I usually don't write about topics in the news and try to keep my blog pretty personal, but I just can't resist writing about the things happening at Penn State and Coach Joe Paterno. The reasons for this is that it has to do with several things I am passionate about, coaching, football and higher education. So in essence it is a personal blog.
Several years back I got to experience a football game at Penn State. It's almost a surreal experience. 100,000 plus people come from what seems like the middle of no where to cheer on their beloved team. The standard on the field and the level of expectation for Penn State is and always has been perfection. This all stems from their great coach Joe Paterno. He has coached there for 46 years, starting as an assistant and making his way up to be the head coach. He has won 2 National Championships and is the most winning-est coach in College Football history. In short he is a football god. What people admire about Joe Pa the most is that he is a standup guy and has done everything by the book.
I believe this is the reason why this story has caused so much controversy. Years and years of work and accomplishments and accolades have been crushed and tarnished by a scandal that has rocked everyone to the core. Joe Pa was not the person who ultimately did the supposed perverted unforgivable acts that Coach Sandusky did, but Paterno was Sandusky's former superior (At the time Sandusky had been retired but still was a part of the program). Allegedly Sandusky was seen molesting a child in the locker room by a Graduate Assistant. This was then reported to Paterno who then reported it the Athletic Director. Paterno legally did what he was suppose to do, but in the minds of many he did not do enough. Did Joe Pa enable Sandusky to continue what he was doing? Time will tell.
As for the college administrators, why did they not follow through with the accusations of such a serious offense? Did the success of a football program cause the administration to turn a blind eye to what Sandusky was doing?
For Paterno, maybe there was a certain loyalty and friendship that he wanted to protect Sandusky, we can never know. I keep on trying to put myself in Joe Paterno's shoes in that situation. As a Head Coach I would bring in other coaches who I believed in and trusted to instill the values and philosophies I had. I then hear about serious allegations about one of my coaches, what would I do? I would definitely confront him, which would be awful and awkward, and then report it to the my superiors. The next steps are the point of contention. Would I wait for my superiors to make a decision? Would I take matters into my own hand and cut ties with my colleague and friend? I have no idea...it's like a horrible nightmare that you just want to go away.
It seems as though everyone passed the buck up and didn't want to take a stand, because the accusations were so appalling and so shocking on top of the pressure of what it would do to a very successful football program, everyone kept quiet. This is why the current administration and Joe Paterno are paying the price now for their lack of action. If they weren't forced to step down, it would send a message that football rules, that Joe Paterno could call his own shots and that he could tell the Board of Trustees what they should do.
As a person who loves football, that has dedicated many hours to the game as a player, coach and fan this is a very sad day. I am grateful for what Joe Paterno has done for the game of football and very dissapointed that one of the greatest coaches in history had to go out like this.
As a person who is a college administrator, I have to say, Football is just a game. Yes, it can bring Universities and schools many accolades, money, and prestige, but it is a game. It is a part of education, it is NOT above it.
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