In case you live under a rock and haven't heard the news, the college world is being rocked by the current scandal at Penn State. Former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky is being indicted on charges of sexually assaulting at least eight young boys. This story has grown more and more monstrous over the past 48 hours, as more accusations come out against Sandusky -- the number of victims is now around 20 -- and as head coach / local saint Joe Paterno has come under attack. Paterno knew about at least one Sandusky's assaults, but did nothing more than report the incident to his supervisor.
How much did Paterno know about Sandusky? According to recent reports, quite a lot -- certainly enough to suggest that he should have acted quicker and more aggressively. After being informed of a graphic assault back in 2002, why didn't he notify the police? Why didn't he attempt to do something about it himself, even if the Athletic Department wasn't acting? Technically, Paterno did all he needed to from a legal point of view, but many people believe that his actions still came up short.
Based on his comments after yesterday's practice, you can add FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher to that list:
When asked about the legal matter in question, Fisher said coaches must "do what morally you think is right."
He elaborated: "You have to go by protocol, report it to the proper authorities, and you have a moral obligation on yourself and who you are to do what is right." (Orlando Sentinel)
While Fisher's comments weren't an explicit criticism of Paterno, he got his point across: going through the standard protocol isn't always enough. College coaches rarely say anything critical of each other in public -- it's one of the Unwritten Rules of coaching -- so hearing Fisher stand up for what he thinks is right is a refreshing breath of air.
Kudos to you, Jimbo, for having the guts to go on record with your opinion. With an event like this, it's comforting to know that even those within the game are sickened by the unfolding story.
For a full video of Jimbo Fisher's comments, see the Orlando Sentinel. For full coverage of the story, see SB Nation Pittsburgh's work.