After
reading Buzz Bissinger's response to Joe Paterno's death, I find
myself thinking that, yes Buzz drank the Kool Aid. He has decided to
take the politically correct route in covering the Paterno story, not
a very thoughtful or noteworthy route, however. Bissinger, as a man
of “high society,” looked down upon the old and frail Paterno
who, in the high-functioning mind of Bissinger, died as a man of one
vital mistake: trying to “cover up.” I find it remarkably
underhanded that a man of Bissinger's status thinks that he can make
demeaning and sarcastic statements about the final years of Joe
Paterno's life and career. A man who, in the past decade, lead his
team to eight bowl games, two of them BCS bowl games, and a near
perfect season in 2006 was washed-up in the diluted mind of
Bissinger. I find Bissinger's opinions to be short-sighted and
frankly weak in the sense that he has adopted the opinions that the
mainstream media has blurted out and, at the same time, has tried to
provide concessions to the millions of suffering Joe Paterno fans. A
publicity stunt indeed, but I see through his shallow tactics.
Let it
be known that “informing a superior,” is not a cover up. Let it
be known that the “story” that McQueary told the court is
completely different to the one he primarily told to investigators
and the public. Let it be known that the Board of Trustees of
Pennsylvania State University is full of unprofessional, gutless scum
who do not possess a responsible or courageous member whatsoever.
Let it be known that a man of dignity, of dedication, and of sincere
moral values died last Saturday, January, 21, and with him died
college football's last hope for a fair and honest game.
According
to Bissinger, the Board of Trustees did exactly as they should have
when they fired Joe Paterno. Never mind the fact that the Board had
known for three years, that is three off-seasons, that the ongoing
case against Jerry Sandusky was present and would soon be breathing
down their necks. For three off-seasons they passed on the idea of
firing Paterno because they realized that they needed him, and the
University desperately needed him as well. Once the media began to
focus on the Sandusky case, however, the Board showed their lack of
poise and fired Paterno. Just before Paterno went to bed on the
night he would be fired, he heard the doorbell. Not expecting any
visitors, he opened the door to find the Assistant Athletic Director
of Penn State holding a small strip of paper containing a number for
which Paterno was instructed to call immediately. The number was
that of John Surma, the Vice Chairman of the Board. The conversation
was brief and Surma informed Paterno that he was fired and that it
was effective immediately. What the Board did not realize was that
in their haste to fire the legendary philanthropist, head football
coach, and employee of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, they had
violated state law, and thus, Paterno had to technically be re-fired
in a lawful meeting of the Board several weeks later. Bissinger did
get something right, the actions of the Board were definitely not
“artful,” but where I disagree with Bissinger is that it was not
the right thing to do. If he had to go, why not during the three
off-seasons beforehand? If he had to go, why not wait until after
the season to do so? The Board forced themselves into a position in
which they could have made the headless decision, or the heady
decision, and they are clearly still running around in the coupe
unaware of their poor judgment.
Joe
Paterno died as he lived: an honest man and clearly a man of one of
the world's finest moral compasses. If McQueary approached Paterno
and explicitly stated that he witnessed the “rape” of a
10-year-old boy, there is no doubt in my mind that Paterno would have
jumped into action. However, McQueary did not tell Paterno what he
saw but gave him a vague picture of what happened calling it apparent
“horseplay” between Sandusky and the young boy. What is
“horseplay” exactly? Does it constitute further investigation?
No, not really. Does it raise an issue in any way at all? Not with
99.9% of Americans it does not. But somehow, Joe Paterno was
supposed to realize that the “horseplay” that he did not witness
in any respect was undoubtedly Sandusky raping a child. If it was
“rape” which McQueary has now elaborated to say, then why didn't
McQueary take physical action when he reportedly stopped whatever it
was that had gone on in Jerry Sandusky's Penn State offices? He
repeatedly claimed that he had not taken physical action until he
began to receive emails in which his former teammates questioned why
he hadn't. Upon this confrontation, McQueary objected and changed
his story and claimed that he HAD taken physical action. Joe Paterno
is being vilified for not knowing the details of the Sandusky story
that nobody except Sandusky, McQueary and the victim knew about until
McQueary told his story under oath. This is where Joe Paterno is
receiving criticism where none is due. The ex post facto blame of
Joe Paterno is unwarranted and does not deserve to be part of his
longstanding and near-perfect legacy.
As Joe
Paterno looks down upon us, I find it hard to believe that Buzz
Bissinger could ever question Paterno's morals. As a man who
resented his lack of action nearly immediately after learning of
McQueary's real experience, I hold Joe Paterno in the highest of
regards. He did what every decent and noble man should do: look to
have done more. He did not by any means hide Sandusky's
poorly-described actions, but reported them his superior, the
President of the University. Why would a man who gave so much to the
education of children in the form of millions of dollars to Penn
State University as well as a devoted coach of young men for 61 years
turn his back on the obvious rape of a 10-year-old boy? He simply
did not. Horseplay is horseplay, but to every native speaker it is
not foul play.
Works
Cited
Bissinger, Buzz. “Joe Paterno’s Death Shouldn’t Turn Him Into
Sandusky Case’s Martyr.” Editorial. The Daily Beast.
Newsweek, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/22/joe-paterno-s-death-shouldn-t-turn-him-into-sandusky-case-s-martyr.html>.
