In the last few years as a Penn State fan, I had one main fear: that somehow, Joe Paterno’s tenure at Penn State University would end in ignomy. Penn State fans like myself had prided themselves on the lack of scandal at the program: seemingly the last football program without one. It seemed too good to last. And as Paterno’s role at Penn State changed from intimate involvement to overseer, I feared that something would escape him, a scandal that he would fail to notice would envelop the program, forever tarnishing the legacy a man who had done many great things for Penn State and college football.
I am saddened to discover that my fears have come true. And this isn’t a “scandal” in the lame NCAA sense, where some kids drove cars around when they shouldn’t have because the NCAA has stupid rules. No, this scandal is the worst thing ever to happen to a college football program. We’ve all been shocked and saddened by the allegations that young boys were molested by a former Penn State coordinator. The crimes are heinous. And the repercussions are only beginning.
Many columnists have written what they think should happen to those who let this abhorrent crime continue on their watch. And I had opinions on it as well. But those are moot now, for Paterno has been fired. The post-Paterno world that all Penn State fans knew was coming is here. In a way that even the most pessimistic believed was impossible.
I’m saddened. Saddened because of what happened to so many young boys. Saddened that more wasn’t done to prevent this. And also saddened that Paterno’s legacy will be remembered this way. Saddened that people will forget what he contributed to education, to civil rights, to the community of State College, PA.
A tweet from the Macworld writer Jason Snell says it well: “It’s a crying shame that this is how Joe Paterno’s career ends. But it had to be done, and he brought it on himself.”
I find this a very frustrating case. Ultimately I think the Penn State board is going to come through looking foolish and self serving—and that is a fairly serious long term problem. Joe is far from perfect here. He could have done more, and he should have. But how do your fire the head coach and the university president but only place the athletic director on administrative leave? That makes no sense. And how do you fire Joe without firing the entire coaching staff… If Joe should have known, so should they. And it is the AD’s office that is responsible for oversight anyway so how do you not fire the AD and the AD staff. Especially if you nix the president. It doesn’t make sense.
Ultimately for Joe Paterno there is really only one question, what did he know and when did he know it? The question isn’t what did he think, feel, intuit, believe, etc. The question is what did he know. Because you can’t just fire someone. And the police can’t do anything unless they can prove something.
I haven’t been following this too closely so could anything have been proven in 2002? What did the witness actually see? Was that enough to get a warrant to prove more? Would victims have come forward at that time? The problem here is that you actually have to be prove something to do something about it. Public opinion and the media version is all fine and good, but you have to prove something. Because if you can’t prove it you have all sorts of problems ranging from wrongful termination to slander. And both Joe and the University would have been liable seriously seriously liable. This at height of the Catholic Church’s problems. Sure you prove it you put the guy away you look great. But fail to do so and the down side is huge also even bigger if you can’t prove it and the guy gets messed up or killed while in holding.
You can’t not fire the guy if you think he is an abuser, so if you go to the police you have to fire him first, because if they prove stuff and you let him stick around while they were doing it you are up shit creek politically. But if you fire him before going to the police he circles his wagons and by the time the police are investigating they can’t prove anything and you are up shit creek legally.
Yes, he should have done more and he could have. But don’t pretend it was simple in any way. Especially if the information he had only implied the possibility of wrong doing. After all, not everyone with opportunity is a murderer. I can’t see Paterno overlooking facts on the ground that would have had Sandusky dead to rights which leaves him in a very difficult situation and pretending that it wasn’t a difficult situation is disingenuous.
From what I understand, Tom Bradley had no way of knowing or being involved. I have no issue with him staying. But Tim Curley must be fired. Why he can go on administrative leave is beyond me.
The whole thing is a mess. I think firing Joe was a mistake and I think the board is miss handling the situation.
But how do your fire the head coach and the university president but only place the athletic director on administrative leave?
Not only that, but how does Mike McQuery, an assistant coach who actually witnessed one of the alleged acts, keep his job if you’re firing JoePa?
Wow, this mess might be even worse than anyone thought…
I have to say, some of the coverage I’ve seen about this I find utterly sickening. In the halftime of the MSU-Iowa game, they discussed whether for Penn State playing today’s game could “be part of the healing process”. Yes, the whole situation is undoubtedly stressful for the players, but they’re not the ones in need of healing in this whole situation. It’s really distressing that the Onion article is not far off from how some of these people are acting. And that’s leaving aside the comments posted on many newspaper articles, where the whole thing is somehow blamed on The Homosexual Agenda (TM).
There are times when it’s really disheartening to be part of humanity.
Unfortunately, sports writers are not very good at covering these kinds of things.
Obviously what happened at Penn State is horrific and should not have happened. Bad things happen when good people do nothing. Everyone involved in this case should have done a hell of a lot more.
that said, hindsight is easy and comfortable.