob Horlacher 10, Exeter 4
Cole Coolbaugh pitched 42⁄3 strong innings and was 2-for-3 at the plate to pace Bob Horlacher. David Evans, Mike Milbrot and Mike Prebola also paced Horlacher’s offense. Zack Strazdus came on in relief to pick up the win. Caleb Graham was 3for-3 for Exeter. Gavin Lahart also had a hit. period the NCAA put on Penn State. The intent of all this, Emmert said, is to get the culture of “Hero worship and winning at all costs” out of college athletics. That objective didn’t bring Penn State the feared football ban of at least one year known as the “Death penalty.” But it turns out the late Paterno really left his old program half-dead. Paul Sokoloski is a Times Leader sports columnist. You may reach him at 970-7109 or email him at psokoloski@timesleader.com.
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2012
CYC L I N G
Armstrong’s case vs. USADA dismissed
He can try to overturn the decision by going to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK — A federal judge in Austin, Texas, threw out Lance Armstrong’s lawsuit against the U.S. AntiDoping Agency on Monday, a decision that allows the agency’s drug case against the seven-time Tour de France
winner to move ahead. Armstrong, who repeatedly has denied doping, claimed in his lawsuit that USADA lacked jurisdiction and its arbitraArmstrong tion process violates his constitutional rights. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks dismissed the lawsuit as speculative. “With respect to Armstrong’s due process challenges, the court agrees
NFL
Vick hurt as Eagles top Patriots
they are without merit,� Sparks wrote in a 30-page order. “Alternatively, even if the court has jurisdiction over Armstrong’s remaining claims, the court finds they are best resolved through the well-established system of international arbitration, by those with expertise in the field, rather than by the unilateral edict of a single nation’s courts.� Armstrong can try to overturn Sparks’ decision by going to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. He also can agree to proceed
with USADA’s arbitration or accept its sanctions. In a governing body turf war, the International Cycling Union (UCI) says it has jurisdiction in the Armstrong matter, not USADA. USADA could be challenged before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. Armstrong was still considering his options. “On balance, the court finds the USADA arbitration rules, which largeSee ARMSTRONG, Page 6B
Staying alive
By HOWARD ULMAN AP Sports Writer
27 17
AP PHOTO
Fairfield, Conn., pitcher Will Lucas celebrates with teammates after pitching a no-hitter Monday against New Castle, Ind., in an elimination game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport.
Two U.S. teams notch dramatic victories By GENARO C. ARMAS AP Sports Writer
AP PHOTO
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick holds his mid-section after getting hit hard Monday night in Foxborough.
help Petaluma, Calif., advance in the Little League World Series with a 5-4 victory over Parsippany, N.J. Manager Eric Smith “told me you can’t go up there thinking walk-off home run,� Marzo said. “You have to be thinking base hit. A walk-off comes off a good base-hit swing.� Marzo’s giddy teammates started lining up around the plate to pat him on his helmet before he even reached second. Their frantic fans started chanting “Petaluma!� The skipper’s son, 13-year-old shortstop Hance Smith, knew the ball was headed out when he saw Marzo’s swing. “I didn’t really (see the ball) leave the park,� Hance Smith said with a Fairfield, Conn., pitcher Will Lucas smile. “I just came out to greet him.� delivers in the sixth inning of his Parsippany pushed across two no-hitter against New Castle, Ind.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — Will Lucas threw a no-hitter to lead Fairfield, Conn., past New Castle, Ind., 4-0 Monday night at the Little League World Series. The 12-year-old right-hander struck out 13 and also had a two-run single in the fifth. When it was over, he fell to the ground as his teammates piled on top of him near the mound. Matt Kubel homered for Connecticut, which will play California in a rematch tonight. Connecticut lost the first matchup 6-4 last week. Indiana manager Tim Porter said Lucas was effective changing speeds. Earlier in the day, Danny Marzo drove a breaking ball to the grassy hill beyond the right-field wall to See LITTLE, Page 5B
S E R U C CARS FOR ust 31st g AUGUST 18th - au
OPINION
Names to make the Yankees a real home team
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LITTLE LEAGUE
For the second straight week, Eagles QB needs X-rays. Just like last week, they turn out to be negative.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Michael Vick keeps taking his lumps. His Philadelphia Eagles keep winning. The star quarterback was leveled after throwing a long pass in the first quarter and underwent X-rays for the second straight game — negative again. Then backup Nick Foles led the Eagles to a 27-17 preseason victory over the New England Patriots on Monday night. EAGLES Vick had X-rays on his ribs after being knocked down by linebacker Jermaine CunPATRIOTS ningham. Eleven days earlier, in a 24-23 win over Pittsburgh, he had X-rays on his left thumb after hitting it on center Jason Kelce’s helmet. Foles threw two touchdown passes for the second straight game for the Eagles Tom Brady sat out the game for the Patriots. The regular season starts for the Eagles on Sept. 9 in Cleveland, while defending champion New England opens the season the same day in Tennessee. The Eagles next preseason game is Friday night against the team they will open the regular season against.
PAUL SOKOLOSKI
Lucas struck out 13 in Connecticut’s 4-0 win.
ow that the votes are in for the final group of monikers still in the running to be placed next to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s proud baseball name, the final verdict isn’t just near, it’s clear. These six names stink. C’mon, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Blast? This isn’t some Euro soccer team. Porcupines? Black Diamond Bears? They sound too close to a couple of Lehigh Valley teams. The Triple-A IronPigs already have pork sandwiches, so sorry Porcupines. And there was once a short-lived independent league team named the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds. We’re already trying to copy Lehigh Valley’s stadium design, so can’t we get a little bit more original with the team’s nickname? Fireflies, Pennsylvania’s official state insect, would certainly do it. But do we really want our baseball team named after a friendly little bug? Since they promise to be more friendly to area fans, RailRiders kind of goes against that train of thought. Sounds like a team ready to hop on board and head out of town. The last suggestion, Trolley Frogs might be neat. If anybody actually knew what a trolley frog was. Turns out its actually a mechanical part of a trolley, not a line of dancing frogs. So while disdain for all those proposed nicknames dances through the head of most Northeastern Pennsylvania baseball fans, here are a few proposals people in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area have been twittering about. How about The Potholes? Everybody knows they’ve arrived in Northeastern Pennsylvania when their cars start colliding with those teethrattling craters carving up our roads. The name Potholes is almost synonymous with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. Team officials can celebrate it by serving some beef, chicken or turkey pot pie at the ballpark. And just as a reminder of what our team represents, there’s always annoying construction causing traffic delays slowing Interstate 81 traffic on the way to outside PNC Field in attempts to fix – what else – potholes. Next up, you’ve heard of the Red Sox? Well, we’ve got the National Laughing Stocks. Call it a tribute to the team that can’t find a home, even in it’s own ballpark. What professional franchise – with a roster of players just a step away from the big leagues, no less – plays a full season on the road because its own stadium is undergoing renovation all summer? Why, the same team that was forced to play a few home games at Lehigh Valley a couple of years ago because nobody realized a drainage system built for artificial turf just might have problems when the surface was switched to natural grass. Laugh it up at the ballpark with a yearly comedian night, when the punchline always centers around which opposing stadium will become Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s home next? Everyone’s sure to feel right at home watching the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Grand Juries. Heck, commissioners from both counties got caught up in corruption scandals and went straight to jail. It wouldn’t take much investigating to know which area the Grand Juries represent. The players only ask one thing. Don’t judge them by their record, but by performance they promise to keep clean.
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