Distance Learning Assignment: Grown-ups Must Act As Grown-ups

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 your 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 and which is the wrong thing to do. But this is more than just a program. This is more than a football legacy. This is about people." 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.