Legacy

It's not something you think about when you are 16.  But at 64, if you've made it this far or farther, chance are good that what persists of you in the hearts and minds of others after you are gone is at least occasionally on your mind.

Penn State's hoary head football coach, Joe Paterno, is likely focused on his legacy this morning.  Unfortunately, the locker room motto that he has employed to guide his 46 years working with young men can't be read now without sad irony:  Success with Honor.  Grand jury allegations state that Paterno's longtime defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, had sexually abused young boys from the mid- 1990's to 2008.  Further, the presentment alleges that university officials were aware of Sandusky's behavior as far back as 1998, failed to act on accusations, and lied to investigators.  When Paterno was informed that Sandusky was seen showering with a boy (part of Sandusky's modus operandi in seducing his victims) in the Penn State facilities in 2002, he reported the incident to university officials and then let the matter slide.  We do not know, at this point, whether he talked with his assistant coach or followed up in any other way.

As a former high school coach, I know that some young athletes revere and trust their coaches more than they trust their parents.  Betrayal of that trust is despicable for many reasons.  It preys on vulnerable and defenseless victims.  It capitulates to base impulses.  It destroys innocent lives.

I also know as a former coach, that loyalty trumps all in the world of athletics.  More than once during my career I heard the refrain, "We'll take care of that in house."  Maybe that's what Paterno and his Penn State colleagues were thinking.

John Feinstein in today's Washington Post talks about how Paterno's involvement in this affair may deserve the overused term, tragic.  There has definitely been a fall from grace, and the plummet may eventually be even more severe.  This incident tarnishes an otherwise exemplary career.   The cause of the fall contains at least an element of hubris on Paterno's part, of pride that says, We don't need to involve anyone else in this matter.  We can handle it.  Whether from loyalty or some other laudable motive, he appears to have acted in a way that he thought consistent with his values.   But the result of his choices is anything but laudable.

Who knows what Paterno thought when he heard his coach was showering with a little boy.  They were just having some innocent fun.  It's a one-time loss of judgment.  We may never know whether Paterno was aware of other instances or of the extent of his friend's perversions.  No matter the outcome, it is tragic to see that a great man's legacy will be forever diminished by his failure to place the well-being of a child before all else.