End of an Era

By now, you all have heard the news. Joe Paterno has been fired as the Head Coach of Penn State football. I hope you've also heard about the real crime in this case was committed by Jerry Sandusky, who according to Grand Jury reports, sexually abused 8-10 minors within a 10-year span.

When I first heard the news, I thought we were dealing with 17 or 18 year old boys/men. However, once it was discovered we were talking about 10-12 year olds, who already had to deal with broken homes or mental health issues, it made the issue much more disturbing. Sandusky will get his day in court, and if/when he's proven guilty, he will suffer in jail, not only in time, but in physical pain.

I will leave the actual news media to cover Sanduskys devious deeds in detail, whereas I'd rather focus on a man, most are forgetting. Mike McQueary.

Mike, a former Penn State QB from 1997-1998, and highly regarded leader of the team, was the whistleblower in this case. According to Grand Jury reports, while in the locker room, he heard rhythmic slapping noises coming from the men's shower stall. Once he was close enough to the showers, he discovered a boy, who appeared to be no older than 10 years old, getting sexually assaulted by Jerry Sandusky. Here's where the story takes the inevitable turn. Instead of attempting to stop this horrific crime, McQueary turns and leaves the facility to call his father.

Now, this would be an acceptable excuse if you too were a teenager. However, when you're 28 years old, and large enough to play Quarterback for PSU, don't you HAVE to step up and do something? You were known as a leader of men a few years prior to that. Now, when faced with a real scenario, you turn and run. On top of that, his father advises him to wait till the NEXT DAY! to contact Joe Paterno.

For every man reading this blog, I'd hope if faced with the same scenario, you'd do one of two things.

#1 - Go into that shower, knock down the 60 year old Sandusky, and save that boy from any further punishment.

#2 - Call the Police ASAP, and have them end all of this immediately.

Those are the ONLY options, and yet McQueary managed to slither his way out of it, through a 3rd choice.

As far as I'm concerned, he is gutless, and hopefully will never receive an opportunity to coach or teach anywhere else for the rest of his life. How can you possibly advise others as to what right choices they should make, when you completely missed on a situation that will haunt at least one child for the rest of their life.

I've both heard stories and been a part of one, where men react to lesser crimes. I still remember Freshman year in college, while with a friend at the time, stopping some A**hole from slapping around his girlfriend. Mind you this was two teenagers/adults, and merely a physical altercation. I can't even fathom what would go through one's mind if faced with McQueary's dilemma.

We shouldn't be looking at Joe Paterno as the victim or the criminal. The victims were the 8-10 boys abused by Sandusky.

The blame should first fall on McQueary, then Athletic Director Tim Curley (who failed to report it to Police), followed by President Graham Spanier (for completely ignoring all of this), and if you're chopping down the whole department then Joe Paterno goes as well.

Paterno should not be the focus of this case, he's done so much more for thousands, even perhaps MILLIONS of students, that he truly deserves better than this. Judge the man by his history and his character. I 100% believe that if Joe Paterno knew the actual extent of the crime and not vague details, he would have done more. Joe always had the best interest of the University and students in the forefront of his mind. No one can ever argue that. Finally, before all the naysayers go condemning him, look at what he's done and how selflessly he's lived his life before you judge him.