Football legend Joe Paterno died this week. Unfortunately, his integrity and legend were mortally wounded months ago when the revelations about accused pedophile, Jerry Sandusky, erupted. JoePa, the Penn State legend, and leader of Linebacker U. deserved better than the legacy Sandusky’s behavior has thrust upon him.
You can debate whether Paterno did enough when then graduate assistant Michael McQueary came to him with complaints of Sandusky’s alleged sexual assault of a young boy in the PSU locker room. Did he do enough by passing the complaint along to superiors or should he have gone the further step and called the authorities outside the University? Was he protecting PSU by “keeping it in the family” or following the appropriate chain of command? All are moot questions now.
What does linger is the stench that Sandusky has cast upon this sports icon. JoePa deserved better from a man that was his friend. Whether you believe that Paterno did too little out of loyalty to his longtime assistant, or acted to protect his beloved school, one thing is clear: there is one man who can restore the gloss to this coach’s legend–Jerry Sandusky.
He and his publicity seeking attorney can do the right thing– accept responsibility. End this charade of a defense that he was only trying to teach a kid how to properly soap himself up in the shower or just liked to wrestle naked with young boys.
Acceptance of responsibility is a major factor in the rehabilitative prong of our sentencing schemes. It reflects an honest attitude toward one’s past transgressions and a willingness to change. More importantly, it demonstrates respect for the victims, saving them the further indignity of having to take the witness stand in a public trial and relive their ordeals. In this case, young men who were allegedly sexually abused by another man. One can only imagine the scars that they bear that fester beneath their skin.
If Joe Paterno was truly your friend and mentor; if you are truly saddened by what your selfish behavior has done to this man, then step up Jerry; be a real man and a real friend; take your punishment. Wipe the dirt off the legend of JoePa that you so selfishly soiled.
