Joe Paterno was a great football coach, there is no doubt. There is also no doubt that his legacy is forever tarnished.
By now, everyone has heard about the child molestation scandal that has hit Penn State. Former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is facing up to 442 years in prison for what he did.
But what about the Penn State officials who turned a blind eye to what was going on?
After a scathing report, compiled by former FBI director Louis Freeh, came out detailing how Penn State officials (including Joe Paterno) covered up Sandusky’s crimes, a lot of people are calling for Paterno’s statue to be taken down.
People are angry and they want some form of justice. Joe Paterno has passed away, so there is nothing that can be done to him. So in his absence, all the anger has been directed towards his statue.
Judging from the reaction on all social media platforms, I’m surprised there wasn’t a huge demonstration at the foot of that statue after the Freeh report came out. I fully expected to see people tearing down the statue like the Iraqis did to the statue of Saddam Hussein after American soldiers rolled into Baghdad.
The seven foot bronze statue stands outside Beaver Stadium and has, until now, been a symbol of Paterno’s greatness as a coach. Now it is a reminder of one of the biggest scandals in NCAA history.
And I say, leave it up.
Here’s why; Paterno deserved to have that statue erected to him for what he did on the field. But he also deserves condemnation for what he didn’t do to prevent an absolute monster, Sandusky, from doing what he did to all those children.
That statue will serve as a reminder to everyone what Paterno and other officials tried to cover up. It’s a shameful chapter in Penn State’s history and we must never forget it.
We are too quick to try to get rid of symbols that remind us of painful chapters in our lives. We don’t like to feel bad. I think we need those reminders. We need them not only so we will never forget, but also to guide us to a better future. This way we don’t make the same mistakes.
Paterno’s statue should remain as a warning to all other coaches and administration officials throughout the country. Do what is right in every situation, no matter what, or this could happen to you.
And that’s where I think the positive effect will come into play. Every coach, every assistant and every university official will now be on hyper alert to anything that seems out of place in their schools. As long as that statue is up, they will be constantly reminded to be vigilant.
Without that reminder, they may slip back into their old ways and we will be right back here, dealing with another scandal, in a few short years.
Israel is a sports blogger, contributor to GlobalGrind.com and owner of SportsBrosWorld.com
