Bernie Fine: How Penn State Scandal Led to Syracuse Molestation Allegations

Syracuse assistant Bernie Fine has been accused of molesting a former ball boy hundreds of times, according to The New York Times.

These allegations come far too close to the Penn State scandal to be a coincidence, but is it a result of victims gaining the courage to speak out against this sort of injustice, or as head coach Jim Boeheim suggests, is it "a little suspicious?"

Both may be true, but the notion that these allegations are coming absolutely out of nowhere is inaccurate.

The former ball boy, now 39-year-old Bobby Davis, reported the allegations all the way back in 2003, but says he was told that the statute of limitations had run out.

No cover-up story here. If the police had already been involved, Boeheim is at least immune to a Joe Paterno-esque fate.

That doesn't change the fact that rehashing these allegations comes immediately following the Penn State scandal though. Even though Boeheim contends that these allegations have no merit, if programs should have learned anything from the Penn State scandal, it's that matters like this need to be taken care of and handled, as Penn State administrators crippled the football program when they chose to bury their heads in the sand.

Nobody wants to see this turn into the Salem Witch Trials, but it's also hard to believe that Jerry Sandusky's victims are the only ones not speaking out.

It's unfair to assume Fine is guilty at this point, but it's also unfair to completely write off the possibility that the victim is telling the truth.

Given the magnitude of the Penn State allegations, we can expect to see more and more victims speaking out. This may be the first instance, but it certainly won't be the last.