Penn State Fumbles the Ball
Joe Paterno is the winningest coach in the history of college football. CBS sports wrote that it would be "impossible to overshadow Paterno's achievements in the sport over his Hall of Fame career." I can agree that almost nothing could do that. Overshadowing his success would take something horrific like looking the other way as his defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, molested young boys. Lo and behold, that's exactly what Paterno did.
Penn State could never have had the success they did on the field if they fumbled the football to the degree that they committed moral fumbles:
Fumbles 1 & 2: In the fall of 2000, a janitor observed Sandusky molesting a young boy in the locker room shower. He told the other janitors and his supervisor. The supervisor instructed him with whom to file a report, which the janitor never did. When he witnessed the incident, there was only one correct action for the janitor to take: call the police. He did not. Fumble, Penn State! When the supervisor was told of the incident, there was only one correct action for him to take: call the police. He did not. Fumble, Penn State!
Fumble 3: Two years later, a graduate assistant witnessed Sandusky raping a boy in the showers in the locker room. He told his father. The next day he told Paterno. There was only one correct action for the graduate assistant to take: call the police. He did not. Fumble, Penn State!
Fumble 4: Paterno reported the incident to Tim Curley, Penn State's Athletic Director. There was only one correct action for Paterno to take: call the police. He did not. Fumble, Penn State!
Fumble 5: Curley informs Penn State's Senior Vice President for Finance and Business, Gary Schultz. There was only one correct action for Curley to take: call the police. He did not. Fumble, Penn State!
Fumble 6: Curley and Schultz meet with the graduate assistant about the incident. They promise to investigate. There was only one correct action for them to take: call the police. They did not. Fumble, Penn State!
Since that time, Curley and Schultz have surrendered to police on charges of failing to report the incident. Paterno should also be charged. He is guilty of the same crime.
Yesterday, November 9, 2011, Coach Joe Paterno and Penn State President Graham Spanier were fired. Paterno's illustrious career ended in disgrace. It should also end with criminal charges. To CBS Sports, nothing can diminish the Paterno legacy as the winningest college football coach of all time. To this rabbi, his winning record means nothing. Joe Paterno is just another piece of human scum who looked the other way as young boys' lives were ruined by a sexual predator. Let Paterno and Sandusky have the rest of their lives to reminisce about their national championships from the inside of a prison cell.
Until next time, Shalom!
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Well said. Thank you Rabbi.
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Paterno did what he was legally obligated to do.
He was persecuted because he didn't do more than he was legally obligated to do.
We now have a new definition and poster child for 'scapegoat'.
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You'll have to prove to me that Paterno did what he was legally obligated to do. It seems clear to me that if charges were filed against Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, Paterno had a legal obligation to report as well.
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A snippet from an investigative report:
'It's also alleged that on March 1, 2002, a graduate assistant caught Sandusky and a young male showering together in the football locker room. The GA reportedly notified head coach Joe Paterno the next day, and Paterno notified athletic director Tim Curley shortly after. There's no mention of Paterno notifying law enforcement'.
Now as to the moral obligation:
It is impossible to enter the mind of another individual. He may have easily assumed that his report would ascend the chain of command. It didn't and for that he's blameless. With perfect hindsight he should have been more demanding in follow-up but that is no reason to pillory and crucify him.
They have already sucked out his spirit and thrown him to the scavengers.
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Two updates from news sources, then some final responses from me before Shabbat.
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‘The investigative report you cite only confirms what we are discussing, that Paterno did not notify law enforcement.’
This was never in contention.
An alternative football scenario:
Huddle.
Play called by Q.B. (Spaniel):
‘Short pass and then quick lateral.’
Ball snapped.
Quick short pass to Paterno who has possession.
Quick lateral to Curley.
Curley drops ball.
Game over.
The color commentator blames Paterno:
‘He should have run with the ball instead of the lateral because he knew Curley was going to drop the ball.’
Crowd picks up this reasoning.
In summary;
Paterno has been accused.
Paterno has been tried.
Paterno has been convicted.
Paterno now awaits the final action: The lynching.
Paterno foolishly calls for help by hiring an attorney.
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All I can say is I obtained information from the media, but my conclusions are my own.
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I do agree with your position. Papa Joe failed in his ethical and moral capacity as a Coach, as a Man. The same can be said of the other individuals who failed in the realization of serious harm being done to innocents. The whole incident just sickens me.
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I agree--regardless of the legal obligations, Paterno had a moral obligation as a human being, but also as a university official, to report this heinous crime taking place on university property under his watch. If the allegations are true, I see a parallel between the Penn State hierarchy and the pedophile scandals in the Catholic Church where priests and bishops ignored or reassigning priests for decades. But in the case of Penn State, this is a tax-supported public university, so the idea of senior officials ignoring (or worse, perhaps covering up) child molestation on campus by a high-ranking employee is perhaps even more outrageous. What right did any of these officials—or last night’s drunken students--have to place football above the lives and wellbeing of innocent young children? I predict that the first line in Paterno’s obituary will not be about his decades-long success in football but rather about his role in this scandal, and sadly, that’s the way it should be.
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Thanks for being a straight shooter on this Rabbi. Your commentary on this issue is purely factual. There was, in all the situations you referred to, only one "correct" course of action. Was it fear that prevented all who knew from calling the police? I guess we'll never know.
Speaking as a victim myself, the price the children who were victims in this case pay the largest and deepest price. They will never be the same. There aren't words to descibe how tragic it is that some children may have been spared violation had the "adults" involved done the, as you said, "correct" thing.
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Wow. What a powerful comment. What else is there to say? Thanks so much for sharing it.
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The "good old boys network" still strong at universities. Humans are fearful and others suffer for that. I suspect those in power did not want to tarnish the name of the university and hoped by chastising Sandusky he would stop. People don't "get" abuse and hope they can wish it away. Onlookers to so many abuses -- both individual and group continue today as we look away.
Still wonder what happened to the prosecutor who was declared dead recently who did know about one incident since he heard the admission by Sandusky in conversation with a mother of one victim.
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