VictoriaGNicole

The easiest and best decision for Penn State would have been for Paterno to retire immediately on his own. Instead, Paterno ignored the greater good of the university he professed to love — and more importantly the well being of the eight known victims and their families — by selfishly trying to coach the Nittany Lions in a few more games.

Could you imagine the victims’ horror if Paterno — who all but ignored the sickening actions of their alleged predator — had been cheered in his final home game against Nebraska at Beaver Stadium on Saturday? Could you imagine the victims’ horror if Paterno had been carried off on his players’ shoulders after winning the inaugural Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis on Dec. 3?

The Hall of Fame coach who did very little to help them was able to go on with his storybook life, while their lives had been shattered by a sexual predator who wasn’t stopped by men with knowledge of the unspeakable crimes.

Yes, it’s sad that Penn State’s seniors will remember their final home game as the tragic end of Paterno’s historic reign. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. It would have been far worse if Paterno’s curtain call had been cheered from beginning to end. Penn State simply couldn’t let Paterno coach again, and fortunately the school’s board of trustees made sure he wouldn’t on Wednesday night. This wasn’t a case of Paterno choosing to ignore allegations of booster payments to a player or improper grade changes by a professor. Paterno’s inaction allegedly involved one of the most heinous crimes a person can commit — the rape of a child.