One of the biggest stories in the US this year concerns a man most Australians have never heard of, and a university in a state most of them couldn’t find on the map.
Only the death of Osama bin Laden has been bigger, which means it’s up there with the Japanese tsunami, the Arab Spring, and the deficit crisis.
It took over a week after this story broke for it to be run in any Australian newspaper, and then only after Ashton Kutcher became involved.
In most international newspapers and online news sites, you might find it tucked away in a corner, given a few lines at most.
And yet to Americans, this is big stuff − much bigger, certainly, than the ongoing battle to decide who will be the Republican candidate for President next year.
But what is this story, and why is it causing such a fuss? Well, first, it involves sex − always a seller. Second, it involves sex with children − always a scandal.
But most importantly, and what has made this story such a big story in America, is that it involves football, the game which has, without doubt now, replaced baseball as the nation’s emblematic pastime and ubiquitous obsession.
In the past week, it has emerged that Joe Paterno − ‘Joe Pa’ − the coach of the Pennsylvania State football team since 1966, failed to report to police allegations that one of his assistant coaches had abused a ten year old boy in the team’s shower facilities in 2002.
Paterno did report the allegations to his superiors at the University, and that is why he, unlike them, has not been charged with perjury and obstruction of justice.
But the damage to Paterno’s reputation and mystique, his image as a grandfatherly figure who has overseen the physical and moral development of generations of young men, is irreparable.
It would be like if, in Australia (and this doesn’t even come close, since Paterno’s place in American life and culture over the last fifty years has no comparison here) Wayne Bennett was exposed as a match-fixer.
The ugly details of the case aside, Paterno’s fall from grace, and his rise to it in the first place, are very revealing about America in general, and what distinguishes it from Australia, its New World cousin.
First, it needs to be remembered that Paterno is a college football coach, not a professional one. Think hard: can you even name one Australian who is the coach of a non-professional team? I know I can’t.
But in America, college football coaches and, to a lesser extent, basketball coaches, are household names.
There have been many legendary ones, with Paterno the last in a long line going back to the great Alonso Stagg, who codified the rules of American football in the early twentieth century.
In America, these men are seen as educators as well as coaches, moulders of souls as well as bodies, and leaders in their communities.
This mystique surrounding the college coach is connected to the mystique that surrounds college in America.
In Australia, ‘uni’ as we call it, is mainly about rounding off one’s education and getting a qualification for employment.
Young people don’t go into tertiary education with great expectations, and, in turn, not much is expected of them.
But in America, eighteen and nineteen year olds are seen as, if not children, then certainly unfinished products.
Great hopes are pinned on people’s college years; the notion is that they will develop their characters, as well as their minds, and emerge from the experience a different person from the one that went in.
As an Australian, I find most of this very implausible. I tend to think that, at eighteen or nineteen, most people’s characters are already fairly well defined.
However, Americans’ belief in the power of education − really, in the power of teaching to change people’s nature − is what gives them their faith in institutions of “higher learning,” and in the people who work in them.
Paterno is 84 years old. Again, think hard: can you name one Australian who, at any stage in the nation’s history, was a figure not only of respect, but of real power and importance, at that age?
But in America it is not uncommon. The nation’s best universities have many active professors in their 70s and 80s, and they are highly respected for their experience and achievements.
Moreover, American professors of all ages generally repay this respect by showing a personal care and concern for their students which, to an Australian, can appear borderline improper.
Still not yet as bureaucratised as Australia or Europe (though it’s getting there) personalities count in America, and not only covertly, as they do everywhere, but overtly, and again in a way that can strike an Australia as improper.
It sounds like a wild generalisation, but I think it is nevertheless true to say that Americans are much less cynical than Australians.
They expect more from universities, from people in authority, from life, than Australians do. And this means that Americans are hit all the harder when one of their idols fails them.
Only last year, a Republican Congressman proposed that Paterno be given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour.
Before that, it was he suggested he should become the Governor of Pennsylvania, one of the nation’s largest states.
Now, with his reputation in tatters, Americans are grieving over what is their loss as well as his.
Of course, Australians would also react with shock and expressions of horror to the fall of a major public figure. But I cannot help thinking they would not be as shocked, and would not express so much horror.
Indeed, I cannot think of an Australian who commands in Australia the kind of universal respect Paterno has commanded in America, unless it be someone like Wayne Bennett, and even then in an infinitely lesser degree.
Which brings us to a point of similarity between our otherwise so different countries: the extraordinary way in which we invest in sport, and the people who participate in it, with moral significance, when, at least in the Australian case, we expect so little from anyone else.
amazonfan
Guest
"Google.... Now do you understand the connection ? " Now, I understand, however next time, could you just tell me the connection instead of writing 'two words etc...' or asking me to google it? "We have had our Penn State scandal already." Except I don't think we did. Rugby isn't the most popular sport in Australia, unlike American football in the US. Plus, I think, that this is a bit different. Religious rape scandals obviously stir up tremendous emotion all throughout Australia. However, if you took the Christan Brothers angle out of it, and it was a legendary Rugby coach who was involved in a rape scandal, then I don't think it would be especially newsworthy in the non-Rugby states. The Penn State scandal is unique in that it occurred in a sport, which is the most dominant in the US, and Joe Paterno was a legend. He had true universal respect. His role in the scandal shocked everyone, which is why when I go onto Bleacher Report, I find dozens of articles. If you go onto the Roar, and there was a Rugby rape scandal, you might find a few articles, but the people who comment would primarily be Rugby fans. In Australia, while we have had religious rape scandals, we simply have not had a sporting rape scandal that can be compared to Penn State. I would argue that we have not had our Penn State, because there is no sport (except perhaps cricket) which is dominant in the entire country. You mention Rugby, but four states couldn't particularly care about it. As such, I don't think any sporting rape scandal that we have had is comparable.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Amazonfan, Google 'christian brothers rugby', then google 'christian brothers abuse', then google 'christian brothers r.pe', and I removed a vowel to avoid having my post pulled. Now do you understand the connection ? We have had our Penn State scandal already.
amazonfan
Guest
But what is the connection with sport? When the OP speaks of respected Australians, presumably he is speaking of sporting figures, and as such, I'm not sure what the relevance is of Christian Brothers? Nonetheless, I'm not sure if any religious leader commands universal respect in Australia. BTW, mods, I love the new time function. :D When you see when someone posted a comment, it makes easier to determine whether to hung around for a response or to go off and do other things.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Two words. Christian. Brothers.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Brendon. Rugby has exactly as much to do with rugby and college football sex scandals as Johnno has to do with reality.
amazonfan
Guest
Perhaps. However, even then, swimming isn't as big a sport in Australia as cricket or the football codes, so I don't think he is applicable. I mean, if it did emerge that he had done some terrible things, it would make the news, but wouldn't be as newsworthy as if it was an Australian Football coach in Victoria/Tasmania/the two Australias, or a League coach in NSW/QL.
B.A Sports
Good read. (though not sure why someone is hijacking the conversation and talking about rugby) What an amazing story. I have been trying to scratch my head to come up with a person of comparable notoriety in this country and I am struggling. I know its easy for people who follow college football to say it is part of the national fabric, but it really is! Ok it is biggest in college towns, but I was in Columbia, South Carolina about a month ago and Clemson and the Gamecocks both had home games and you couldn't find a sole doing anything other than watching football. Talking to some store and business owners, they don't even bother opening on game day. There is certainly the argument that can be made that college sports have evolved so much that they are getting out of control and the TV contracts for football and the impact that is having on conferences is testament to that. But when you have institutions (not based on religion) that bring communities together for the purpose of supporting the town, even if you are not a current student or an Alumni, that has to be good right?! They don’t restrict people from being part of the community, there are as many girls as guys who support them, and the money they generate often feeds into other programs including women’s sport, so surely that’s a good thing? Penn State has dozens of campuses across Pennsylvania and I believe Penn State has the second most populous student body of any college in the world. “We are Penn State” is their war cry. “Success with Honour” is their slogan. Joe Paterno has won more college football games (Division 1) than any other coach in history. For such a massive institution, with such a proud history to be implicated with the most heinous of all crimes IS national news of the highest order, not just sports news. My best effort to give it an Australian comparison would be for someone like Richie Benaud or Cathy Freeman to have similar charges brought before them.
B.A Sports
No doubt college players being compensated is a huge issues in the parity of college sports, but education is something they have improved in - particularly in football. I believe football graduation rates are up over 70% these days which is pretty good. Some schools take it more seriously than others with Schools like Notre Dame, North Western, BC, Stamford and yes Penn State - are all right up there with grad rates in the 90% (Notre Dame is like 99%). And when you consider many of the kids in thes eprograms are kids on scholarships from backgrounds where they didn't get good high school educations, this is a improving result. basketball students probably struggle more than the other sports which can probably be aligned with the culture of the sport and the backgrounds many of the kids come from.
p.Tah
Guest
The only one I can think of is Laurie Lawrence the swim coach. Known nationally and well respected.
amazonfan
Guest
"Indeed, I cannot think of an Australian who commands in Australia the kind of universal respect Paterno has commanded in America, unless it be someone like Wayne Bennett, and even then in an infinitely lesser degree." Therein lies another massive difference between the US and Australia. In the US, American football rules. Basketball, baseball, & ice hockey are all big sports (to varying degrees), but the biggest competition is the NFL by far. As such, the respect afforded to Paterno, or at least the legendary status that he attained, would have extended across much of the US. Compare that to Australia, and your example of Bennett. NRL is only huge in two states, and there is absolutely no way that Bennett would be more respected than an Australian football coach in the other four states. Victoria, the two Australias, and Tasmania wouldn't particularly care about Bennett. If we are only talking about active coaches, Kevin Sheedy would be the equivalent of Wayne Bennett in the non-NRL states. Otherwise, there's James Hird (mostly based on what he accomplished as a player), Nathan Buckley (ditto), and maybe John Worsfold for Western Australians. These selections are obviously debatable, however my point is that Bennett doesn't command universal respect to any degree in Australia, similarly to Kevin Sheedy, and as such that is another major difference between Australia and the US.
JVGO
Guest
Johnno, seriously, American football is a million times more spectacular and exciting than Rugby and continues getting bigger and bigger. Rugby will find a niche in such a big country but you are completely deluding yourself if you think Rugby will ever be a mainstream sport. Rugby simply is not a sport that is capable of providing a satisfying week to week club based competition in terms of entertainment, particularly in the face of so much incredible sporting product already entrenched in the US.
Brendon
Guest
Not sure what rugby has to do with sex scandals and American college football. The whole fascination with college football and basketball in the USA is bizarre and weird. NBA and NFL I can understand because they are the top, elite athletes in those sports. But Americans seems to hold this rose coloured glasses view of college sports ... that they're somehow more "pure" and less tainted than professional sports. I suppose sport is as much about nostalgia as it is about entertainment. Obviously theres a grubby underside to college sports that goes unmentioned in American public life. Why people want to watch second rate teams full of undeveloped kids and revere it is beyond me. Then again the USA has always seemed weird.
Johnno
Guest
And now rookie rugby is being established is a huge success which the IRB acknowledge, and that is at primary school level, and USA rugby will i am sure attempt to ge tint high school. In fact i have already watched some junior USA rugby on you tube and other USA rugby websites,.Now quite a few kids ar employing rugby and saying how much they love it, and some players in USA sevens who played gridiron simply are saying how passionate they are about rugby and excited by it's global appeal and want to eb part of 15 a side rugby world cup, and the sevens Olympics. Ian it is undeniable how passionate people form all around the World are when they come into contact with rugby, i have seen it. I can;t make the same opinions about aussie rules or rugby league as i don't know enough about overseas fans reactions too those 2 sports but with rugby union it has been nothing but positive in the colllege NCAA system with USA college people i have spoken to have experienced sevens rugby and watched the rugby world cup in 2011 this year, undeniable passion for rugby union Ian.
Johnno
Guest
But ian these things take time, i don't think 100 years, but once more and more Americans get educated about rugby, NBC showed all USA matche sof world cup plus pay per view matches of every game, they will see very exciting sport Ian, and as it is faster less time outs and global sport will gravitate to rugby union at grid iron's expense. The USA many of the people who have experienced rugby union, through watching the world cup college 7evens, USA sevens and the soon to be sevens Olympics will be excited and gravitate to rugby at gridirons expense Ian, and that can't be denied once exposure happens and a global sport like rugby that American football can't offer rugby union will be appealing as a result of it's global appeal, and rugby is simply a great game to watch and play and many Americans will revel in the rugby culture Ian once again at gridiron's expense as code's have to lose out numbers wise when another formidable code like rugby comes into the frame.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Johnno, when you get back to reality, call us, OK ? Rugby in the US will have trouble for exactly the same reason it's a poor second (possibly third, depending how you measure it) in NSW and Queensland - other sports already are in that niche. I can buy Eastern European rugby, because they dont have a contact sport, other than ice hockey. But in the US, you're going to need to move high school football, and that will take some doing.
Titus
Guest
I must admit, I don't know a lot about it, but this whole idea that the football coach and college are moral shapers of the students seems a bit off to me. From my understanding, the college football teams in particular are massively corrupted by money and the students are already being considered a commodity. Their education is not even considered and I would assume their moral education is not really considered either, unless going to church is enough. Without a doubt its a big story, but its a story because it has all the ingredients, football, sex, college kids and Ashton Kutcher.
Johnno
Guest
And many of these college football players and the next wave of college players coming through the USA junior rugby system rookie rugby will see the olympic sevens and rugby world cups on there tv, and who knows some pro tournaments like the super 15 and euro rugby divisions. So exciting times lay ahead in USA for rugby in the college NCAA system. Who know we see 80,000 or 100,000 to a NCAA USA college rugby match in the next 20 years. And Hawaii where there is a population of 1 million people , and a university the university yo f Hawaii, and a huge Polyensian population Hawaii has a bit over 1 million people and junior rugby in hawaii and american Samoa are doing well, so more pacific island talent for the USA to draw on in the college NCAA system.
Johnno
Guest
When i see college football and the NCAA college football passion and the huge stadiums and huge crowds it generates, i can't help but think about USA rugby. IRB have a development prize to USA rookie rugby program, and now they are getting college 7evens into colleges in USA and having college 7evens tournaments, and they are playing some 15 a side too. I was watching a documentary on USA rugby and many players who played gridiron and are now playing for the USA sevens rugby team are so passionate about rugby, and it's expansion into the USA. With rugby being on of the fastest if not the fastest growing junior sports in USA, and many surveys have acknowledged it large growth , we may see huge crowds attending college rugby games, and a big NCAA colleges rugby union title emerge in the USA over the next 20 years. AN the USA improved in the rugby world cup , exciting times for Canadain and USA indeed at both senior and college level in my opinion.
JVGO
Guest
An interesting article. I'm sure someone could write a treatise on all this. But anyone who has lived both sides of the pacific will tell you there is massive gulf between the underpinnings of the two societies. I believe that America has an individualist philosophy based on abundance due to the nature of its land and resources and Australia has a more collectivist mutualist society based on the relative scarceness and harshness in 19th century terms of its environment. Most Americans have yet to realise that the American dream is merely contingent on the circumstances in which it arose and not some absolute god given truth. As one after the other of the pillars which hold up their society crumble they are beginning to wise up however.
a father from Chicago
Guest
Even here in the states, many of us find it difficult to understand the mystique behind Joe Paterno. Over many years, I have heard much about what a great man and football coach he was. It does seem that there is something about the culture in that region of the US that made him a unique figure and situation.