Say It Ain't So Joe Pa

You would expect it from the Cincinnati basketball team or even the Florida State football squad, but from Penn State? It's true and we must say it's sad. Despite the investigation of felony charges, Joe Paterno has given the starting quarterback role to Rashard Casey. Casey, who as you may know was involved in an alleged hate crime related assault, is currently being criminally investigated while preparing for the upcoming college football season. Even if Casey is cleared of charges, there is no doubt that he was involved in very questionable (to say the least) acts in the recent past, and that must warrant a suspension from the team. Paterno, who has represented everything that is right with college athletics for 30 years, has decided to throw out all of what made him who he is and give the starting job to Casey. Proponents to this move say that Casey has not been found guilty of anything so why should he be suspended. Well, I agree 100% with Jim Rome when he says that, "It's not like he is sitting in jail or his due process has been violated. Playing quarterback at Penn State is a privilege and not a right." Exactly. You can take away a privilege, but you can't take away a right. So what if Casey has not been officially found guilty of these charges? The mere fact that he is involved in this case warrants a suspension, for no other reason than the integrity that goes along with Penn State football. If this was Bob Huggins, everyone would just see it as normal. But it isn't Bob Huggins; it's Joe Paterno. Joe has based his program on character and respect, and to play this young man with these felony charges flying around is wrong. Joe Pa needs to take another look at what this decision may mean. If Casey is found guilty in mid-season, or even worse after Penn State goes 11-2 and wins a bowl game, how bad does this make the school look? It will take away what took 30 years to build up. The program may never recover. To us, it's just not worth that risk.

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