Freesh Report Results Show Penn State Football Should End

With the release of the Freesh report yesterday, the activity of Penn State's most powerful men in the university and the athletic program were laid bare.  And the results were shocking, damning, and sickening. 

To protect the university, and more importantly the football program, university President Graham Spanier, university Vice President Gary Schultz, head football Coach and NCAA icon Joe Paterno, and Athletic Director Tim Curley tured a blind eye, and worse - covered up - multiple episodes of child sexual abuse that were happening with their knowledge. 

It is absolutely stomach-turning.  All four of these men had the ability to stop the horrific abuse they knew was happening.  All four of them instead chose to "protect" the football program. 

So what should happen now?  For the three surviving members of the four responsible for the cover up, criminal charges would be a great place to start.  Certainly obstruction of justice and conspiracy in commitment of a crime occurred,  but it will ultimately be up to a grand jury to determine if there is enough evidence available to secure a conviction.  As for the university itself, it will (and should) be named as liable in civil lawsuits for the victims.  And the resulting activity will likely run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. 

Finally, what of the football program?  You know, the one whose motto is "success with honor?" 

If there is any shred of honor left in that institution, they will end football at Penn State. Effective immediately. 

That may be harsh, but consider the following: the rot could not have been more deeply ingrained in the program.  It permeated from top to bottom, literally from the president to the janitor, and therefore needs to be pulled up, roots and all.  Second, and this point has been made elsewhere but it is critical: if this activity can't end a football program, what can?  What scenario would be worse to justify such a fate? Obviously, it simply can't get much worse than this.  This is as bad as it can get.  Period.

Penn State can begin to rebuild its institution right now by killing off the football program, effectively cutting out the cancer that effects its body.  If they can't muster the fortitude to do it, the NCAA may be able to do it for them.   Regardless, someone finally needs to step up, take responsibility, and do what's right. 

This whole situation occurred because of a system that was set up to protect the football program above everything else.  If Penn State truly considers itself an institute of "honor," it will recognize that the only path forward is to sacrifice the very institute that the system sought to protect. 

Penn State football needs to end now.