Another Dagger For Penn State – The Hometown View 12/8/11

Jerry Sandusky stuck another dagger into the heart of Penn State University Wednesday following his arrest on charges of assaulting two more boys, bringing to ten the total number of alleged victims.

As police led Sandusky out of his State College home the 67-year old former Nittany Lions assistant football coach was wearing, for the entire world to see…a Penn State wrestling jacket. Couldn’t this alleged sexual predator have put on something that would not add another scar to the still reeling and suffering school? Or in his sick mind did he actually wear the blue-and-white jacket thinking it would make a good photo op?

A COURTROOM LOTTERY

Whatever, Sandusky remains in jail this morning although his lawyer said his client will be able to come up with the $250,000 bail needed to get him out. If and when he does Sandusky will be required to wear an electronic monitor. Next Tuesday he is expected to appear at a preliminary hearing on both the original 8 charges and now the two additional ones. There is so much interest in his first public appearance that a lottery will be held for seats in the courtroom at the Center County Courthouse (pictured).

Meanwhile we have heard nothing about fired football coaching legend Joe Paterno…at least not until yesterday. While there were some reports on Twitter that Paterno’s health was worse than originally reported a person close to the family has told the Associated Press that the soon to be 85-year old is undergoing treatments and making progress a month after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

In the wake of the current scandal that has cost Paterno and others their jobs nothing has suffered more than the image of Penn State and its football program.

Paterno built that program on the theme of “success with honor” and few would question that he achieved that for the most part. Many claim that has now gone out the window but in what has to be considered an ironic twist Penn State this week topped the a list that reflects the academic performance of its football program. A report released by the New America Foundation revealed that 80% of Penn State’s football players graduate within six years or less and that was better than all the other schools currently ranked among the nation’s top 25.

The survey also showed that there was little difference between the graduation success of white and black football players at Penn State which is unusual for Division 1 programs. For the sake of comparison LSU the nation’s top ranked team only graduates 48% of their players within six years and there is a huge difference between black and white players.