Penn State cover-up #2

Let's see.   You're the 84 year old legendary football coach at Penn State, where football is god.   Everyone thinks you are the greatest coach ever, and your reputation is that of a really good guy -- known for integrity and honor.    To many generations of football players and coaches you are a god yourself.  There is a statue on the campus of you.

But it's January 2011, and you've just been called before a grand jury to testify in the sex-abuse scandal of one of your former assistant coaches.   The public didn't know it at the time, although the university president obviously did, but you knew a lot more about this case than you admitted to.

In fact, as far back as 1998 and again in 2002, formal complaints had been filed against Assistant Coach Sandusky.   We now know that Sandusky was questioned by the campus police and reportedly confessed to this and other incidences of inappropriate behavior with boys in the college gym.

You knew about this but you never spoke to Sandusky about it.   And you agreed with the Athletic Director and the University President that no further action should be taken, other than letting Sandusky quietly retire the following year -- and he could continue having an office on campus and use of the athletic facilities (and use he did for the next 10 years, bringing boys in and sexually abusing them in the showers).

Everybody knew you as a man of rectitude and integrity -- but you knowingly had condoned a pedophile for 10 years -- and created such an atmosphere in the athletic department that several janitors have now testified that they observed Sandusky raping boys.   But they were too afraid of being fired, so they didn't report it.

So now it's January 2011 and another case has come to light that can't be ignored.  A grand jury is convened.  Your role in the failure to report and the cover-up is exposed.

So what do you do?   You, Joe Paterno, icon of a football empire, go to the president and begin negotiations for an amended contract that isn't due for renewal for more than a year away.  And you do negotiate that amended contract:   it gives you a $3 million bonus if you retire at the end of the 2011 season and forgiveness of $250,000 interest-free debt the university has been carrying for you.  And a few more perks -- like access to a stadium luxury box for the next 25 years for your family.

The amended contract was accepted.   Then the scandal hit the news.   Paterno was fired -- and his offer to finish out the season was rejected by the Board of Trustees, who had not been informed about all the earlier incidents.

Paterno claimed he had not known the extent of the inappropriate behavior, that it had been described to him only as "fondling."

But why -- if you had no fear of losing your job over your failure to act -- would you hurry to amend your contract to make it even cushier for you and your family?

It smells like guilt to me.

Ralph