Phillip's blog: No sympathy

Usually, I feel some sympathy for people convicted of crimes. Usually, I wonder if they weren't themselves victims in their lives. Usually, I wonder if they could be helped instead of being thrown away.

Senior Editor Phillip Marshall

Usually.

I feel no sympathy for Jerry Sandusky. None. Zero.

Sandusky, the once-revered Penn State assistant coach, was convicted on 45 counts of molesting little boys Friday. He started a charity supposedly to help children. Apparently, the charity did help a lot of children. It also provided Sandusky with a hunting ground for victims. And he took full advantage.

With victim after victim and witness after witness telling horrifying stories, Sandusky's lawyer didn't have a lot to work with. His defense was that all those people, with the help of the police, had come together in a grand conspiracy to bring Sandusky down so they could sue him and get lots of money.

It didn't make sense.

Absent a guilty plea, I don't remember a trial with a more certain outcome. Even Hamilton Burger, the hapless district attorney that was always losing to Perry Mason, could have won this case.

Sandusky, once considered a college football icon, is unlikely ever to spend another day of freedom. And that's as it should be. He is a blight on the game, a blight on Penn State and a blight on humanity.

Sadly, there are a lot more Jerry Sanduskys in the world, preying on our children. Maybe some of those victims will be encouraged now to come forward.

Moving on:

I don't claim to be an expert on things judicial, but I have to say I'm confused how a defendant could get his own trial put on hold because he chose to talk to a reporter and admit his guilt. Of course, Harvey Updyke's lawyer claims his client never talked to the young reporter from the Auburn Plainsman.

And if you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in Beauregard that I'd like to sell you. ...

Ray Tanner, South Carolina's baseball coach, certainly should be recognized as one of the top coaches in college athletics, in any sport.

The Gamecocks are in the College World Series finals, going for their third consecutive national championship. The thing is, none of those three teams have had overwhelming talent. They play the game tough and they play the game the right way. ...

Auburn fullback Jay Prosch, who learned Thursday he'll be eligible for the 2012 season, is one impressive young man. ...

There is no foolproof way to chose the four teams that will play for a national championship starting in 2014, but the idea of using retired coaches is a bad one. They have their own biases. They have friends who are coaches. They admire the way some teams play.

Choosing who plays for a national championship can't be based on what kind of offense a team runs, whether a team wins by using two tight ends or by spreading the field, relying on defense or putting up big numbers on offense. It has to rely only on results. I'm not sure coaches, current or former, are the best people to make that happen. ...

Until next time. ...