The 5.5 Hole

Disgust

As a general rule I don't venture outside the realm of baseball when writing. I stand by the belief that writers should stick to what they know and what they love. However, every so often a story comes to light that shakes not only its specific sport but sports and the nation as a whole. Often times, I will find a way to relate these stories to baseball in some obscure way, through anecdotes, minor correlations, or some other way. In the case of the charges levied against former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky, Athletic Director Tim Curley, and VP Gary Schultz, the only correlation to baseball is that in baseball, and all sports, coaches are the trusted guardians of the young athletes and anyone else who may interact with them.

Jerry Sandusky, if the allegations are true, violated the trust many young people had in him. He is alleged to have committed acts so horrendous, they don't bare repeating here. But the scandal goes beyond that. A witness of one such encounter between Sandusky and a young boy reported the act to head coach Joe Paterno. According to Grand Jury testimony, Paterno immediately relayed the accusation to his boss, Tim Curley. But nothing ever happened. No police investigation. No child welfare checks. Instead, Sandusky was simply barred from further use of the Penn State facilities.

The cover-up and refusal to act is the most disgusting part. Especially considering the allegations that Sandusky abused many more boys AFTER this particular incident. And through it all the media is giving Paterno a pass "until the facts come out." At first I accepted this. Paterno reported what he was told to his boss. But that's not enough is it? To simply tell an Athletic Director of the crimes that may be being carried out on school grounds by a former employee is not enough. To wash his hands of the matter after that is wrong. And the fact that news outlets, of both the sporting variety and conventional kind, are ignoring this is an example of hypocritical journalism at its peak.

I do believe in the basic premise of "innocent until proven guilty," but there is nothing left to prove in Paterno's case. What's left is a case against Sandusky. If the case against Sandusky is proved true, it makes Paterno's inaction all the more disheartening, troubling, and frightening.

Joe Paterno's statement alone tells a story of failure to respond. Failure to investigate. Failure to protect. He admits that a Graduate Assistant and his father came to him and told of what the Assistant had witnessed. With this knowledge, allegations so hideous they hurt to even think about, Paterno only told his boss. If this had been any other coach in sports, any other person in sports, he would be getting crucified from all angles. The claims made against Sandusky warranted police involvement. When Paterno realized his AD had not involved them, his responsibility was to notify the authorities on his own.

I can understand the difficulty many established, smart, and talented writers face in this situation. To take a stand prior to Sandusky's day in court would mean attacking an old friend. Joe Paterno is about as well-liked and respected as a coach can be.

Yet, failure to call out the wrongs of a person you've known and liked for many years, is no different than ignoring the actions of a man you knew for 30 plus years. A man who may have abused little boys. Joe Paterno failed to act against his former friend, and mainstream media has failed to address the wrongs of Joe Paterno.

About : Raja CRN

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