The sportswriter who covers the Phillies for the Intelligencer and Bucks County Courier-Times, Kevin Cooney, says he was shocked to learn that long-time Philadelphia Daily News baseball writer and sports columnist Bill Conlin is the latest sports world figure accused of sexually abusing children. Cooney says he’s puzzled that decades ago the allegations, from people in both his family and other families, were never reported to police, and there’s a lesson in that.

“If there’s any good that comes of this, I think it’s the fact that more victims will now be willing to speak up, and that our attitudes about whether you should go to the police or not are now pretty clear.  If you see something that’s even close, it’s better to go to the police and let them sort it out rather than trying to be the gatekeeper yourself.”

If the allegations are true, Cooney says it’s unfortunate that Conlin cannot be prosecuted because the statute of limitations has expired.  But it’s also unfortunate for Conlin because, if the allegations are not true, he will not be able to clear his name in a court of law.  Cooney appeared Wednesday on the WNPV talk program Comment Please by Univest.