Joe Paterno announced on Wednesday morning that he intends to retire at the end of the season.
"At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status," he said in a statement. "They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."
This statement comes just four days after the disturbing reports about the sexual abuse committed by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky became public. Although the student body at Penn State has rallied to support Paterno, the consensus elsewhere seems to be that Paterno should step down immediately after failing to do more to stop Sandusky.
According to the grand jury report, a then-graduate assistant (later to be identified as current receivers coach Mike McQueary) witnessed Sandusky sexually assaulting a boy in a locker room shower on campus in 2002. McQueary informed Paterno the following morning. Paterno then told athletic director Tim Curley and other school administrators, but no one ever notified the police. Sandusky also continued to be a presence on campus.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly and state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said on Monday that although Paterno fulfilled his legal requirement, he had a moral responsibility to tell law enforcement if young children were in danger.
That's why most people following the scandal believe Paterno should step down now, not after the season. Scroll down to see how the Twitterverse reacted to Paterno's announcement.