All week, the Freeh Report has been the talk of the town on the sports blogs. And with good reason as it basically confirmed what most anyone with the ability to think critically has suspected- Joe Paterno knew about Sandusky and put “his” University first.
I don’t know if I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it now. The great irony of the situation is that if Paterno had followed through and made sure that Sandusky was dealt with, he would have truly lived up to the lofty ideals he had come to personify. Penn State’s and Paterno’s stature would have increased immeasurably because they’d have done the right thing, when it counted.
In fact, if I really think about it, it’s hard to understand why they didn’t follow through. It seems to me like there was nothing to lose. Sure, there would have been flurry of activity, but they’d always be able to say “Look, people like Sandusky are masters of hiding in plain sight. We fell for it, but when we found out about we did the right thing.” Sure, you’d rather not have to deal with it at all but that wasn’t the hand they were dealt.
So instead, we end up where we are now. It’s almost surreal, to think of the position and stature he held and how it’s all gone now. A college football tragedy, if you will.
One of the final questions swirling at this point is whether or not Penn State should receive the death penalty. There was a time not long ago where I’d have said “No, it’s time to move on.” But I’ve reconsidered. The fact is there are a bunch of kids who were victimized by Sandusky, needlessly because of the inaction by Penn State. How can a football program possibly weigh against that? Also, gutting them should serve as a cautionary example to other programs so that, hopefully, something like this doesn’t happen again.
One reply on “My Final Word on Penn State”
The only problem with this is that the NCAA does not have any jurisdiction over this crime. The “death penalty” was a severe tool that was used to penalize teams for violations that gave them a competitive advantage, simply cheating.
PSU did not cheat, they did not gain any competitive advantage, they did not do anything to warrant NCAA sanctions. What does a scholarship have to do with harboring a child molester for 30 years?
I understand the fact that PSU needs to be held responsible. Well, Joe got the death penalty, the other administrators will get their day in court and most likely their day in hell. Thankfully, Sandusky will get a taste of his own medicine until the day that he dies, which, given the prison system, probably won’t take long. Penn State as an institution will never be the same, as this is a black mark that will never go away.
But there is no true justification for the NCAA to take away scholarships, bowl appearances, TV games, or anything that the “death penalty” entails. Holding the football team responsible for the actions of grown men, who made decisions that were criminal, is not the right thing to do.
I could care less about PSU football, and I never, and I am on record, that I never cared much for Paterno. I did not think he was harboring a child sex criminal in the office next door, but I knew his moral compass was not as true as fans and the media made it out to be every second of the day. BUT, with that being said, the football team and the new coaching staff should not be held responsible for the actions of selfish old men, who thought that they mattered more than everyone else.
The only connection is that one of the men was a football coach, after that, the connection ends and I think the NCAA will realize that, give a very stern statement, and leave PSU to heal this wound on their own…as they should.