Countless changes will result from the Penn State sex-abuse scandal. I discussed some of the more serious, not directly sports-related ones in a recent Verona Voice column.

From a purely sports perspective, most of the scandal's likely outcomes have been talked about at great length by the media. Penn State might — might — not play football or a year, or more, either due to self-sanctioning or action from the NCAA. The quasi-religious dedication to football in towns like State College, Pa. might — might — be lessened.

And Joe Paterno's legacy has been badly damaged. There's no might about that one. In that spirit, I hope fans and media have learned their lesson about the all-too-frequent idolization of successful coaches like Paterno.