Thursday, November 10, 2011

Misguided Emotions, Wrong Priorities

Shame on my fellow Millennials at Penn State.

Joe Paterno, the winningest coach in college football at Penn State made a losing decision. An assistant coach on his watch sexually molested children. This is one of the most disturbing and horrible things an individual can do. Instead of bringing this to the attention of the appropriate authorities to eliminate this behavior, Paterno and other administrative members at Penn State neglected the issue.

So, Joe is fired last night, as is the President of Penn State, by the Board of Directors. As a result, students at Penn State rioted and knocked over news vans in regard to the firing...of Paterno...the football coach.

The fact of the matter is all too often in this country the clout of successful leaders in athletics outweighs not only true administration (the President of a highly respected university), but the all too important Board of Directors who truly align the mission of the institution with the actions of its representatives. It is a shame that the outraged students, alumni and community members are so moved by a decision that upholds the integrity and respect of their institution (thus retaining the value of their degree and affiliation) and punishes individuals for negligence as it pertains to children (of all people).

I'm a business person so I know what a powerful athletics program means, especially to a successful institution. Every once a while, let's maybe not think about money and think about responsibility, legacy and being held to a standard to moral excellence, especially in a leadership role. I have a feeling that revenue won't discriminate on this.

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