More JoePa

I know that ESPN has been covering Penn State and only Penn State for the last 19 hours or so, but I feel like I need to address it as well. This is the most unfortunate series of developments involving such a prominent sports figure in recent memory. Joe Paterno has been at the helm of Nittany Lions' football for literally twice as long as I have been alive, and I don't think anyone wanted to see him go out this way. Although many people, including myself, wanted to see a gleaming 84 year old man being carefully hoisted above his players after a season ending bowl victory to cap off the winningest career in college football history, this is the way it had to end. The Penn State board of trustees had no choice but to let Paterno go immediately, even though he said he would retire at season's end. From a publicity standpoint, no university wants a media firestorm on campus over child sexual abuse charges, obviously. Although the firing of Paterno drew substantially more attention to the institution, not to mention a riot in the streets, they ultimately made the decision that nobody wanted to make, but had to. The university will potentially lose millions of dollars from boosters, sponsors, and the like, and also from aspiring future students. If they had let the issue drag on longer, the losses would have compounded exponentially until a parking lot car wash was the primary means of revenue. Many details of the case are not yet known, but based on what is known, Paterno had to go. What may be even more damaging for the school though is the loss of their president, Graham Spanier. Yes JoePa is more beloved and cherished by the students, but a university president is more important than a football coach. This is not to say that Paterno was unimportant to the school, as he clearly was, it is just to reflect on how unfortunate and deadly it was to not only Penn State, but to college football as a whole. Wednesday, the sports world witnessed something it hasn't in a very long time. The winningest coach in college football history, the face of an entire university, and definitely the coolest and toughest 84 year old man in America is not the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions football team. To live to see 84 alone is an accomplishment. To patrol the sidelines of a perennially top 25 ranked college football team at that age is unheard of. He battled through several injuries and never missed a play. It wouldn't have surprised me if JoePa ran himself out there as middle linebacker from time to time. This is a huge black eye on Penn State, and on Paterno's career. It is my hope that fans remember the gleaming old man being carried off the field by his victorious team. That people will remember the great things he did for Penn State and for college football. Let us not allow this to damage Paterno's accomplishments. Yes, he should have done more to address the horrible events that were taking place, and he is now being reprimanded. My question is, why is why hasn't assistant coach Mike McQueary been fired as well? He witnessed Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing young boys, and did nothing. There are many more minor details that will resolve the issue further, but in my eyes the lack of a move here is incorrect.
A legend died last night.