Penn State Scandal: Why Removal of Joe Paterno's Statue Would Be Wrong

Penn State has done everything that it possibly can in the last nine days to get rid of anyone and anything associated with the university from the Jerry Sandusky era, including firing Joe Paterno. The housecleaning is far from over, and it appears there has been some talk about getting rid of a statue of the longtime head coach. 

While nothing has been set in stone (and it does not sound like Penn State is going to get rid of the statue that sits in front of Beaver Stadium), the topic has at least been discussed, according to Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Penn State officials haven't yet commented on the fate of the 7-foot-tall Paterno sculpture, but the decision epitomizes the difficulties that lie ahead for the beleaguered university.

While attention in the aftermath of the child abuse case that has rocked Penn State to its blue-and-white core has focused on the firing of Penn State's legendary football coach and president, administrators face countless less-newsworthy but equally delicate judgments.

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Greg Doyel of CBS Sports tweeted early Wednesday morning that there were rumors of the statue being taken down that turned out to be false.

There are a lot of things that Penn State has to do to repair its image in the court of public opinion, but taking down this statue is not one of them. 

Paterno is catching heat right now and he should. By his own admission, he should have done more in this whole debacle. But you can't erase the 46 years of history and memories that he built there and how he helped build the Penn State program. 

There might come a day when Penn State's board of trustees decides to take down the statue, but that would be a shortsighted move on its part. 

Paterno is not proven guilty of anything in this situation. He did not do as much as he could have, but to try and erase him from the program would be the wrong move. When history is written, he will still be remembered as one of the greatest coaches of all time. And his statue should stay right where it is.