Let me paint a scenario for you.
You're working at your job. You commit some minor crime or transgression—stealing office supplies, sleeping with a co-worker, sharing secrets to another company, etc. You're confronted by your bosses and they say that they are going to fire you: "You stole office supplies and this will not stand. You're fired!"
You counter with, "I understand. But instead of firing me, why don't I just stay until the end of the year, just another month or two. Then, I promise I will retire."
Would in a million years your boss ever say "okay"?
This is what is happening with Joe Paterno and Penn State. Only he didn't steal paper clips, he covered up and harbored a repeat-offending pedophile.
Let me paint a less funny, ironic, realistic, haunting scenario. If Paterno gave a recruit a car, he'd be fired immediately. If he covered up his players exchanging jerseys for tattoos, he'd be fired immediately. If he lied about a recruit being at a BBQ, he'd get suspended for eight games. If he covered up activities involving pedophilia that were occurring in his locker room...he'd get to stay until the end of the season.
I read Paterno's retirement statement, and I would have laughed if it wasn't all revolving around the most disturbing news story I've heard in years. Paterno barely makes any mention of the scandal. He starts by saying that he "grieves for the children and families." After that, he says: "[in] hindsight, I wish I did more."
In hindsight? As a then 75-year-old, you need hindsight to realize you need to report authorities when there's a pedophile acting out his perverse fetishes in your locker room? As a leader and protector of young men, you need hindsight to understand that if you remained silent, a pedophile would remain free and continue to behave the way he did? As a human being, you need hindsight to realize you should have followed up on the incident at some point in the following days, weeks, months or years?
After virtually ignoring the incident in his statement, Paterno attempts a Jedi mind trick and states that the "Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status." While at first, this quote may seem like JoePa calling his own shots (which it is), it in reality is much, much more. It reveals the whole problem to begin with...
Defenders of Paterno will say that he did what he was supposed to. He reported it up the chain of command, did his duty and that's that. It isn't his fault that anyone was hurt or that anyone perjured themselves.
But...we know that Paterno is not like regular coaches, not like regular employees, not like regular workers. At Penn State, he is king. He doesn't take orders from ADs, VPs, deans, administrators or trustees. To quote Alec Baldwin in Malice: "You ask if I have a God complex? I am God."
How do we know this hierarchy exists? Because of the aforementioned quote! If he has the power to tell the board of trustees "don't worry about it," then he certainly had the power to do something about Sandusky when he found out about it. Don't pretend like you're some low-level worker who did their duty and reported facts up the chain-of-command and then turn around and boss around the trustees!
A general rule of thumb could be: if you have a statue of your likeness at the place where you work, then you have the responsibility to take proper actions if matters such as this were to occur. Or, another one could be, if you're a human being, then you have the responsibility to take proper actions if matters such as this were to occur.
As far as P.R. is concerned, Paterno has to go. How can anyone watch Penn State vs Nebraska this weekend and stomach seeing Paterno on the sidelines? Also, more and more details will come out involving this case, and you cannot have someone who is involved in all this actively coaching.
President Graham Spanier, who pulled an Emperor Nero and got the hell out of dodge and cannot be found, should be fired as well. If the initial cover-up was to protect himself, other administrators, Paterno, the University and the football program from investigation and allegations, then that is tantamount to saying "we care more about our image than young children."
Not firing Paterno now would be an insult to the human race, everything we stand for and what we have been taught in terms of morality and decency (not to mention legality). Letting him finish out the final three games (and presumably the bowl game...and maybe a Big Ten title game) only allows him to get his swan song/victory lap in. He will add to his list of accomplishments, improve on the gaudy list of records he already owns and then ride off into the sunset like John Wayne.
He doesn't deserve that. Forget all the titles and games he has won. He is owed nothing. With an incident like this, one strike and you're out.
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