We have been seeing this happening too often, especially on prestigious campuses with marquee athletic programs that have a rich tradition of winning. The same could be said with all universities when it comes to the fraternity lifestyle, but it is more widespread on big-name universities. Athletic-worship is the problem that is seen on these campuses. Fans, students, alumni, and select faculty are willing to overlook important societal issues that affect us all in the name of winning and/or name recognition; we see this happening in football and basketball.
One that sticks out in this writer’s mind of this behavior being prevalent is what went down at Penn State University and the Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Scandal of 2011-12. The former coach at the university was known to have had sexual relations involving young boys at his “summer camp” known as the Second Mile and in the locker room showers as early as the mid-1970’s. Tim Curley knew about this, and hardly did anything but reported it to Jerry Sandusky, who did the right thing legally, reported it to the “proper authorities” (i.e. the school administration). However, ethically and morally, he dropped the proverbial ball massively by not reporting it the true authorities (i.e. the State College Police Department, FBI, et al.) Why were the morals and ethics of a “man” so many in the Penn State community worshipped as the Second Coming so corrupted for over 45 years? Why wasn’t the mess cleaned up decades ago? It’s because he was in hot pursuit to become the all-time winningest college football coach of all-time, and the investigation into the biggest sex scandal since the Catholic Sex Abuse scandal of the early 2000’s started heating up big time during the 2011 college football season when the probability of the former PSU head football coach clinching the most wins in college football history was getting heightened. It was only after the feat was reached that he was fired in late November of 2011. The uproar was so large that security had to be put in place to protect the statue of the late coach. Students started organizing riots and protests after his firing. Apparently the cult-like treatment was too much for the old soul to handle as the “man” died of lung cancer just two months later.
Why haven’t names been surfacing of these athletes? Why all the cover-up? Because of recent athletic success at two of the big money-producing sports in football and basketball. Unfortunately, we as a society, are starting to accept that basic morals and ethics are allowed to be violated in the name of victory, and, in the case of sexual assault, it’s supposedly the victim’s fault.
It's not.
The act of sexual assault is painted to be the victim’s fault more often than it should, which is never. No matter if the woman is wearing “loose clothing”, it is not her fault. If the man/woman is drunk and wants to stay the night at your place to sober up, you are NOT given the okay to do whatever you want to them. There is no such thing as “they were asking for it.” No, they are not asking for it. This victim-blaming mentality needs to cease, regardless of the score of the game. Games can be replayed. Lives cannot be remade.
