Say it ain't so, Joe

[Saintsfan]

Paterno is in a position of authority. If McQuery was responsible for doing something, and he was, then Paterno was as well. That's the burden of position.

The whole point of the article is that molesters don't look, act or in any way seem like molesters to people that are close to them. Paterno was close to Sanduskey so therefore it was simpler for Paterno to minimize, to himself, Sanduskey's crimes.

There are people in this thread, frankly, who are acting as if they know everything about an issue, which thankfully, few people know anything about. I think it's too easy to be critical of Paterno in a situation where noone posting, as far as I know, can have any certainty about how they would act. I am sure we would all like to think we would be more forceful in passing up the information, or that we would just go to the police, but noone can say they would, honestly, with any certainty, for reasons the article explains.

[BBTV]

. Like I said not just the Athletic Department should be turned upside down, but the whole university from the top down.

Pretty sure the engineering department is in good shape, and nobody in the finance department was covering up rapes. Anyone in the upper administration including the president certainly needs to go, but people are acting like Penn St degrees are now worthless and the school itself should close.

[Waffles]

Joe Paterno has to go now. Not at the end of the season, not after their Bowl game. Now. He is not fit to hold that position.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

According to the report, Paterno really didn't do anything wrong. It's a shame that perhaps the most illustrious coach in the history of college football should be forced into retirement.

He didn't do anything right either. That's the problem.

[MC2]

According to the report, Paterno really didn't do anything wrong. It's a shame that perhaps the most illustrious coach in the history of college football should be forced into retirement.

If you had even an inkling of a potential child molester/rapist being on your campus, much less have free reign to facilities, and you do nothing, how can you not be charged at the least with criminal negligence?

But since he's a great football coach we'd better handle this slowly and delicately, let's be sure we get him a parade while we're at it. Paterno should be lucky retirement is the only thing he's facing.

He told the AD, what else can he do? He can't go to the police, he wasn't a witness, he was going off what he was told.

[CS85]

I can't believe Joe referenced the football game on Saturday during the rally around his house. I mean, my god. How can you even think about football right now. What a pig.

Let it burn, I hope the whole holy guts get ripped out of PSU, from the the top down.

[Cujo]

Let it burn, I hope the whole holy guts get ripped out of PSU, from the the top down.

As a Colorado fan, I have NEVER liked, nor have I once rooted for the Nebraska Cornhuskers -- until this Saturday.

(Please beat the holy out of Paterno! ...if he hasn't been fired by then.)

[Gothamite]

He told the AD, what else can he do? He can't go to the police, he wasn't a witness, he was going off what he was told.

He should have acted like an adult, instead of a coward. He should have worked to stop enabling a serial rapist of children. He should have used the tiniest bit of the power he accumulated in the program.

From CS85's friend's excellent article:

Does anything about this case bother you?

You mean aside from all the children who were raped and sodomized so that a football program could maintain its sterling reputation?

Yes.

From a legal standpoint, it bothers me that Joe Paterno, the person who arguable had more power than anyone else in the Athletic Department, is being treated by prosecutors as a hapless employee who did the best he could in reporting vague allegations to Curley and Schulz. I would argue that Paterno is one of the most powerful men at Penn State. Hes certainly more of an administrator than a mere employee. Had they wanted to, prosecutors could have easily made a case against Paterno. They chose not to.

The motive in not doing so is obvious.

I couldn't agree more. Pathetic.

[RichardWitham]

i hope nebraska beats penn state 77-nil.

[CS85]

Have you seen the video from last night? These PSU frat pigs surrounded his house chanting his name blindly in support? And Joe comes out to address the crowd. Did he say:

A: "This isn't the time for cheers or rallies, lives have been ruined. Go home."

B: "I am ashamed and will be forever shamed for failing to allow this horror to occur on my watch."

C: "I appreciate the support but considering what the hell is going on you should all be ashamed to be supporting me, an enabler of decades of child rape."

D: "We're all Penn State, pray for the kids that got involved in this, and let's go beat Nebraska in the football game on Saturday."

If you chose option D, you are correct.

Joe's arrogant sanctimonious ass came out and treated this like a pep rally.

How does this not make your blood boil? Good lord, what a disgrace to the human race this whole disgusting ring of corrupt money hoarding face-saving pedophile-enabling system of PSU officials are.

edit:

allow me to post Paterno's direct quote, for accuracy:

"We're going to start praying for those kids that got involved with some of the problems that were talked about."

"We're always going to be Penn State," Paterno said. "I'm proud of you. I've always been proud of you. Beat Nebraska."

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/11/09/1629918/fans-debate-paternos-future.html

Kids that got involved, eh? Those kids got involved with that Second Mile program, they demanded to touch Sandusky's erection in the shower, they got in the showers with a naked grown adult so they should've known better, eh?

[Gothamite]

Exactly.

The man's a scumbag.

[oddball]

Until the 100% truth comes out, I won't judge anyone. There's a lot we haven't heard and we don't know. Here's the real question, why is this coming out now and not then? If this is true, why wasn't this a big deal in 1998 or 2002? I'm not saying that Joe didn't know, but the question is what he knew. A lot of times we sit here and say, "Oh he should've known", but the truth of the matter is a lot of people have skeletons in the closet and I'm speaking of Sandusky, that they know how to hide well.

[bosrs1]

According to the report, Paterno really didn't do anything wrong. It's a shame that perhaps the most illustrious coach in the history of college football should be forced into retirement.

If you had even an inkling of a potential child molester/rapist being on your campus, much less have free reign to facilities, and you do nothing, how can you not be charged at the least with criminal negligence?

But since he's a great football coach we'd better handle this slowly and delicately, let's be sure we get him a parade while we're at it. Paterno should be lucky retirement is the only thing he's facing.

He told the AD, what else can he do? He can't go to the police, he wasn't a witness, he was going off what he was told.

Actually he can go to the police with his concerns. You don't have to be a witness to report it if you suspect it. All he had to do was give them McCreary's name and he would still have his sterling rep. But alas he chose to ignore it as he did in 98 as well, as he's STILL choosing to ignore it. When it was just one little incident that he didn't supposedly didn't know much about Paterno was defensible. Now... forget it. He knew all the sick details and did nothing when all he had to do was pick up the phone and dial the police.

[Lee.]

Exactly.

The man's a scumbag.

What do you want him to say? There's a criminal investigation going on. He can't exactly come out like the Pope and directly reference the situation, all he can say without getting further mired in legalities is, "thanks gang, go Penn."

[Gothamite]

Until the 100% truth comes out, I won't judge anyone. There's a lot we haven't heard and we don't know. Here's the real question, why is this coming out now and not then? If this is true, why wasn't this a big deal in 1998 or 2002? I'm not saying that Joe didn't know, but the question is what he knew. A lot of times we sit here and say, "Oh he should've known", but the truth of the matter is a lot of people have skeletons in the closet and I'm speaking of Sandusky, that they know how to hide well.

So when did you go to Penn State?

[Gothamite]

Exactly.

The man's a scumbag.

What do you want him to say? There's a criminal investigation going on. He can't exactly come out like the Pope and directly reference the situation, all he can say without getting further mired in legalities is, "thanks gang, go Penn."

I want him to not refer to the victims as "those kids that got involved".

If he can't say anything, then he should not have said anything. But to turn child rape into a pep rally?

Scumbag.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Exactly.

The man's a scumbag.

What do you want him to say? There's a criminal investigation going on. He can't exactly come out like the Pope and directly reference the situation, all he can say without getting further mired in legalities is, "thanks gang, go Penn."

I'm in the "Paterno is currently a non-functioning senile old man" camp, so I take his present-day actions with a grain of salt. It's the Paterno of a decade ago I have a problem with.

EDIT: I also think we're applying filters on Paterno's speech he likely can't place himself. I don't think it's appropriate for anyone to look at him as any sort of spokesman. What's concerning is that so far, current PSU administrators are too happy to hide behind their mascot rather than take any heat themselves.

Penn State sucks.

[WJMorris3]

At this point, I am ashamed that my county managed to elect someone who could have stopped this as a freeholder. I know he only played half a season before quitting because he couldn't hack it at Penn State, but still, no excuse. He had to have known something.

[The_Admiral]

People had to have known stuff for years now. State College is a tiny little town in the mountains. There's nothing around it. I checked! How does word not get around? How does it not become an open secret kept within the meritocracy of the football fiefdom? People had to have been like "well, he has his appetites, but hey, Linebacker U!"

[CS85]

Exactly.

The man's a scumbag.

What do you want him to say? There's a criminal investigation going on. He can't exactly come out like the Pope and directly reference the situation, all he can say without getting further mired in legalities is, "thanks gang, go Penn."

I want him to not refer to the victims as "those kids that got involved".

If he can't say anything, then he should not have said anything. But to turn child rape into a pep rally?

Scumbag.

Not to mention ol' JoePa tossing out that he's got 8,000 grandkids and how he prays for them. Who asked about Joe's kids or grandkids? Why try to deflect the issue and defend your character with such a trite blurb?

Another thing that's bothered me is this Second Mile thing...just how many pedophiles were involved on this? This virtual buffet of trouble kids isn't just something that Sandusky alone could've cherry picked. These pedophile sickos flock to organizations like this because it gives them the perfect excuse to gain repeat proximity to children, children who have already had lives troubled enough to land them in such an organization.

Who else? Has there been investigation into the number of donors to Second Mile or people who set up the infrastructure of this organization? This needs to be torn apart with the same bloodthirsty zeal as the Penn State staff members who turned a blind eye to child rape.

People had to have known stuff for years now. State College is a tiny little town in the mountains. There's nothing around it. I checked! How does word not get around? How does it not become an open secret kept within the meritocracy of the football fiefdom? People had to have been like "well, he has his appetites, but hey, Linebacker U!"

The establishment of the college within a 3-hours-from-anywhere sector was part of the point - what happens in Happy Valley stays in Happy Valley. University officials are in total control of every level of authority, which in college sports is nothing new. Players and coaches getting away with crimes is nothing new in the dirty world of college football...but child rape? Multiple accounts and eyewitnesses to child rape? Accommodating and enabling with a blind eye of child rape? Are you serious?