Should the Joe Paterno Statue Come Down in Happy Valley?

[Enfuego]

Joe Paterno will be a case study in morals and self righteousness for years to come. On one hand you had a guy who would carefully count every contact with a recruit, wouldn't share a dime with one if it wasn't in line with even the most minor or obscure NCAA regulation, who instilled strict discipline with his staff, and supervised even the pettiest of moral issues at PSU, while at the same time ignoring and in fact covering up ongoing and multi-year repeated child rape and pedophilia right in front of his nose. He would have been a prize for any phychiatrist out there trying to crack what was going on in that brain.

I ask again, how did Joe Paterno cover this up? If he did, wouldn't he have been charged?

 

[CujoLatte]

Joe Paterno will be a case study in morals and self righteousness for years to come. On one hand you had a guy who would carefully count every contact with a recruit, wouldn't share a dime with one if it wasn't in line with even the most minor or obscure NCAA regulation, who instilled strict discipline with his staff, and supervised even the pettiest of moral issues at PSU, while at the same time ignoring and in fact covering up ongoing and multi-year repeated child rape and pedophilia right in front of his nose. He would have been a prize for any phychiatrist out there trying to crack what was going on in that brain.

Just the fact that you pointed out how meticulous the guy was, tells me maybe he really did not understand what was going on. Or he would have reported as per his nature of doing everything perfectly.....no?

 

[Enfuego]

Couple things
1) Half-inclined to believe Paterno's family after today's press release, why would an organization selectively leak information? Doesn't add up but will let the facts speak for themselves when everything is released, and read as much as I can to form own opinion.

2) Still don't understand how throughout the entire legal process, not one light shone on the missing DA from what, 2005, who was investigating? That is absolutely absurd to me.

3) The people eating up these ESPN articles about the Curley email mentioning Paterno need only look further than the NBC producer who got fired for editing the Zimmerman/Martin 911 tape. Do your due diligence. The media distorts everything. Not saying Paterno will make out OK here, but this is politics. Just like the reason the PA official waited to prosecute. The most damning statement was of the person who observed the official celebrating as if he won the superbowl when the Sandusky case broke. Who celebrates the announcement of these kinds of charges?

4) Interesting that they still haven't identified the victim who McQueary observed in the shower that day

5) Interesting the most visibly upset victim in the courtroom following the judgment was the victim who wasn't even abused

6) We all want to believe high profile coaches and athletes are always above the law and can coerce law enforcement to 'look the other way' time and time again. But don't we get a ton of examples to prove that this isn't ALWAYS the case? E.G. Petrino, Adrian Peterson, Aldon Smith, these are just the latest examples. Not all law enforcement officers bow to our God-like heroes. Many, sure, but not all. But if there was this massive cover up, SOMEONE investigate the fucking DA who went missing. Jesus.

Dsethi, good points. You are well aware some guys on these boards won't even read the published documents regarding the case. They'll simply watch ESPN or read an article in the paper and make statements. It's counterproductive.

 

[PatsFanatic]

Freeh report out...Haven't read it. But WEEI reading quotes and it buries Paterno, Curley and them all.

They all knew and hid it.

Tear the statue down!

 

[PatsFanatic]

Look, I think the coach used some poor judgement in this entire situation. I think he had some information that something inappropriate was taking place with Sandusky and reported it but didn't look into it any further which I think he had an obligation to do. The million dollar question is should that poor judgement override his 50+ years of legend? In my opinion, no it should not.

You still feel this way?

 

[SECplayer]

Thank goodness they didn't end up naming the stadium after him. Supposedly they offered that to the family but the family declined.

Tear the statute down immediately.

 

[Albatross]

Going to get nasty I do believe. Will Penn State be able to continue football after this or will they fall to the likes of Minnesota & Indiana?

 

[DrunkenHorseplayer]

Sandusky was barred from bringing children to campus so they must have at least strongly suspected, if not known, he was a pedophile. Take the statue down and tarnish Paterno's legacy; he deserves every bit of it.

 

[PatsFanatic]

They knew EVERYTHING. And hid it. Proven. Done, end of story.

Good night Joe

 

[KillaRSox]

The whole situation is disgusting but IMO this new investigation was only done to protect the arses of the board of trustees

 

[Jstack34]

Guess all the people calling out JoPa were right. Lots of people in here jumped to his defense and were actually way off base

 

[GoSooners]

I ask again, how did Joe Paterno cover this up? If he did, wouldn't he have been charged?

Read the report out today from Penn State. If this doesn't change your mind, then your just arguing for arguments sake. Despite being so meticulous in every other aspect of the way he conducted himslef, Paterno totally missed the morality boat on this one.


http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-07-12/penn-state-report-joe-paterno-role-sandusky-scandal-louis-freeh-investigation?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D178110

 

[SECplayer]

Anyone attempting to defend JoePa's actions or inaction likely does not have children of their own.

JoePa is disgraceful and disgusting. An enabler of a child molester. I can't even fathom how one could decide to look the other way over all these years. Knowing that he had easy access to young underprivileged kids (i.e., the perfect target for Sandusky). Over 14 years, how did JoePa (and others) not shudder every time they saw Sandusky with a kid and wander what might have been going on?

Fuck you Payerno. Rot in hell.

For what it's worth, the same thing goes for the others in charge of Penn St too. But any boss JoePa had was in tite only. He ran that place. No doubt about it.

 

[smokeabowl]

They ought to just shut that shit program down. Who the fuck would want to have anything to do with Penn St football going forward?

 

[GoSooners]

NBC Sports has already released an article advocating the Death Penalty

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48126484/ns/sports-college_football?ns=sports-college_football

 

[REDEYE]

Statue has to come down

 

[PatsFanatic]

They will bring it down. Won't happen immediately but it will happen.

Penn St. is fortunate they had a great fund raising year. They will need every penny of it!

 

[thekeyman]

i always knew paterno was no good and this just proves it.i never liked penn st and im glad i never did,they hid everything that scumbag sandusky did and paterno is at the head of this.as they are saying he ruled that university and did nothing to protect those victims of sandusky.paterno is a scumbag also don't let me forget to point that out and not only will the statue come down i hope the school falls also.

 

[red007]

bring down the statue..give penn state football the death penalty.

 

[YourAllAmerican]

Read the report out today from Penn State. If this doesn't change your mind, then your just arguing for arguments sake.

Dead on. The Freeh report leaves very little doubt that Paterno knew about Sandusky molesting kids as early as 1998.

I have mixed feelings about shutting down the Penn State football program for a couple of seasons -- it does seem unfair to the players who are there now and had nothing to do with any of this mess -- but mostly I think it's something the NCAA should consider very, very strongly.