Jerry Sandusky, on the left in the above picture in happier times and in the below picture in handcuffs, and Joe Paterno, on the right in the above picture, have been inextricably linked together for over 48 years in the Penn State University Football program. That's almost half a century of knowing someone well, one would think. Sandusky, 67, was a player and defensive line coach under Paterno at "Linebacker U", the other, Paterno, 84, is the grandfatherly assistant then head coach of 61 years Penn State in the insular and isolated college football kingdom in Central Pennsylvania known affectionately as "Happy Valley".
In the last five days, sadly, they are now linked not by football but by scandal, cover-up and abject indifference. 48 years of good will and great success together have been ruined by the allegations of gross and deviant sexual abuse by Sandusky against young boys under Sandusky's control. This all happened under Paterno's watch. The Valley of Penn State is no longer happy. Welcome to Sad Valley.
First up Sandusky. He is a married man with 6 adopted kids. In addition, he had several foster children in his care. Presently, in a grand jury indictment, he is facing 40 known felony counts of sexual abuse against 8 minors spanning 15 years of sexual misconduct. That number may grow as this story develops. 20 of those alleged incidents occurred while he was employed by Penn State. It has been reported that "in 2002, Mike McQuery, Penn State graduate assistant walked in on Sandusky having anal intercourse with a ten year old boy in the Penn State shower room. The next day, McQuery reported this incident to Paterno who informed Penn State Athletic Director, Tim Curley of the incident." The reporting of the incident traveled as high as the President of the University, Graham Spanier. The ludicrous punishment meted out by President Spanier for such an offense: Sandusky was ordered not to bring any children from his charity, Second Mile, on campus in the future. Incredibly, the local police authorities were never informed of the incident at the time. The University criminally kept the incident, as the Italians say "nella famiglia" or "omerta" in the family under a cone of silence. If found guilty, he will serve several life sentences.
Next up Joe Paterno. He and his wife are parents of 5 kids. 17 grandchildren. He is a head college football coach. He is Penn State University. Really, what else is out there besides the Amish, their horse-drawn black carriages and Penn State Football. His program made millions of dollars for Penn State University. His program was the gift that kept giving year after year. The school's coffers brimmed from football revenues. Football income ran that university. And it was Joe's world to rule. He ruled this fiefdom with an iron fist, ultimate control, secrecy, and all with impunity and without scrutiny or question from anybody of authority...until now. It is alleged that after Joe received a first hand account of Sandusky's sodomizing a youngster in the shower room, he kicked the can down the road to the AD to deal with it. The defenseless kid was 10 years old. A caring responsible adult should have protected that boy from that monster. Joe abdicated his role as supreme leader right then and there. Why? Because he did not want his program to suffer and the University agreed...tacitly. Suddenly, because of his lack of moral leadership, the revered JoePa has morphed into a disgraced JoePa"thetic."
So as this story unfolds by the hour, the casualty list increases. The AD and the Vice President were fired. The President will be fired soon. The Board of Trustees is trying to figure out what to do with Joe. He made a teary self-serving statement that he will retire at the end of the season. The compliant Board may let him coach the final games of the season. Which begs the questions: one, why would the Board allow Paterno to coach another game ever, is it because he's still in charge or is is payback time, and two, who is in charge of that University? Moe, Larry and Curly. Very soon, it will be the plaintiff's lawyers who rules Penn State. (See Catholic Church and Boy Scouts of America for reference.)
In my estimation, the Board must do the right thing for once at that University, the Board must fire Joe Paterno and those in authority who failed to blow the whistle must fall now. Clean break! Clean house!! There I wrote it. He and they were complicit in this sordid affair and cover-up and should pay the price for their collective insouciance and callousness. But, Joe has other plans. You see, Joe mistakenly believes he's still in charge as the University melts down around him. He wants to coach his players on Saturday and astoundingly, the Board may let him. Not suprisingly, there are ex-football jocks and jock sniffers on that Board.
And what about the innocent and weak victims who were physically and emotionally traumatized forever by the sexual monster uber-perverted Sandusky? Joe said to a throng of adoring clueless students outside his home last night, "It's hard for me to tell how much this support means to me. Kids who are the victims...say a prayer for them." Say a prayer for them? How daffy is this guy? Outrageous.
Joe, it's time for you to go. Working at 84, who does that other than Supreme Court Justices and a few loony Senators?
Lastly, as the sexual monster of Penn State hid in the shadows for years with young boys in tow, where was Sandusky's wife during all of his rapes of small children? Baking cookies?
Postscript:
What's really disturbing about this story is, just how insidious is this problem of sexual child abuse in our country? Reports are that 1 out of 6 boys are abused and 1 out of 3 girls are abused in some way. If those numbers are accurate or even half those numbers, what have we become as a society? and why??
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