anybody else watch this garbage? wow. He claimed the Sandusky period of sexual abuse was a "little" chapter in Joe Paterno's life. Wake up! 14 years out of what a 55 year career? little? Really? He did not do his family any good with that interview. Rinaldi finally came across as a tough reporter instead of the softie role he normally fills.
EDIT: I later realized the OP was about what I'm (here) writing about, but I acted as I was just revealing it on this thread. My bad... so, consider I am just continuing the discussion... Wait till you hear Joe's son, Jay, talking on ESPN. Appalling! He's dissing Says it's nothing new after 3,000,000 documents. On and on. The guy is throwing kerosene on a roaring fire. He's talking legal mumbo jumbo. I predict that interview is going to be replayed and pointed to as "just don't get it" element that it is.
Look, his dad just got fired, got cancer, and died within a very short period of time. His dad is getting trashed in the media. I would likely be doing the same thing he's doing given the circumstances.
Jay: Joe Paterno's legacy will NEVER recover from this. This horrible situation will forever cloud all the good things he did. Nike has already taken his name off some child shelter that had his name associated with it. Others will try to disconnect from him / his name or his legacy. This thing will also be a large stain on PSU for a long-long time. As many people at PSU that had knowledge of this, bungled it or did little to nothing to fully investigate it / cover it up - ultimately, Joe Paterno had more power than anyone else at State Penn to take some action to stop it or make sure others in the administration did something to stop it. Sorry, but Paterno KNEW what Sandusky was doing. He chose to protect his coaching friend, the PSU brand and his legacy by essentially doing nothing but saying he told others about it. Lame Joe, lame. Those kids paid the price....not you, not PSU.
Section- the nation will recover much sooner after BHO goes away than PSU. The Nittany Lion Nation will be tarnished for at least one or two generations from this scandal. It will cost that University and the State of PA taxpayers - hundreds of millions of $$$ to settle these lawsuits.
On Pardon the Interruption. I think the guest host, Bob-what's-his'name from Boston, said it best when he said Paterno simply thought it was "ikky" and brushed it off refusing to see it for what it really was.
I truly now feel that Sandusky knew of misdealings and chicanery by Paterno and staff in the past. I think they were afraid that he would tell if arrested or got into trouble somehow. That combined with other things could be totally possible and I think it silly to rule it out. I have to wonder what Sandusky had over them. Doesn't matter now since Joe's legacy is forever tainted. So is his win record. The controversy would have cost them recruits and the negative pub and effect would have taken some of those away. The record does not exist as far as I am concerned and I hope that the powers that be soon feel the same way and it's taken away.
Stop calling the son of a ***** "JoePa". It was a nickname of respect and reverence. He only deserves those things in hell.
sanc·ti·mo·ni·ous -- Adjective: derogatory. Making a show of being morally superior to other people. That is why I am pounding the drum and beating this into the ground. For years that program under it's King, paraded themselves with sanctimony. It was the one thing they shoved in all directions, and now their King apparently didn't want anything 'ikky' to mess up his sanctimonious Kingdom. And his family is engaged in the ikkiest example of propaganda to keep propping it up. Hence, I bang.
WoosterMan, Well put, but if you can talk to anyone who knew Joe Paterno or worked for him, everyone of them will tell you that he would NEVER protect anyone but Joe Paterno and his selfish desires. He was State Penn and did some great things there for the library, etc, but make no mistake about it, this was a man who: 1) built his coaching record on the back of creampuffs and nobodys rather than playing real opponents. 2) was the only HC I know of who openly refused to play the #1 team for the National Championship and then whined and pissed and moaned about not being voted #1. Again, that was a season where he played NOBODY and went 10-0. 3) was concerned only about winning and getting the most wins. I met him, didn't like him, and have openly said these thiings for years. I do find it interesting that a former Paterno friend and assistant went to a BCS AD several years ago and told the man not to hire Sandusky as HC. I'm not sure that he knew about Sandusky's actions (which I think he would have blown the whistle on), just saying that he told that AD to stay away. Switzer told ESPn that State Penn's entire staff had to know.
Danno, You could be more wrong, not with your words but with your insenuation. Switzer may have cheated his *** off, but I've never known a coach who cared more about his players and still does. I've watched the man grieve over palyers like Rod Choate that he couldn't help overcome their problems. There is an ocean of difference between the cheating that Switzer, Hill, Pettibone, Lacewell, et al did and what has happened at State Penn. For the most part, OU fans never knew what was going on in their program and didn't care as long as they were battling for national titles. State Penn fans never knew what was going on and, for the most part, are now in total denial as to the coverup and "get me the record at all cost" philosophy that existed for years at that school. SA police should have locked Sandusky up back in 98.
Yes, Switzer is better than Paterno. However, Switzer is also a cheating, no good SOB. Cheating SOB is Darryl Royal's description of Switzer. My description of Switzer cannot be printed on this board. What's next? A description of Jane Fonda that she really cares about her family and fellow actors?
The worst part of this story is the absolute lack of compassion for the victims. They wanted to treat Sandusky humanly. They wanted to protect the school and of course the money. But no one ever mentioned the poor children being raped. The new report includes a janitor who is also a Korean War Veteran, and his words remembering catching Sandusky in the act: "that was the worst thing I ever saw." He and the other janitors did nothing about this for fear of losing their jobs. Shame on them. This is one of the most despicable cover ups I have ever heard of.
Joe Paterno was a major factor in covering up the abuses of a sexual predator. Had he not died he likely would be prosecuted, and he would have deserved it. Paterno's actions allowed the predator to continue to abuse boys, wounding them, damaging lives forever. Paterno's image is more than tarnished. His imaged is irrevocably soiled. He is disqualified from the list of coaches that could be considered true role models and leaders of young men.
Sabre, My comment was intended to be a bit sarcastic (despite the absence of an emoticon), but also contained a bit of truth in terms of how far a program will sometimes go to "circle the wagons" and protect its reputation when the best approach would be to take swift and decisive action to address problems when they arise and become know to the powers-that-be. I dare say that lots of shenanigans went on under Switzer's watch that he allowed to occur (perhaps, in part, because he did care about his players and coaches so much) instead of dealing with them in a more responsible manner. Now, in saying all that, I certainly wasn't trying to compare Switzer to Paterno, nor was I trying to equate what happened at Penn State to what happened to OU. What happened at Penn State was very disturbing at multiple levels- something much worse than the problems that existed under Switzer.
TEXASMADE, my point is that all of this (his Dad's demise) came about too quickly. His son is in denial, which is not really an unnatural response. Given time, I expect he will come to grips with the reality of the situation. I'm speaking as someone who's recently lost his father. Thanks for the personal attack.
my bro-in-law used to work with one of Paterno's sons. He was happy to be in TX far far away from his Dad. Coach made his life miserable for not choosing football as a career path.
Blood is thicker than water. Jay Paterno doesn't have a leg to stand on in trying to make some kind of argument for not judging his dad, but Joe Paterno was his dad. I have to agree with a poster above...in my heart of hearts, I might condemn my dad for not looking after the welfare of Sandusky's victims, but publicly, I'd probably try to find some way to defend him. There are a lot of things in the Freeh report that make me MUCH angrier than Jay Paterno's attempted defense of his dad.
And in the end (sic!) the Joe Paterno Family Clan stuck it to Penn State University good and proper. Wait'll you get a load in the facts and details of this little write up in the NY Times. Paterno Won Sweeter Deal Even as Scandal Played Out -- NY Times ($ if you go over 10 articles/month)
I haven't read any of these responses...just saw JAY PATERNO in the subject... I really think this guy has to be devastated by all of the news since November on top of losing his Dad. I would be defending my Dad as much as I could and sure I would sound like someone that was searching for words. Give the guy a break. This poor family will never get over this. The whole thing SUCKS. I'm devastated as well, thought Paterno was a decent man. NOT!
