More than a Game

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." — Edmund Burke

Today, Penn State plays its final home game of the season. The team still has a shot at a Big 10 Title and a BCS bowl berth. They are playing Nebraska, and it should be the biggest game of the season so far. It's senior day and the culmination of four years of work for Penn State's most experienced players. But the game played between the lines is of secondary concern. The outcome of the season is of secondary concern. And the future of this program — historically one of the most stable — is in serious doubt.

That's the new reality of Penn State, which endured a turbulent week. On Wednesday, the Board of Trustees fired the University President and Coach Joe Paterno, who is 84-years-old and has been a fixture on the sidelines during football games for the last 61 years. What's more shocking than the fact Paterno was fired is why he was fired — which has nothing to do with his on the field product. Paterno, and so many within the university hierarchy, are guilty of a callous disregard for their responsibility as men. And that's tragic.

It would be hard to be unaware of the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked Penn State. I won't go into all the details here, but I will say that I've watched this story develop with a heavy, heavy heart this past week. It would seem, sadly, that the welfare of vulnerable, young children became of secondary concern to Paterno and university officials. Though they may not have been physically responsible, the lack of empathy and action seems unconscionable to me, and to many around the country. It seems, sadly, that the reputation of the university, the coach, and the football team was more important to all these men than the innocent lives that were abused.

Recently I saw the movie "In Time." One of the fascinating social issues the film raises is the idea that the wealthy and powerful prop themselves up on the backs of the poor. In the film, it was literally in the form of being able to live forever. The protagonist goes against this line of thinking, saying that "No one should live forever if even one person has to suffer." Nine years ago, Paterno and many at Penn State made a choice. They chose to overlook the suffering of innocents to preserve their own legacy and program. Though they had their reasons, it's hard to see that decision as anything but callous.

One of the most fascinating things in the aftermath of this decision has been the discussion of Paterno's legacy. I have found it profoundly sad. I guess it's really a tale of two separate things. If you are judging the man by his performance on the field, without question he is one of the greatest coaches in college football history. He has an incredible record, he has championships, and he made a tremendous impact on his school and the game. That is undeniable, Penn State fan or not.

Then there's Paterno the man. Though he is, by all accounts, a good guy who did a lot of charitable work and made a tremendous positive impact in the lives of generations of players, we have this incident. You can't separate this from the rest of his time at Penn State. This will always be a part of his time there, because it's a reflection of who he is and what he values. Sorry, but that's the truth.

This story represents the best and worst of sports. I love sports as a competition, an escape, and an exhibition of excellence. But too often we forget that coaches, players, and administrators are people. People are flawed and, more often than not, will let you down. We put all our sports heroes and figures on a pedestal, which isn't fair, then we're crushed when they prove to be human. That is a reality of our world now, and a reality that has always existed.

This week people have talked about the fact that, in time, people will remember Paterno solely for the good he did on the field and this incident will be forgotten. I hope not. We can't just take the good and sweep the bad and uncomfortable under the rug. Whether we like it or not, Paterno's callous inaction in this situation is as much a part of his legacy as coach at Penn State as anything he did on the field, maybe more so. To forget that is to overlook the evil of this incident all over again.