E-Vangel Newsletter
July 23, 2012
Pastorgraphs: “A Cautionary Tale”
As a devoted college football fan and
student of integrity, I just spent the last hour or so participating in one of
the most significant public classrooms on integrity our nation has ever
witnessed.
The National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) has just announced sanctions on the Penn State football
program. I quit counting the number of times I heard the words integrity,
values, principles, ethics and ideals mentioned. All of these components of
integrity are topics I have been addressing for the past four years, and have
documented in my new book I am writing, “Simple Steps to Integrity: Connecting How
You Think, What You Do, Who You Are”.
My purpose here is not to cast stones at
Penn State. I know it is a great academic institution. But it MUST serve as “A
Cautionary Tale” of how integrity (both institutional and personal) must be
upheld; for once it is lost, the consequences are magnified 1000-fold.
Among this morning’s comments that stood out
to me were:
“Too Big To Fail”
The football program at Penn State (and at
many other schools) has become “the tail that wags the dog”. Our priorities are
out of order when the Mathematics Professor struggles to make $60,000 a year,
and is threatened with a “pink slip” every year, while the football coaches
make $6 million on guaranteed multi-year contracts, and the stadium is getting
a $100 million makeover. (I know one coach who received $3 million for getting
fired, plus the remaining $5 million a year for two years for doing nothing!)
Really? What does that say about our values and principles?
Wasn’t “too big to fail” what they said
about the banks and Wall Street in 2008? When any institution, including the
church, gets so big and so great a “cash cow” that morals are set aside (for
God’s sake – they were molesting little children), then it is just TOO BIG.
“Win at all costs
mentaility”
The attitude that you can cut corners, tell
little white lies, cheat, or break the law for the goal of getting a win
(whether on the gridiron or on the balance sheet) is a recipe for disaster. The
“moral culture” (another term used today) that allows violating ethics and
integrity for the sake of getting “a win” will ultimately result in losses of
devastating proportions. Remember the good old days when college football
players were STUDENT-athletes, not student-ATHLETES?
“Failure to Speak
up”
It takes the virtue of moral courage to
speak up when we see something that violates ethics and integrity. Especially,
when it might cost us our job, our retirement, or some other important aspect
of our life. It takes a rare person with moral courage to “fall on their sword”
for the sake of what is right. But they gain far more than they lose. It is
much worse, as we see with Penn State, to look the other way. The Bible assures
us, “God is not mocked. Your sins will find you out.”
“Integrity
Agreement, Integrity Monitor”
PSU will be required to negotiate an
Integrity Agreement with the NCAA and hire an Integrity Monitor to insure they
are complying. I hope other college presidents are listening. It is never too
late to start doing the RIGHT thing, at the RIGHT time, for the RIGHT reason,
in the RIGHT way.” It is a sad day when great institutions are forced to hire
Integrity Monitors along with their accountant and lawyers to ensure they are
playing by the rules.
I have great hopes for Penn State. They are
the poster child of what NOT to do. I hope they can set the example of what TO
do.
And isn’t that what football is all about?
Playing BY THE RULES!
Bless you, one and all, Brother Bill
From the Quote Garden
“Today we receive a
very harsh penalty from the NCAA and as Head Coach of the Nittany Lions
football program, I will do everything in my power to not only comply, but help
guide the University forward to become a national leader in ethics, compliance
and operational excellence. I knew when I accepted the position that there
would be tough times ahead. But I am committed for the long term to Penn
State and our student athletes.”
~ Current Penn State Football Coach
Bill O’Brien~
Christ United Methodist Ministry
Center
“Christ
in the Heart of San Diego”
3295
Meade Avenue - San Diego, CA 92116 - (619) 284-9205
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