Boys of fall falling; Scandals

If 2011 was the year of the quarterback, then this year is no doubt the year of the coach, and their unceremonious removals and departures.

Joe Paterno and Sean Payton headline the coaches that have been brought before public scrutiny for their participation, or lack thereof, as a head coach. They have been the head to the proverbial snake, and by all accounts, the ones who shall be blamed.

Paterno’s case is appalling. Grotesque. Unimaginable.

Payton’s situation is tasteless. Turbid.

In no way are they related. They are separate instances where a lack of judgment cannot be overlooked.

A head coach, in essence, is the omni-present force of any team. They have control over who will play, who won’t, what type of offense or defense a team will run; they pick and choose those that reside around them; they are the face of the organization and the one, the seemingly sole party that is most “responsible” for the outcome, either good or bad.

But how, in this day in age, can a coach be truly aware and in control of all that is happening around him, and all the circumstances of those around him be explained?

Did Paterno and Payton know about what was happening? Probably, yes. Should they have done more to halt and ever let such a situation arise again? Yes, most definitely. Can you ever come to believe that what happened, the incidents and then the following breakdown, could be with-held from a coach, or slighted so much that the ramifications weren’t worth the crime?

A majority, probably not.

The traumatic events occurred on their watch, under their leadership. They were in the loop, or at least made aware of the situation and it was not handled to the moral and ethical code that we all believe that we live by. A head coach is liable for their assets.

But it’s hard to believe that the debacle lies firmly on one man’s shoulders. There are others.

That’s the real story. Maybe it was their fault, just not in the way everyone is thinking about it. They must take the fall because they hired, not the people that committed the injustices, but the people that would not take actions themselves. The people are hidden by the lack of onus they take, and letting another man own the consequences.