Penn State: unlimited power yields a tragedy!

According to the facts put forth by the Grand Jury this is an institutional cover up and moral injustice of the highest order.

In my mind, this is 'Watergate' and 'SMU' rolled into one. It is a felonious crime (committed within the football department)...allegedly known to all within the Football Department...but a crime outside the purview of the NCAA.

Bottom line...this story captures the imagination of the public because, seemingly the most renowned name in college football...Joe Paterno...'stayed at the fair too long'. Was his power seemingly too seductive to do the right thing? I don't know but the issues are disturbing.

By any measure, the alleged crime committed by Mr. Sandusky was improperly vetted by Mr. Paterno (cover up may be more applicable)...and more disturbingly, the cover up extended all the way thru the AD's office and right up to the President's Office according to best accounts. Why? Presumably to save...the 'good' name of good old Penn State...and maybe save the names of those associated with the most visible symbol of all major universities...Football.

In that context, this is a sad...sad story...especially for unsuspecting students who are not associated with the cover up.

Unfortunately, everyone at Penn State is tainted by this story: Faculty; Staff; and Students not to mention literally hundreds of unsuspecting women athletes and male athletes who compete in a host of non revenue producing sports and I would be remiss to say, the current roster of more than 100 student Football athletes who chose Penn State from a list of distinguished Universities, who work diligently both on and off the field, didn't sign up for this debacle but, today they are all paying a price.

I love the game of college football but it has bothered me for some time that the commercialism of the game...including but not limited to National TV exposure at Noon...3:30..and 8:00 each Saturday...literally hundreds of games telecast on National TV...has raised the stakes of college football to such high proportions that seemingly good men succumb to pressure and fail to do the right thing!

I'm certain Joe Paterno is not a bad man...and I'm certain his intent was to do the best thing while attempting to manage the unseemly affair...unfortunately...the so called 'win-ingest' coach in college football, a man who has been a coach...a teacher...a mentor...a philanthropist, did the wrong thing by not protecting those who are unable to protect themselves.

This is a sad story and the lessons to be learned from the Penn State debacle will resonate for some time!