Say it ain't so, Joe

[NJTank]

When he was caught in 2002 he should have been permantly banned from campus at the very least. Of course the cops should have been called, but to do nothing is awful.

[RedSox44]

Jon Stewart puts a little bit of humor into this horrible, horrible situation by verbally destroying Sandusky.

http://gawker.com/5859949/jon-stewart-goes-off-on-jerry-sandusky

God leave it to Jon Stewart to say what we were all thinking. I mean if he were really innocent of this would he be so passive about the whole thing. I know if someone accused me of something like this and I'm innocent I'm screaming at the top of my lungs that I am. Not hemming and hawing. It really did sound like he almost wanted to admit it. Like he's one of those pervs you see on 48 hours or the like who don't see anything wrong with having sex with children. Sickos...

I honestly think that Sandusky WAS fighting the urge to come clean right there, but decided against it.

Stewart's epic facepalm after one of the soundbites played (forget which one) was freaking priceless.

Not to mention: "What creepy guy club do you both belong too?" XD

In the future it looks like their could be a significant increase in the death tax if Obama had his way, so selling the house to his wife was a very good idea. Joe Paterno has also had some recent health issues and at 85 it is wise to make some plans now in case something happens.

Let's see: so far in this thread, we've had pedophilia, the pope, college football, taxes, catholicism, ponies, Nazis, hockey, Family Guy, Jon Stewert, pirates of the Caribbean, and now, to make it all complete, we finally collected an Obama comment! This thread is turning out to be quite interesting.

This thread be headin' to the goldmine.

***NOTE: The above comment in reply to thespleenenator was intended to be sarcasm, just in case someone didn't get it.***

[Gothamite]

I think it's perfectly appropriate.

They sheltered him from the authorities, and continued to give him unfettered access to the facilities they knew he was using to rape kids.

How is that not enabling him?

I mean, if we're going to get into semantics, Merriam-Webster has this to say:

en·able verb \i-ˈnā-bəl\

Definition of ENABLE

transitive verb

1 a : to provide with the means or opportunity <training that enables people to earn a living>

b : to make possible, practical, or easy <a deal that would enable passage of a new law>

c : to cause to operate <software that enables the keyboard>

The first two definitions certainly fit Penn State's actions and inactions.

[CS85]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_767828.html#.TsU9dWSWRx8.twitter

Lawmakers are wanting an independent federal investigation into the scandal. It's got to be going that way eventually, there's nobody in that state that can be trusted with this case.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/11/exclusive_jerry_sandusky_inter.html

Also looks like Sandusky's appearance on TV has inspired more people to come forward.

Keep on making appearances, Sandusky! Dig your own grave.

[WJMorris3]

It is disgraceful that the Rose Bowl has gone on record and said that they'd accept Penn State in their bowl game.

[thespleenenator]

It is disgraceful that the Rose Bowl has gone on record and said that they'd accept Penn State in their bowl game.

Well, what else are they going to do, break their contract? I think they would much rather not have Penn State, but I think they were forced to say that because otherwise it would make quite a few people upset.

[CS85]

[dfwabel]

http://www.pittsburg...dWSWRx8.twitter

Lawmakers are wanting an independent federal investigation into the scandal. It's got to be going that way eventually, there's nobody in that state that can be trusted with this case.

But for that to really occur, the case of him taking a youth across state lines will have to be proven.

You are correct that State College and Center County, PA is so contaminated, that the potential for an additional cover-up is obvious. Most residents there are at most three degrees of separation away from either Penn State or The Second Mile (if not both).

[RyanMcD29]

I'll leave this here for now before more details are known, but there's now something going on here at Syracuse involving basketball assistant Bernie Fine

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/11/17/2569906/bernie-fine-syracuse-investigation-molesting-ball-boy-boeheim-coach

Uh oh.

[Lights Out]

This is shaping up to be the worst year in the history of college sports... starting off with tOSU's scandal, then Miami's, and then building into a crescendo where it's unfathomably discovered that schools are covering up child molestation.

[The_Admiral]

But for that to really occur, the case of him taking a youth across state lines will have to be proven.

Alamo Bowl?

[dfwabel]

But for that to really occur, the case of him taking a youth across state lines will have to be proven.

Alamo Bowl?

As I said that still must be proven outside of the victim's Grand Jury testimony. It could be as easy to have his name on a list of those on the team charter flight or just a photo of him inside the Alamodome but the Feds need to have that first.

[Viper]

When he was caught in 2002 he should have been permantly banned from campus at the very least. Of course the cops should have been called, but to do nothing is awful.

It seems to me the real "last best chance" for Penn State to have avoided this catastrophe was three years earlier, after Sandusky quit as an assistant coach, but was allowed to maintain his ties to the program. This was one year after his first brush with the law, so the other assistant coaches had to have known the guy was bad news. They should have gone to Paterno, preferably together, and basically told him either Sandusky goes or they go.

Worst-case scenario... well, I can't imagine it possibly being any worse than it is now. But at the very least, Paterno's entire staff resigning en masse would have sent up more red flags to the media than a May Day parade in Beijing. They'd immediately have known something was rotten in State College, something big, and in all likelihood blown the lid off this thing years ago.

Best-case scenario: Paterno heeds his assistants' warnings and kicks Sandusky to the curb, severing all ties. The "shower incident" never happens. Sandusky is still free to prey on boys elsewhere, but no longer able to hide behind Paterno or the PSU football program, so chances are he gets caught many years sooner than he actually was, and is far enough removed from PSU that the PR damage to the university is minimal.

[pcgd]

I'll leave this here for now before more details are known, but there's now something going on here at Syracuse involving basketball assistant Bernie Fine

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/11/17/2569906/bernie-fine-syracuse-investigation-molesting-ball-boy-boeheim-coach

Uh oh.

Wow, might be easier to start listing schools that don't have a pedophile on the payroll...

[NJTank]

The NCAA has issues

[Gothamite]

But for that to really occur, the case of him taking a youth across state lines will have to be proven.

Alamo Bowl?

As I said that still must be proven outside of the victim's Grand Jury testimony. It could be as easy to have his name on a list of those on the team charter flight or just a photo of him inside the Alamodome but the Feds need to have that first.

Are you sure that the Feds need proof? Seems to me that's the kind of thing they'd only get after the trial is over.

I thought if they had evidence of interstate activity they could file federal charges. Evidence such as victim testimony. They would then need to prove those charges in order to secure a conviction.

Any lawyers care to chime in?

[RedSox44]

I'll leave this here for now before more details are known, but there's now something going on here at Syracuse involving basketball assistant Bernie Fine

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/11/17/2569906/bernie-fine-syracuse-investigation-molesting-ball-boy-boeheim-coach

Uh oh.

Oh .

[dfwabel]

The NCAA has issues

Not quite.

The issue is within the education/higher education issue (more specifically athletic departments in how they are allowed to be treated as auxiliary corporations for tax reasons) and thus allowed to have and keep an insulated aura on campus and within the community. That, combined with, how someone who is given the term "Coach" with their name and it is deemed in higher esteem and as a moral figure.

The NCAA is made up of hundreds of schools who voluntarily join. The onus is on the individual institution, their leadership, and their community.

[dfwabel]

But for that to really occur, the case of him taking a youth across state lines will have to be proven.

Alamo Bowl?

As I said that still must be proven outside of the victim's Grand Jury testimony. It could be as easy to have his name on a list of those on the team charter flight or just a photo of him inside the Alamodome but the Feds need to have that first.

Are you sure that the Feds need proof? Seems to me that's the kind of thing they'd only get after the trial is over.

I thought if they had evidence of interstate activity they could file federal charges. Evidence such as victim testimony. They would then need to prove those charges in order to secure a conviction.

Any lawyers care to chime in?

The conversation of him apologizing to the mother of a victim for taking a shower with him could be enough.

If I have time (and she is at work), I will ask the general counsel at my job since her husband is an Assistant DA for our county.

That said, no practicing attorney should out themselves here as every fifth question in The Lounge would become about somebody's legal issues and the OP would take it as how his case would work out.

If not already posted, Penn State, like other large public universities have successfully fought not be a part of their state's Open Records Law.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I'll leave this here for now before more details are known, but there's now something going on here at Syracuse involving basketball assistant Bernie Fine

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/11/17/2569906/bernie-fine-syracuse-investigation-molesting-ball-boy-boeheim-coach

Uh oh.

Oh .

If this Syracuse thing ends up the same way Penn State did, I just might call it a day on sports fandom. I don't want any part of that.