One of the tenants of collegiate football has always been molding outstanding citizens and leaders out of young men. Breaking that tenant is why Joe Paterno is no longer the head coach at Penn State.
At 10 PM last night, the child sex scandal by one of Paterno's own assistant coaches, with such despicable acts taking place on Paterno's watch and turf and the failure to fully act in the best interest of young men already vulnerable due to age and circumstance, took its final toll on what had been considered otherwise a shining example in an era of scandal in NCAA football.
Exonerated from legal responsibility, public opinion and moral expectations overwhelmed even Paterno's record and legacy. Fair or not, the head coach is responsible for all that happens on his watch and those under his command. Due process will now take its place in the matter and surely there will be more revealed about everyones role or lack thereof.
In time, it is possible that all the good that Paterno has done teaching young men over a career spanning six decades and all his good works on the campus of Penn State will be put in perspective, but this lapse of judgement and action has caused irreperable harm to a number of young men and that must be accounted for. For now, that is being accounted for in the forcible ending of his coaching career at Penn State. And if Joe Paterno is the man we all believed him to be, it will only be a down payment on repaying the debt owed.
Finally, the outrage shown by students on Penn State's campus following the firing announcement should be better directed towards the abuse suffered by the young men who have bravely come forward to be heard and seek justice. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
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