Joe Paterno Granted His Final 111 Wins, While Reggie Bush Is Still Without His Heisman

The NCAA agrees that comparing the Jerry Sandusky situation to the Reggie Bush situation is absurd. The latter to them was apparently worse.

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) January 16, 2015

It's easy to forget sometimes. The NFL and NCAA are such wealthy, prestigious entities that occasionally we inflate their legislative abilities. While both are governing bodies, the ability to uphold justice is way outside of their jurisdiction. Does it seem right that former Heisman winner Reggie Bush had his trophy taken away while Joe Paterno, a man that oversaw a university that fostered pedophilia and child molestation, gets to sit atop the record books with the most wins ever? Not really. However, last time I checked there was no child rape clause in the NCAA rule book. So technically, they made the right decision, despite how grimy and hypocritical that decision seems.

Comparing Reggie Bush and Joe Paterno's transgressions isn't really fair. It's much like those that compared Ray Rice's two game original two game suspension for hitting his wife to the season long ban that Josh Gordon faced for smoking some weed. Obviously, clearer heads prevailed (no pun intended) and those suspensions were altered, but it's hard to fault the NFL when it's a matter that should be left out of their hands. Josh Gordon broke a steadfast rule. Granted, a completely moronic rule, but a rule none-the-less. Ray Rice, while breaking about 6,000 laws, didn't necessarily do anything prohibited by an NFL contract. The NCAA and the NFL "employ" people of questionable character every day, whether it be through scholarship or contract. They are business men, not law enforcement officials. Their goal is to make money and win, not be an authority on what is right and wrong. 

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter that Bush is left trophy less while Paterno becomes the winningest coach of all time. As an athletic figure, the main goal is leave a legacy. When Reggie Bush's career is but a distant memory people will remember him as a a Super Bowl champion, a Heisman winner, and one of the best college athletes of all time. Paterno's legacy, despite what the members of the 'Happy Valley' cult have to say, will be one of scandal and cover-up. Whether he 'officially' has 298 wins, or 409 wins, or 10,000 wins, the first thing people will remember about him is that he supported a known child molester for over a decade. In fact, Joe Pa's place atop the wins list will only shed more light upon his demise. Never will that list be flashed upon a television screen without the proverbial asterisk being discussed. 

While Joe Paterno was able to walk away with a slap on the wrist in terms of a punishment relative to his crime, Reggie Bush is able to walk away with his reputation in tact. So laugh it off Reg, because everyone with a functioning brain knows that money changes hands frequently during the recruiting process, despite the moral ambiguity of the practice. Reggie's biggest crime was being so talented and celebrated that he forced the NCAA's hand to make an example out of him, but his loss of a trophy can't take away the fact that he earned it in the first place. Much like no amount of wins, despite how impressive a number it may be, will clear the name Joe Paterno.

P.S. Never change Penn State, Never change...