It is one of those stories that crushes another chunk of my grand illusion that the world is basically a good place. Joe Paterno was an important part of that illusion. Growing up in Pennsylvania I was pre-programmed to revere Joe Paterno, fondly know as Joe Pa. In fact everything about the Paterno legend reads like a fairy tale for Joe Pa lived in a place called Happy Valley where the once noble Nittany Lions re-appear once a year.
The most important part of the Paterno legend seemed so real and was so important to those who revered him was his honesty. Other programs cheated to win. Joe Pa one without cheating. Penn State was the big time program that played by the rules. The Nittany Lions played in a Valley but stood on higher moral ground.
Or at least they did until this past weekend when former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was indicted for a sick history of sexual assaults on children. Two Penn State officials were also indicted for failing to act on those allegations and then lying about it.
Paterno only escaped indictment because he told athletic director Tim Curley about an alleged 2002 incident in which a graduate student reported discovering Sandusky performing sex acts on a boy who was about 10 years old in the shower area of a football locker room. Paterno told Curley, who failed to report it to the proper authorities, according to the attorney general.
In other words, Joe Paterno was legal cover, but he was still wrong. He didn't do what everyone in Pennsylvania thought he would do, insist that Sandusky be fired and protect the kids at all cost. It seems that Joe Paterno, the one we believed in, doesn't exist. It is a mirage. The real Joe Paterno looked the other way. the real Joe Paterno told investigators that he never heard all of the details.
How could he not want to hear every detail? How could he not insist that something be done? How could he take the chance that the alleged sexual assault would happen to other children? How could he do nothing but pass the buck? How could he?
If one of Paterno's grandchildren had been sexually assaulted, do you think Paterno would have kept just informed the athletic director? The whole thing wreak of a great lie to protect the University, Paterno and the Penn State Football program. A great lie begot by greed and pride.
And that is why it pains me to say that Joe Paterno must step down or be fired immediately. He cannot and should not coach another game for Penn State.
Joe must go.
