I was on my way down to Baltimore, Maryland for the weekend when I realized this astonishing fact. Nobody knows how to drive in the snow anymore. First there was a multiple car crash on Route 322 which halted and backed up traffic for miles and hours, then when the few frustrated drivers decided to turn around and head back home, they decided to make our lives even harder by driving at a glacial pace. I am not one to criticize any specific person’s driving since I’m grew up in LA and our traffic is infamous, but common, growing up in Pennsylvania we should all know how to handle snow in our cars. Lets not act like we’re dumbfounded every time Mother Nature decides to drop down on us. So for now, I’m back home and waiting to try my trip down to Maryland tomorrow early morning.

On the topic of frustrating things, what are the odds Sampson who is looking for a new job will be offered one at Penn State? DeChellis have shown signs of improvement over the last couple of years with good upsets over great teams, but year after year we are relegated to the bottom tier of the Big Ten and in a state rich with basketball talent (Pittsburgh to the west, Philadelphia to the east, Erie to the north,  New York City to the far east, how exactly are we not able to recruit 5 quality basketball players to come to Penn State in the same season?) I’m venting as a frustrated fan, but honestly lets face it, Penn State basketball will not grow into Indiana, Illinois or even Wisconsin under DeChellis. Sampson who is currently jobless and outcast by the coaching community for his violations is ripe for the picking. He will gladly go anywhere at this point and Penn State can easily pick him up with an offer of a job. The question is whether we as the Penn State community can lower our standards enough to offer a serial offender (a successful basketball coach at that) a job at a university who holds their morals to a high standard. Do we value winning at this point more than our standards and traditions?

I personally am sick of losing, and would take any help we can get at this point. There is no reason why Ohio State can recruit players with the sole intention of them playing 1 year and never graduating and Penn State not being able to compete in recruiting. Sampson will infuse new attitude, discipline and standards for a dying Penn State basketball program. We have suffered futility long enough, it is time for a change. Obviously the Penn State way is great, but not enough to sustain success, so whats stopping us from seriously considering Sampson? A possible NCAA tournament sanction against Penn State for a few years when he becomes coach? Pleaaasssseee…. this team couldn’t pray itself to March Madness here at Penn State let alone think a few years of tournament probation will honestly hamper a program already in the gutter.  With a matchup with the Wolverines this weekend, Penn State can solidify their bid for the NITs and possibly gain a favorable seed in the Big Ten tournament. But that is exactly the problem, have we lowered our standards so low that a NIT bid is acceptable and no longer humiliating that we’re relegated to the ‘not good enough’ tournament come March? I for one would rather decline an NIT bid than to humor those talking heads simply trying to fill the slots for the pointless tournament.

Releated Posts:

1. An Open Letter to Ed DeChellis
2. Ed DeChellis Signs Contract Extension
3. Forging on with DeChellis and Curley’s Vision: Tre Burke re-opens his recruitment
4. Basketball team run out of Indianapolis, time for DeChellis to follow suit
5. Big Ten Basketball Schedule Released: Penn State Screwed Over

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