Muller: Did Joe Paterno Deserve To Be Fired? I'm Not So Sure

By Shawn Muller-

(CBS) It's the end of an era in the world of college football, but it wasn't the storybook ending we had originally thought it would be.

After 62 years that saw 409 wins, 37 bowl appearances, and two national championships, the most iconic coach in the history of college football was fired by Penn State University officials last night—effective immediately--thus ending Joe Paterno's reign in Happy Valley.

I'm still in shock over this.

As an avid college football fan, I would have never envisioned that "Joe Pa's" coaching career would have ended the way it has.

After all, when you think "Penn State University", you think Joe Paterno and no one else.

It's just hard to believe that the old man with the thick glasses and the flood-water khakis with black Nike's won't be making a farewell appearance at Beaver Stadium this Saturday when the Nittany Lions host Nebraska in their final home game of the season.

In what should have been a historic afternoon in Happy Valley, there will be absolute silence.  There won't be a ceremony honoring the man with a bronze statue.  There will never be another famous Joe Paterno-led pep rally on Friday nights before home games.  There won't be another bowl appearance, conference championship, or national championship for the man that built the Nittany Lions program into one of the marquee names in all of sports.

Instead, the great Joe Paterno was forced to step away from the headset in shame.

Do I disagree with the Board of Trustee's decision to fire Paterno effective immediately?

In a way, yes I do.

Now before I go any further, let me just say that this whole Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse situation is just sickening -- probably the most gut-wrenching scandal and cover-up in sports history.

In my opinion, child molesters are the worst form of criminal, and as a parent of two young children myself, I want nothing more than to see anyone that commits heinous acts towards kids rot away for the pain and suffering they cause their victims.

I also believe that people who have information that could potentially help bring these criminals to justice--yet fail to do so--are just as guilty as the person committing the actual crime.  That being said,  I think former Penn State president Graham Spanier could have done more.  We know former athletics director Tim Curley certainly could have done more.  And school administrator Gary Schultz could have easily done more.  But I'm not ready to say that Joe Paterno could have done more, because looking at the situation from a strictly legal standpoint, Paterno did nothing wrong.

He was never charged with any crimes.

The grand jury didn't implicate him in any wrongdoing.

A graduate assistant told Paterno that he saw Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy in a Penn State locker room back in 2002.   Paterno immediately told athletics director Tim Curley what the G.A. had told him, and Curley failed to report this information to the authorities.  Sandusky was no longer a part of the Penn State coaching staff during this time, so to me, the onus lies directly on Paterno's superiors.

The problem with public opinion is that we form an opinion on a subject we know nothing about.   We don't know how involved Paterno actually was in the process.  He could have done as much as he could have, but was simply ignored.  Maybe he was told to keep quiet.  Maybe he was promised that everything was being taken care of.  Maybe Paterno believed that his boss Tim Curley would handle it with honor.  Maybe he thought it was better to let the authorities handle it.

Whatever the case may have been in regards to the actions—or lack thereof-- by Paterno, I don't understand why he is the guy who is taking all the heat from the general public.  Who cares if Paterno is the "star" of Penn State?

People should be crucifying guys like Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, instead.  Those two men that had the power to help put Sandusky away years ago with the information presented to them by the former graduate assistant and Paterno, but they sat idly by.  Two men charged with perjury and failure to report an incident of child molestation to authorities, directly involved in the apparent cover-up, and yet, "Joe Pa" is getting the brunt of the public backlash?

It just doesn't seem right to me.

But regardless of how you or I feel about who is—or isn't at fault—I'm sure we can all agree that this whole situation is absolutely terrible.

Hopefully, those directly involved in the scandal—from Jerry Sandusky down to Gary Schultz—are punished for their lack of action, and if indeed it ends up that Joe Paterno didn't do as much as he could have, then I will have no problem with his termination.

But as of today, I can't say that I agree with him being fired.

Shawn Muller has lived in the great city of Chicago for 7 years. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, in October of 2010, Shawn received his certificate in radio broadcasting. In his free time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa and 3 year old daughter Ava, catching any live sporting event, and traveling. Check out his radio show, Grab Some Bench with Muller and Bangser" every Thursday night at 8:30 P.M., at www.blogtalkradio.com/spmuller24. Read more of his blogs here.