Penn State Scandal: Why You Shouldn't Hate the Students, the Team or the School

We know what happened at Penn State over the last couple weeks—a scandal that shook the nation to its core and cost a legendary head coach his job.

We know that Jerry Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator under Joe Paterno, has been accused of 40 counts of sex crimes against young boys, spanning 15 years. We know, though can't really say, that Sandusky is guilty. If you still aren't sure, watch this.

We also know that the alleged crimes have permanently scarred a once-proud university, and facilitated a swift fall from grace. 

But with all the hate flying every which way, people seem to be losing sight of the real issue. The fact that if guilty, Sandusky is the criminal and deserves the brunt of the blame. Right now, outsiders seem to be directing a lot of their distaste at anything-Penn State. 

That includes the players on the team, the fans and students, and the university itself. 

We know that the media has hyped up the Paterno firing and a riotous student body. We know that it has led to mass anger, confusion and calls to action. We also know that above it all, a group of poor, courageous boys are fighting for personal justice. That's where the sympathy should lie.

And all that hate? It should rest squarely on the shoulders of Sandusky and any men who didn't act in a socially responsible way to end the incidents.

Here are five reasons why you shouldn't hate the students, the school or the football team.

The Students Are Passionate

Forget the much-hyped "riot" that ensued after Paterno's firing. That was a very small percentage of Penn State students, who knew no better than to react angrily. They didn't have all the facts of the accusations, for one thing. And it was arguably the same way any school would react.

If Mike Krzyzewski was ousted at Duke without the compliment of a face-to-face dismissal, Durham would burn. If Frank Beamer were booted from the Virginia Tech sideline, a news van or two would be flipped in Blacksburg.

I realize the argument of hypotheticals doesn't excuse the fact that the "riot" actually took place. All I'm saying is, students must have been upset and confused after Paterno's firing. After all, it's comparable to God being exiled from Heaven.

The students showed their true colors the night after, when 10,000 of them showed up to a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims. This should put to rest any doubt where the hearts and minds of the student body truly lie. 

And despite the painful unrest that was Penn State football the following Saturday, over 100,000 strong filled Beaver Stadium to cheer on their crippled team and faithfully share in an effort that fell just short against Nebraska. 

The students and fans of Penn State University are clearly not the ravenous group of protesters that outsiders made them out to be after the "riot."

The University Has Taken All the Right Steps

The powers that be at Penn State made moves swiftly and smartly after the allegations went public. They said all the right things and fired all the right people. Imagine being in a position of power at a very popular, prestigious university and getting called into that board meeting.

The resulting action needs to be taken care of with the delicateness of defusing a bomb. And minus the physical fireworks, it essentially was a bomb defusion. Luckily, these men and women are expert surgeons.

Joe Paterno needed to go, regardless of how guilty he was. Sometimes saving face in an instance like this is more important than sitting idle. You can complain all you want that they should have brought him in and fired him in person—but making an issue of that is to vehemently ignore the real problem at hand.

And best of all, the university did not cancel the ensuing football game, even in the face of immense pressure to do so. If there was anything that should have been left untouched in this whole matter, it was the big home game against Nebraska.

The last thing the Penn State family needed in such dire times was a weekend devoid of distraction and full of absurd media coverage, anger, sadness and mourning. On the contrary, they needed something to rally for, and the football game was the perfect recipe.

When the Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers players and coaches gathered at midfield to pray as one, the entire scandal was forgotten for one perfect, beautiful moment of silence.

The Football TEAM Had Nothing to Do With It

Nobody is more worthy of our sympathies than the victims who were allegedly violated by Sandusky. But for all the passion and support that has been spewed toward Paterno since this scandal took off, people are forgetting one key group of people.

The Penn State football players.

The only connection these players have to what happened over the last 15 years, is that they chose to accept a scholarship to a legendary football school and take up trench warfare in one of the most iconic stadiums in the nation every Saturday.

It just happens to be the same school and the same stadium in which an old coach may or may not have sexually abused young boys, years prior to the current crop of players suiting up. 

Understandably, the two will always be linked. Sandusky coached and played for Penn State, and the incidents took place within the football facilities. The very same facilities that current players dress, shower and meet in. That's about where the connections end.

It's not as if the players were there cheering on Sandusky. They are linked only by the university they are representing. We don't hate the Philadelphia Eagles because Michael Vick killed dogs, do we? We hate them because they are the Miami Heat of football, but that's a different story.

My point is that the players are affected in this situation more than most other people and should not be hated for the jerseys they wear.

Penn State Is a Respected, Prestigious Institution

The man charged in the crimes that have set the nation on fire over the past couple weeks was employed by Pennsylvania State University for a long period of time. And, obviously, his character is not ideal for the school's hiring reputation.

But again, the comparisons end there. One bad apple does not spoil the bunch. Believe it or not, some people actually go to Penn St. because it's a very, very good college. 

Penn State ranks in the top 10 in American universities in both Aerospace and Industrial Engineering. They are nationally recognized as one of the best schools for undergrads. And overall, they were recently ranked the 13th best public institution in the United States.

Alumni are extremely proud of their school and, like most large schools, had fantastic experiences during their time at Penn State. There is absolutely no reason to hate the university for what has transpired in this scandal. 

I hate the University of Washington, but that's because I'm a Washington State Cougar and we have a fierce rivalry on and off the field. I don't hate the Huskies because Ted Bundy, arguably the most notorious serial killer of all time, graduated from their school.

Similarly, most schools can claim a couple people they are not proud of. Jerry Sandusky will be one of those for Penn State. He allegedly did some very serious, very horrible things in his time on the Nittany Lions' football staff, but by no means does that make the school at which he worked and played guilty by association.

It's a Waste of Time

Not because you don't have the right to feel for or against the school, students or players. But because there are a LOT bigger issues on the table here. All this hostility is misdirected. It's unfortunate that such a great student body and university are forever linked to such a horrific crime. 

But most humans seem rational enough to separate that truth from the facts of the case. 

When discussing, complaining, reviewing or doing whatever you're doing regarding the Penn State scandal, just remember that the people you should hate are actually a very small minority of men.

A defensive coordinator and proud Penn State alum, who in his own admission "should not have showered with those boys." A disgraced head coach, one of the most accomplished men ever in his field, who just didn't do enough. 

An assistant coach whose stories are twisted, costing him his job. And a school president who ignored the pleas of a group of young boys, begging for their lives.

Those young boys are the real victims. They are innocent in multiple rights. But they aren't the only ones who are innocent. The students of Penn State University have showed courage and compassion. The university itself? Just the unfortunate brand ironed on to the chest of a wrongdoer. 

And the football team, guilty only of an inherited burden which they now carry for the rest of time. Don't hate them. Or their students. Or their fans. Excuse the Penn State brand. 

Hate the man who struck the match, and the ones who ran away when flame touched gasoline.

As for the rest of them? They are (still)...Penn State.