Above The Moral Code? No!

Wow! I haven't written at all! Well, now's a good time.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words 'Penn State'? For me, it's 'Joe Paterno'. He has been the head coach at Penn State since before I was born. Until tonight. Joe Paterno was fired after 46 years at University Park, Pennsylvania.

My first reaction of hearing of his removal was shock and anger. I couldn't understand why the Penn State Board of Trustees decided to rob him of the chance of finishing the season. I also wanted answers. I wanted to know the reason for his dismissal, but I wasn't going to get them from John Surma. HWow! I haven't written at all! Well, now's a good time.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words 'Penn State'? For me, it's 'Joe Paterno'. He has been the head coach at Penn State since before I was born. Until tonight. Joe Paterno was fired after 46 years at University Park, Pennsylvania.

My first reaction of hearing of his removal was shock and anger. I couldn't understand why the Penn State Board of Trustees decided to rob him of the chance of finishing the season. I also wanted answers. I wanted to know the reason for his dismissal, but I wasn't going to get them from John Surma. He was giving straight, but to me, BS answers. Plus, Paterno was a legand. 'How could they get rid of a legand like Joe Pa?!"

My next reaction was sadness. I began to feel bad for Joe Paterno. He was told over the phone, and I found that to be wrong. He never really comitted a crime, so why should that mean he should be in trouble. I also thought that he knew he should have said something, but he didn't. He is going to have to live with that regret his entire life. Isn't that enough?

However, the more I sat and thought about it, my opinion began to change. Although Paterno broke no written laws, he didn't sexually assault those kids, he didn't kill anyone. But, he did break moral laws. He was notified by a scared young man who had just witnessed horendious acts. He told the university, but it wasn't enough. He should have went to the police, but he didn't. And no one really knows why. He could have prevented the other occurances from happening, but he didn't.

People are saying that Penn State could have had the decency to allow him to retire at the end of the season or at least let him coach one more game. I disagree. If PSU had allowed him to coach one more game that would have been wrong. Just because Joe Paterno is a legend at Penn State and in college football does not make him above anyone. He had information, and he never told any authorities. It's morally wrong. If he had said something years ago none of this would have happened. Maybe he thought he was protecting someone by not telling, who knows. Or maybe he thought he could get away with it because of who he is. It doesn't really matter. He is not above the moral code. For that reason, he deserved to get the boot.

It all comes down to being a good person and doing the right thing. Something that I am sure he told his players. Does that make him a hypocrite? Probably. He choose to do the wrong thing over a decade ago and it caught up to him. He had it coming, and somewhere deep down inside of him he knew it.e was giving straight, but to me, BS answers. Plus, Paterno was a legand. 'How could they get rid of a legand like Joe Pa?!"

My next reaction was sadness. I began to feel bad for Joe Paterno. He was told over the phone, and I found that to be wrong. He never really comitted a crime, so why should that mean he should be in trouble. I also thought that he knew he should have said something, but he didn't. He is going to have to live with that regret his entire life.

However, the more I sat and thought about it, my opinion began to change. Although Paterno broke no written laws, he didn't sexually assualt those kids, he didn't kill anyone. But, he did break moral laws. He was notified by a scared young man who had just witnessed horendious acts. He told the university, but it wasn't enough. He should have went to the police, but he didn't. And no one really knows why. He could have prevented the other occurances from happening, but he didn't.
It's time for people to separate their sports heroes and real life and realize that they will mess up. They will disappoint us and people need to get over it.