Early yesterday morning, I listened to an account of a man’s legacy being uprooted.
I got up around 4:30 am, pushed back my recliner, closed my eyes, and listened to ESPN on television.
The president of Penn State University had ordered the removal of a popular statue of former coach Joe Paterno from its familiar location. To hide what workmen were doing, the entire area around the statue was covered up.
When the 7-foot high, 900-pound statue was removed, it was transported to an undisclosed location.
When an adult abuses the vulernable children placed in his care, you can’t explain it or excuse it. It’s wrong, and the perpetrator needs to be isolated from society so he cannot harm children again. Former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky has been found guilty of heinous crimes and is now wallowing in prison. He will never come out alive.
God have mercy on his soul.
Apparently Joe Paterno and a few others at Penn State knew about Sandusky’s behavior and covered it up. What they did was horrible and permitted Sandusky to harm still more children. If true, there is no excuse for such behavior.
Soon after Sandusky’s arrest, Joe Paterno died. He has met his Maker and is living for eternity in one of two destinations. I do not pretend to know where that is.
I was never a fan of the Nittany Lions because they ran the football too much for my liking. I always preferred to watch teams with a wide open passing attack. But Coach Paterno seemed to be a good man, well respected if not idolized by players and fans alike.
After the President of Penn State called for the hauling down of Paterno’s statue yesterday, the President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association – Mark Emmert – today imposed strict penalties on the university itself for permitting the abuse to occur.
One of those penalties was the vacating of 112 football victories from 1998 – the reporting of the first abuse incident involving Sandusky – through Paterno’s coaching career in 2011.
Paterno had stood alone as the winningest football coach in NCAA history. But by wiping out 13 years’ worth of victories, he’s now Number 12 all-time.
I don’t pretend to know everything that President Emmert of the NCAA knows about the Penn State situation. Maybe the school does deserve their $60 million fine. Maybe they don’t deserve to go to any bowl games over the next few years.
But should much of Joe Paterno’s record as a college football coach be wiped out?
The coach wasn’t found guilty of illegal recruiting, or betting on games, or stealing opponents’ playbooks … all offenses that would have affected the outcome of games on the field.
Besides, the coach didn’t win those games by himself. Hundreds of players went to Penn State. They invested time to learn and practice plays. They learned teamwork and perseverance. They sacrificed their bodies for their coach, team, and school.
But now, the NCAA is telling those students that all they did on the field counted for nothing. Students and their parents and all Penn State fans are being penalized, too … all innocent victims of bad decisions made by others.
In my view, the NCAA is being vindictive. Joe Paterno is dead and gone. Although guilty of permitting horrible crimes, the school profited from his football program for years … but now much of that is being erased from the record.
Who benefits by vacating the victories? Nobody. Who is harmed? Tens of thousands of people.
I believe that President Emmert is justified in prescribing severe sanctions against the school … but vacating victories? How did what happened off the field transfer to football on the field?
I do not worship football, or Coach Paterno, or Penn State … and evidently a lot of people do. Maybe that culture contributed to the toleration of unspeakable actions … and that should not be tolerated.
But since our society believes that the punishment should fit the crime, I don’t see how vacating victories is connected to the crimes committed.
I welcome your thoughts on this difficult matter.
Here’s a great article on the Paterno statue and his legacy: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf–cemetery-gates-protect-joe-paterno-from-dealing-with-the-consequences-of-his-inaction.html
Restoring Kingdom Builders 
I believe it was John Wooden who said “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” Joe Paterno crossed a line that can never be compared to taking steroids or illegally recruiting. For the sake of a college sports program he allowed innocent children to be molested. The NCAA in my opinion was too lenient because we have since found out that the problem was also systemic. Penn State should continue, but the football program should be disbanded for at least 10 years. And his statue? It should be destroyed.
You are right, Jim, we have all done great things and terrible things. But in the big picture the erasing of a winning record is miniscule compared to the devastation of those young lives.
Jesus was wrongfully accused. Paul repented-big time. I’m sure even Lincoln made mistakes in his life, but I doubt he ever molested a child, or stood by and did nothing while someone who could help get him elected did. Lincoln was no coward.
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I guess I’m wondering where the vindictiveness ends. Do we exhume his body and burn it on national TV? Do we tell the world that the name “Paterno” shall never be uttered again? The statue aside … and I really didn’t comment on that other than to give a title to the article … I don’t see how vacating the victories helps anything or anybody. I just want to know … where’s the line between punishment and vindictiveness … and where does vindictiveness end?
I appreciate the strong feeling with which you wrote, Ce Ce. Thank you. What was done was very, very wrong … but when do authorities cross the line in meting out punishment? I was okay with all the punishments today except vacating the victories … which was squarely aimed at harming Paterno’s legacy. But in the process, are we negating the good and the effort that many others have done?
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