This has now become a safety issue -- retiring Joe ain't enough -- PULL THE GODDAMN PLUG

EDIT 11/10 1354: This post was made BEFORE the riots, and BEFORE the statement that Mark Madden made.

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You know, it takes a lot to get my jaded self as angry as I am now. I am reminded of a discussion I had with a friend this week about how much worse things are in this out-of-control sports world these days.

But this whole situation out of Penn State is just beyond the pale.

Joe Paterno has decided to retire, but only effective the end of the season.

Not enough -- and word I had as of about an hour ago indicates University President Spanier is already a foot and a half out the door.

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But it got me to thinking: The Nittany Lions would (if they didn't do the right thing and close the program down for the year) have three games left. Their last home game is this Saturday vs. Nebraska, and then they have to go to Ohio State and Wisconsin.

I want to ask you something: How in the Hell do you think it would be possible for those three games to take place without violence (from the other players or from the opposing fans) being effected on the current Nittany Lion football team?

Here's a hint: Forgeddaboutit. There's no way those three games can feasibly take place. Someone is going off on the team. Someone on the team might go off in response.

It's clear that Penn State (though most believe their undefeated conference record to be fraudulent) is going to be rigged to lose at least those two road games.

Why chance that it gets ugly, on top of it? The Big Ten is NOT going to allow Penn State to soil, perhaps permanently, their new conference championship game in football.

If it takes the Big Ten, if it takes the NCAA, if it takes whoever is going to be in charge at Penn State come 8 AM Thursday, if it takes the Feds (who probably should investigate this -- especially when you add that the original district attorney who was looking in to this (and chose not to charge Sandusky back in 1998) disappeared and is now presumed dead!):

Close down the football program at least for the season at Penn State, or risk an even further debacle up the line.

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ON EDIT: I've contacted Chairman Michael McRobbie, the President of Indiana University, who is also the Chairman of the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors, the "ultimate authority and responsibility for Big Ten Conference governance".

I phrased it a bit more delicately than here, but I basically asked if the conference has the ability to pull the plug themselves.