November 9th, 2011 at 10:18 AM ^
What pisses me off about this, as I think about it, is this is a binary situation.
Either you say. "Sandusky didn't do shit and we can prove that" (for the record he appears guilty as hell, still innocent until proven guilty) or you say "We really, really, really, messed up."
These half assed things like resigning at the end of the season are basically admissions of wrongdoing while trying to bargain over the consquences. That's what makes it so disgusting. Children were raped and you're trying to leave on your own terms.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:44 AM ^
I think there are two reasonable positions for the university to take: 1) "this is an ongoing investigation, the allegations are disturbing, and once the full truth is determined anyone involved will be punished severely. Until then everyone is innocent until proven guilty" 2) "we really screwed up, these guys are guilty, and we'll supply the torches and pitchforks right now". They've instead taken an inconceivable middle ground: "these guys are probably guilty, so we're going to punish them, but slowly and only a little".
Firing Sandusky or cutting him out of the program (which they did a poor job of anyway) doesn't count for a damn. An ESPN commentator had an excellent point today. By cutting Sandusky out of the program but not going to the police, Penn State essentially conceded that they knew something inappropriate was going on, but said "just don't do it here". In other words, they didn't give a damn if anyone was getting raped by a former employee, as long as it didn't tarnish the school.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:44 AM ^
Exactly. They didn't even try to find out who the kids were.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
they continued until last week to let this monster have full access to PSU facilities. He wasnt even told not to do it here, he was at best told to just make it less obvious.
November 9th, 2011 at 11:22 AM ^
Right. But I think the point is that the fact that they did (or claimed to do) anything at all suggests that they felt there was some potential truth to the accusations, but still placed PR above justice.
November 9th, 2011 at 12:51 PM ^
They could also put everyone on Administrative Leave, including JoePa, until they have this thing figured out.
JoePa's statement was a power play and came off, at least to me, as a desperate plea to head off the firing that is most likely coming his way.
The balls on this man to say "At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status".
Sorry, Joe. That is not your decision to make anymore.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:20 AM ^
Not soon enough. He needs to go right now.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:23 AM ^
Somehow Penn State has manged to make me angrier every day since this scandal first broke. Each day I think I'm at my "pissed off" max and then, just like clockwork, they do something that shows me they have NO idea of the magnitude of what happened and piss me off even more.
I used to root against the following teams and in this order:
1. Notre Dame
2. OSU
3. MSU
But as of now there's a new #1 and it's not even close. If PSU loses 147-0 in every game between now and 2025 it's A-OK with me.
What complete and utter selfish assholes.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^
Exactly.
Go Big Red
Go Bucks (ack)
On Wisconsin
And what bowl is going to want this mess on their hands. Regardless...
S-E-C S-E-C
November 9th, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^
Would ever do it, but considering the out of this world circumstances, anyone think PSU might be best served by declining any Bowl invitation? They have to play the rest of their Big Ten games. Going through all that national speculation that every practice, trip, press conference and game tied to the bowl is optional. It might be in their best interest, overall.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^
I'm not sure exactly when this stuff started coming to light or what drove that timing, but it seems awfully conveinent that this really got steam behind it after Paterno already had his milestone win.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^
I think it was more likely released during their bye week, because they knew the shit storm that would ensue. The win was just a coincidence.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:33 AM ^
If that were the reason, why not let him finish the season before bringing this ugly item to the forefront. I suspect is was solely the timing of the prosecutors and the state of the litigation that dictated the timing.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:38 AM ^
One thing I haven't figured out yet - what prompted the grand jury investigation in 2010? What's been going on between 2002 and now, and why was this out of sight for so long and coming out now?
November 9th, 2011 at 10:39 AM ^
I believe there was an allegation in 2008 that led to the investigation and indictments.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
Yep, coach witnessed Sandusky "wrestling" with boy, immediately told principal, they, along with an asst football coach, met with the boy and his mom. Boy recounted being molested. They immediately banned Sandusky from the district, went to the police, and notified child protective services.
Exactly what should have happened in 2002.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
Or 1998 (though in that case it sounds like it was the University Police that dropped the ball, or maybe the victim's family decided against persuing charges).
November 9th, 2011 at 10:58 AM ^
I don't know exactly what happened in 1998, but it can be very hard to prove anything when your witness is a child. That's not to let anyone off the hook. Like I said, I don't know exactly what happened.
As to the accumulation of charges, it may have been that some of the victims became aware of other victims coming forward and then felt more comfortable doing it themselves. The outing of a sexual predator of children often leads to a small number of people coming forward (after the discovery of the first victim) followed by an avalanche of people who now feel less ashamed of what happened to them and less isolated.
November 9th, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
Real question is, if the GJT was done in 2010, why on earth was Sandisky spotted around campus facilities as late as last week?
November 9th, 2011 at 3:55 PM ^
Absolutely right. If someone can explain that to me I'd appreciate it. How did JoePa allow this guy around at will whille participating in GJT investigating these acts?
November 9th, 2011 at 10:39 AM ^
The entire PSU football staff needs to go at the end of this season. JoePa and McQueary knew that Sandusky had raped a boy in the PSU facilities and yet they let Sandusky come to practice for years following that WITH OTHER BOYS:
Five years after this, in the spring of 2007, Sandusky was attending PSU football practices with his latest rape victim: a 12-year-old boy who he had met through a Second Mile camp conducted at PSU, and who he was in the process of, among other things, orally sodomizing.
They knew he was still doing horrible things. There is obviously a cultural problem there. How can you let a man you know is child rapist bring other young boys around your facilities.
Unfortunately, PSU has a cultural problem and all of the staff needs to go.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
Sorry, they need to go now.
November 9th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
Sick for letting this go on for sooo long! I cannot see why ANYONE would be defending Joe Pa at this point! SCUMBAG!
November 9th, 2011 at 10:34 AM ^
I guess the stagg family might have some issues with the stagg paterno championship trophy
November 9th, 2011 at 10:48 AM ^
They've stated publicly that they're watching the situation very closely and will make a decsion regarding the name once things are clearer.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:35 AM ^
November 9th, 2011 at 10:40 AM ^
It was a given after two (rumored) strokes that he was only staying long enough to get his magical win title. That's why he's been year-to-year and they've kept him in the box.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
I'd love to the NCAA and B1G boot his ass from the record books via the conduct unbecoming clause or something.
Also if we win the Paterno-Stagg trophy at some point, I'm going to end up in jail when DPS catches me using an angle grinder to sand the name "Paterno" off it at 2 am.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:40 AM ^
Joe Pa made some statement a few minutes ago
http://twitter.com/Ben_Jones88/statuses/134291481392463874
"Joe Paterno's statement: bit.ly/ueTNCB"
November 9th, 2011 at 10:47 AM ^
It really does sound like he's calling his own shots. The BOT could've booted him now, but he's "saving them work" by retiring at the end of the season. Sad.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:51 AM ^
Be interesting to see how strong the BOT is. That's kind of like taunting them at one level and saying "Ha, I beat you to the punch". If the BOT is strong it might just piss them off and ensure they boot his ass.
November 9th, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^
make these types of decisions. Just look at the M coaching search or decision to fire RR. It was Brandon, with maybe MSC, but the Regents did not have a say, nor should they.
November 9th, 2011 at 3:06 PM ^
Yeah but it seems like PSU's Board of Turstees was not happy with the way the administration was handling the scandal and has taken matters into its own hands. They have the authority to hire and fire the University's leadership and they will do that if there's a catastrophic failure (which is clearly what happened here). I would be surprised if Spanier was still employed next month.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
McQuery, Patterno & Curley
November 9th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
I think it's because this is the only thing they can do without Paterno kicking up a gigantic legal shitstorm and they want to avoid the headache. Apparently he was asked to resign and he refused to do so. From there the next tenable move is an end of season retirement.
I'd rather they show some guts and fire him, but it's been clear for years that Joe wasn't going to go without a big fight and they may be trying to get him out in the easiest way possible. It's the same shit that got them into this position in the first place, why would they change?
November 9th, 2011 at 10:45 AM ^
If he was asked and refuses, the BoT needs to drop a pair and boot him. Giving in to Paterno right now might avoid a shitstorm, but as details come out and people realize you cut a deal with him, that will be a worse firestorm by far.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:53 AM ^
The BoT are already investigating. They should be placing him on paid administrative leave until the investigation concludes. I think he should be cut loose right now, but at least that's a way to keep him away from the program for the remainder of the year (and his contract).
It's better than pretending nothing is wrong and allowing him to stay.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:43 AM ^
There really isn't anyone at Penn State to force an earlier retirement. The AD's gone and the president is up to his eyeballs in this mess and should be gone, too.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:45 AM ^
They have a Board of Trustees.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:50 AM ^
They may not be enabled to depending on their by-laws. It may require them hiring an interim to make that action legal.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
it's official: http://eye-on-college-football.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/24156338/33203302?ttag=gen10_on_all_fb_na_txt_0001
includes JoePa statement.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:50 AM ^
This decision isn't really in their hands anymore. The tidal wave of public outcry will make sure Paterno and his staff are out before the end of the season. The administration should make it easier on themselves and get it over with now but they can't see past their little insulated world of Happy Valley. If anyone at PSU had the ability to see the forest for the trees then this terrible situation where a child molester was given refuge wouldn't have happened in the first place. It's sickening.
November 9th, 2011 at 11:05 AM ^
I can't imagine what the reaction will be if he "coaches" this weekend. It's going to be a media feeding frenzy.
And oh, Penn State's next games are in Columbus and Madison. There's no way he travels, is there?
November 9th, 2011 at 11:21 AM ^
What if they win those games and make it to the Big Ten title game? I can't imagine how that would go if he was still coaching then too.
November 9th, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^
With all this swirling around them?! It's a big plus on the field for their opponents....but I wouldn't want to be hosting them and that shitstorm this weekend for a win or anything else.
November 9th, 2011 at 10:59 AM ^
Joe Paterno statement: "I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief. I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today. That's why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more. My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.
November 9th, 2011 at 11:09 AM ^
Joe's attorney writes a real nice statement that's for sure.
November 9th, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^
It should be the Board of Trustees at Paterno State University. PSU should be decisive here - not the bunch of do-nothing, wieners they've been acting like. The BOT apparently came out with a stronger statement than their lame-duck President. What they should do to reduce the stench of this scandal is to fire anyone and everyone who had anything to do with enabling Sandusky AND knew what he had done. Having the AD on leave of absence is a joke. He's one of the most guilty people in this coverup. The President should obviously go soon also, and it appears his support within the BOT is almost gone.
November 9th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
If the BoT doesn't take control and force him out immediately, or at a minimum put him on administrative leave so he has no active duties, then they too have lost moral authority. The man enabled child molestation for a decade FERGODSAKES. How in the world is he still on the job? I cannot fathom it.