Wall Street Journal: Paterno Done

Wax, if she knew then she should have come forward too.

I understand what you're trying to say, but I don't agree. READ BELOW. Some of this from PSU reporter Mark Madden .....

This tragic situation is an unwillingness to connect obvious dots that, if connected back in 2002, would have caused extreme embarrassment and damage to a university, to a storied football program and to it’s legendary head coach. That’s why Joe Paterno and others have some explaining to do.

Allegations of improper conduct with an underage male first surfaced in 1998, while Jerry Sandusky was still employed by Penn State.

That first incident also allegedly occurred in a shower at Penn State's on-campus football facility. No charges were filed. Paterno was aware of these allegations against his trusted right hand man. In fact, it was widely reported that Paterno was reluctant to speak at Sandusky's retirement dinner and when he did, it was uncomfortably short.

Sandusky retired a year later, in 1999. When he retired he was only 55, prime age for a coach. The timing was odd, to say the least, for it was thought at the time that Paterno would retire and Sandusky would eventually be his successor.

Therefore, it seems reasonable to ask: Did Penn State not make an issue of Sandusky's alleged behavior in 1998 in exchange for him walking away from the program at an age premature for most coaches?

Did Penn State's considerable influence help get Sandusky off the hook?

Don't kid yourself, and do not underestimate the power of Paterno and Penn State in central Pennsylvania when it comes to politicians, the police and the media.

So we know that in 1999 Penn State was rid of Sandusky. His reputation was unblemished and this allowed him to continue running a charitable foundation that gave him access to underage males. It also allowed Sandusky to be a volunteer assistant with a high school football team, thus gaining access to underage males.

If Paterno and Penn State knew, but didn't act, instead facilitating Sandusky's untroubled retirement, Paterno and Penn State responsible/complicit for the criminal acts committed since 1999 by Sandusky?

To recap: Initially accused in 1998. Paterno was aware of these allegations. Retires in 1999. Never coaches college football again. Why?

Sandusky was very successful at what he did. The architect of “Linebacker U.” He helped win national championships in 1982 and 1986. Recognized as college football's top assistant in 1986 and 1999.

And yet there were never any stories about Sandusky being pursued for a high-profile job. There were never any rumors about him coming out of retirement.

Again, why did Penn State let an accomplished coach like Sandusky walk away at 55? A highly accomplished coach, heir apparent to Paterno, disappears after 1999 into relative anonymity. Why?

Connect the dots. The answer is obvious.

 

Glad he got fired. This whole thing makes me sick. If I ever caught someone doing that to a kid, mine or anyone else's, someone would probably have to call the cops on me. Paterno's inaction is bad enough, if a wider coverup is brought to light, I can't imagine the ramifications. Are state institutions exempt from lawsuits?

 

These students rioting and destroying vehicles in defense of Paterno should be ashamed.

What are they thinking??? "He let his friend continue to rape little boys, but it should be ok because he donated money for a library and won a lot of games.....And since they fired him over the phone, so let's turn over a van and smash some car windows!"

 

I think you could sue the state but the amount you can sue for may be limited. I know the Nashville city gov. was sued for an accident a few years ago and the limit was 500,000. I assume we will find out in a little while.

 

Sounds like it's more than that.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/colleges/133584523.html

 

You folks are grasping at straws, jumping on the witch-hunt bandwagon like everyone else.

Here's a thought you might not have considered, that is supported by the Grand Jury Report - Mike McQueary, the Grad Assistant who told Joe of what he saw in the Showers with Sanduski, was not-exactly forthcoming or articulate with details that would have correctly informed Paterno what had actually transpired in the shower room. McQueary was on-record with his Grand Jury testimony as NOT mentioning anal sex/sodomy or 'rape' to Joe Paterno. Paterno's testimony corroborates what he was told with what McQueary testified to what he said to Paterno - there is no cover-up, but the details were the devil here. Should Paterno have done more? Sure - if he had known more. We don't know what we don't know. And there are things we DON"T want to know about, or think its our place to play CSI State College - they pay other people for that. But his firing has made a terrible situation even worse, and I think a great deal of the "We're-Glad" crowd is mouthing-off because for DECADES Penn State has previously held the moral high-ground in Collegiate athletics that other programs could only wet-dream about, and now they think they can wear the crown. We all fall-short somewhere, at some time. Just be glad ESPN isn't there to cover it, or someone doesn't post it to a website. There are no heroes in this - those that think Paterno was playing CYA have no clue what they're talking about. He was never, EVER that kind of guy. He still isn't - you didn't see him hiding-out in a hotel room after he got fired, did you? Or hiding behind a lawyer? Wanna preach about 'Moral Obligations'? Talk to me after you file your taxes, or slide-out from under that speeding ticket....

 

So you are saying that the McCreary / JoePa exchange went something like:

M: "Hey coach last night I was in the locker room and heard some strange noises, so I went to see what it was and it was coach Sandusky and someone else. I'm very troubled by what I saw and I don't know what to do."

P: "So you are troubled by what you saw?"

M: "Yes, it is troubling. I think the AD should know about it."

P: "Well, I don't know exactly what you saw or mean, but I'll tell the AD there was a troubling site in the lockerroom showers with coach Sandusky and someone else."

Sounds likely!


BT

 

Also, JoePa had a conversation that Sandusky needed to either be committed to the football program or his children's pipeline (err, charity), and that he could not have "Two masters." Sounds a bit like JoePa understood the sickness Sandusky had and maybe was trying to get him to just go gay and stop with the pedophilia. Sandusky chose to go away from football, but Sandusky maintained some ties to the university as evidenced by his continued title and facilities appropriations.

By the time 2002 rolled around it is pretty likely that Sandusky was using the non action from 1998 to sort of blackmail the PSU people. "Turn a blind eye" seems to be the new motto for PSU.

McCreary should definitely be out as well. He is more culpable than Paterno even though he is not the face of the program.


BT

 

The devil was at penn state and he had a supporting cast that let him get away with what he did over a prolonged period of time.

If it was your son or little brother was one of the victims would you still be of the same position as you provided above.

And to attempt to equate taxes or a speeding ticket to the situation at hand in PA is more than a little mind boggling to put it politely... let us know when your head comes out of the sand and you start to see what really happened.

 

It also seems there are even more disturbing details that will come to light regarding the nature of Sandusky's activities.

understatement of the century, "I should have done more".

The sun sets and rises with him around there, if he wanted anything handled it would have, he didn't, he's a chickens*t like the rest of those that took part in sweeping this under the rug...

 

Why would you think they should be ashamed? Isn't it expected, aren't they training to be Philadelphia Eagles fans while at Penn State?

 

Seems more likely it went like this.......
M: (wow look at that, I can use this)

M: "Hey coach, I just saw your buddy Jerry raping a kid in the shower, check out these cell phone pics"

P: Awe, S#!+, not again.

M: Think you could get with the A.D. and get me that coaching job so these stay on my phone?

P: Well, you are good at making coffee

M: By the way old man, stick around a few more years so I can move up to Offensive coordinator eventually after receivers and then take over this gravy train, I'd like to get a library or something named after me in few years.

P: (Why did I ever hire Jerry)

 

[QUOTE=alfas;140962439
understatement of the century, "I should have done more".


At this point he should remain silent, he has rights and it would be best for his continued freedom to exercise those right.

 

LOL! Too bad the old man can't really get what he deserves from ths victims. Sandusky and Paterno go way back, I highly doubt JoePa didn't know what Jerry was doing. It is a little surprising that PSU isn't even a catholic university (I'm catholic so I get to throw that one in).

I was a little surprised that JoePa didn't announce that he would be retiring the spring after he turned 100.


BT

 

Not sure how they can name Sandusky's DIRECT replacement as the interim coach who worked for him...

33 years is long enough to know where bodies are buried and more than covers the time window of all of these grievous acts.

When you have to repeatedly say "no comment" to questions because you were on staff at the time of these offenses is not the guy you want even in the short term.

Seems football continues to be more important than credibility which got them into this situation in the first place...

I don't care what happens this saturday, you don't put Sandusky's direct replacement into the head coaches job under these circumstances or any for that matter and expect to be taken seriously as intending to rebuild from the s*itstorm.

 

He knew, end of story. To think otherwise is naive, especially given the relationship he and Sandusky had.

No one is suggesting that JoePa did anything criminal, but as the head of the program, he is disgraced. I think the lack of action from him is nothing short of deplorable. If it were me, Sandusky would have been FIRED ON THE SPOT and the authorities called in.

I coach a soccer team, and if anything was REMOTELY out of line, I deal with it ASAP. We aren't talking actions like this either - even something like a parent or coach that's gone too far, I nip it in the bud. That didn't happen here.

Sorry, but I have little sympathy for anyone at or associated with Penn State that knew and didn't do anything. The only thing I feel is heartache for the poor boys that were defiled at the hands of sick man.

 

What McQueary told Paterno in 2002, and what he told the Grand jury 8 years later are probably very different.

The mere fact that Paterno had known of the previous allegations before this, and let the matter be handled internally is troubling. No university is capable of investigating something like this, and the fact that the DA didn't bring charges on an earlier charge, doesn't excuse them from reporting other incidents to the police.

 

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/DA-Who-Never-Charged-Sandusky-Has-Been-Missing-Since-2005-133615093.html

Now a possible murder at Penn State????

 

Oh, but if Sandusky was a priest and Paterno a Bishop instead of a football god then all these PATERNO defenders and sympathizers would be the first one getting the kindling together to roast him.

 

Yes it does seem football is still the most important thing around there. THEY ALL NEED TO GO. Close the whole place down and bulldoze it, it is run by the worst kind of scum out there and they are proving everyday that none of them have any redeeming qualities.

 

Orenthal James seemed like a pretty good guy until the sunlight came out, too. Paterno is a POS. Nothing excuses his lack of action.

 

OJ might be their next coach, he would fit right in with 'em and might be the only person willing to take the job. When does he get out anyway? Maybe a work release?

 

Instead of claiming there is some conspiracy by "other programs", or regurgitating something you saw on ESPN, or trying to compare this situation to getting a speeding ticket, look at the facts.

FACTS:

Mike McQueary, then a graduate assistant and now an assistant coach at Penn State, witnessed Sandusky sodomizing a 10 year old boy. McQueary calls his father. His father tells his son to call Joe Paterno. So he calls Paterno.

Paterno and McQueary meet at Paterno's house on a Saturday morning. According to the grand jury report, on that Saturday at Paterno's home, the graduate assistant told Paterno "what he had seen."

Before the grand jury, Paterno testified that he was told that Sandusky was seen by McQueary "fondling or doing something of a sexual nature to a young boy." Paterno also testified that what McQueary saw was "disturbing."

No need to "grasp at straws", it's in the Grand Jury Report.

Regardless of what level of detail of the sexual assault Paternoa was provided, it was enough that Joe Paterno should have involved the police. Paterno was informed that there was a sexual crime committed in Penn State's locker room against a child!

(BTW, is anyone so naive as to think Paterno wasn't told in that Saturday meeting exactly what happened in that locker room between Sandusky and the boy?)

Therefore, what else did Paterno need to know? Paterno knew something of a "sexual nature" was being done to a child. McQueary should have called the police too. They are both culpable, but Paterno's failure reveals a gross lack of institutional control.

EDIT: WEEI Radio in Boston reporting that authorities are investigating whether Sandusky was pimping out young boys. Not confirmed, but investigating. This is really an ugly situation and Paterno and others could have put a stop to this years ago.

 

Bradley - "proud to have worked for joe"

seriously???

 

PERJURY is a crime.