If you’ve missed our morning Let’s Talk program recently on 98.7 FM or the website, you’ve missed some, well, ENTERTAINING talk.

Topics have included…

• Ironhead’s medicated morning drink from Dunkin. The guy’s in a wild mood at the start of nearly every show so – the drink HAS to be medicated. Remember the diner scene from the movie “When Harry Met Sally” when Meg Ryan goes OVER THE TOP in the booth? Afterward the lady at another table famously says “I’ll have what she’s having.” Maybe we should all get a medicated drink.
• Interviews with members of the Penn State College Democrats and Republicans. No surprise that the key issues for each are way different – but both sets of young people said they don’t particularly care for the two old men now running for President. There’s hope for the nation after all.
• An economics professor from Juniata College confirmed for us that there is a disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street. The big money crowd in NYC keeps setting records while the rest of us deal with higher food costs, higher gas costs, higher everything cost. And wages that haven’t kept up – except the $15 an hour minimum wage crowd. Shouldn’t be surprised that the fast food Dollar Menu is now the Three Dollar Menu. The “five dollar foot long” is now the five dollar half foot long. That lyric just isn’t as catchy.

And then there are the Penn State – Joe Paterno – Jerry Sandusky conspiracy theories. Two main ones we’ve floated, after the Ironhead’s interview with investigative reporter Frank Parlato recently. He believes that Sandusky is actually innocent. INSANE. What was slipped in HIS drink?

But it makes you think. On the show we’ve mentioned The Power of Panic – when that takes hold all rational thought goes out the window. Turn the clock back 12 years or more and PSU’s leadership at the time was in SHEER panic mode. Later they just opened up the checkbook and seemingly paid anyone who showed up with a Sandusky accusation from many moons ago – no proof needed, just an accusation. ATMs couldn’t pay money out that fast.

And Joe Paterno was fired – over the phone. Not even the decency to visit the house. A man who gave 60 years of his life to the university, lived humbly on McKee Street, raised the awareness level of this school well beyond just football, gave millions of his own dollars for a better library – tossed on the trash heap by the Power of Panic. And then dead just two months later, the broken heart theory. 

Now it’s 12 years later and FINALLY some people are starting to stand up and say it’s time to honor Joepa who had NOTHING to do with whatever it is Sandusky did, or didn’t do. Name the field at Beaver Stadium for Joe, bring out the statue wherever it is. Honor the man and his incredible legacy.

Gee, seems like people read our Noble Goal for PSU post from a few weeks ago. Go ahead, read it here for yourself. Coincidence? 

And someone had the courage to bring this up at a Penn State trustees meeting on February 16. Only – they later pulled it down. “Just not the right time” it was said.

For 12 years Nittany Lions fans, hundreds of thousands of them, have heard “just not the right time.” And it was Jay Paterno, another trustee, who made the argument that the time just isn’t right. JAY did that?

Hmmmm…and here’s where the conspiracy theories really start to kick in. Two main ones, either…

• Joe really DID know what Sandusky was doing and kept it hidden for years to protect the football program. It’s been unspoken all these years to spare the Paterno family from further pain, and more embarrassment for Dear Old State and the program. If they name the field for Joepa then the truth will eventually come out and it would be disasterville for PSU. And heartbreaking for Sue Paterno.       

Orrrr…..

• What Frank Parlato and some others allege – the whole case against Sandusky was baloney from the start. All the accusations – lies. The state grand jury that took an amazing three YEARS to finally get some charges against Sandusky got it all wrong. His trial was a sham and he was railroaded to jail in quick fashion. Coach Paterno was fired for nothing. And several PSU officials from that time got jail time as well for allegations that never really took place. If all of THAT is accurate then we can rename State College as Lawsuit City because lawyers will be kept busy for years suing the university and the state. If PSU President Bendapudi thinks she has a budget deficit to plug now, these lawsuits would be enough to close down half the commonwealth campus system.

Now keep in mind that these are CONSPIRACY theories, which too many people love. After all, WHY would Jaypa of all people close down the idea to honor his father this year? HE MUST KNOW SOMETHING. Some wags on social media are probably having a field day with this one beyond just their hateful sniping. 

OR common sense is finally kicking in after 12 years and people are realizing that too much of the Sandusky case just isn’t adding up and never did. Joe did exactly what he should have done after the infamous McQueary incident – he called his boss and asked him to check it out. Paterno wasn’t a private investigator, he was the football coach. And so many of the accusations against Sandusky – or ALL of them – were hearsays and innuendo. 

But our thought – is there any third option? Can YOU think of one? Don’t think you can be a little bit guilty or a little bit innocent. It’s all in or all out. 

And there’s one easy way to confirm ANY of this above – Jerry Sandusky gets the new trial he’s been asking for for the last 12 years. Let’s try this again. If he is indeed guilty the evidence will be more than enough to convict. But if he’s found not guilty…

There’s the rub. Perhaps it’s a no win situation, one that the current Penn State brass simply doesn’t want to deal with. Keep it under the carpet, don’t rock the boat. The time just isn’t right to finally honor Joe – and may NEVER be. We have a budget shortfall to deal with, nothing more important than that. And for the hundreds of thousands of loyal Nit fans, just keep waiting. Those schmucks will keep buying tickets and paying $40 to park their car.

And all the while the idea of truth being important in life just keeps slipping away. Life is always gray now. Donald Trump’s properties really are worth several zillion dollars. Joe Biden really is the sharpest guy in Washington, er, Delaware, er, Rehoboth Beach, er, his bedroom, er, let’s give that more thought. 

Isn’t this when the aliens from outer space start invading? Hey, it would make a great distraction…