Everybody Hands to Themselves

I'm sure by now that everyone has heard at least one detail about the situation that has unfolded this past week at Penn State University. For a short recap: a former defensive coordinator is being accused of molesting 9 young boys over a span of 15 years on the campus of Penn State through a charity he had set up for underprivileged children. It's sick, it's disgusting, it's horrible, all of those. Everything I keep hearing is that Penn State football has produced an almost cult-like atmosphere by only hiring in house and bringing coaches up through their own system. I have my own suspicions about why this was brought to light right after Joe Paterno broke the record for most Division I wins by a head coach. Now, to make matters even worse, more allegations have surfaced but at a different institution. A Syracuse University associate head basketball coach has now been accused of molesting two of the teams former ball boys in the late 1970s through the early 1990s. Unlike the Penn State situation, this coach is still with the University at this time. These accusations just surfaced last night so I suspect there are more speculations that actual facts known at this point. However, this information puts a dark mark on the Syracuse program that had high hopes for the young season at hand. Both of these instances make me question what has happened to college sports? In these universities with elite sports programs, the coaches are treated with such respect and awe that we don't keep them honest about what goes on when the game is over. Obviously the first are foremost victims are those boys being violated, but I also feel disappointment for the student athletes at Syracuse and Penn State. They had no part in the scandal at their respective schools, yet their seasons are now tainted and they must find a way to continue to play at the highest level with all of the uncertainty surrounding them. No matter how popular sports can become at a university, the coach and their staff must remain accountable and for the protection of everyone, should not be allowed to operate in the dark.