Jo Paterno was once one of the most revered men in the world of sports. He led the Penn State Lions to 111 wins over the span of his career making him the winningest coach in the history of NCAA football, until about a week ago this was no longer the case.
Paterno was stripped of his wins and more importantly his reputation after it was discovered that he had failed to take appropriate action upon the discovery of sexual abuses perpetrated by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. It is believed that Paterno was aware of these abuses as early as 1998 and for reasons that remain unclear, choose to remain silent. Although he did allegedly report the abuses to Penn States athletic director, Paterno could have easily fired Sandusky at any time and reported him to the police; instead, the two maintained a working relationship.
Paterno was guilty not only of sheltering a sexual predator, but also of abusing the trust and immense power that came along with his position as the head of one of the most lucrative and beloved programs at Penn State. To say that Jo Paterno himself did nothing wrong would be blatantly untrue. This leads to the question: should the NCAA have restored Paterno’s status as the most successful coach in the history of college football?
It is generally agreed that the NCAA responded hastily in response to the Sandusky scandal, reasonable given the shocking nature of what occurred. Stripping a coach of wins was an unprecedented punishment that many felt was unfair to both Paterno and the players whom he coached over the years in question.
Wins or no wins, Jo Paterno’s legacy is set in stone. There are many who still revere the football legend and choose to view his acquiescence towards the acts of Sandusky as mere innocent by standing, blinded either by their passion for the game or simple refusal to accept the facts. To most however, Paterno is a monster who at any moment, could have ended the torment and abuse of innocent children.
Some will no doubt view Paterno as vindicated by the NCAA’s decision, and it is for this reason that the NCAA should have left Jo Paterno’s record intact in the first place. Penn State was punished in a myriad of other ways and to strip the wins was simply a show of force on the part of the NCAA. Now that they are gone, to give the wins back sends the wrong message to those who still hold Paterno in high regard. Perhaps worse, it is a slap in the face to Sandusky’s victims.
The NCAA has already restored the record and is unlikely to double back on its decision for a second time. That being said, it is unlikely that Paterno’s name will again be removed from the top of the NCAA wins list. If there is a silver lining, it’s that to most, Paterno’s name will serve only as a reminder of the perverse influence that powerful figures can hold even in the world of college sports.