The fall of St. Joe Paterno: NCAA issues hefty punishment on Penn State

Paterno and Sandusky

It is now official: The NCAA has rendered -- to the surprise of no one -- a harsh verdict on the Joe Paterno legacy.

The massive sanctions against Penn State's football program include:

• $60 million fine, representing approximately one year of football revenues. These funds will go to child sex abuse awareness programs.


• 4-year bowl game ban.


• Scholarship reduction, cap lasting four years.


• Any entering, returning football student athlete can transfer immediately. Presuming academic requirements are met, these potential transfers can play immediately.


• PSU vacates all wins from 1998-2011. The loss of 111 career wins drops Joe Paterno from atop the all-time wins list to 12th.


• PSU begins a five-year probationary period, with the NCAA reserving the right to implement further punishments. source

Even the proponents for the NCAA death penalty agree, this punishment fits the crime for not only punishing present day Penn State but for retroactively penalizing Joe Paterno and his legacy: by taking away wins between 1998-2011 -- years that Sandusky continued to commit rape against children when Penn State and Paterno conspired to cover-up his crimes -- Paterno will lose the record of most wins by a college coach.

This indeed is a tale of Greek tragedy proportions: Similar to Icarus, Paterno continued to flap his wings in hubris and narcissism. He believed that his program, brand and reputation mattered more than the welfare of innocent children. 

Instead of turning in a monster preying on children, Paterno continued to aimlessly flap his wings. Instead of being a profile in courage, Paterno turned a blind eye. Well, similar to Icarus, Paterno descended from the heavens and crashed into the sea of despair.

All of this could have been avoided if Joe Paterno demonstrated some Paternal instincts.