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"Football was above the rules."

That line from a 13-page summary of the external report compiled by Philadelphia law firm Pepper Hamilton in its investigation of sexual and physical assault cases at Baylor, as released by the university on Thursday, echoed loudly across the college game. With any luck, it did. And it warned against the misguided notion that football — winning at football — is more important than anything else.

It isn't.

That seems ridiculous to have to say at all, especially within the context of the safety and well-being of students who should be protected, regardless of the football team's win-loss record. Winning is not the only thing.

Did we get that? Not the only thing.

Baylor coach Art Briles discovered as much when he was dismissed by the school for the scandal that has captured the attention of people around the country who have wondered how coaches and administrators overseeing Baylor's football program could have followed such a course as to fail, as the summary said, "to take appropriate action to respond to reports of sexual assault and dating violence reportedly committed by football players."

Football players who helped Briles compile a 50-15 record over the past five seasons at the school, helped build new facilities on the campus, helped make Baylor a profitable and seemingly successful football endeavor, when its history had held up mostly a flag of defeat as its defining banner.

Briles had prided himself on running a program that gave flawed athletes a new shot. He took chances on transfers who not only had gathered baggage in their past, but, as it turned out, brought that baggage with them. Baylor's flag of defeat, transformed to momentary victory, is now an ensign that football is above the rules.

Quoting the summary: "The choices made by football staff and athletics leadership, in some cases, posed a risk to campus safety and the integrity of the University. In certain instances, including reports of a sexual assault by multiple football players, athletics and football personnel affirmatively chose not to report sexual violence and dating violence to an appropriate administrator outside of athletics. In those instances, football coaches or staff met directly with a complainant and/or a parent of a complainant and did not report the misconduct. As a result, no action was taken to support complainants, fairly and impartially evaluate the conduct under Title IX, address identified cultural concerns within the football program, or protect campus safety once aware of a potential pattern of sexual violence by multiple football players."

And there was this: "… In some cases, football coaches and staff had inappropriate involvement in disciplinary and criminal matters or engaged in improper conduct that reinforced an overall perception that football was above the rules, and that there was no culture of accountability for misconduct."

Some have suggested that the firing of Briles and the demotion of former school president Ken Starr is more a combination of a protective legal move and an attempt to keep female students — who currently make up nearly 60 percent of the student body — enrolling at Baylor. Each of those considerations carries heavy financial implications for the school.

But, hopefully, it's more than just that.

Hopefully, people at Baylor, and all of the rest of us, can understand that winning at football is no reason to cover up or brush over violence against women, violence against anyone.

It's so basic, but, then, apparently, it's not.

It may be dramatic to think that what's happened at Baylor is happening — or could happen — anywhere and everywhere. On the other hand, Baylor is not on some far-off island. It's an otherwise honorable school that does a lot of good in the way of educating kids. Briles and his coaches and staff and administrators are not aliens from a different planet. There are plenty of others who work under the same pressures, who have the same attitudes about winning, about protecting players at the expense of anything or anyone in order to win.

Which is to say, this stuff does happen other places.

The summary of the Pepper Hamilton report was horrific enough. If the full details of what took place at Baylor ever come to light, it would embarrass the university even more and maybe profoundly help everyone, inside the school and outside, shake free from the ignorant idea that, no matter what, football should be king.

"We are deeply sorry for the harm that the survivors have endured," a member of the Baylor board of regents said.

They should be more than sorry. They flat failed sexual-assault victims.

Every coach at every school in the country, every administrator, should read the summary and re-establish or redirect their priorities, ensuring that this kind of tragedy is not repeated. Can we get it? Winning is only one of the things. Only one.

Better to wave a flag of defeat on the way to being fired than a flag of shame.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.