Shut Down Penn State Football

The unparalleled atrocities uncovered at Penn State this week require unprecedented reaction. It is disgusting to even fathom that a football team and football coach’s reputation can be thought of as more important than the safety, health and well-being of innocent children. Everyone within the program and university who has lost their job over this has, hopefully, only begun to face the consequences that they have certainly earned. They should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, no matter their status in State College. The roster of knowledgeable parties includes the President of the university, the Athletic Director, one of the most revered Head Coaches in the sport’s history, who knows how many assistant coaches, and who knows how many other people within the community.  Considering the fact that all of those people did not act appropriately in the defense of innocent children in order to protect a football program, the football program needs to be shut down completely.


We’ll never know all of the facts. No one will know exactly how many people were aware that children were being violated on Penn State’s campus. Unfortunately, we will never be able to prosecute everyone who did not have enough courage to stand up and protect kids. One thing is clear; Penn State football was held in a higher regard than basic human decency, and that is a terrifying realization. Something significant has to be done to correct this unforgiveable tragedy, if that is even possible.

The typical NCAA penalties are not enough, and they need to do something. Hearing the NCAA say that they will “determine whether Association bylaws have been violated” sounds too much like they are going to stick to the letter of the law. The NCAA rule book probably doesn’t have a section on child molestation, and it will be a sad day in college sports if they don’t act severely. Bowl bans and scholarship reductions are the NCAA’s typical use of force, and that sounds pathetic in this case. “Impermissible benefits” and child rape are extremely different levels of wrongful activity and demand dramatically different levels of punishment. SMU was forced to cancel a football season because 13 players were paid $61,000 and the university knew about it. What should happen if an assistant coach molested many children on multiple occasions and the university knew about it, then covered it up and allowed more of the same crimes to happen? Joe Paterno and the school President were fired last night because of it. Hopefully the school will also cancel the football program. If not, the NCAA must show no tolerance for child abuse by ending the Penn State football program altogether.