Joe Paterno: A Legacy Tarnished

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It should come as no surprise that the sex abuse scandal at Penn State University is dominating the national spotlight. This story is stealing headlines, in part, because this unfathomable act of pure evil has seemingly infiltrated something our nation once viewed as the ultimate example of integrity and innocence--sports. While a sports team and its coaches are the focus, this crisis presents a moral dilemma that challenges even the most casual sports fan. These events have also forced us to re-evaluate the standards of responsibility that our society should expect from its citizens and have shattered the notion that so long as an individual adheres to a strict interpretation of the law, he should be free of guilt. We are now confronted with the reality that adherence to the bear minimum of the law may not be enough to fully satisfy one’s civic duty. While failing to act beyond the reach of the law may not be an act punishable in a court of law, this case has amply demonstrated that an individual may still be held accountable in the court of public opinion. The speed at which Joe Paterno lost his once untouchable position as head coach of Penn State’s Football Team is a testament to this fact.

*Joe Paterno’s role in the Jerry Sandusky episode reaches back to a reported incident that took place in 2002. At that time, Sandusky was employed as Defensive Coordinator of the Penn State men’s football team under Head Coach, Joe Paterno. On March 1, 2002, a graduate student, Mike McQueary, entered the team’s locker room and witnessed Sandusky raping a boy who, at the time, McQueary estimated to be 10 years old. The next day, a distraught McQueary visited Paterno at his home and divulged what he had seen. Paterno then relayed this shocking information to his superior, Athletic Director, Tim Curley. Later in the month, Curley held a meeting with McQueary and the University's Senior Vice President for Finance and Business, Gary Schultz, to question McQueary about what he had witnessed. The meeting concluded with Schultz and Curley stating that they would investigate the events further and take appropriate action. On March 27, 2002, Curley called McQueary to advise him that Sandusky’s locker room keys had been confiscated and that the incident has been reported to The Second Mile, the foster home Sandusky had founded. McQueary was neither questioned by University police nor did any of her group inside or outside of the University discuss the matter with him further until McQueary testified in a December 2010 grand jury hearing. Paterno was had no other involvement in the case until he was called to testify before the grand jury in March of 2011.*

It is clear from this series of events that Paterno’s participation was limited to reporting to his superior, Tim Curley, the incident that was communicated to him by McQueary. While facts remain to be revealed, it appears that Paterno took no additional steps to insure that Penn State was taking appropriate action to address this situation. Between this incident and the spring of 2008 when another victim’s mother reported Sandusky, nothing more was done to prevent Sandusky (pictured left) from continuing his nefarious actions. Worst of all, Sandusky

continued to have access to the Penn State campus and the team’s facilities and, in fact, was even permitted to continue to maintain an office there. Two days after Sandusky was arrested on November 5, 2011, Pennsylvania Attorney General, Linda Kelly, said Paterno would not be a target of the investigation into how the University handled the accusations of child abuse. Although, at least for now, Paterno has avoided legal prosecution, it is clear that society is not ready to completely relieve him of responsibility for these events.

On November 9, 2011, news outlets around the country went viral with reports that Joe Paterno would be fired from his position as head coach of Penn State’s Football Team. Paterno is the longest reining head coach in NCAA Football and has been a fixture at Penn State for more than six decades. His 409 victories rank higher than any other coach in NCAA Football. “JoePa” has done it all, winning two national championships and twenty-four bowl games. He remains one of the most iconic sports figure for not only his ability on the field, but also for all that he contributed to Penn State University over the years. Ultimately, however, his ousting is not due to something he did, but rather something he did not do. It is this sin of omission that has Paterno feeling such great remorse and is what prompts discussion about his poor handling of these tragic events.

It is plain for all to see that by simply following the law and reporting the incident to his superior, Paterno was not doing all that he morally should have. While we hope that a governing system of law reflects all that society holds morally dear to it, Paterno’s actions suggest otherwise. By only reporting Sandusky’s activities to his chain of command, Paterno was released of all legal liability. Nevertheless, it is apparent that by simply communicating Sandusky’s alleged crimes, Paterno had not done enough to completely take the many victims in this case out of harms way. Thus, this situation presents a conflict between morality and law, where the law did not prescribe a morally correct standard for holding those involved in these horrible offenses responsible. Paterno himself admitted that he needed to act beyond merely communicating what McQueary had observed. “It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more," Paterno stated.

For now, Paterno has avoided any legal prosecution, although he could still be charged with perjury, obstruction of justice, violating the state's Child Protective Services law and even be subject to possible civil suits from the victims’ families. Joe Paterno has always been revered as a college football head coach who did the right thing. Unlike many other coaches, his record of NCAA violations remains spotless and he always ensured that his players graduated at high rates. Although Paterno has always been characterized by laudable qualities like charity and public good, this tragedy, in which Paterno clearly failed to meet his moral duty, will always remain as an indelible stain on an otherwise sterling reputation.

*Please see the Grand Jury Report for a complete account of the events that transpired

Melo or Mediocre?

Is this man who the New York Knicks need to succeed?

Unlike any other professional team in New York, the Knicks do not have to share the biggest sports market in the world with any other team. It is for this reason that the Knicks are special to New York fans. The Knicks are "it" if you are from New York and have any interest in basketball. And in the past, our Knick teams did not make it at all difficult to be an interested fan. However, ever since the dreaded Isiah Thomas-led years it has been a different story. Nevertheless, let's not dwell on the New York fan's decade long nightmare. The fact of the matter is that now with the arrival of Amare Stoudemire and the .500 play of the New York Knicks, Knicks fans have for the first time in a long time some hope. While this may be true, any New Yorker knows that in New York .500 level play is not nearly enough. The fans are hungry for more.

Since Lebron and Bosh took their talents to South Beach, it has become the desired model for NBA teams to try to create their own "big three." The Knicks are finally in a position to add a second piece in the form of Carmelo Anthony and possibly Chris Paul down the road. However, where do Donnie Walsh and the Knicks draw the line between giving up too much and making a move that could propel this franchise to a level it has not been in many years?

This year has proven that the Knicks do have assets in their young talent. Landry Fields, Danilo Gallinari, and Wilson Chandler have all proved to be capable of playing as starters in this league. As a Knicks fan. I love to watch these players. Not only have they shown glimpses of how good they can be , but also they seem to sincerely want to play for New York. However, it is just that, they only show glimpses. At such young ages, they are too inconsistent to truly carry this team past the first round in the playoffs. The Knicks, as currently constructed, are just a mediocre .500 team and in New York that can only fly for so long.

Knick fans are craving much more, and their recent lackluster play proves that they will only continue to achieve a .500 record with the talent they have. Yes, it would be nice to have these players in addition to Carmelo who we can risk to acquire this summer. But, like I said, this is a risk. Carmelo has said himself that if he is not traded by the deadline then he will consider resigning in Denver. Let’s be frank, no matter how much people will like to criticize his gunslinger mentality, Carmelo is an elite NBA talent. Pairing Carmelo with Stoudemire would truly be magical and it would definitely give the Knicks that extra playoff push they need. Yes, it would not put us in Finals contention just yet, but with players like Eddy Curry coming off the books this summer, the Knicks can build around this talented nucleus starting next year (that is if there will be a season).

While this year’s Knicks team has been fun to watch (at times), I think what would truly be more fun is to watch Carmelo rock The Garden alongside Amare. I believe the infatuation fans currently have for these young players will quickly evaporate once they see Melo donning the blue and orange and dropping upwards of 30 points a night. Maybe we will have a couple of very good teams if these players develop to be as good as some think. But as we saw with Patrick Ewing and the great Knicks teams of the 90s, the difference between being good and winning a championship is huge, and I believe that the goal of winning a championship will be closer with Carmelo at the helm.

The question remains: wager the future or keep the status quo and remain mediocre?

I say go all in.