On the right is yesterday’s Collegian. The highlighted areas are stories about the legal problems of current and past Penn State football players.
Just off of the top of my head, here are Penn State football players, current and former, who have had legal problems over the last year or so.
Anthony Scirrotto
Chris Baker
Chris Bell
Austin Scott
Knowledge Timmons
Tyrell Sales
Phil Taylor
This is MAJOR problem and like it or not, Joe Paterno is going to be held accountable for the actions of his players by the university. These arrests, more than anything else, may mean the end of his career after his contract expires. Something is very wrong with this team and clever ideas like cleaning a section of Beaver Stadium are not fixing the thuggery problem that is running rampant. Yes, Paterno has kicked Bell off for good, but what has he done about Anthony Scirrotto? Nothing yet. Too much is going on and he can’t blame the media or Old Main for it. Working at home is not going to make this go away either.
Penn State football has been falling short of its potential on and off the field for several years with 2005 now looking like an abberation. Too many players are getting in legal trouble and big wins are rare. The Grand Experiment to win with well-rounded football players is in the rear-view mirror right now. With each new incident, the thought of seeing someone other than Paterno roaming the sidelines becomes less shocking and more welcome.
Paterno needs to stop picking fights with Old Main and the media and start figuring out why his players can’t keep their noses clean. The university does not owe him (or his assistants, who are complicit with the direction of the program) a job. If Paterno is willing to let his standards slide, the university should find someone who will commit himself to success with honor. If they have to go outside the program to do it, so be it.
