NESN

Reported Bill O’Brien Hiring at Penn State Prompts LaVar Arrington to Disown Former School

LaVar Arrington is mad about Penn State's choosing Bill O'Brien to take over as head football coach. Like, really mad.

The former two-time All-American and winner of the Butkus Award, Bednarik Award and Lambert Award told Blue White Illustrated that he supported interim coach Tom Bradley and didn't want an "outsider" to permanently take over for legendary Joe Paterno.

"I will put my Butkus [Award] in storage," Arrington told the website. "I will put my Alamo Bowl MVP trophy in storage. Jerseys, anything Penn State, in storage. Wherever Tom Bradley goes, that's the school I will start to put memorabilia up in my home. I'm done. I'm done with Penn State. If they're done with us, I'm done with them.

"If [the Nittany Lions] get rid of Tom Bradley, that means they in essence have accepted the fact that we are all guilty," Arrington added.

It's worth noting that the Alamo Bowl MVP Award of which Arrington speaks is from the same Alamo Bowl that got Jerry Sandusky in a whole lot of trouble, indicating that Arrington may have forgotten about the actual need to hire an outsider for the program.

Former Nittany Lions captain Brandon Short shared a similar feeling with Blue White Illustrated.

"I don't want to be affiliated with the university if they don't choose a Penn State guy because of our standards, our graduation, all the things that have been important … it's no longer Penn State, so we might as well be in the SEC," Short told the website.

"Penn State is a family and it is real and if they choose to get rid of Bradley and not hire a Penn State coach, then they've turned their backs on our entire family."

Sure. That, or they're trying to move on from one of the most atrocious scandals in modern American history, and that begins with hiring a staff that had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Short had more to say though, telling USA Today that O'Brien is "clueless."

"There is a tangible standard at Penn State that this poor guy knows nothing about,'' Short told the newspaper. "I feel badly for him. He is clueless and will not have the support of the majority of the Lettermen. This is a hornet's nest [for him].''

Photo of the day

Could they pay you enough money to stand in Bill O'Brien's shoes and head into the craziness that awaits at Penn State?

Quote of the day

"I thought this was the greatest scam going — getting paid for watching sports. This Weight Watchers thing is a bigger scam."
–Charles Barkley, thinking nobody could hear him during a commercial break, as noted by Deadspin 

Tweet of the day

We don't know the answer to that, but maybe Josh McDaniels can return to New England to yell at Bill Belichick.

Video of the day

The most ridiculous save of Thursday night did not happen in the NHL. It was made by a 19-year-old.