I've always liked JoePa. He was tradition in a job where college football coaches have agents and always look for that next step. He was the guy who everyone knew probably didn't run the team because he didn't wear a headset but whom everyone respected anyway. As more and more Penn State players seemed to accidentally run into him on the sidelines in the past few years and he spent more and more time up in the booth, I had a feeling that if he was removed from football, he probably wouldn't live long. Much like the older married couple when one spouse goes and the other one follows quickly...or even Old Dan and Little Ann from the book Where The Red Fern Grows.
Unfortunately, that removal from football came in probably the ugliest way it could come last November. While everyone can agree on the disgusting facts of what happened and what should happen to the guy involved and to the other assistant coach who supposedly actually saw it happen, there seems to be 2 schools of thought when it comes to JoePa: The 'He is as guilty as they are' camp of what seems like non-football fans and the other group who look at it as just a sad event all the way around, even to how the university treated JoePa. I'm more of the latter. I think it showed just how little control of the team he had. For all intents and purposes, he was probably more of a mascot of sorts than a true head coach in the last decade. Also, I think his age played a big factor. What 85 year old man whose hey day was 50 years ago could comprehend homosexuality much less a man's desire for underage boys that seems to happen far to regularly in this day and age? It's hard for us whose heyday is right now to even comprehend at least the last one.
I can't help but feel that JoePa got a raw deal from PSU for all the years that he was there when he could have probably skipped all around the college football scene or have gone pro not to mention the philanthropy he and his wife did for the university. He had said he was retiring at the end of the season and they should have let him. And why keep the other assistant coaches who probably knew what was going on as well? Obviously Red, my nickname for the one that saw one occurrence with his own eyes, should have definitely been kicked off but he stayed on until his personal safety became an issue and could possibly be still on paid administrative leave.
It's still a sad thing all around for JoePa.
For an editorial on JoePa that hits the nail on the head somewhat, go here.
4 comments:
I have mixed feelings. If he was told of the situation, he should have acted. He should have done something--even if it's calling the police on a friend. But he's now dead and maybe we should let it die (but the harm will never die for those kids who suffered from this tragedy).
And it would probably be uncouth to say something about his nose...
I think you're right about the relationship between football and his lifespan. The manner of his separation from Penn State certainly didn't help.
I want to be merciful, but as a dad, with three kids who play sports, I hope there would be one adult who would know his/her obligation to protect the kids from predators outweighs any obligation to protect a sports program from embarrassment.
Cheers.
I think Joe's firing was the right thing to do. There are some things in life that a 'red line' must be drawn and in this case, knowledge of child molestation and knowing nothing has been done is one of those lines. I don't think Joe did anything criminally wrong but morally, he slipped. There are a lot of grown up children who paid the price for Sandusky being allowed to continue his ways and both Joe and 'Red' could have stopped it.
Definitely Red should have done more. Supposedly he saw it going on and walked away from it. I would like to think every guy I know would have punched Jerry right then and there instead of going home and talking to his dad about it.
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