RF23 - They Weren't Family

RF23 – They Weren’t Family

After the NCAA socked the Nittany Lions in the eye, with costly sanctions, and all but took down Paterno’s legacy in regards to his place in NCAA Football history, it didn’t take long for the weak hearted among us to start to feel sorry for the school and the football program, Paterno built.  And, it seemed like the enclosure that should’ve been Joe Paterno’s memorial is still open.  There are a lot of questions, that, if he were alive, he’d have to answer and no question could be as simple as “why?”  

Why did you turn a blind eye to (now we know that you were aware of) what your assistant head coach was doing? 

Simple, huh?

Here’s another..

Why did you allow the multiple years of cover ups?

Oh I can see you liking these...

Why didn’t you do something besides exercise an exit strategy in regard to your last contract?

I’m not a seasoned journalist, but these are the most basic questions I could ask.  I think a tight knit community like Penn State would want to know.  You would  think the students, faculty members, alumni, fans and surrounding communities would want to know why a man of Paterno’s stature would turn a blind eye to what happened under his watch.  What happened with what many regarded as possibly the greatest coach of all time, evidenced by his many wins.  I won’t even scratch the racial aspects of this in regard to who I think is the greatest ever, classiest ever, and oh by the way, historic ever: the late Eddie Robinson.  I feel sick, just by putting this great man’s name in this opinion.

My apologies to you, sir. 

What I can’t get past in my mind is the cover up, why after knowing what this predator did, they allowed this animal to stalk among them and although there are no allegations that he attempted to molest some unsuspecting 17 year old freshman, who was happy to get a letter from Penn State it is a doggone miracle! And that’s the problem!

It wasn’t our recruits or our kids is probably the mindset of those most knowledgeable.

And I believe that is the mindset of every individual who swept the crimes of this animal, placed it into a dustpan and put under the rug!

And now we’re supposed to stand behind the school, continue to turn a blind eye to the crimes and continued crimes that went on?  This is not nazi Germany where six millions souls weren’t taken, but to these young boys, it might as well be, because their lives are ruined.   I never heard a bell that was rung and taken back and no matter how much money in endowment is placed into programs, how much money is eventually settled for the victims in civil suit.  They. Can’t. Un-ring. That. Bell.

You want to know what’s more disgusting? 

The outright denial of some of the former players, students and now the Board of Regents, they won’t let this story simply fade even a little bit.  And although understandable, the Paterno family’s reaction to the Freeh Report and subsequent sanctions, which all but indicted, tried, convicted and sentenced Joe Paterno to almost 11 years of vacated wins, is all understandable...but don’t take a leak on our legs and tell us it’s raining, when in fact, the man whom they are trying to preserve cannot be.  At some point and time, there has to be a different route for which this family can pick up the pieces and understand why everyone outside Penn State is so abhorred.  Paterno saying at the end, I should have done more, simply doesn’t mean jack, when you should’ve done something in the very first place.  Paterno picked his path, and when he saw that path was full of deep vines and thickets, he negotiated an exit strategy to continue protecting him and his family. 

It wasn’t your recruits or kids, huh Joe?