Intellectual Intransigence

At 10:30 last night, I received several text messages from friends about Penn State football coach Joe Paterno’s firing from the university. A couple of my friends, aside from their obvious shock, are simply depressed.

In the wake of Paterno’s ouster (which should have happened Monday when the allegations against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky were detailed), roughly 2,000 students began a “light” riot in downtown State College (though when most of the rioters are white, it’s often called a tense demonstration). I don’t know what’s more disgraceful: the students rioting or what/who they were rioting about.

Yesterday, a number of PSU diehards argued that Paterno has suffered enough and that he should be allow to step down at the end of the season, as he had promised. “Let him leave with dignity,” one caller chimed into a local sports talk show.

Dignity? Are you kidding me? What about the dignity of the dozens of boys who were raped by Sandusky, as outlined in the grand jury report released over the weekend? What about the victims who have yet to come forward, perhaps too ashamed of the stigma of being violated so egregiously? Paterno lost the right to leave with dignity when he looked the other way. He might have been right legally, but he was morally culpable in these acts and never argued against Sandusky’s continued presence on campus.

But rather than echo what numerous sports commentators have already written, I want to spell out an alternate conclusion to this scandal, which may parallel the impact of the  Catholic Church’s abuse scandal in terms of the cover-ups alleged over a period of years.

Maybe we can stop this deification of college coaches (both football and basketball) and buy into this mentality that they are somehow the engines that make institutions run. Great research, academic vision, and cultures of learning and accountability are what make universities great. Penn State will continue to be an outstanding academic institution, though its reputation will suffer for at least a generation because of this.

But rather than hire a big-name coach who walks on water, Penn State would be wise to build a program from ground up and promote itself in terms of what it offers students: a great education and an experience that few colleges can emulate. Yes, football was a big part of that experience, but so are classes, residential life and the numerous (unsanctioned) social events off campus that make Penn State and State College so appealing.

All football programs have skeletons. Some are bigger than others. I’ve seen the downfall of coaches who thought they were bigger than the law (including Clem Haskins, who was once one of my favorite people) and those who simply claimed ignorance. Coaches have covered up murders, gotten away with infidelity, and encouraged cultures of cheating and lack of accountability among their players. What makes Penn State different from those programs? Its alumni and supporters genuinely believe that it is morally superior because of Paterno. Now that sanctimony has been destroyed, and thousands of students and alumni are awaking to the reality that JoePa is not God’s messenger on the football field.

As I argued in my last post, let’s keep in perspective what this all means. Life will go on at Penn State. Classes will be held, research will be conducted, and yes, football will played. But maybe on the last point, Penn State fans will appreciate the sport for what it is: just one part of a dynamic socio-cultural learning environment that existed before Paterno (yes, Penn State did exist before JoePa) and will thrive long after.

In the meantime, weep no tears for Good Ol’ Joe. This is an ending befitting a man who believed he did or could do no wrong. No amount of philanthropy, wins on the football field, platitudes about teaching the “right way” or rallies outside of his house will ever change the fact that he failed so many young boys when they needed him the most.