LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY I HAVE BEEN SHOCKED AND DISMAYED OVER THE
REVELATIONS IN THE FREEH REPORT AND CONDEMNATION OF PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
AND LEGENDARY FOOTBALL COACH JOE PATERNO.
LIKE SO MANY OTHERS I WAS A FAN OF OF JOE PA AND WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED WITH
HIS PLAYERS TROUGH THE YEARS.
HIGH GRADUATION RATES, GIFTS TO HIS UNIVERSITY AND A PROGRAM, BY BIG TIME
FOOTBALL STANDARDS, THAT WAS CLEAN.
ALL OF THAT CAME TUMBLING DOWN YESTERDAY IN THE 267 PAGES OF THE INTERNAL
REPORT ON WHO DID WHAT IN THE JERRY SANDUSKY SEX ABUSE CASE.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO DEAL WITH FOOTBALL ON A MUCH SMALLER SCALE ITS HARD
TO COMPREHEND WHAT ITS LIKE IN SCHOOLS LIKE PENN STATE.
THE PENN STATE PRESIDENT, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OTHERS RULED THEIR
AREAS BUT PATERNO AND THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM OPERATED OUTSIDE OF THE
NORMAL GOVERNANCE.
THE SHATTERED LEGACY OF PATERNO CANNOT BE BLAMED ON JERRY SANDUSKY ALONE.
IN THE END IT WAS THE LEGENDARY COACH WHO SHAMED HIMSELF AND BY EXTENSION
HIS BELOVED NITTANY LIONS.
ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, AS FAR BACK AS 1998, PATERNO KNEW THAT SANDUSKY
WAS A POSSIBLE CHILD ABUSER.
HE TOOK NO ACTION TO PROTECT THE CHILDREN.
IN FACT IN 2001 HE PERSUADED OTHER UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS NOT TO REPORT
SANDUSKY.
AND WHY?
WHY WOULD SUCH A RESPECTED MAN DO IT.
PENN STATE FOOTBALL WAS PLAYING BY ITS OWN RULES MAKING THEM UP AS
IT WENT.
LOST IN THE 50 MILLION DOLLARS PROFIT EACH YEAR WAS MORALITY.
IT WENT RIGHT DOWN TO THE JANITORS IN THE HALLWAYS WHO KNEW THAT SANDUSKY
WAS BEHAVING INAPPROPRIATELY WITH YOUNG BOYS.
THEY SAID NOTHING BECAUSE YOU DON’T MESS WITH PATERNO OR HIS FOOTBALL
PROGRAM.
FOOTBALL AT PENN STATE SIMPLY WAS BIGGER THAN THE INSTITUTION ITSELF.
IN A LARGE SENSE FOOTBALL RAN PENN STATE.
EVERY COLLEGE PRESIDENT IN THIS COUNTRY HAD TO WAKE UP THIS MORNING AND
CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT HIS OR HER COLLEGE HAS NOT LOST ITS WAY.
SANDUSKY HAS GONE TO JAIL FOR LIFE BUT THE REPROCUSSIONS WILL LAST FOR A
LONG TIME.
THERE WAS SUCH A COCOON AROUND THE PROGRAM THAT NO ONE COULD SEE THE
WOODS FOR THE TREES.
THE FREEH REPORT IS AN OPEN WARNING TO BIG TIME SCHOOLS EVERYWHERE THAT
YOU CAN’T LET THE TAIL WAG THE DOG.
THE COLLEGE PRESIDENTS HAVE JUST AGREED TO A FORMULA TO DETERMINE A NATIONAL
CHAMPION.
WITH THAT DECISION MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WILL BE GENERATED.
THE NCAA AND THE COLLEGE PRESIDENTS CAN NO LONGER BE BLINDED BY CHASING
TELEVISION DOLLARS AND ATHLETIC GREATNESS THAT WE TAKE OUR EYES OFF THE
BALL.
PENN STATE HAS SAID THAT THEY ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AND THE INVESTIGATION
IS CONTINUING.
THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF NCAA SANCTIONS, ALTHOUGH NOT LIKELY. SOME PEOPLE
ARE SUGGESTING THAT THE STATUE OF THE COACH COME DOWN AND THE LIBRARY HE
FUNDED BE RENAMED.
THERE IS LITTLE TO BE GAINED FROM THIS.
TO A LARGE DEGREE ALL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOOK A HIT IN THIS SAD DEBACLE.
PENN STATE PUT THEIR FOOTBALL PROGRAM AHEAD OF INNOCENT CHILDREN AND THEY
WILL ALWAYS BE SHAMED BECAUSE OF IT.
IN THE END THE LEGACY OF JOE PA WAS DESTROYED BY PATERNO HIMSELF AND NO ONE
ELSE.
THIS IS GEORGE HALE WITH MY PERSPECTIVE ON SPORTS.
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