JoePa "retiring" at end of season...Official(merged threads)

[Scooch]

I guess I'm in the minority that do actually feel sorry for Paterno. Now I'm not saying he handled the situation as best as he could, or very well for that matter. That said, it truly is sad to see a man who had been so vocal about priding himself on winning the right way to walk away not on his own terms. I just never thought I'd see the day when Joe-Pa would be leaving. He was a staple of college football for almost half a century and his entire coaching catalog will be forever tarnished. Maybe he deserves it, maybe he doesn't but I still do pity him in some ways. He was a mentor and father figure for thousands of players and now he will always be thought of this terrible thing that happened rather than all the good he did for the men on his teams and the sport in general. The man is and always should be a legend.

Let me reiterate that I do think he should have done more and it really is suspect he never checked up on the investigation more and should have done more to prevent the actions from happening rather than almost turning a blind eye.

Now if Sandusky gets convicted, which I assume so, then he can be put to death as far as I'm concerned. Reading the grand jury descriptions of the events were horrifying.

As the great Roy Hobbs once said...

"Some mistakes you never stop paying for."

I don't care how much "good" one does in their life, sometimes there are moments that define you. JoePa had one of those moments and failed ing miserably.

 

[gocraz4dasu]

A legend to all pedophiles in the world maybe.

Sorry, but anyone that looks at him as any kind of legend doesn't realize what the man did to many innocent children whose life's are probably messed to some extent if not totally.

I am fully aware of what SANDUSKY did to the children and the steps that Paterno did to prevent (not many). That does not mean I have to blind myself with hatred towards Paterno. In my eyes he is still a legend of the game and his affect/coaching tree will continue to sculpt the game.

 

[gocraz4dasu]

As the great Roy Hobbs once said...

"Some mistakes you never stop paying for."

I don't care how much "good" one does in their life, sometimes there are moments that define you. JoePa had one of those moments and failed ******* miserably.

That's your opinion. I'm not saying my opinion should be everyone's opinion. This is just how I view the situation and it should be respected just as I respect your opinion on it. I think it is a terrible situation but I will always think of JoePa as a college football legend.

 

[rrlbees]

I am fully aware of what SANDUSKY did to the children and the steps that Paterno did to prevent (not many). That does not mean I have to blind myself with hatred towards Paterno. In my eyes he is still a legend of the game and his affect/coaching tree will continue to sculpt the game.

I guess most coaches would allow a known pedophile to come around with children in hand, bring them to bowl games, practices, the football facility. Yea, Paterno is a real legend. A normal PSU student should have gone to that rally last night at his house and punched him.

 

[Scooch]

That's your opinion. I'm not saying my opinion should be everyone's opinion. This is just how I view the situation and it should be respected just as I respect your opinion on it. I think it is a terrible situation but I will always think of JoePa as a college football legend.

That's fine. FWIW, some guy winning football games without blatantly cheating is nothing legendary, in my book. I'm as big of a sports fan as they come, hell it's my job, but the way people hold coaches up as some moral compass is absurd.

 

[Noexcuse]

That's fine. FWIW, some guy winning football games without blatantly cheating is nothing legendary, in my book. I'm as big of a sports fan as they come, hell it's my job, but the way people hold coaches up as some moral compass is absurd.

Yeah, good chance we will start to hear the rest of the story on this too. I'm starting to think the guy is not going to be cannonized by the Media.

 

[Upstate]

I hope all the people who are against Paterno and PSU and this entire scandal come out in full force for this weekends game. Nothing should be celebrated except for the hard work the players have put in while being left in the dark on the issues. They're also the innocent victims here. It's a shame that so many people at PSU had the littlest respect to show the victims and the hard working kids that supply millions of fans a release from their own problems. **** that and **** Penn State.

 

[gocraz4dasu]

I never once claimed Paterno was some perfect or model human being and I said he handled the situation completely wrong. I said he was vocal about winning the correct way and I simply stated that he will always be a college football legend. I don't see how that is so terribly absurd. I'm just saying I'll always recognize him as a major contributor to college football and I wish he had been able to walk away when he felt it was necessary instead of being dragged through the dirt and grime on his way being pushed out. That's all.

 

[N.Y. Orangeman]

Paterno's statement

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"I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.

​

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"I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.​

​

​

"That's why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.​

​

​

​

"My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this university." ​

"I wish I had done more"...bs. You wish you hadn't bee dragged into this.

Your maker will judge you, JoePa.

 

[BleedsOrange44]

Here is some info about children that have been sexually abused. It isn't just about the act itself but also the possible future issues. This is the magnitude that this whole issue takes. Every single person that was involved in any small way at all or had any knowledge at all should be immediately let go. There is no way no how that anyone that has read the GJ testimony and the other articles that have been written with quotes and facts can say with a straight face that Paterno knew nothing for 15 years.

The PSU legacy

Completely agree bees. To me, it's shocking that Paterno was allowed to coach practice yesterday, and hasn't been fired yet (along with the other guys that knew things were going on). It's sickening that so many seem to be more concerned with football and his legacy than doing what's right. And what's right is he should be immediately fired.

 

[N.Y. Orangeman]

Completely agree bees. To me, it's shocking that Paterno was allowed to coach practice yesterday, and hasn't been fired yet (along with the other guys that knew things were going on). It's sickening that so many seem to be more concerned with football and his legacy than doing what's right. And what's right is he should be immediately fired.

This is Paterno, once again, trying to control the situation. Everything is on his terms in Happy Valley.

 

[orange79]

I never once claimed Paterno was some perfect or model human being and I said he handled the situation completely wrong. I said he was vocal about winning the correct way and I simply stated that he will always be a college football legend. I don't see how that is so terribly absurd. I'm just saying I'll always recognize him as a major contributor to college football and I wish he had been able to walk away when he felt it was necessary instead of being dragged through the dirt and grime on his way being pushed out. That's all.

The fact is that he tarnished that legend by his unconscionable behavior. And in my book, that means he doesn't get to be called a legend anymore. He doesn't get to be on a pedestal. He gets to be reviled, because what he did off the field dwarfs what he did on it. And that was to allow a known pedophile to continue ruining children's lives. Nothing but self-interest. Scumbag.

 

[BleedsOrange44]

Paterno's statement

"I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.

"I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.​

"That's why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.​

"My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this university." ​

"I wish I had done more"...bs. You wish you hadn't bee dragged into this.

Your maker will judge you, JoePa.

That a joke of a statement. "My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination." DIGNITY!!?? SERIOUSLY!!?? How about turning in the perv who was molesting little boys for well over a decade! If he really cared about doing what was right for the University, he'd step down immediately. He's staying for selfish reasons only. He wants to try to win one more Big-10 Title. That's it. For the sake of the victims, and everyone involved, step down NOW Joe Pa. You don't wish you had done more.

 

[Cuseregular]

That's your opinion. I'm not saying my opinion should be everyone's opinion. This is just how I view the situation and it should be respected just as I respect your opinion on it. I think it is a terrible situation but I will always think of JoePa as a college football legend.

"You got to stand for something, or you will fall for anything". Time to take a stand my friend. As Scooch said certain points and circumstances in life define you and who you are. He failed epically and historically in 100% contradiction to everything he has said and espoused and he now admits he should have done more. If he turned his head the other way with say steriods or something like that I'd actually be sympathetic to him. No he turned his back on the anal rape of a 10 YEAR OLD BOY! This is one of those defining moments for who we are too with ones feelings on this.

He WAS a legend. Not anymore. He's a pedophile criminal enabler now. Nothing more nothing less. And don't think I didn't hold this guy up high though. I was recruited (lightly) by him and PSU and had his letter to me up on my wall for 30 years. It's down now and in the trash. Anyone thinking logically on this I think can come to no other conclusion.

 

[BleedsOrange44]

I never once claimed Paterno was some perfect or model human being and I said he handled the situation completely wrong. I said he was vocal about winning the correct way and I simply stated that he will always be a college football legend. I don't see how that is so terribly absurd. I'm just saying I'll always recognize him as a major contributor to college football and I wish he had been able to walk away when he felt it was necessary instead of being dragged through the dirt and grime on his way being pushed out. That's all.

He's not being dragged through the dirt. He was part of the creation of this mess by not going to the police and making sure this disgusting behavior that has ruined the lives of AT LEAST 8 children didn't continue. Instead, he did nothing and we have what we have now. He's partially to blame. So let's not act like he's being "dragged through the dirt and grime" as if he has no responsibility here. Any DECENT human being that found out what he found out would IMMEDIATELY report it to the authorities. There are certain things you just don't worry about "well how does this affect me or my job or my football program/legacy." You worry about being a human being and doing the right thing. He did the opposite.

 

[BleedsOrange44]

"You got to stand for something, or you will fall for anything". Time to take a stand my friend. As Scooch said certain points and circumstances in life define you and who you are. He failed epically and historically in 100% contradiction to everything he has said and espoused and he now admits he should have done more. If he turned his head the other way with say steriods or something like that I'd actually be sympathetic to him. No he turned his back on the anal rape of a 10 YEAR OLD BOY! This is one of those defining moments for who we are too with ones feelings on this.

He WAS a legend. Not anymore. He's a pedophile criminal enabler now. Nothing more nothing less. And don't think I didn't hold this guy up high though. I was recruited (lightly) by him and PSU and had his letter to me up on my wall for 30 years. It's down now and in the trash. Anyone thinking logically on this I think can come to no other conclusion.

100% agree. Perfectly stated.

 

[cmr27]

"You got to stand for something, or you will fall for anything". Time to take a stand my friend. As Scooch said certain points and circumstances in life define you and who you are. He failed epically and historically in 100% contradiction to everything he has said and espoused and he now admits he should have done more. If he turned his head the other way with say steriods or something like that I'd actually be sympathetic to him. No he turned his back on the anal rape of a 10 YEAR OLD BOY! This is one of those defining moments for who we are too with ones feelings on this..

Totally agree. And if PSU/Paterno would enable this, they would enable anything. There may not be anything left of the legend of JoePa by the time the whole book is written on this program.

Which I do think is sad because, while college football coaches may not make great role models, we still need role models. It sucks when one of them turns out to be very, very flawed.

But I'm kinda used to it by now, sadly. I always assume that those who remain clean in a world where other are very dirty aren't really clean; They just look that way. And that is definitely the sports world, especially college football.

This story has the hypocrisy angle because of the way PSU carried itself for years, but the defining angle of this scandal is the substance of it. What's more disgusting than this? The other stuff -- like two of the most powerful men in Pennsylvania trying to hide an elephant - just gives it an added Nixonian factor.

 

[NKR1978]

I guess I'm in the minority that do actually feel sorry for Paterno. Now I'm not saying he handled the situation as best as he could, or very well for that matter. That said, it truly is sad to see a man who had been so vocal about priding himself on winning the right way to walk away not on his own terms..

If only he put even .01% of the effort he put into letting everyone know how great he is into trying to protect Sandusky's future victims, he may have been allowed to go out on his own terms. He's a religious man though, or claims to be, and I really don't think God cares what a great football coach he was or that he won "the right way."

Also, truly great people don't need to be so vocal in how "great" they are. You just know. I wish Joe a long and miserable life.

 

[kingottoiii]

He's not being dragged through the dirt. He was part of the creation of this mess by not going to the police and making sure this disgusting behavior that has ruined the lives of AT LEAST 8 children didn't continue. Instead, he did nothing and we have what we have now. He's partially to blame. So let's not act like he's being "dragged through the dirt and grime" as if he has no responsibility here. Any DECENT human being that found out what he found out would IMMEDIATELY report it to the authorities. There are certain things you just don't worry about "well how does this affect me or my job or my football program/legacy." You worry about being a human being and doing the right thing. He did the opposite.

A decent human being fires Sandusky right away. Instead he allowed him to come back one more year because it benefited Joe Pa. A decent person tells Sandusky to get out of Dodge. A decent person doesn't allow him to bring little kids to practices, games, and along on team transportation for the past 15 years. A decent human being doesn't offer a promotion in return for silence. A decent person who controls everything on that campus doesn't allow Sandusky to continue to live there, let alone have access to facilities. A decent person thinks to themselves, wait a minute why is this guy still around? I reported him, maybe I should follow up and see why nothing was done.

All the above is in ADDITION to not going to the police himself. If it were just that, maybe you can say Joe Pa did enough. But there is ZERO excuse for all his actions I listed above.

 

[NKR1978]

Here is some info about children that have been sexually abused. It isn't just about the act itself but also the possible future issues. This is the magnitude that this whole issue takes. Every single person that was involved in any small way at all or had any knowledge at all should be immediately let go. There is no way no how that anyone that has read the GJ testimony and the other articles that have been written with quotes and facts can say with a straight face that Paterno knew nothing for 15 years.

The PSU legacy

Child sexual abuse affects the victims in countless ways. On the extreme end, the victims go on to be abusers themselves, creating a never ending cycle. Probably more common is extreme difficulty in forming healthy romantic/sexual relationships throughout adulthood. And of course, there are always the memories of having your childhood ripped from you.

 

[BleedsOrange44]

A decent human being fires Sandusky right away. Instead he allowed him to come back one more year because it benefited Joe Pa. A decent person tells Sandusky to get out of Dodge. A decent person doesn't allow him to bring little kids to practices, games, and along on team transportation for the past 15 years. A decent human being doesn't offer a promotion in return for silence. A decent person who controls everything on that campus doesn't allow Sandusky to continue to live there, let alone have access to facilities. A decent person thinks to themselves, wait a minute why is this guy still around? I reported him, maybe I should follow up and see why nothing was done.

All the above is in ADDITION to not going to the police himself. If it were just that, maybe you can say Joe Pa did enough. But there is ZERO excuse for all his actions I listed above.

Again, great perspective and recap of everything he did wrong. His true colors are showing. What a horrific incident, compounded by bad men ignoring a disgusting act that continued to occur over and over.

 

[NKR1978]

That a joke of a statement. "My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination." DIGNITY!!?? SERIOUSLY!!?? How about turning in the perv who was molesting little boys for well over a decade! If he really cared about doing what was right for the University, he'd step down immediately. He's staying for selfish reasons only. He wants to try to win one more Big-10 Title. That's it. For the sake of the victims, and everyone involved, step down NOW Joe Pa. You don't wish you had done more.

The fact that he's "devastated by the developments" shows that he's upset this came out now, in the middle of an important stretch of the football season. Sandusky was likely molested himself, which is a cause of his behavior not an excuse. What caused Joe to be such a selfish sociopath?

 

[Chip]

That's fine. FWIW, some guy winning football games without blatantly cheating is nothing legendary, in my book. I'm as big of a sports fan as they come, hell it's my job, but the way people hold coaches up as some moral compass is absurd.

I take care of my kids. You're supposed to!

- Chris Rock

 

[Scooch]

I take care of my kids. You're supposed to!

- Chris Rock

That was EXACTLY what I was thinking.

Here's a cookie!

 

[rrlbees]

I never once claimed Paterno was some perfect or model human being and I said he handled the situation completely wrong. I said he was vocal about winning the correct way and I simply stated that he will always be a college football legend. I don't see how that is so terribly absurd. I'm just saying I'll always recognize him as a major contributor to college football and I wish he had been able to walk away when he felt it was necessary instead of being dragged through the dirt and grime on his way being pushed out. That's all.

Thing is, due to him supporting a pedophile he should have been dragged away in the mid 90's. About 15 years and probably dozens of kids too late.