No one knows exactly what happened in Adam Scott's on campus apartment on the morning of October 5, 2007. What we do know is that a young lady accused him of raping her, and Adam Scott is now in deep doo doo.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. Adam Scott was one of the most highly touted running backs to commit to Penn State in a long time. He was Mr. Everything at Allentown's Parkland High School, and he rushed for 3,853 yards and 53 touchdowns while there. He was, in a word, the man. He could have gone anywhere, but he chose in state power Penn State. I remember how excited some of my co workers who were Penn State alums were the day he committed. Now, like their famous coach, Joe Paterno, they don't even want to talk about him. They all just wish Adam Scott would go away.
Now true confessions. Even though I live in Penn State country, I am no fan of the "white hats". I have never believed that whole "our program is cleaner than yours" line that they like to throw around. And I have always thought that Joe Paterno is somewhat of a fraud. Having said that, there is no denying that the football part of his program has been successful over the years, and the old man has won his share of Bowl games.
But back to Adam Scott. Joe Paterno has kicked him off the team, and the fifth year seniors career and maybe his life as he knows it (if the charges are true and he is convicted) is over. Let's face it; no team will draft an accused rapist with a mediocre college career. So it's over for Scott and football. (He should have gone to Pitt) But shame on Joe Paterno for booting the young man off the team before it has been proven that he was guilty. Especially given the fact that he did the exact opposite with another Penn State player a few years ago. And especially given the fact that there has been quite a few high profile not guilty verdicts in these types of cases recently.
So yet another athlete on campus accused of rape. Yet another athlete failing to control himself and keeping his hormones in check. It's all about choices folks, and we should always try to make good ones. A fifth year senior in college should have known better than putting himself in such a position. Now to be fair to Adam Scott, this case is shaky. The accuser did the exact same thing a couple of years back (accused someone of rape after a party) at another college, and that young man was acquitted by a jury. Adam Scott and his attorney's say the sex was consensual and that the female accuser in question has some major problems. They say that they are confident that he will be aquitted. But this is Centre County Pennsylvania, and trust me, this won't be a jury of his peers, so you just never know.
We will see, and if it turns out that once again the accused is innocent, I wonder if we will get a Duke like outcry about the injustice that was done to Adam Scott? I doubt it. Because Adam Scott isn't a child of privilege, he didn't play lacrosse, and his accuser wasn't some black stripper.
The Duke boys will move on to work on Wall Street, and in spite of being accused of rape, will no doubt go on to make a lots of money. Adam Scott- if he doesn't end up in jail- will not have such a bright future. There will be no lawsuits, no high profile apology, and the District Attorney in his case won't lose his law license. If he is found innocent, Adam Scott will be lucky to just have a normal life again. And when you think of what could have been, it seems like such a waste.
