It was a day that will go down in the history books. A coaching legend, who was held atop every pedestal, is now a shadow of his former self. Joe Paterno, the head football coach, was fired yesterday from Penn State University by the board of trustees. Also fired was President Graham Spanier, amid this unfolding child sex abuse case against retired assistant Jerry Sandusky. 40 cases of child abuse have been brought against Sandusky, and the number is steadily increasing. The abuse is said to have occurred 10 years before the first victim stepped forward, and the earliest documented report of possible abuse goes back to 1995. This case involved Sandusky's now-legally adopted son. Penn State's top school officials released statements saying that they, as well as Paterno and Spanier, were not told of the seriousness of the matter.
This case has been covered extensively by all news outlets, and has been a primary focus for ESPN and Sportscenter. Just by going on espn.com any individual can get an extensive look at what has unfolded. However, other outlets as well have become very focused on this case. The social media has played a major role in this, with constant tweets, Facebook threads, and blog postings. Individuals are seeing what former and current athletes are saying, and from what has shown there are two sides of the coin, you're either with Paterno, or you’re against him. The current quarterback for the football team tweeted, "Wow. I would not be where I am today if it was not for coach Paterno." Then Matt Millen, a former Penn State defensive tackle and current ESPN analyst said on Tuesday afternoon, “It makes you sick, to see that this could happen to this level, if in fact it has happened, you know there is a part of me like I mentioned earlier, you just want to go take care of it yourself. Which is what I have always done. By this quote Millen was trying to respectfully say that he would have handled this situation very differently; he would have put the responsibility in his own hands and taken action, instead of putting it in the athletic directors. From these social media outlets this scandal has become overpowering. It is constantly being put in front of people and they are reacting. Without such tools that the social media has equipped the population with, this scandal would be nowhere near the level it is today.
Penn State right now has the arduous task of trying to rebuild its shattered image. With the news relating everything to the Catholic Church and its sex scandals, the area known as Happy Valley is gone. With Paterno's firing causing uproar among students, more than 2,000 stood strong late Wednesday night. This commotion required police in riot gear and the use of pepper spray. No one was seriously injured but a news van was toppled. You can see the elements of power, media and deviance all intersect in this scandal. With the positions of power in this case saying that they were not properly informed so action could not be taken, they almost forced the board of trustees to let everyone go. The media has made this a spectacle of the ages, and coverage is only growing. The Penn State students are put in an awkward spot because they want to support their coach who has been at the University for the last 46 years. However, most have been blinded by this turmoil. The students need to see the situation for themselves and form their own opinions and not let outside sources influence them.
Social media like everything has its positives and negatives. Due to social media running wild, on this case especially, it can damage and even end sports careers. Social media is a dangerous tool; one comment that an individual makes can spread like wildfire. Sport managers need to be weary of this and be sure that every decision that is made is an ethical one. That being said, because every action can go under scrutiny ethics can't be swept under the rug anymore. It forces ethical decisions upon us every time, because it just takes one step in the wrong direction and your career is gone. In Paterno's case more than six decades of achievement could not withstand the sin of omission in connection to a terrible scandal. And so it will end for Joe Paterno.
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