A short time has passed since the horrific problems hit the headlines at Penn State. People have been justifiably appalled by the actions of Jerry Sandusky, and have rightly demanded justice. Sandusky is in the midst of legal proceedings and awaits sentencing.
In addition to sympathy and compassion for the victims, I am likewise saddened by all the pain and suffering Joe Paterno and his family have had to endure.
Yes, that's right. I think JoePa has been unfairly treated and made a scapegoat. I am angry at all the people plus the Penn State Board of Trustees who did not stand up and defend a good man, who rightly reported what he learned to his boss.
Some folks say JoePa should have done more. These people seem to be full of righteous anger, but seem to be looking for anyone they can to shoulder part of the blame. Additional blame should possibly involve the Athletic Director and the Vice President or President of the University rather than JoePa. And, yes, the AD and a university VP have already been charged with not reporting suspected child abuse and then lying to the Grand Jury. They face court appearances in January.
Joe Paterno built a wonderful football program, and helped so many young men over the years. JoePa was a great football coach and a good man. He did not deserve to have his reputation tarnished and everything he built through the years destroyed. The mob demanding his statue be taken down, and anyone involved in this decision, are nothing more than blood-thirsty, finger-pointing vultures.
Put the blame where it belongs on one man -- Jerry Sandusky. Blame the AD and anyone he may have told as accessories. The NCAA should not blame the team -- they were too harsh with their sanctions. Neither Joe Pa nor the team need to be stripped of 14 years of records -- the current young men on the team were only four years old when this happened. Let them play football, and let Joe Pa have the records that are rightfully his. He is the most victorious coach in major college football.
Don't strip Joe Paterno of his dignity. Let his achievements and name stand for themselves. Feel compassion for everyone involved. Bring back the statue.
I'm not interested in making Joe Paterno a pariah, or stripping him of his dignity. But i do think it's important to look at his actions.
ReplyDeleteOne of the values Joe Paterno stressed is going the extra mile - that excelling in life works requires extra effort and diligence.
Joe Paterno also claimed the the right to decide what constituted proper behavior for athletes in his program, telling the police to keep their hands off campus issues. So his policy was to bypass due process.
Another part of Joe Paterno's reputation was his integrity - that sports were not the ultimate goal - that through sports student athletes would become better adults - that integrity and values trumped football and the money involved with big time college football programs.
So for Joe Paterno to be aware of the possibility of an incident of child abuse and to merely report it and not follow-up on making sure it was either just a misunderstanding or a child's life being damaged runs counter to the values that earned him the respect of millions of people.
Looking at it from Joe's own standards of life I would expect, or hope, he would agree.
You make some excellent points, Charlie. I wish JoePa would have followed up, and he probably does, too.
ReplyDeleteWere there extenuating circumstances that we don't know, however? Was he told to keep his mouth shut, which I think is a strong possibility. Did he wrestle with what he should do? I understand what you are saying, but I think overall he was a good man.
Should he have been fired for not going beyond reporting to his superior? I don't really think so. Is it right to strip 14 years from him and each of those teams? I don't think so on this account either. I think Jerry Sandusky, and either or both the AD and VP should be the ones facing charges. Most of all, I feel saddened by the whole situation and the effects on so many lives.