MEGAN BROWN
(This is Megan’s first article for Juiced)

“Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won’t taste good.”

- Legendary now ex-Penn State coach Joe Paterno

Ironically enough, the recent Penn State scandal which is both shocking and appalling will undoubtedly taint the success JoePa had throughout his illustrious career.

As a former journalism major at IU (concentration in public relations), a huge sports fan, and a fellow Big 10 member, I’m fully aware of what Coach Paterno has meant to PSU. With 45 ½ seasons as head coach, the most wins of any college football coach (409), 7 undefeated seasons, 24 bowl wins, and 2 national championships, clearly Paterno is good at what he does (or did). There is no denying his passion for the game and his ability to bring in highly touted recruits and take their game to the next level.

So, no, this new light shed on Paterno’s legacy isn’t about anything football related. This is about something much simpler than what it takes to win a football game against a formidable opponent. This is about knowing right from wrong.

Here is a quick recap of the situation in case you haven’t turned on your television, computer, or radio over the past few days. In 2002, Paterno was informed about an alleged sexual assault case by his former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, who had retired in 1999. Coach Paterno reported the incident to Tim Curley who was the athletic director. According to the authorities, he fulfilled his legal obligations.

I agree that by legal standards, Paterno did just enough to fulfill his obligations. Yet morally there was so much more that should have been done. If I was the coach, I would have spoken to the police and recommended some good movers to help Sandusky load up his stuff and get him away from my team as well as the institution.

Sandusky was charged with assaulting eight boys over a 15 year span of time. Yet, after his retirement, and the team learning of his alleged sexual assault case, he had access to the athletes and team facilities. The only thing the school did was issue a ban prohibiting him from bringing children with him.

The general public, including myself, are outraged that more wasn’t done with the information that Paterno and the school athletic department had. If more was done, some of these children wouldn’t have had to suffer through the abuse they endured and justice would have been served to Sandusky much sooner.

As soon as the news broke, there were a number of people publicly rallying against child abuse, calling for the firing of Paterno and questioning Penn State about just how much they knew – and why they continuously did next to nothing with the horrifying information. But there have been just as many, or maybe even more people standing in support of Paterno, including PSU students. Student rallies have been broadcast all over television and twitter, and some passionate fans even have even turned violent. Hundreds of students stood outside of coach Paterno’s house showing their support for him and sticking with him despite the recent events.

If you follow Big 10 sports, I’m sure you’ve heard your fair share of Bob Knight stories from his time at IU: cursing out players and opposing coaches, throwing chairs, and even getting physical with players. A lot of people wanted to see him fired, but his team and IU supporters stuck by his side through it all, and many still do to this day. Bob Knight didn’t hide the fact he had a fiery personality. Even other great coaches have had their own share of controversy with NCAA violations. They suffered the consequences, and some, with the support of the athletic department and student body, still kept their jobs.

As a sports fan who has seen controversy come and go in college athletics, I understand standing behind someone who has done so much for the reputation and records of your school’s athletic team. But by remaining for all intents, silent, Paterno singlehandedly erased all of the good he had done. Students should see him not only as a poor representation of their school, but also someone who very publicly has tarnished PSU’s good name that their beloved football team must bear on their jerseys for the rest of the now sullied season. Paterno deserved to be fired for what he did (or rather, didn’t do). There is no “sports excuse” when it comes to moral obligations.

As a result, when Paterno is brought up in conversation, even beyond just this last week, the first thing that will be said is how he was forced into retirement in the middle of a scandal that has left many confused, angry and hurt. Not the fact that 87 percent of his student-athletes graduated or the memorable wins he led his teams to, as he probably expected.

However, Paterno made his choice a long time ago to remain silent. As a result, the world of sports has every right to speak out. And because of it, Paterno will go down in Big 10 history as someone who could have been a beloved football hero.

Instead he’s been turned into a scorned public enemy.

Photo: Reuters

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