WASHINGTON – The child sex abuse scandal unfolding at Penn State University may go down as one of the worst scandals in college athletics, a prominent sportswriter says.
“I think it’s one of the worst ever,” says Christine Brennan, USA Today sports columnist, speaking on WTOP Tuesday. “In college sports it’s the worst thing I’ve ever heard of and certainly one of the worst things I’ve ever covered.”
High-ranking officials say that support for Joe Paterno — Penn State’s 84-year-old revered coach — is eroding, which threatens to end his storied career.
Paterno, who testified before a grand jury concerning allegations against former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, is not a target of the investigation. But he has been chastised for not doing enough to stop the suspected abuse.
Brennan says she has heard this could be Paterno’s last few weeks of coaching.
“I think he should be gone now for the way that he handled this and his failure to take it beyond his supervisor,” she says.
Brennan also criticized the manner in which Penn State has handled the scandal.
The school canceled Paterno’s weekly news conference Tuesday. Paterno’s son, Scott, says the decision to cancel the conference came from Penn State President Graham Spanier.
“Penn State officials seem so clueless about the magnitude of this (scandal),” Brennan says. “Paterno’s record, I think correctly, should be looked at now in a different light.”
“There is no doubt that we will never look at Joe Paterno the same way again.”
Brennan says as this scandal continues to unfold it should serve as a reminder that college football programs, particularly the one at Penn State, are out of control.
“I think this should be the ultimate wake-up call to all of us about just how big college football has gotten,” she says.
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