Joe Paterno to resign at end of season

[classicman]

Spanier - looks to be a jerk, which was what my first impression of him was.

Paterno comes out looking pretty bad too.

Sad for the families, really sad.

[Lamplighter]

Classic, it's entirely possible I'm missing it.
But have you or anyone else come across "smoking gun" email(s)
or evidence that serves to put so much blame on Paterno ?

I'm not a fan of any coach or any particular school,
but my first reaction on hearing about this Report was
"Yeah sure, blame the dead guy."

Despite Paterno being the "Great God of Football", it seems to me,
his job was not to actually do the investigation of Sandusky.
I've read that he turned the matter over to his superiors,
and he did later inquire about the status of the investigation.
To me, that seems proper for a faculty member in such an organization, even a GGofF.

(I found one email where one of the Administrators says he talked with coach (Paterno).
Was there not anything more than this ?
.

[Ibby]

i was reading an article - i forget where, now - where "legal experts" were nearly unanimous that given the report, paterno would DEFINITELY have been charged/indicted if he were still alive.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

Despite Paterno being the "Great God of Football", it seems to me, his job was not to actually do the investigation of Sandusky.

I was asking this question back in 1999. I was struck by Sandusky leaving and Paterno not. OK. Sandusky was looking for a college to become head coach. He never got it. Even Juniata College did not want him (only learned that a decade plus later).

So, we know Paterno had reported/discussed these allegations in 1998. By 1999, Sandusky was somehow removed from the program apparently after a conversation with Paterno (according to the reports back then). Why? It was strange then. And only stranger (still unknown) now.

[Lamplighter]

Paterno quietly undermines Sandusky's future as (head) coach anywhere,
while the Administration gives him a golden parachute "retirement"
Who's not going to be happy... as long as it does not become public ?

Yes tw, I could easily believe that Sandusky's "retirement" came out of just such machinations.
.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The District Attorney decided not to bring charges against Sandusky in '98, so that was a dead end. They had no other choice other than excommunicate him from Penn State.

[tw]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

They had no other choice other than excommunicate him from Penn State.

But did they? And if they did, then that also should be in the report - that claims to be comprehensive.

[xoxoxoBruce]

They did from his job, except they didn't take a way his keys or free entrance to games.

[Lamplighter]

Does anyone have any extra rolls of pretty wall-paper ?
If so, mail them to the Penn State University right away.

SportsIllustrated.com
Associated Press
July 13,2012

Penn State to renovate areas where Sandusky abused boys

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Penn State plans to renovate the building where
former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually molested boys,
confronting one of the most potent and sinister symbols of a scandal from which it is still trying to recover.

The school intends to remodel the football team shower and locker room area
as a direct result of Sandusky's crimes, university spokesman David La Torre
told The Associated Press on Friday.<snip>

The disclosure of Penn State's remodeling plans came as the school weighs
how to deal with the ubiquitous imagery associated with the scandal.
Besides the Lasch building, there's the bronzed statue of Paterno
and the library that's named after him, as well as a downtown mural
depicting the Hall of Fame coach and ousted Penn State President Graham Spanier.

Reminders of the Sandusky scandal, and the senior school officials
accused of covering it up, are all over Penn State's campus and State College.
<snip>

This SI article goes on to discuss several other such statues, murials,
memorials, buildings around campus and the town.
But none of that goes to the heart of the matter...

The power of football was the over-riding force that prodded the school officials to act as they did.

Some are proposing the football program be shut down completely.
Some are proposing to drop the football program for only one or two years
Some are expecting disqualification via the Athletic Association.

I've read the income to PennState from football is on the order of $72 million annually.
The current students and players benefit from the sports program.
The school benefits from its reputation and alumni donations
The town benefits from the $ spent by those attending the games.

But what about the boys that were abused ???
Are they not entitled to $ damages for their suffering ?

I suggest a "devil's compromise"
... where no one wins and everyone loses (something).

1) Penn State shuts down the football program for one or two years.
AND
2) The abused boys agree to NOT accept any $ won in civil litigation.
AND
3) I'm sure there are some charities in the area that could benefit
from the $ donated by fans, alumni, attorneys, DA's, law enforcement, etc.

[richlevy]

Well, they could learn a lesson or two from Kent State.

In 1990, twenty years after the shootings, a memorial commemorating the events of May 4 was dedicated on the campus on a 2.5 acre (10,000 m²) site overlooking the University's Commons where the student protest took place.[57] Even the construction of the monument became controversial and, in the end, only 7% of the design was constructed. The memorial itself does not contain the names of those killed or wounded in the shooting; under pressure, the university agreed to install a plaque near it with the names.[58][59]

I don't think pretty wallpaper will do the job.

[SteveDallas]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

2) The abused boys agree to NOT accept any $ won in civil litigation.

Why would they agree to that? I wouldn't. It solves nothing.

I'm in a mood to raze the place. The rot goes too deep.

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General and current Governor and ex-officio member of the Penn State Board of Trustees Tom Corbett said, "History will judge all of us." History?? It won't take that long, Tom.

[ZenGum]

Wallpaper?

I think you mean "whitewash".

Quick, cover up the cover up!

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by SteveDallas

Why would they agree to that? I wouldn't. It solves nothing.

I'm in a mood to raze the place. The rot goes too deep.

<snip>

I understand the mood, but AFAIK the rot lies only in the actions of 5 men.

The boys (now men) would see that the entire community also suffers
for what happened to them... and maybe to others we don't know about.

What amount of $ could show that.

[SteveDallas]

You really think those five men were the only ones who knew and didn't speak up because they were afraid it would harm the football program, or the university, or both?

[Griff]

Big-time athletics is rotting American education from High School on up. Binghamton University has been trying to break into the big time in NCAA Division I basketball with similar results to Penn State's, corruption that extends into government because these are state schools.