I’ve been thinking about Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State football coach and convicted serial child molester. Sandusky is in prison, and his earliest opportunity for release will come when he’s 98 years old.
So it goes, as Vonnegut might say.
Justice for the victims of this horrific, prolific sexual predator was a long time coming, in part because he was shielded by head coach Joe Paterno, the athletic department and the university.
Wikipedia helpfully reminds us of Maureen Dowd’s words: “Like the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Penn State hierarchy appears to have covered up pedophile crimes to protect its brand.”
Just like the rest of us, Sandusky will die someday, and when he does, there’ll be those who insist on sidestepping the coach’s voluminous crimes as a sexual predator in favor of touting the positive impact he had on so many athletes—still busily protecting their brands.
I don’t see it this way.
That balance sheet is irreparably tipped. Look the other way if you like, but it doesn’t change the fundamental equation. When you actively strategize doing horrible things to young people and implement the plan, you’ve opted out of “coaching legend” status.
Furthermore, not a single one of us should make the mistake of imagining that the Jerry...Read more
