Some New Thoughts Regarding the Penn State Scandal

[SUOrange44]

Since the thread I started on Saturday on this issue, there have been some developments as you all know by now. First, the athletic director and interim finance director have taken an "administrative leave" and returned to retirement respectively. Although there is no doubt that the actions of the Board of Trustees late last night precipitated that series of events, the way that this has been portrayed is innocuous. NOTHING about this situation is innocuous.

Second, Paterno issued his statement yesterday. Absolute and utter bull that certainly gives some insight of where this is headed. He basically claims that the severity of the allegations from the GA were not made clear to him. To qoute SNL...Really ? really ? Really ? Even if this was simply described to Paterno in an emergency meeting at his house of naked horseplay in a shower re: an adult and a child, isn't that enough to really take some significant proactive steps ? Mix in the fact that the University was clearly aware of "allegations" at the least in the '90s regarding the same person and if that does not put you on alert you either a complete idiot or someone who intentionally stepped as far away from the situation as he thought possible in order to claim plausible deniability.

Recap...the witness who has been found extremely credible by the GJ supposedly "undersold" what he saw to Paterno. Ummm...yeah. Right.

This only serves to further my belief Saturday that Paterno needs to go asap along with the University President who, at the least, issued one of the most idiotic public support statements that I have ever heard (even with time for preparation). Maybe he went to the same school of spin control as tOSU president Gordon Gee.

What next ? To be honest, if the chips fall where they appear to be heading and there was negligence either by act or omission by Penn State that allowed this activity to continue for as long as it allegedly did, other institutions of higher learning need to take a stand.

The NCAA and the member schools are more than willing to threaten boycotts or refuse to play certain games in states (Arizona for instance due to treatment of illegals, MLK holiday issues, etc.) and nicknames (Fighting Sioux for instance at North Dakota). Personally, if I am on the Board at Syracuse University, I make darn well sure that I opt out or simply pay the cancellation fee that all these games have for any remaining series against PSU. To sit by and take no action if this heads where we ultimately think it will head is completely wrong in my mind.

We would have had a chancellor who rallied against the mascot at the University of Illinois but sat still and allowed the institution she leads to continue with a contract against a school that, if nothing else, may have harborded a predator for the "good of the program" would be completely hypocritical in my mind.

I suppose the concern will always be "what happens when/if some sort of scandal hits our school in the future?" Not enough of a concern. You isolate them and do nothing to facilitate their well being as a football program if you can help it. Just me thoughts...

SUOrange44

 

[IthacaBarrel]

It's a mess but clearly and all out effort with smoke and mirrors will be utilized to protect Joe Pa, although these guys are coaches they are still considered educators and are still employees of an educational institution. Everyone single one of them has an obligation to see that this stuff gets reported. Put yourself in their shoes, if you were a high school teacher, would you just report it to the principal and be done with it. Absolutely not.. take it to the authorities, both the GA and Joe Pa failed miserably here. It's complete bullshit and everybody knows it, no defending it whatsoever

 

[cmr27]

Put yourself in their shoes, if you were a high school teacher, would you just report it to the principal and be done with it. Absolutely not.. take it to the authorities, both the GA and Joe Pa failed miserably here. It's complete bullshit and everybody knows it

Yeah, really. If this happened to anyone in their work place, wouldn't a normal person drop what they are doing to handle this? In what universe would someone say, "You know what, I've passed this on to my boss and I'm not going to worry or ask more questions." Wouldn't someone normal notice that the cops were NOT brought in and wonder why?

For years, all college scandals have basically involved the same component parts... Boosters, agents, corrupt alums, players on take, willfully negligent admins... It was just a question of what order the parts were placed to come up with the scandal du jour... PSU takes it to a whole other level here.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Yeah, really. If this happened to anyone in their work place, wouldn't a normal person drop what they are doing to handle this? In what universe would someone say, "You know what, I've passed this on to my boss and I'm not going to worry or ask more questions." Wouldn't someone normal notice that the cops were NOT brought in and wonder why?

For years, all college scandals have basically involved the same component parts... Boosters, agents, corrupt alums, players on take, willfully negligent admins... It was just a question of what order the parts were placed to come up with the scandal du jour... PSU takes it to a whole other level here.

There is a moral and professional obligation, sometimes I think these football coaches feel that their job is actually more important in the grand scheme than it actually is. It's complete nonsense, not much moral fiber there whatsover. They are so busy, etc etc etc. Disgusting to say the least, they also enabled it after the fact as well. I wouldn't let my kid play there if it was the last program on earth

 

[stuckinbig11]

I hope the sports press does not let Paterno off the hook. He was told about it, he reported it, he saw his superiors do nothing, and he let it go. Maybe it is senility, maybe it is his value system, but he should be held responsible for his lack of action.

 

[Symphony Steve]

This is also what happens when a so-called public university is able to systematically keep so much 'proprietary' information private, has a supine press, and is situated in such an out-of-the-way location.

We have the same situation here in Delaware. The University of Delaware (figuratively) pulls up its Brinks Armored Truck every June 30 to pick up the millions upon millions of dollars the Generous Assembly gives it, refuses to account for how much of this money is to be used, keeps Board of Trustees' minutes from the public b/c it is not subject to FOIA (again thanks to the the General Assembly), and generally is able to keep all information in-house. The same holds true for many 'public' higher education institutions in Pennsylvania. Aided and abetted by many elected officials who are either alumni of said institutions and/or are subject to political pressure from the institutions, they don't challenge the power and privacy of these institutions.

This is the inevitable result. It's gonna get uglier before this gets cleaned up. Don't think they'll be able to keep any other stuff hidden going forward.

 

[cmr27]

I hope the sports press does not let Paterno off the hook. He was told about it, he reported it, he saw his superiors do nothing, and he let it go. Maybe it is senility, maybe it is his value system, but he should be held responsible for his lack of action.

I've watched three shows on college football since the scandal broke and none mentioned it. I'm sure the ESPN people, in their capacity as the Pravda for the BCS, would like to sweep this under the rug. However, the national/non-sports press is on to this story now and I think Paterno is going to be held accountable because of that.

 

[Shenexon]

This sad story is far from over. The perpetrator was with Paterno's program for decades and had to be closer to Paterno on many levels than either of the administrators indicted. Joe...you got some 'splainin to do...

 

[Chip]

I hope the sports press does not let Paterno off the hook. He was told about it, he reported it, he saw his superiors do nothing, and he let it go. Maybe it is senility, maybe it is his value system, but he should be held responsible for his lack of action.

So far the ESPNs, CBSs and SIs of the world are intentionally letting him off the hook. We'll see if that continues.

Czaban's line from this morning, to paraphrase: Paterno and Penn State taking away Sandusky's locker room key is basically them saying take your extra-curricular activities elsewhere.

 

[jordoo]

You report it and nothing happens, you must blow the wistle publically at that point there are children involved.

 

[SaintTristan]

the whole thing is disgusting. no way the AD and paterno didnt know. maybe they didnt know the #s, but they knew.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

You report it and nothing happens, you must blow the wistle publically at that point there are children involved.

If they guy who enables the process to continue and failed to blow the whistle was a math teacher at Cicero North Syracuse people would want the guy lynched, but hey it's Joe Pa, he's old, he's a football coach, well he's Joe Pa.. What the ? He's a piece of shi!T

 

[jvbj01]

Sandusky "retired" from the program in 1999 when he was a highly regarded coach. On the criminal docket, there are several dates of offenses prior to 1999. I feel he was pressured to leave the program due tallegations. If this is the case, how could Paterno or anybody be comfortable knowing Sandusky still had an office in the Athletic Building and he was bringing young kids on campus? It seems like there were many enablers around Sandusky.

The Grad Assistant is still on staff. He is the wide receivers coach. I'm curious how he and Paterno get along. Paterno states he wasn't fully aware of the details which the GA witnessed.

This is going to be a big mess. It all happened under Joe Paterno's watch.

 

[John Syracuse]

This will be one of the biggest stories of all time...jo pa, the pres...all of them are gone...will take penn st football years to recover

 

[MikeSU02]

the whole thing is disgusting. no way the AD and paterno didnt know. maybe they didnt know the #s, but they knew.

100% agree. As an aside, I don't know how anyone with children, let alone anyone in general, could get that report and not want to break Sandusky's neck. To report it to his "superiors" is an absolute joke. JoePa runs that place.

 

[N.Y. Orangeman]

It is unbelievable that MSNBC, CNN, NYT, WSJ, etc have picked up this story, yet ESPN continues to minimize and keep it out of the headlines. Shame on them..

 

[MikeSU02]

It is unbelievable that MSNBC, CNN, NYT, WSJ, etc have picked up this story, yet ESPN continues to minimize and keep it out of the headlines. Shame on them..

Actually, ESPN finally had it on as the lead this morning, I believe. But it did take a while for it to get there and I think they are handling it with kid gloves still.

 

[Orangemen]

This will be one of the biggest stories of all time...jo pa, the pres...all of them are gone...will take penn st football years to recover

I honestly hope you're right, but I'm not seeing it right now.

Hopefully the momentum this story is getting will take over.

It's criminal activity on every level.

 

[Ghost]

It also seems sort of odd that Paterno reported the allegations and they (Schultz, Curley) waited 10 or 11 days to talk to the kid (about a guy with an office on campus raping a 10 year old). I don't know, you would think this might be a priority, and not a "we'll get to it when we get to it" type situation.

 

[690West]

I just read half of the Grand jury report. You have to think Sandusky offs himself any day now.

 

[stuckinbig11]

It also seems sort of odd that Paterno reported the allegations and they (Schultz, Curley) waited 10 or 11 days to talk to the kid (about a guy with an office on campus raping a 10 year old). I don't know, you would think this might be a priority, and not a "we'll get to it when we get to it" type situation.

Up thar in dem hills in da middle of Pennsylvania, dis ain't all dat unusual, so waiting 10 or 11 days maybe is to be expected.

 

[RoysRunts]

This is also what happens when a so-called public university is able to systematically keep so much 'proprietary' information private, has a supine press, and is situated in such an out-of-the-way location.

We have the same situation here in Delaware. The University of Delaware (figuratively) pulls up its Brinks Armored Truck every June 30 to pick up the millions upon millions of dollars the Generous Assembly gives it, refuses to account for how much of this money is to be used, keeps Board of Trustees' minutes from the public b/c it is not subject to FOIA (again thanks to the the General Assembly), and generally is able to keep all information in-house. The same holds true for many 'public' higher education institutions in Pennsylvania. Aided and abetted by many elected officials who are either alumni of said institutions and/or are subject to political pressure from the institutions, they don't challenge the power and privacy of these institutions.

This is the inevitable result. It's gonna get uglier before this gets cleaned up. Don't think they'll be able to keep any other stuff hidden going forward.

 

[RoysRunts]

Gee, even with a state with no sales tax. Where's the Biden Boy in all this?

 

[cmr27]

Actually, ESPN finally had it on as the lead this morning, I believe. But it did take a while for it to get there and I think they are handling it with kid gloves still.

Yeah, the big names in sports journalism are going to come to this story kicking and screaming only, which is why the national non-sports press will carry water. ESPN is like Microsoft in the 90s or ATT in the 70s. They do good stuff but they always will protect their hold on the status quo no matter what. For example, ESPN did a "30 for 30" (or maybe it was "Outside The Lines") on the SMU scandal a while ago. It was a good look at what SMU players were getting but the "amusing" thing was that they never directly asked Craig James if/what he was getting. He's their most prominent college football guy! He's there every week! He's one of SMU's most famous players! He played in that era! He might know something!!! But they weren't bringing him in.

Cut to the football recaps I watched this weekend. No one mentioned PSU. I checked out Stewart Mandel's CNNSI column this morning. He says all anyone in the press box at the Bama game was talking about was PSU, but he still led his column with conventional wisdom about LSU/'Bama (It was a great game/SEC is great blah, blah, blah). I'm thinking to myself, "If someone like Will McDonough were alive, there's a good chance he'd be all over this, even if he covered the NFL."

 

[cuseincincy]

The AD, President and Paterno need to be gone, today. Paterno was told, sounds like he minimalized it when he reported it, Don't you think he could've gotten the AD to come to his house immediately and spoke to the GA then. And then the AD and Shultz minimalized it and lied about it. The President is now minimalizing it and Paterno acts like its the first he heard of it and he's shocked. All this over a former employee. If they'd hit Sandusky hard when the GA first told them PSU would not have been tarnished in the least. Instead a case of the old boy network closed ranks and a once proud institution will take years to recover. And Joe Pa's legacy is certainly tarnished because it happened on his watch. Geez, did these guys not watch "All the President's Men"? I would bet the BOT acts further today and Spanier and Paterno resign.