Comments for KSE Partners, LLP http://www.ksefocus.com Government Affairs and Strategic Communications Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:06:33 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 Comment on Penn State Indictment by Kevin http://www.ksefocus.com/penn-state-indictment/comment-page-1#comment-148 Kevin Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:06:33 +0000 http://www.ksefocus.com/?p=2322#comment-148 No way am I making excuses for paterno; just trying to explore the "Why" of all this. Why did Paterno fail to do the right thing? Why did they all fail? Because their allegiance was to protecting the football program, which had grown bloated and out of control. But there has to be more. these are people who have lost sight of right and wrong and the question is why. All I am saying is that part of the answer is that the world had passed them by. these are people who do nothing but eat, sleep and drink football. They do nothing else. They are protected from real life completely. So a guy like paterno is completely unaware of the world that has changed around him since the 1950s. That's not an excuse for his failure. But it does begin to explain a tiny bit of the the "why." if you are a sports fan as I am, you know that there is a major difference between joe paterno and some of the more awful people in college sports. Bud Wilkinson, Darrel Royal, Bear Bryant...now those were bad guys. And some of these criminals coaching big fime basketball today. They are a whole different universe than paterno. Read "Meat on the Hoof" for a real view of what college football was like at Texas in the 50s and 60s. It will turn your stomach. No way am I making excuses for paterno; just trying to explore the “Why” of all this. Why did Paterno fail to do the right thing? Why did they all fail? Because their allegiance was to protecting the football program, which had grown bloated and out of control. But there has to be more. these are people who have lost sight of right and wrong and the question is why. All I am saying is that part of the answer is that the world had passed them by. these are people who do nothing but eat, sleep and drink football. They do nothing else. They are protected from real life completely. So a guy like paterno is completely unaware of the world that has changed around him since the 1950s. That’s not an excuse for his failure. But it does begin to explain a tiny bit of the the “why.” if you are a sports fan as I am, you know that there is a major difference between joe paterno and some of the more awful people in college sports. Bud Wilkinson, Darrel Royal, Bear Bryant…now those were bad guys. And some of these criminals coaching big fime basketball today. They are a whole different universe than paterno. Read “Meat on the Hoof” for a real view of what college football was like at Texas in the 50s and 60s. It will turn your stomach.

]]> Comment on Penn State Indictment by Kim http://www.ksefocus.com/penn-state-indictment/comment-page-1#comment-147 Kim Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:37:21 +0000 http://www.ksefocus.com/?p=2322#comment-147 You had me until the last two paragraphs and I think you are l making excuses for Paterno. Wrong is wrong, no matter what culture you are from and we're talking about helpless, basically voiceless, victims here. You had me until the last two paragraphs and I think you are l making excuses for Paterno. Wrong is wrong, no matter what culture you are from and we’re talking about helpless, basically voiceless, victims here.

]]> Comment on Penn State Indictment by spanisheyes1963 http://www.ksefocus.com/penn-state-indictment/comment-page-1#comment-136 spanisheyes1963 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:59:21 +0000 http://www.ksefocus.com/?p=2322#comment-136 As a mother of three boys my youngest 6, reading that sickness, there are a lot of wrong doing. The cops at one point just told Sandusky (sadistic) just do not shower with young boys again. WHAT?? I live in Texas where football is also huge, and we have a lot of young college football players commenting crimes that just makes one say, what were you thinking, a lot of these players think that they are gods and that just because they play for a very popular school that they can just get away with it. True, money is greed, but at the price of children that is not greed that's just pure evil and sick, for every one that was involved!!! I would have been going insane for some one to listen to me and do something about it!!! I guess that my mama bear coming out. For ALL the victims thank you for your courage to speak out, and if there are any more please have the same courage to come out and really show what a sick monster this is, I am sure that you have a lot of support out here. As a mother of three boys my youngest 6, reading that sickness, there are a lot of wrong doing. The cops at one point just told Sandusky (sadistic) just do not shower with young boys again. WHAT?? I live in Texas where football is also huge, and we have a lot of young college football players commenting crimes that just makes one say, what were you thinking, a lot of these players think that they are gods and that just because they play for a very popular school that they can just get away with it. True, money is greed, but at the price of children that is not greed that’s just pure evil and sick, for every one that was involved!!! I would have been going insane for some one to listen to me and do something about it!!! I guess that my mama bear coming out. For ALL the victims thank you for your courage to speak out, and if there are any more please have the same courage to come out and really show what a sick monster this is, I am sure that you have a lot of support out here.

]]> Comment on Penn State Indictment by Jackson Ellis http://www.ksefocus.com/penn-state-indictment/comment-page-1#comment-134 Jackson Ellis Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:22:17 +0000 http://www.ksefocus.com/?p=2322#comment-134 I agree. The size, reputation, and amount of money that the university makes deterred each knowing person from going to the cops. I agree that Paterno and everyone else should have been fired. I hope this situation is exposed as much as possible. I think this scandal hits on a much larger issue though. What has the institution of college football become? If a schools reputation is so important that people are willing to cover up the raping of little boys then what else are schools covering up? It seems that these schools will protect themselves at all costs. What other rules are they knowingly breaking, or horrendous acts are they turning a blind eye too? Clearly the people with power at universities can't be counted on to be objective disciplinarians or even moral. I have to say that I am not terribly surprised. These people make millions of dollars in profit off unpaid athletes who don't graduate. The formula in college football is incredibly flawed. Its sad that something like this has to happen for people to see it. I agree. The size, reputation, and amount of money that the university makes deterred each knowing person from going to the cops. I agree that Paterno and everyone else should have been fired. I hope this situation is exposed as much as possible. I think this scandal hits on a much larger issue though. What has the institution of college football become? If a schools reputation is so important that people are willing to cover up the raping of little boys then what else are schools covering up? It seems that these schools will protect themselves at all costs. What other rules are they knowingly breaking, or horrendous acts are they turning a blind eye too? Clearly the people with power at universities can’t be counted on to be objective disciplinarians or even moral. I have to say that I am not terribly surprised. These people make millions of dollars in profit off unpaid athletes who don’t graduate. The formula in college football is incredibly flawed. Its sad that something like this has to happen for people to see it.

]]> Comment on Penn State Indictment by joan Ellis http://www.ksefocus.com/penn-state-indictment/comment-page-1#comment-129 joan Ellis Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:16:58 +0000 http://www.ksefocus.com/?p=2322#comment-129 Great blog entry, Kevin. I would add only this: It isn't only the old like Paterno who have been passed by. I see people in their 30s and 40s every day who are ignorant of the changes you cited in your last paragraph because the changes are happening so fast. It's what is leaving young people literally stuttering in their lack of understanding of the culture around them. You are dead right about the hierarchy failing at every level. Great blog entry, Kevin. I would add only this: It isn’t only the old like Paterno who have been passed by. I see people in their 30s and 40s every day who are ignorant of the changes you cited in your last paragraph because the changes are happening so fast. It’s what is leaving young people literally stuttering in their lack of understanding of the culture around them. You are dead right about the hierarchy failing at every level.

]]> Comment on Are Super PACs Asteroids? by Jessica Sanderson http://www.ksefocus.com/super-pacs-and-dinosaurs/comment-page-1#comment-126 Jessica Sanderson Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:31:30 +0000 http://www.ksefocus.com/?p=2309#comment-126 Very funny and informative article. JAS Very funny and informative article. JAS

]]> Comment on The Future of Journalism – Part 2 by Jackson Ellis http://www.ksefocus.com/futurepart2/comment-page-1#comment-125 Jackson Ellis Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:28:06 +0000 http://www.ksefocus.com/?p=2269#comment-125 Great piece. I agree that good journalism will prevail through the increasingly digital media. It will just be different. Getting a physical newspaper everyday is too slow. With Ipads, ibooks, kindles, iphones and everything else, digesting the news has become instantaneous. Reporting is a profession that never sleeps in an information crazy society. I think that a lot of media outlets know this and compensate by diluting articles, going for shock value with less substance aimed towards getting strong, quick reactions rather than really sinking their teeth into a story. This seems to be the downfall of journalism more than anything else. There can only be some many "People" magazines. I agree in part with the idea that reporters should report what they know when they know it. However, I think there is some value in reporters immersing themselves in the culture of a story and withholding details until the final product is ready. There is value in spending an entire season with a team, getting to know the ins and outs of an operation (i.e. David Shields' Black Planet). This lengthy process (in theory) would lead to deeper more comprehensive journalism. It would have been nice to know that Josh Becket was getting drunk in the club house with other pitchers while in uniform when it happened, but had the reporter reported that fact in a timely fashion he might have missed things. Players were intentionally skipping workouts and eating fried chicken. A reporter might have missed this with an early story. Its a balance that good reporters will find. Good journalism will always rise to the top garnering readers and responses as is evident here. Thanks. Great piece. I agree that good journalism will prevail through the increasingly digital media. It will just be different. Getting a physical newspaper everyday is too slow. With Ipads, ibooks, kindles, iphones and everything else, digesting the news has become instantaneous. Reporting is a profession that never sleeps in an information crazy society. I think that a lot of media outlets know this and compensate by diluting articles, going for shock value with less substance aimed towards getting strong, quick reactions rather than really sinking their teeth into a story. This seems to be the downfall of journalism more than anything else. There can only be some many “People” magazines.

I agree in part with the idea that reporters should report what they know when they know it. However, I think there is some value in reporters immersing themselves in the culture of a story and withholding details until the final product is ready. There is value in spending an entire season with a team, getting to know the ins and outs of an operation (i.e. David Shields’ Black Planet). This lengthy process (in theory) would lead to deeper more comprehensive journalism. It would have been nice to know that Josh Becket was getting drunk in the club house with other pitchers while in uniform when it happened, but had the reporter reported that fact in a timely fashion he might have missed things. Players were intentionally skipping workouts and eating fried chicken. A reporter might have missed this with an early story. Its a balance that good reporters will find.

Good journalism will always rise to the top garnering readers and responses as is evident here. Thanks.

]]> Comment on After Irene: Community by Alice Clark http://www.ksefocus.com/after-irene-community/comment-page-1#comment-102 Alice Clark Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:21:13 +0000 http://www.ksefocus.com/?p=2153#comment-102 Precisely why I'd love to return to Vermont and work for KSE! I've moved to Washington DC in an effort to gain some legislative and policy experience after a long dormant law degree. Good luck with rebuilding efforts up there! Precisely why I’d love to return to Vermont and work for KSE! I’ve moved to Washington DC in an effort to gain some legislative and policy experience after a long dormant law degree. Good luck with rebuilding efforts up there!

]]> Comment on One if by land; two if by sea by James Connolly http://www.ksefocus.com/one-if-by-land-two-if-by-sea/comment-page-1#comment-94 James Connolly Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:46:49 +0000 http://www.ksefocus.com/?p=2105#comment-94 My blood is on your hands, MMR! My blood is on your hands, MMR!

]]> Comment on One if by land; two if by sea by Roger Sherman http://www.ksefocus.com/one-if-by-land-two-if-by-sea/comment-page-1#comment-93 Roger Sherman Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:00:39 +0000 http://www.ksefocus.com/?p=2105#comment-93 Hear, Hear! Hear, Hear!

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