A Sad Day For College Football

I was hoping all of the scandals were over.

I can live with the fact that Rich Rodriguez had a few extra practices or that Jim Tressel turned the other way while players sold merchandise on the side. I lived with all of the allegations surrounding Cam Newton last year. Hell, we all lived (and still live) with the general publicity surrounding Tim Tebow.

But the latest scandal at Penn State is simply sickening. Let me get one thing straight. I condone drinking and watching football on this blog. It's part of the fun, it adds to the atmosphere. But this scandal makes me want to drink because it's just so depressing.

I'll break it down for you.

Former Penn State assistant coach Jim Sandusky has been charged with sexually abusing 8 boys over a 15 year period. Disgusting. Horrible. Sickening.

Hopefully this guy gets what's coming to him. I think everyone will agree. Now, not to belittle the matter at hand, let me put my college football blinders on and explain what this does for the sport. Joe Paterno is arguably the most powerful man in college football. This guy basically built Penn State University himself, let alone the football program. He's the face of the game. He's a living legend. And now over 60 years of contributions to athletics and to teenagers' growth into men has been tarnished. In a matter of hours.

Joe Paterno is the head coach. He may as well be the president of the university. That's how clout this guy has. So to think that this kind of heinous abuse took place without his knowledge is ignorance. Think John Calipari and Marcus Camby. Same basic principles.

I'm not saying I'm sorry for Paterno, who will probably be fired if he doesn't resign first. I'm saying I'm sorry for the fact that a man once considered the model for integrity and moral fiber is not.

So who's left? Who is going to be, or can be, the pillars of character and virtue in a great athletic tradition? How is the NCAA going to respond? How is Penn State going to respond? What can people do to prevent these kinds of unspeakable act from occurring again?

These are just a couple of the mind-numbing questions that we, not only as sports fans but as members of the human race, have to ask ourselves.

And it's a sad day that we have to.