One can only imagine what thoughts will be going through Tom Corbett’s head, if not now, then in days to come concerning how he misplayed his hand in trying to avoid public criticism for his mishandling of the Jerry Sandusky pedophile investigation. The result of his miscalculations was the alienation of the state’s largest voting population, the Penn State alumnae and other lovers of Penn State football.
Although governors are ex-officio members of the Penn State Board of Trustees, other governors simply sent a representative to meetings. Corbett could have stayed quietly on the sidelines instead of participating and leading the charge to fire Coach Joe Paterno. (When the vote to fire Paterno was under consideration, told the Trustees: “Remember the boy in the shower.”)
Corbett could have instead encouraged the Trustees to simply accept Coach Joe Paterno’s proffered resignation, which was overdue for health reasons.
Of course he must have feared an NCAA investigation that might uncover as Attorney General his “slow walking” of the Sandusky investigation. Deflecting blame on Paterno allowed him to position himself as a champion for protecting children.
Almost certainly, he was involved in reaching the Draconian settlement with NCAA which shut off any possibility of the NCAA performing its due dilligence and precluded the right of Penn State to appeal sanctions above staff to a higher NCAA authority consisting of representatives of other major universities.
Had Corbett not played a role in the Trustees acquiescing to NCAA, he could have criticized the Freeh Report and objected to the NCAA sanctions. He would have been perceived as a champion of Penn State alumnae and friends.
They along with other voters will have an opportunity to express their sentiments come Tuesday.
