Current Penn State Players Should Not Be Afterthoughts
By Kyle Kensing
Crimes against children are the lowest of low, particularly when adults entrusted with their safety are the perpetrators. The allegations against Jerry Sandusky are maddening, infuriating, depressing, unconscionable: myriad words could be used to describe the heinousness of these accusations, yet never accurately convey the monstrosity.
I have hesitated in updating this blog since the grand jury testimony against Sandusky came to light. The frivolity and fun of football are overshadowed by despair this week, and frankly, others have more eloquently discussed the noxious cloud now looming over Penn State.
The forefront of this discussion should be the damage harm on children causes them and those around them for life. And that oh-so-important topic is being addressed. The anger such evil described in the grand jury testimony has stirred plenty of need for vengeance as well. That’s to be expected. Little has been said of the athletes currently representing Penn State, however.
Football is so rightfully light years from public consciousness. What is being trickled down to the players is microscopic in magnitude, but nevertheless are yet another circle of individuals being negatively impacted. The young men who will presumably take the field regardless who is coaching them have put in countless hours. Their dedication has produced an 8-1 overall and perfect Big Ten record, setting the roadwork to the inaugural championship game and potentially the Rose Bowl Game.
Nebraska comes to town Saturday for a match-up of top 20 teams and two of the game’s most historic programs, meeting under the Big Ten banner for the first time ever. What should be a high point in these young men’s lives is at best a needed distraction. The…selfishness? callousness? cowardice?…of those supposed to provide guidance is robbing these players of the reward for their sacrifice.
Among those who could better craft a piece of this highly emotional situation is “Sports Illustrated” college football reporter Andy Staples, and he did just that via his impassioned call for Paterno’s ouster. Should Paterno heed the words of those wanting him to step down before the Nebraska game, a question few beyond the boys who wear that blue-and-white care about is who leads the Lions? But if Paterno remains, Saturday is about him and not the team. The players are in a no-win situation through no fault of theirs.
It bears reiterating that in the pantheon of lives affected, the current players are on the low end. That doesn’t make what is happening to them any less unfair, particularly the seniors whose four or five years’ of weights lifted, study sessions attended, hours practiced and hits sustained should be honored but will instead be backdrops to the madness.
We can only hope those 60 minutes on the gridiron opposite the Cornhuskers can be a catharsis for those young men.