Fall of a Dynasty

For those of you that don't know, Joe Paterno has been officially relieved of his duty as head coach of Penn State's football program.
To me, this signals the downfall of what used to a great bond. Coach and Player.

What happened to the days when kids would spend all day with a Coach and no one thought anything of it, in fact it was encouraged.
What happened when coaches were the most respected people in town.

What happened to men like Bear Bryant? One of the greatest coaches in the history of College Football. A man of impeccable character. So much so that Alabama didn't just name it's field after him, they named it's stadium after him. Now that's an honor.
 Or how about General Robert Reese Neyland? A man who is named one of the greatest Coaches in the history of football.

But my point is that these men's character was never questioned. No one ever wondered if their children were safe when they went to their camps.
It's quite sickening when I hear about what happened with Penn State. These kids were placed in the faith of a man that was, at one time, the greatest defensive coordinator in the land.

But what happened to the overall integrity of the players as well as the coaches? When playing football was one of the most honorable things you could do and kids wanted to be you.
Now players take it for granted. Going out and getting as much for free as possible. They just play football for the money and the free stuff. It's quite disgusting to see how much football has became disgraceful.

I hope that someday the players and coaches can realize that it's more than just a game. It's an honor to play the game of football. I remember growing up and dreaming of playing football in Doak Campbell Stadium. When I knew that dream wasn't going to come true, I resorted to being a huge Seminoles fan.

But imagine, how many young boys have that same dream. How many people look up to these players and then see them committing stupid crimes and then lose faith in the sport? I wish that the players would take that into consideration when they put on that uniform for the first time.

In summary, I think that it's a sad day in America when the Players have forgotten that they are some kids role model and the coaches have forgotten that they are supposed to be watching over these kids. Something must be done to protect these kids.