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Wednesday, May 17, 2000
Sadly, we have become inured to the type of news that came out of Hoboken, N.J., this week involving Penn State's Rashard Casey. There is so much violence in the world that we no longer are shocked when a big-time athlete -- even a starting quarterback with a bright future -- is charged with aggravated assault, which could put him in prison for a long time.
In this paper yesterday, there were stories about Casey's alleged assault of an off-duty police officer in his hometown, Green Bay Packers tight end Mark Chmura being charged with sexual assault, the jury selection in the murder trial of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, and a brawl at a party in Wheeling, W.Va., thrown by Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Joey Galloway. There also was another recap of Indiana Coach Bob Knight's many unconscionable temper tantrums.
How can we not be inured when even the sports pages routinely look like a police blotter?
Still, the Casey incident is more disturbing than most.
It might have been racially motivated.
Casey and friend Desmond Miller, who are black, are accused of beating Patrick Fitzsimmons unconscious early Sunday morning because Fitzsimmons, a white man, was with a black woman. According to Fitzsimmons' companion, Casey and Miller asked her, "What are you doing with him? You should be with us. You're one of us."
If you asked Joe Paterno the last thing he would want to see his quarterback quoted as saying, it would be that. Even something like, "Paterno is a senile old coot," would have been preferable.
There aren't many worse accusations that an athlete in a team sport can face than being a racist.
Racial harmony is critical in a locker room. I might be naive, but I've always believed there is less racism in sports than in just about any other segment of society. Coaches don't care if players are black or white. They play their best players because they want to win. Players don't care what color the teammates next to them are. They just know they have to depend on them to get the job done. Sure, John Rocker isn't the only bigot in sports, but I truly believe his kind are few and far between.
Now, there are these allegations involving Casey. It almost doesn't matter if they are true or not. Even the merest hint of such racism from a team leader can destroy a team.
Paterno knows that. He's far from being a senile old coot. That's why he made sure to address the race issue in a carefully worded statement that was released to the media yesterday.
"Rashard has not been a discipline problem during his time at Penn State, and the conduct alleged in the charges is inconsistent with the personality he's demonstrated to me and the members of the coaching staff. Rashard is a good, young person who gets along well with his teammates of all races."
Paterno wasn't the only one to rush to Casey's defense. Frank Spano, the principal at Hoboken High School, which Casey attended, told the Newark Star-Ledger he was shocked by the charges against Casey, especially the racial implications. He said Casey has a biracial son, 2.
There's more at stake than peace in the Penn State locker room here. If Casey is convicted of a bias crime, it could double his maximum sentence. He could serve 10 years.
"I hope and expect he will be exonerated when all the facts are examined," Paterno said in his statement.
What?
You expected Paterno to abandon Casey? Before Casey has been found guilty of anything? When Paterno's only real alternative at quarterback next season is untested Matt Senneca, who has thrown all of two passes in his college career?
Stop that giggling, Pitt fans.
Still, Paterno's defense of Casey seemed surprisingly strong considering the apparent evidence against him. Maybe Paterno knows something the rest of us don't. Maybe that's why there wasn't the usual coach-speak about allowing the judicial system to run its course even though four witnesses, including an off-duty Jersey City police officer, identified Casey and Miller as the assailants. Casey, who was arrested about six blocks from where the assault took place, had a substantial amount of blood on his clothing.
Even if Casey is exonerated as Paterno predicted, the old coach should be worried about the judgment of the man to whom he's turning over his offense. What was Casey doing in that situation in the first place? Why was he outside of an Hoboken nightclub at 2:40 a.m.? How much did he have to drink?
"There is another side of the story," Paterno said.
A lot of us would like to hear it.
A lot of people in the Penn State locker room would, too.
Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
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