Tuesday, November 8, 2011

My thoughts on the Penn State Scandal

Tranqility, quiet, serenity, and football. These are the things you think of when you think of Pennsylvania State University. That was before the huge scandal that has rocked this great university. This scandal, for those of you who have been living under a rock, there are sexual molestation charges against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Then, because athletic director Tim Curley never reported this to the police, he has been charged with perjury and has been forced to resign, along with school Vice President Gary Schultz. This is the biggest scandal which has rocked this university in its history, which goes back to 1855.
This scandal breaks Penn State's slogan of "success with honor", as how can this program now have honor with this scandal? How could Curley and Schultz never have reported this to police? How could folks never have just called police and told them? How could police not have found anything wrong while investigating Sandusky and his foundation, the Second Mile?
Those are all rhetorical questions that we don't have the answer to. But, there are just so many layers to this story, and who knows what will come out of this story. Joe Paterno may not have his contract renewed after this season. Reports are coming out that the board of trustees are considering letting go of the coach which has put Penn State on the map, the one who's name is on the university library. Granted, Paterno never did anything criminally wrong. But, how could he not have called police after hearing from graduate assistant Mike McQueary what Sandusky was doing in the showers of the football buildings? So, Paterno did do something ethically wrong. Will this effect his status as an icon within the university and his coaching?
My opinion is no, it will not effect his status as an icon within the university, as people will still be talking about what he did to build up the university and putting it on the map. Without Paterno and the football program, who knows how many students would not have gone. Plus, noboday can deny what Paterno did in the football coaching world, the winningest coach ever in all of Division 1, is just crazy good.
However, Sandusky's image has been tainted forever in my opinion. Sandusky was known throughout the college football world as the best coordinator and coach to never hold a head coaching position. Even though he has done great work, this scandal, especially if he is proven guilty, will forever cast a cloud over him. Even if Sandusky is found not guilty, it will forever cast a gray cloud over his legacy as a man. How could the legacy of this man, if you still would like to call him that, not be tainted forever?
Now, for my thoughts on how the Penn State football team, and how they will fare this Saturday in their interdivision showdown, that will have to wait until tomorrow, as that's when my 10 Best Football games will come out.
O, and my stupidity and as Paterno said it best: "for the kids that were the victims, let's say a prayer for them."
I am a Christian, but definitely fumbled the ball here, as Dave Hershey pointed it out, thanks Dave, I appreciate it, I do. There are so many people who deserve blame, which I can't even say. Allow us to say a prayer for the victims and the families of this scandal.

2 comments:

  1. The best you can say is "Sandusky's image has been tainted forever"? He did the worst thing a human can do: he harmed children. He used his power to prey on children. He is a monster. Okay, you can say "innocent till proven guilty" but this is not a case with one accuser, there are 8 (nine now) who have all given very similar stories.

    This is the worst thing and it goes way beyond football.

    Also, McQuery, the witness, should have stepped into the shower and beat up Sandusky if he really witnessed Sandusky raping a kid.

    The most important thing is the victims, which people seem to forget in their obsession with JoePa. Plus, Graham Spanier is showing absolutely no leadership, his only statement being unconditional support for Curley and Schulz. No mention of thoughts and prayers for the victims? Spanier has to go.

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  2. What more can you say about such a sinister story? It has been well documented that everyone in PSU administration was wrong in some capacity. I just hate to see Joe Pa go down this way after all his good will but this is the most shameful scadal ever in college atheltics.

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