As I've said before, it will take years (if not decades) for Penn State to recover from the sex abuse scandal that has engulfed the university.
There are so many lessons (some yet to be learned) from the imbroglio that a whole new curriculum could be developed.
And a central figure in all this is/was unquestionably Joe Paterno.
What was really behind Paterno's departure?
To begin with I think there were probably efforts to force Paterno out as soon as the scandal broke if not before that. But unfortunately the old man wielded so much power that even Graham Spanier had to defer to JoePa. There just seemed to be no way to ease him aside.
And in the end, Paterno was stubborn and determined to write his own exit script. No matter that the landscape was strewn with innocent young victims of heinous acts (some committed in the PSU locker room) Paterno was dead set on charting his own road to an exit.
Paterno had grown accustomed to The Power and The Glory. And sadly, the university had enabled this.
So, JoePa hired his own PR reps and they announced that The Legend would leave only after he completed the current season.
To hell with whatever may have happened right under his nose (and the lingering stench of unspeakable acts) Paterno wanted a few more wins under his belt.
So his spinmeisters crafted a statement in which Paterno couched his delayed exit with a feigned plea to make things easier for the Board.
Here's what Paterno said:
"At this moment the board of trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status," Paterno said in the statement. "They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can."
Inside Paterno's seemingly velvet glove was an iron fist. In effect, he was trying to strong arm the university -- a desperate old man attempting to buy time.
Fortunately, clear-headed university officials saw this for what it was. And, before "a single minute" could go by, they fired Paterno.
If members of the board of trustees were enraged, they had every right to be.
Yes, JoePa tried to stare them down. But in the end, they didn't blink.
Penn State board of trustees vice chairman John Surma, chairman and CEO of U.S. Steel explained the board's decision this way: "The university is much larger than its athletic programs."
Indeed it is.
Indeed, it has always been.
But for far too long, far too many people didn't see it this way.
And as much as PSU may have benefitted from what was considered to be athletic supremacy, it also labored under it as well. That's what happens when the king becomes bigger than the kingdom.
Mythology is a heavy burden to bear. It's no accident that it gave rise to Greek tragedies.
Enough mythology.
Now it's time to get real. It's time for Penn State to get back to basics: education and learning in a rigorous academic environment built on core principles and common sense.
That hard work is ongoing, but there must be a renewed commitment to it. It must be rediscovered in the daily, dedicated work of professors and the continuing scholastic achievements of students.
This is what makes a great university.
Fortunately, these assets are already there for Penn State.
And this is how Penn State will find the way forward.
2 comments:
Keep in mind that, as I understand the facts, once the alleged abuse was brought to JoePa's attention, he reported it as is required by statute. I still think that JoePa is one of several scapegoats that are being sacrificed to distract from the real issue - the abuse of these children. He was ousted for not doing more than what he was obligated to do. I would not be surprised if litigation ensued between JoePa and PSU regarding his contract, i.e. a possible wrongful termination suit - which would further tarnish PSU's reputation. I think there were too many knee-jerk reactions on people who are not under any indictment or criminal scrutiny.
JoePa was boss dog of the program, with his legendary status, and all of the cash he had donated to the school over the years. There may have been "higher ups" whom he reported to this, but they were only this in namesake.
As boss dog, what he did was let this horrible man walk among us to save the rep of the football program. Yes, there are other people to blame who were involved, but they are not household names or cultural icons.
This nonsense calling him a scapegoat is despicable. I call it like I see it - he's an evil man.
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