While I hate to bring something like this up in this forum, am I the only one who thinks they have to purge the athletic department of anyone who MIGHT have had some knowledge of Sandusky's behavior?

This isn't a tattoo, free shoes or even a pay for play scandal.
11/8/2011 11:54 AM
And might that be why the press conference for today was canceled?
11/8/2011 11:54 AM
Paterno can barely conduct a coherent presser about football these days, so I'm guessing for the moment that cancelling the regular weekly news conference was about keeping him from inserting foot in mouth and screwing up someone's legal defense on the record.

That being said, yes, they absolutely have to clean house on this one.
11/8/2011 12:14 PM
Is this going to be the scandal he is known for?  Suuuuux!
11/8/2011 12:36 PM
Local sources say the press conference was cancelled to give them time to get everything in order for Jo-Pas retirement. He will not finish the season.
11/8/2011 1:24 PM
Sadly Joe Paterno isn't a trustee, president, or board member. He is just a coach. No different than a cross country, volleyball, golf, swimming, soccer, basketball, or hockey coach. He followed proper procedures laid out by supervisors and because of their poor judgement in putting the schools image first his career will be ending in shame rather than glory. It's frustrating to see the best football coach in the history of college football to go down like this. Thanks for all the memories, national championships, undefeated seasons, etc.
11/8/2011 1:47 PM
He's also a human.  I haven't read the grand jury report but it sounds pretty goddam sick from what I'm hearing.  Saying "I followed proper procedure" probably isn't good enough when one of your employees is apparently using the facility to prey on young boys. 

I can actually understand Paterno's reluctance to even believe one of his trusted coaches was doing such things.   But, at some point, you have to do more.

Herm Edwards put it right this morning when talking about the grad assistant.   He said(paraphrased) "If you witness something like that, it's your responsibility as an adult to protect the child.   You have to say "I may get in a fist fight.  I may get beat up" but you have to do something."    I think the same applies to Paterno and anyone else who knew of the situation.  You have to do something.
11/8/2011 2:06 PM
Yeah, I'm sorry - this isn't something you get to just run up the chain and then wash your hands of because you followed procedures.  Paterno met his obligation under the law, which is why he's not facing criminal charges - but he's not innocent in this.  And he is a coach, but he's not JUST a coach.  Had he wanted action, he would have gotten action.
11/8/2011 2:13 PM
ESPN reporting right now that Paterno will not return next year (according to sources) and very well may not finish the season.
Agree on the first, not on the second.
11/8/2011 2:43 PM
Paterno is lucky he's not going to jail.  He needs to go now.  Which is really, really sad.
11/8/2011 2:46 PM
Agree that it is sad..... Doing a little internet trolling now...
If it is even partially true (the cover-up) Paterno will become too much of a distraction (as I type this reporters won't allow him to get to practice)  on a team that has a chance to finish in the top ten. He had an obligation above and beyond funnelling it up. This wasn't a pay for play type thing... Sandusky ruined families for a generation or two..
I guess I agree that maybe he's gotta go sooner rather than later?
11/8/2011 3:00 PM
I think this paints McQueary as the 2nd biggest *****....
How do you look at yourself in the mirror when you witness what he witnessed,,,and did nothing. McQueary put his career ahead of the welfare of the child(ren) that were molested.
We are all ladderclimbers at some point of our lives, but at what point do we draw the line?
11/8/2011 3:11 PM
Posted by dwise89 on 11/8/2011 1:47:00 PM (view original):
Sadly Joe Paterno isn't a trustee, president, or board member. He is just a coach. No different than a cross country, volleyball, golf, swimming, soccer, basketball, or hockey coach. He followed proper procedures laid out by supervisors and because of their poor judgement in putting the schools image first his career will be ending in shame rather than glory. It's frustrating to see the best football coach in the history of college football to go down like this. Thanks for all the memories, national championships, undefeated seasons, etc.
Clue - needed...

Joe Paterno is not just a coach...HE IS PENN STATE.  He is easily the most important EXECUTIVE at the University and arguably one of the most important state employees in all of Pennslyvannia.  To suggest he is on the same playing field as a swimming coach is laughable, just as it is laughable that his responsibility ended with reporting this to his superior.  He had a moral obligation to follow through on this. Not as a coach, teacher but as a human being. 

The fact that the University wasnt strong enough to tell him to leave 15 years ago tells me all I need to know.  Joe Pa has always been about Joe Pa.  He is long past his prime and its clear he is overmatched; what 84 year old wouldnt be. 

The untold story here is why does this story "pop" on the day after he breaks Eddie Robinson's record.  If you dont think your holier than though Joe Pa didnt play a role in that in some, way, shape or form, I have a bridge to sell you...
11/8/2011 3:21 PM
As my grand jury testimony stated, I was informed in 2002 by an assistant coach that he had witnessed an incident in the shower of our locker room facility. It was obvious that the witness was distraught over what he saw, but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the Grand Jury report. Regardless, it was clear that the witness saw something inappropriate involving Mr. Sandusky. As Coach Sandusky was retired from our coaching staff at that time, I referred the matter to university administrators.

That is from Paterno.  Acting like he knew what was in the Grand Jury testimony 10 years later is a gigantic stretch.  Blaming Paterno for not looking into further is also a stretch when he had no idea what happened, other then something inappropriate.  Maybe he thought Sandusky was merely around when the kid was showering, inappropriate sure, but not exactly the end of the world and certainly not what allegedly happened.  The Grad Student should have gone to the police and the University should have done a better investigation and banned Sandusky from the facilities, but a brief mention of something inappropriate by a grad student assistant to Paterno without more shouldn't be the downfall of Joe Pa. 
11/8/2011 3:41 PM (edited)
Two more things...

What about the incident in 1998?  Did Joe not know about that either?

And why did Jerry, who was assumed to be the coach in waiting retire in '99?  Because he realized that Joe was stepping down anytime soon?  Not likely.  My guess is the demons were out of the closet then and they let him "retire" like so many of the favored Catholic priests of the day.  I fully expect that this gets much worse for Joe Pa than just stepping down...
11/8/2011 3:48 PM
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