Joe Paterno wanted to coach until the end of the season. The Penn State board of directors thought otherwise and fired him on the spot.
For many, JoePa was larger than life...he was Penn State football. His success embodied the small town of State College, Pennsylvania. Students, athletes, alumni and fans worldwide came to expect greatness from their program. There seemed to be a mystical appearance whenever JoePa was in charge. That's probably why Jerry Sandusky was allowed to be on the campus, in spite of the most heinous behavior known to man, the abuse of a child.
Nobody wanted to "rock the boat".
Football is more than just a game at Penn State, it's a way of life. Everyone in Happy Valley was "starry eyed", because they didn't want to ruin what was happening before them. It was a great 61 year ride and they wanted to keep it going for as long as they could...and that's where the problem lies. They were thinking about the game, not the This was a massive failure in judgement from the top, down.
Instead of helping those kids from the moment it happened, everyone was thinking about keeping everything in check and all involved in this scandal should be ashamed of themselves.
Joe Paterno should have retired 10 years ago. When he had surgery on his hip a few tears ago, he should have called it a career. Somebody should have told him he needed to quit, but they were afraid to. They were worried for their own jobs. That's how much power JoePa had at Penn State.
Thankfully sanity prevailed. Let's hope those boys, now men, get the help they need.
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