I think this shows the problem with speaking extemporaneously about something, trying to avoid conflict, and just completely stepping in it.Here's Coach K, asked yesterday to comment on Joe Paterno:
“Well, I think, unless you’re there, it’s tough to comment about everything,’’ Krzyzewski said. “I just feel badly for him and whatever he is responsible for, it’ll come out and hopefully it’ll come out from him.
“I think one thing you have to understand is that Coach Paterno’s 84 years old. I’m not saying that for an excuse or whatever. The cultures that he’s been involved in both football-wise and socially, have been immense changes and how social issues are handled in those generations are quite different.“But as we judge, remember that there’s just a lot there. There’s a lot, lot there. I think he’s a great man and it’s a horrific situation.”
Presumably Krzyzewski is trying to be diplomatic, to be a fair-minded man, not to wonder aloud and all, but still.
If he wanted to avoid saying anything negative about Paterno, Krzyzewski should have demurred. No conversation about the Penn State situation should include any form of rationalization or feeling badly for Joe Paterno. And certainly no commentary about Paterno being a great man. I'm pretty sure I know how history should treat JoePa at this point, indelible stains and all. But that's for history's judgement, if it is too horrifying to be history's dustbin. Right now, this tragic situation demands a detachment from Paterno and instead a focus on those abused kids and how the hell this happened in the first place. This being the crimes and the rug that it was all swept under. Under that old man's ethical watch.
(No, I don't trust that the Times has printed the full context of the quote, either. Perhaps Coach K deserves a little bit of wiggle room on this. I would have rather Krzyzewski never said a word on this topic. Now part of me is hoping for clarification, knowing the best thing is that Krzyzewski never utters another public word about Joe Paterno.)
Meanwhile, here's what happens when extemporaneousness meets a vacuum.
This is what happens when you're not even curious, because you know that you are not really expected to know or think through anything, other than that you disagree with what the other guy is doing, simply because that is what the other guy is doing. Instead, you rely on the idea that people will just know that you know enough to listen to someone else who you know knows something. Because of your aura.
(No, I don't trust that the Times has printed the full context of the quote, either. Perhaps Coach K deserves a little bit of wiggle room on this. I would have rather Krzyzewski never said a word on this topic. Now part of me is hoping for clarification, knowing the best thing is that Krzyzewski never utters another public word about Joe Paterno.)
Meanwhile, here's what happens when extemporaneousness meets a vacuum.
This is what happens when you're not even curious, because you know that you are not really expected to know or think through anything, other than that you disagree with what the other guy is doing, simply because that is what the other guy is doing. Instead, you rely on the idea that people will just know that you know enough to listen to someone else who you know knows something. Because of your aura.
Substance is irrelevant. Substantive policy is irrelevant.
That's what is known as leadership.
That's what is known as leadership.
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