Seriously?

[kingtidge]

For anyone who has not seen it...

Real nice Lamar CEO PSU guy... nothing like taking a man's death as an opportunity to be a complete douchenozzel...

 

[ImperialOrange]

That thing is begging to be vandalized.

 

[Marsh01]

The fact that he allowed for a known child molester to still hang around the campus, the program and the university in general was really the straw that broke the camels back for me. Even if details were sketchy based on what McQueery said that doesnt excuse the fact that he should have made damn well sure he stayed away from State college. There is no defense rebuttle on this subject.

 

[orangecuse]

When the common man works his @ss off his whole life and is a model citizen there are no accolades when he dies. That is okay - that's life. When "great" men do "great" things they are looked up to and revered. When "great" men don't do enough to prevent terrible things from happening they are villified. That is life, these types of people are held to different standards - higher standards. Joe P used his power to accomplish "great" things, yet when he had the ability to use his power to prevent bad things he decided that it conflicted with his goals. Joe P. embraced being revered so at the same time it is okay when the public villifies him for not using ALL of the power he had.

Well said...

 

[ahc1111]

You keep focusing on that 1 instance where even he say's he should have done more. Most people are focusing on the decades of inaction and ignoring. That is his legacy.

Decades of inaction??? If Bernie was arrested and found to have been molesting many young boys, would Boeheim be liable? Would you want Boeheim fired? If he was fired and trashed in the media in a rush to judgement and then suddenly died, don't you think we Syracuse fans would go apeshit and rally around JB and his family with tributes and memorials? Just trying to get you to see how Penn Staters feel. Joe = Penn State after 61 years at PSU. He is beloved for all his good deeds in addition to games won; he is ours. As an SU graduate also, JB = SU Bball to me, and I would defend him against all others too, knowing the good man that he is.

 

[bnoro]

He did not allow child rapes to happen in his locker room.

By not throwing Sandusky off campus, yes, he did allow child rapes to happen in his locker room.

 

[Moontan]

Decades of inaction???

While he may have tried to justify Jerry bringing boys with him for 8 years (1994-2002), in 2002 he knew that things were not kosher. So that's at least 9 years of inaction. Most are led to believe that Joe knew why Jerry left the program in '97, which makes it at least 14 years.

If Bernie was arrested and found to have been molesting many young boys, would Boeheim be liable? Would you want Boeheim fired?

If Boeheim was aware of molestation and did nothing about it, then yes, he too should be fired. And so should anyone else who knew about it (AD, Chancellor, etc.).

Yes, JoePa did some great things for a lot of people... but for at least 9 years, his inaction allowed children to continue to be raped and molested.

 

[kingtidge]

Decades of inaction??? If Bernie was arrested and found to have been molesting many young boys, would Boeheim be liable? Would you want Boeheim fired? If he was fired and trashed in the media in a rush to judgement and then suddenly died, don't you think we Syracuse fans would go apeshit and rally around JB and his family with tributes and memorials? Just trying to get you to see how Penn Staters feel. Joe = Penn State after 61 years at PSU. He is beloved for all his good deeds in addition to games won; he is ours. As an SU graduate also, JB = SU Bball to me, and I would defend him against all others too, knowing the good man that he is.

If he's 'yours' then what is his tribute billboard doing in Syracuse?

I'm all for celebrating your former coach however you want... just do it State College - or maybe at least in PA...

This billboard in Syracuse is straight out of the 'How to be a douchenozzel' handbook. It's really that simple.

...And while we are at it - I guess the "good man that he is" is certainly up for debate.

He buried information on systemic rape of young boys by one of his coaches... He obstructed justice and sacrificed children to a known predator through inaction or indiference... or at least so the grand jury believes (admittedly the full story needs to play out in court).

You can spout all you want about 'all the good' - but the bad - that ONE bad - is damning.

Just because you don't want it to be damning, doesn't change it.

 

[Marsh01]

Decades of inaction??? If Bernie was arrested and found to have been molesting many young boys, would Boeheim be liable? Would you want Boeheim fired? .

Grand jury report dude. All that needs to be said. There is no grand jury report with Bernie Fine. If there was a grand jury report and JB knew well then sure as I would want him fired. Except here wasnt. I love how all of the JoPa supporters conveniently dodge the grand jury report like it never happened.​

 

[Ghost]

Joe Paterno didn't ignore abuses -- he reported it to administrators, one of which headed the campus police dept. which is different than SU police. (The University Park police have more power.) He followed the PA law in how to report child abuse, by the way. Joe followed up and asked McQueary if he was satisfied with the investigation/results, and he said he was. McQueary has also testified he gave a watered down version of events to Joe and was more explicit to the administrators. The DA said Joe should not have been fired. All you holier than thous weren't there at the time, weren't in his shoes, and I find it sad that you are so eager to trash the man's entire life over this. He did not allow child rapes to happen in his locker room. No one thinks Joe is a saint; he had flaws like all humans do, but on the whole, he lived an exemplary life. He gave to so many. He molded kids into good men. He treated all people the same -- would take the time for anybody, no matter who they were. Read the personal tributes to Joe over on the PSU board. Many, many personal stories out there of how Joe impacted them personally. He wasn't just a coach. THAT is why so many people came out to honor him this week.

Every time I read something like this I just laugh now. The man is applauded in Reilly's column that was posted last week and in other articles for lobbying the Board of Trustees for tougher academic standards, for going that extra mile for his players, etc...but when this came up - something FAR BIGGER than any of that other stuff - he told an administrator and then kind of left it at that.

He knew the power he wielded - but didn't choose to in this instance. Sandusky was still walking around with kids....ugh. Ordinary people do extraordinary things every day, and sometimes extraordinary people don't give a when it matters most. He's certainly not a hero.

 

[rrlbees]

Decades of inaction??? If Bernie was arrested and found to have been molesting many young boys, would Boeheim be liable? Would you want Boeheim fired? If he was fired and trashed in the media in a rush to judgement and then suddenly died, don't you think we Syracuse fans would go apeshit and rally around JB and his family with tributes and memorials? Just trying to get you to see how Penn Staters feel. Joe = Penn State after 61 years at PSU. He is beloved for all his good deeds in addition to games won; he is ours. As an SU graduate also, JB = SU Bball to me, and I would defend him against all others too, knowing the good man that he is.

Um, just for some clarity. If Fine had been accused in 92 and 94 and 98 and then mysteriously resigned in '99 then a 130 page police report was released about him showering with boys in JB's lockeroom, then Fine had been told to stay off campus with kids and had had his keys taken away...but THEN he showed up at a JB practice with a 10 year old boy in hand...yea, I think JB and the other coaches would have done or said something. And after all that still, Bernie would be able to continue to rape kids in JB's LOCKEROOM???? I don't think so. So yea, it's clear to many of us and there is a HUGE difference from what you are trying to pass along.

God rest his soul and God Bless his family and close friends for the lose of a loved one and who should be the ones mourning. Shame on all the others that lined the streets to gawk at the hearse of someone who turned a blind eye to child rape. That includes billboards.

 

[All4SU]

The billboard seems odd located in Syracuse, I'll agree... BUT as a graduate of both SU and of PSU (grad school) and many family members who attended PSU, including my parents... I have to tell you that it is upsetting to read hateful comments on this board against Joe. There was such a rush to judgement against him re: the Sandusky case, and the facts of the case are not fully out there yet. What is out there should not taint the GOOD man that Joe was over his 85 years. He was not the perp; Sandusky was! Joe took the hit for what Sandusky did, because he was the big name. He became the scapegoat. The THOUSANDS who came out for the funeral procession today and the 500+ former players who came from far and wide and speak ONLY highly of him -- and say that Joe made them into the men they are today -- are his true legacy. He made a difference in so many lives. Knowing what he came to know a couple months ago, he agreed and wished he had done more. That should not erase six decades of good deeds that he DID do at Penn State for the players, the students, the university, and the entire community. He was one of the good guys; a real, true, good, decent, and honorable man. Please don't blindly hate him or judge him based on the public perceptions based on media hype of the past two months. Judge the entire life -- not the last chapter. Our disgust is more appropriately aimed at Jerry Sandusky. Thank you for listening -- and sorry for venting. I needed to get that off my chest.

Go Orange!!

Like many here, I can't really agree with you, ahc. It's impossible to put all bias aside, but I think when someone passes away we can at least try. Just the same, my opinions on JP are as follows:

1) I didn't "hate" him before he passed, and I don't hate him now. I didn't know him. I only know what a read, see on TV, etc.

2) I think he was very disingenuous, to put it kindly, about the formation of the Big East and PSU's snub. For years, PSU was THE reason why an All-Sports conference was never formed in the Northeast. That hurt all of the programs in the NE, including SU. It was short-sighted, and selfish of PSU, and JP tried to re-write history on the subject after the fact. I lost a lot of respect for him right then at there.

3) I think he was a very good football coach. Obviously he was well liked and respected by most of his players.

4) I don't put much stock in his image as a leader in "doing things the right way." He allowed his friend Jerry Sandusky to rape little boys under the cover of the PSU football program. True, we don't know exactly what he might have said to Sandusky. But it was irresponsible of him to not take it to the police whenever he found out. And he knew. There is not a doubt in my mind about that. I think his comment after the fact, "I wish I had done more." was sincere. I'll give him credit for that. I think he knew how wrong he was and admitted it (to some degree anyway). Nice gesture. Glad he found the truth within himself. But it was too late.

5) He placed his own ego ahead of those of the PSU football program in not stepping aside years ago. If I were a PSU fan, I would have a real hard time with that.

6) Good coach? Yes. Admirable qualities? Probably so. Good husband and father? Sounds like it. Saint? No. He allowed his selfish interests, and the sacred image of his program, to be placed ahead of those of young children.

Does that cancel out whatever good he may have done on this earth? Of course not. But it's enough to balance the scales, and place him among the rest of us who are flawed, who make good decisions and bad decisions -- sometimes even with good intentions. He was a man who coached football, and accumulated a lot of wins. Nothing more.

 

[billsin01]

Decades of inaction??? If Bernie was arrested and found to have been molesting many young boys, would Boeheim be liable? Would you want Boeheim fired? If he was fired and trashed in the media in a rush to judgement and then suddenly died, don't you think we Syracuse fans would go apeshit and rally around JB and his family with tributes and memorials? Just trying to get you to see how Penn Staters feel. Joe = Penn State after 61 years at PSU. He is beloved for all his good deeds in addition to games won; he is ours. As an SU graduate also, JB = SU Bball to me, and I would defend him against all others too, knowing the good man that he is.

Dude, what you and other penn staters need to understand is that this is completely different than vague allegations of some academic scandal or recruiting violations. It's not "a kid stole laptops and it got covered up." It's not "he was bending the rules a la calipari." It's not "some of the psu players ended up being really bad guys like Graham at gtown or half the team at the U."

This is systematic child abuse that resulted in a guy getting fired (essentially) as a DC and removed from the board of his own foundation. A guy that was around kids ALL the time. A guy that had been ratted out to Paterno -- the most powerful man in PA, or close to it. And you're saying, "Well, I reported it to my superiors" or "I didn't know what to do" are satisfactory answers? Yikes, I hope you're the judge if I land in court some day.

This whole 'holier than thou' thing is absurd as well. It is absolutely not holier than thou to say, "umm, he needed to do more to make sure this came to light and he had a ton of options at his fingertips."

JoePa looked the other way knowing child abuse was not only possibly occurring, but possibly occurring IN THE FOOTBALL FACILITIES!

Christ. I have no ill will toward JoePa otherwise. I met him a couple of times and found him to be charming and interesting. But to think his 400 wins and all the nice things he may have done for others absolves him of this horrific lapse in judgment is lunacy.

 

[ahc1111]

You're wrong, guys. Penn Staters get it. Was shocked by the allegations when they came out, and I was personally very disappointed Joe had not done more to follow up. No one is for child abuse!! Laying all blame at Joe's feet is unfair. He was not as powerful in university matters as many think either...

I am sad about all the ignorant posts made about Joe Paterno here (The Big East voted not to let Penn State in; he didn't mess it up. Get your facts straight!)Through the media, many mistruths and negative perceptions are out there that are not fair. ESPN is now broadcasting the Memorial to JoePa (2pm). I hope many people will watch and truly listen and learn more about the man before outright trashing him for what they *think* happened.

 

[Marsh01]

You're wrong, guys. Penn Staters get it. Was shocked by the allegations when they came out, and I was personally very disappointed Joe had not done more to follow up. No one is for child abuse!! Laying all blame at Joe's feet is unfair. He was not as powerful in university matters as many think either...

I am sad about all the ignorant posts made about Joe Paterno here (The Big East voted not to let Penn State in; he didn't mess it up. Get your facts straight!)Through the media, many mistruths and negative perceptions are out there that are not fair. ESPN is now broadcasting the Memorial to JoePa (2pm). I hope many people will watch and truly listen and learn more about the man before outright trashing him for what they *think* happened.

Of course you were shocked. Shocked that your little perfect Whoville bubble was being popped and denial set it real quick.

Like I said just read the grand jury report and you will know what happened. Penn Staters dont get it. I have a friend who owns a business in State college and he is as clueless as you are. Read the grand jury report and if you can actually get through it (because I honestly had a very tough time getting through the entire thing without wanting to vomit) you will change your mind.

Noone is laying he blame at the feet of Paterno. However you are wrong. He was Penn State. He owned State College. He was bigger than anything. Get out of the bubble that is State college and enter the real world. He COULD and WOULD have made a difference if he did the right thing. He ultimately chose to protect his program and ultimately himself knowing he had a monster loose in his community.

I dont know if you are married or have kids but if you do and you feel this way then you need to look in the mirror. If you dont then you really are drinking the kool aid and dont get it.

 

[All4SU]

I am sad about all the ignorant posts made about Joe Paterno here (The Big East voted not to let Penn State in; he didn't mess it up. Get your facts straight!)

I have my facts straight. I'm talking prior to the formation of the Big East. Teams like SU, Pitt and BC lobbied hard to form an all-sports conference -- one like those which had taken over the leadership role in college athletics, in the SEC, the PAC10, the Big 10, etc. They knew that PSU was the most important piece of the puzzle. PSU had the preeminent football program in the Northeast. But PSU stonewalled them. Would not join an "All Sports" conference, unless their precious football program was allowed to remain out of the deal. Consequently, the conference idea could not get off the ground. Dave Gavitt steps forward for plans of a big-time basketball conference, and with some reluctance, the Big East was formed -- without PSU, as their BBall team sucked.

Years later, Paterno re-wrote history to make it sound like the Big East kept an all-sports conference from happening by not inviting PSU. But that wasn't until much later. The opportunity existed in the early-mid 70s and PSU and Paterno shot it down.

Consequently, football in the Northeast languished for a couple of decades outside of Pitt (and PSU of course) -- putting teams like Syracuse, BC, WVU, hell, even Rutgers, behind the nation in terms of awareness for college football, and depriving them of the opportunity to build their brands at a crucial time with college football was taking off in a big way. Instead, the northeast remained fragmented, and an out-lander in the world of college football.

Thank you PSU.

 

[tipphill]

sorry this is not about football, big east,pac 10,big 12 whatever, like so many psu cultists,you think football--its about LIFE and REALITY---GET A GRIP,the world is not state college----maybe, just maybe, if you look outside of pa for reactions you may realize it.no one is laying this at joepa, just saying what he said, i shouda done more-----and didn't----victim of the times --as the kids were

 

[rrlbees]

You're wrong, guys. Penn Staters get it. Was shocked by the allegations when they came out, and I was personally very disappointed Joe had not done more to follow up. No one is for child abuse!! Laying all blame at Joe's feet is unfair. He was not as powerful in university matters as many think either...

I am sad about all the ignorant posts made about Joe Paterno here (The Big East voted not to let Penn State in; he didn't mess it up. Get your facts straight!)Through the media, many mistruths and negative perceptions are out there that are not fair. ESPN is now broadcasting the Memorial to JoePa (2pm). I hope many people will watch and truly listen and learn more about the man before outright trashing him for what they *think* happened.

It's not all JoePa's fault, but he is #2. It was his program, his facilities, his coaches and he is the one that allowed the scum to still bring kids to his practices. For all the good that he did for many many people, there is no denying that, what he didn't do to protect kids for decades more than wipes out his good. In the net effect of bad vs. good, I would say the net good is higher with 100% of the posters here than Paterno. As soon as his funeral and burial are complete, the media and others should vilify him to no end. He deserves it just as much as you say he deserves the accolades. He is trash who put his program and himself above little kids.

 

[ahc1111]

My final comment: See Phil Knight's speech at the memorial today. He said it all, and the guy has balls!!! Guess the founder of Nike is drinking Kool Aid too, huh.
As a Syracuse grad who bleeds Orange, I am disappointed to find such ignorance, hatred, and blind media followers on this board. I think SU fans have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to Penn State, and as a graduate of both schools, I can see that clearly. And yes, I have two young children. What happened to those young boys is terrible and tragic.

Joe Paterno was never all about football, and that's one of the many things that made him great. Penn Staters aren't the only ones who agree on that.
Peace.

 

[rrlbees]

My final comment: See Phil Knight's speech at the memorial today. He said it all, and the guy has balls!!! Guess the founder of Nike is drinking Kool Aid too, huh.
As a Syracuse grad who bleeds Orange, I am disappointed to find such ignorance, hatred, and blind media followers on this board. I think SU fans have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to Penn State, and as a graduate of both schools, I can see that clearly. And yes, I have two young children. What happened to those young boys is terrible and tragic.

Joe Paterno was never all about football, and that's one of the many things that made him great. Penn Staters aren't the only ones who agree on that.
Peace.

Are you that far out of touch? It's not ignorance or hatred, it is fact. You have never addressed one single question or explained one single instance. You just keep holding that POS high in the air. I will make it real easy for you. What should Paterno have done when Sandusky showed up at his practice field with a 10 year old boy? You PedSt grads ignore everything except what good he did as if it negates every day that went by that Paterno allowed to happen right in front of him.

Oh, BTW, way to man up PedSt, they put a guy in front of the investigation who has tis to PedSt and whose son is tied to 2nd mile. Nice independence there.

 

[Marsh01]

My final comment: See Phil Knight's speech at the memorial today. He said it all, and the guy has balls!!! Guess the founder of Nike is drinking Kool Aid too, huh.
As a Syracuse grad who bleeds Orange, I am disappointed to find such ignorance, hatred, and blind media followers on this board. I think SU fans have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to Penn State, and as a graduate of both schools, I can see that clearly. And yes, I have two young children. What happened to those young boys is terrible and tragic.

Joe Paterno was never all about football, and that's one of the many things that made him great. Penn Staters aren't the only ones who agree on that.
Peace.

You still are not getting it. I don't care if it's Penn st, USC, syracuse or suny potsdam. He turned a blind eye and because of it kids got raped and abused by a madman. This "you all hate Penn state" argument holds no water. It doesn't matter what school this happened at. I still can't believe how people can defend this? Phil knight? Yea his statements really make me feel so much better. I wonder if the kids who got ass rammed feel the same about Phil knight.