The outrage surrounding Joe Paterno (and how his firing implicates us all)
He is called Joe Pa and he is the father of Penn State Football. In many ways he’s the face of modern college football, where the head coach is the most powerful and highest paid employee in the entire state. Joe Pa has made millions of dollars being the gruff and lovable ball coach. Probablly made billions for his university and friends. By most reports he is a good man and unarguably a great coach. But its his inaction, in the Jerry Sandusky child molestation case, which he’ll be most remebered for. Frightening to think that Joe Pa’s only real crime is one in which we’re all complicit.
The old ball coach reportedly addressed his staff and team for the last time on Thursday after his unceremonious firing. He broke down and cried as he stood at the podium for the last time. Penn State Quarterback, Stephon Morris, was asked what Paterno’s main message had been, Morris said: “Beat Nebraska.”
“Beat Nebraska.” Its the only thing Jo Pa has known for the last 46 years as Penn States head football coach.
Hey Joe, little boys are being raped in the shower by your longtime assistant, who incidentally runs a charity for underprivelaged little boys.
“Beat Nebraska.”
Hey Joe, 46 Penn State football players faced 163 criminal charges in the last six years.
“Beat Nebraska.”
Hey Joe, Every two minutes someone in America is being sexually assulted.
“Beat Nebraska.”
Hey Joe almost 50 million Americans live in abject poverty.
“Beat Nebraska.”
Hey Joe, one person dies of starvation every second even though we produce more than enough food to feed the entire world twice over.
“Beat Nebraska.”
Funnily enough when this whole tragedy blew up this past week and people were calling for Joe Paterno to step down, he refused and actually tried to dictate to Penn States board of trusties how they should handle his situation.
“At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.
My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.”
In other-words, “Beat Nebraska.”
Face it. There have always been monsters like Jerry Sandusky, the child rapist, and sadly there probably always will be. But maybe it’s us, who can evolve and ask more of our leaders and ourselves than just WINNING! Maybe we can do the messy difficult and right thing because human beings are suffering. Maybe our job can be larger than just, “Beat Nebraska.” maybe we can be truly brave and courageous and realize that, turning a blind eye to any human being in need is just as despicable an act as the horrors committed by Jerry Sandusky.
Yeah, now that I think about it, you’re right. “Lets Go Nebraska!”
