Katha Pollitt Penn State's Patriarchal Pastimes

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Recommended: The effect of sports on the academic performance of students

In 2011, a Penn State scandal was released to the public and baffled sports fans. In Frank Deford’s “Joe Paterno’s Legacy: Protect Players At All costs,”Deford questions Joe Paterno’s legacy because JoePa did not report Jerry Sandusky’s pedophilia to authorities. In Katha Pollitt’s “Penn State’s Patriarchal Pastimes,” she writes about the unfairness in athlete’s education and how far coaches will go to keep their players playing on the football field. Katha Pollitt and Frank Deford have completely different voices throughout their writings. Pollitt’s voice, bold and unapologetic. For example, she angrily states “cancel the season. Fire everybody involved in the child abuse scandal” in her introductory paragraph (Pollitt 1). On the other …show more content…

Pollitt tries to get under sports fan’s skin throughout her article like when she states, “maybe cancel college football too. In no other country’s university system, after all, does sports play anything like the central role it does in American academic life” (Pollitt 1). Her intention, simply, to fire up sports fans but appeal to readers who see sports as inferior compared to education. Also, she writes, “they’re hauled through dumbed-down courses in gut majors like “interdisciplinary studies” and “social science by an army of tutors and professors who know the drill: we need this kid, so he’s got to pass”(Pollitt 2). She wants non sports fans to recognize the unfairness of academic system. On the other hand, Deford appeals to sports fans by writing “he (referring to JoePa) was of college football, but above it” (Deford 1). Deford, like many other sports fans, disappointment shows one of the great’s (Joe Paterno’s) legacy is not legendary like many thought. Also, Deford sarcastically states, “When his old assistant was in trouble, that must’ve kicked in. Joe Paterno kept Jerry Sandusky eligible. If he has a legacy, that’s it” (Deford 1). Deford comes off sarcastic yet angry that Joe Paterno does not have much of a legacy now. Referring back to Pollitt’s article, she states, “sports is embedded in the rich, loamy craziness of American popular morality, right down in

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