Dave Zirin on Penn State: ‘This Is the Greatest Fall From Grace in the History of American Sports’

Dave Zirin on Penn State: ‘This Is the Greatest Fall From Grace in the History of American Sports’

Dave Zirin on Penn State: ‘This Is the Greatest Fall From Grace in the History of American Sports’

Considered a de facto saint in his corner of Pennsylvania, Joe Paterno turned a blind eye to abuse on his watch.

Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky
Pocket
Email

“This is the greatest fall from grace in the history of American sports,” said Nation contributor Dave Zirin, in an incendiary discussion of the recent Penn State rape scandal with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now!“Nothing compares to this.” Considered a de facto saint and”benevolent czar” in his corner of Pennsylvania, Joe Paterno didn’t just turn a blind eye to the pedophiliac activity of former coach Jerry Sandusky. As Dave astutely points out, his silence allowed Sandusky to continue holding overnight camps for young children on Penn State campuses for years to come. You can read more of Dave’s analysis of the Penn State debacle here and here.

—Teresa Cotsirilos

Support The Nation’s June Fundraising Campaign

With the midterm elections now firmly upon us, the question is whether Democratic candidates will do more than merely occupy ballot lines as mild alternatives to the red-hot crisis that is Donald Trump.

As Trump spends over $1 billion a day on a globally destabilizing war on Iran and admits that he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation,” millions across the country are struggling with the surging costs of essentials. Democrats must seize this moment and advance bold, small-“d” populist ideas—not settle for cynical caution that once again snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Nation elevates progressive ideas, movements, and elected officials achieving real change across the country into the national conversation. At the same time, our journalists are exposing how crypto and AI-funded super PACs are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to knock out candidates they oppose, reporting on the devastating impact of the Supreme Court’s evisceration of the Voting Rights Act, and sounding the alarm on attempts by red states to quickly redraw electoral maps, disenfranchising Southern Black voters.

We can play this critical role because of support from readers like you. This June, we’re raising $20,000 to power The Nation’s independent journalism in the run-up to November’s immensely consequential elections.

It’s in our power to build a more just society, and your support at this critical moment brings us closer to that bold vision. I hope you’ll donate today.

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation

Ad Policy
x