I want you to sit back and imagine.
Imagine a man who is at the pinnacle of his profession; he has no equal. He holds the Division I records for wins (409), bowl appearances (37), and bowl wins (24).
He has worked to shape young men for 66 years, two or three generations.
He instituted a paradigm shift in the way many thought about how college football was played out east. The Nittany Lions fought their way to perennial contender status in the 80s, winning two national championships in that decade.
Five-time Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. Three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year. Imagine that.
Now it’s all gone. The Penn State Board of Trustees has relieved Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier of their duties, and rightfully so. They failed to make the right decision at a key moment and they failed to prevent untold psychological damage to a number of children.
Imagine the magnitude of this fallout. Watergate comes to mind as something that comes close, but I wasn’t alive for that, so I can’t be certain.
They say that no crisis should go unwasted and it’s true in this case. It’s an example of what happens when you trade integrity for comfort and prestige. We should teach our young ones to do the right thing even if it’s not popular or even if they risk losing a lot.
And if you’re so inclined, pray for the victims.