It is being reported this morning that Joe Pa will retire at the end of the season. Most likely this would have been the case anyway. This is coaching icon, a legend and a career in College Football that dates back decades. He began his coaching stint at Penn State in 1966. I was four years old when his career at Penn State got underway, a young boy. What we are talking abut the past few days is the end of an era. What we should be talking about are the victims, the numbers could be in the double digits.
To be an icon and the legend at Penn State and to look the other way is unacceptable in my book. Penn State has been revered as an example of what college athletics is all about. Education and athletics have an equal bearing in their program. That is all fine and well in fact that is exceptional on most levels. But, lets get to a level playing field and think about the implications and think about those young boys and how their lives will be impacted.
To look the other way is simply unacceptable. There has been an outpouring of support for Paterno and granted he did not commit the acts. What he did was just as bad. He did not report what he knew about. He stood by and did more or less nothing about it. Yes, the reports say that he notified the upper management and they did nothing. But, was that enough? Should he have reported this to the authorities? I say yes, absolutely!
In the past few years our Coach Pete has been compared to Joe Pa and there have been talks of Coach Pete becoming the next Joe Pa. My friends Chris Petersen is no Joe Paterno, nor will he ever be. There will be a major shake up at Penn State from top to bottom. This will become a wake up call for College Football.
The past year the NCAA has tightened their reigns on compliance and we’ve seen coaches step down, players fined, players suspended, bowl opportunities removed. Boise State has fallen victim to these compliance issues, yet all of this pales in comparison to what has gone on for years at Penn State. It is time we stop “looking the other way”. Joe Pa, do the right thing, step down immediately and Penn State do the right thing and step up for the victims and their families.
Normally this is not the type of post you would see on BTN, but I am a father and a College Football fan. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
