Who Deserves A Flog Today?

Joe Paterno, Penn State's iconic football coach, is the man of the hour in the flogging spot of the nation, as well as parts of the world. First off, it's still amazing how Americans revere football and those who coach the game. Good to provide kudos where deserved, but Paterno was in line for a Medal of Honor or something like that? For what? Coaching a game? I mean, did he go out and heroically save lives on a battlefield? It's wonderful to have sports to bring people together; to challenge physical and strategic prowess, as is the case in all sports. It is another to blindly place these icons on so high a pedestal that their failings come as a shock. These are only human beings, remember, and, unfortunately for many, Mr. Paterno turned away from further direct involvement with what he knew would be the undoing of his best friend if word got out that young boys were being used for the BFF's sick pleasure. 


Yet, tough spot to be in and everything, as with what went down with the Catholic Church, those in the higher positions have to account for the actions of those they supervise. Somehow, in the male-bonding world of Priests and Sports, it's always too easy for the guys to turn away and pretend it isn't happening. There is some kind of unspoken code, isn't there? Certainly looks that way to me.