Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, May 30, 2013

Well, the Paterno family is suing the NCAA. We all knew this day was coming, right? As if you needed more evidence, the lawsuit illustrates the deep divide and chasm in Happy Valley-so says Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports.

This isn?t good for Penn State. But, the Paterno family seemingly doesn?t care. It?s all about trying-and I emphasize the word ?trying?-to save Joe Paterno?s name. (Egos can be a powerful and dangerous thing. I?m just sayin?.)

But, honestly, isn?t it too late to save the once-glorious Paterno name? Yes, in my mind, it?s too late. Whether you a gree or disagree with the Freeh Report is moot. That debate is dead. And so is this one: Paterno?s name and image are beyond repair. Even worse: The longer this ordeal marches on, the worse it is for the school-and isn?t the future of Penn State the most important thing? Even if Paterno somehow miraculously earns back his ?good name,? the cost to Penn State will have been brutally heavy. As it is, the school never will be the same. This lawsuit only delays the healing process longer, breathing new life into one of the most horrific episodes in the history of sports.

The entire episode reminds me of that Shakespeare quote from ?Hamlet?: ?The lady doth protest too much, methinks.?

I bet you didn?t think you?d get some Shakespeare when you clicked on this link, did you?

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About Tom Dienhart BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section.

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