Joe Paterno's Silence Is What Speaks the Loudest of All

When it comes to Joe Paterno, the football coach, there are few who will ever question his skill or his will to succeed.

After all, as college football's all-time winningest coach, it can be said that his dogged pursuit of perfection and meticulous nature were his strongest attributes—on and off the field.

But when it comes to Joe Paterno, the person, sadly his good name and golden reputation have been sullied by his silence and inaction.

The release of the Freeh Report has shed new light on just how far Penn State officials—including Paterno—went to avoid negative publicity in the wake of reported incidents involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

Perhaps most troubling of all is the assertion that Penn State's football program was essentially calling the shots, as the report states several janitors witnessed abuses occurring but were fearful of retaliation if they spoke up.

Naturally, Paterno's family has refuted the notion that he would have intentionally misled investigators or assisted in a cover up, saying, "...to suggest that Joe did anything to prevent the facts from being known is a deliberate distortion of the truth."

Look, it is no surprise that his family would come to his aid and stand up for the man that they love, in an effort to protect his honor and preserve his legacy.

The fact of the matter is, by saying little and doing nothing, JoePa was guilty of allowing other crimes to occur and additional victims to be abused.

And for many, that is where Paterno failed to live up to his obligations as not only a leader, but as a decent human being.

Forget the fact that Paterno was a living legend—loved and adored by the Nittany Lion faithful. Because lost in muddy middle is the fact that he was someone in a position of authority that was expected to act upon information obtained.

Yes, he passed along information Mike McQueary shared with him, but ask yourself, was that enough?

In hindsight, should he have confronted Sandusky personally and banished him from the program entirely? Should the police have been notified? And what about the victims—where was the concern for them initially?

At the end of the day, what stands out most is the realization that Paterno did not live up to the very standards and precedents he expected of everyone else.

To think, that someone who was as revered for their integrity and principals could have failed to rely on either at such an important time is both sad and unfortunate.

Because as Plato once said, "silence gives consent."

And right about now, that silence speaks loudest of all.

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