Taking one for the team?

In light of the, "new" revelations of sex crimes committed by coaches, assistants and volunteers in school athletic departments, we ALL need to get real; the sexual exploitation and abuse of underage players and students in school athletics is practically an open secret. How many of us know of, or should have known of, inappropriate relationships between coaches and players and/or students in, not just High Schools, but Junior High Schools, as well.

The only, "new" aspect is the new level of media involvement, i.e. Sandusky; these, “inappropriate relationships” are the dirty-little-secrets in school and NCAA programs, with administrators historically, and shamelessly, providing cover. With the enormous monies; bazillions of dollars raked in by NCAA programs; the protecting of the cash cow is the bottom-line priority for administrators, NOT the, “molding of young minds and character.”

Look, when Barry Switzer says, “Everyone had to know.” He means it. He speaks from long experience in NCAA and professional athletics. Literally, everyone did know.

In the Penn State scandal, protecting the jobs and reputations of school officials and the coffers of their monied interests held sway. The abuse was known from stem to stern, with no one willing to quarantine the grossly infected ship.

Penn State football, and perhaps all their athletics, should suffer the nuclear-option. An obscenely rotten culture focused on status, on money and on fame, created this free pass for sex abusers and will not be undone by the loss of a season, or seasons. An intensely deep and painful house cleaning is called for, requiring letting the chips fall on all, ALL of the guilty parties, whether abusers or enablers.
Who will make that call?