Most everyone I know delighted in the fact that Penn State lost to Ohio from the MAC on Saturday. Serves them right, was the chorus from people rightfully outraged by Penn State’s scandal. Most right minded people recognize that Jerry Sandusky was the original doer of evil, while Joe Paterno, the Penn State faculty and the pervasive religion of Penn State football made the scandal worse, and ruinous for the program.
Of course, the devotees to Penn State feel differently. They blame the victims for willfully complying with Sandusky’s twisted desires, and they blame the victims for inevitably undermining the Penn State program because they couldn’t keep their mouth shut. Don’t believe me? Here’s a sample of that approach to the situation from when the sanctions were handed down.
I don’t want the victims to suffer any more than they already have, and if those people still live in State College, they probably hear the disparaging things said about them. One solution to their personal strife that I could envision is that Penn State doesn’t miss a beat. The Nittany Lions win without Joe Paterno, proving that his deification was unjustified, and his sins are appropriately recognized by the fans of Penn State.
Of course, the idea behind the punishment that they so heartily received was to break the back of the program, to show to Penn State that the protection of innocent children is more important than a storied football program. While many people recognize failure in terms of wins and losses, acknowledging their performance on the field still gives the program relevance.
In my opinion, the most appropriate thing to do is completely ignore them. Penn State football doesn’t matter. Win or lose, they just don’t matter. There are more important things to worry about in State College.
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