I think the current baseline horror and wringing of hands is about right for the incidents. But I'm hanging back and being a bit cautious about making pronouncements, because we don't
usually rely on our sportscasters for moral direction. They may have this one right. But their outrage makes me nervous.
What we "know" so far is what we've heard, and it's bad. Truth, for now, is uncertain, but Penn State administration clearly believes the accusations. We haven't heard why.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's quite true about the moral direction; I think sports coaches are, in fact, relied on to help form the morality of their team members. (Of course, mostly this is the morality of "fair play" and "hard work" and "sportsmanship" rather than "not attacking chldren", but still.)
ReplyDeleteThere are enough stories and tales about how "Coach So-and-So" turned some selfish athletic prat into an upstanding man through precept, example, and hard work that I wouldn't dismiss the idea.