Holding JoePA responsible for Sandusky's (and Mc*****y's) actions or inactions for that matter is ridiculous. If Mc*****y had done what most reasonable people would have done in the first place, this all would have been resolved YEARS ago, and JoePA's legacy would have been much less tarnished. Mc*****y has shown time and again, he's a LIAR, and his word really is only as reliable as the winds of public opinion. Sadly, Mc*****y's inactions on Sandusky's actions have tarnished JoePA's legacy forever, and likely hastened JoePA's death.
I'll personally take the game of Life over winning on a Football field.....some people seem to take college football way to serious! Its just too bad the guy didn't get to spend some time in jail before he died, then he really might of seen the light!
Great article here - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-mckinnon/joe-paterno-dead_b_1222237.html I'm flat out amazed at the judgements cast by people who will never in their life begin to hold a candle to the amount of positive things Joe Paterno did in his life. Very few people in this world with his stature have given back more to their community and to young people than JoePa did. Yet, like the bloodthirsty society we've become, we demand blood at the slightest hint of weakness or indescretion. A sad reflection on our culture as a whole. Judge not, lest ye be judged, eh?
This is way more than an indescretion. He covered it up, as did many others, but with the power he held on that campus, he should have done more. I had him on a pedestal up to 5 months ago. Unfortunately, I wonder now how many other things he may have covered up to keep the luster on Linebacker U.
Sorry JZ, I tried to read your link but couldn't get past the 2nd or 3rd paragraph when it said something of the like...."with someone of his ideals"............ so do as i say and not as I do...... so you are saying as long as you do good in your life its OK to turn the other cheek when you KNOW someone is committing horrid crimes against children? Personally, I would do everything in my power to stop it before it happens...but thats just me!
There are a few moments in life that will make you as a man...how you deal with these moments is EVERYTHING. We get told stuff like this in the fire service all the time, is the risk worth the reward type of deal. Paterno simply tried to cover up child rapes in his showers. You can't get around that. HE WAS TOLD IT HAPPENED, and didn't go to the police. Its simple really...just because he was famous and beloved for all those years doesn't mean JACK.
I have no time what so ever with what this Sondusky dude supposedly did. If Indeed he did these things I hope someone kills the P.O.S.!! In regards to Joe I believe more stuff will surface. What exactly was Joe told from the guy that saw this stuff going on? From what I'm hearing there's all sorts of different stories coming from this guy. There's a chance no one will ever know the exact truth/words from what this guy told Joe. I'm not going to throw stones at Joe just yet.
Well, I am typing this from my desk here at Penn State University where I work. So far, what the public knows, is that he was told of an allegation of sexual nature with a boy in a shower. The same allegation that Mc*****y himself has changed several times now. Paterno did exactly what he was supposed to do, reporting it to his superiors. His superiors dropped the ball and Paterno ended up being the whipping post. I'm sure Paterno did wish he'd done more in light of the fact that his superiors, the very people who are responsible for taking these sorts of things through the proper channels, did not. I don't think there is a single person here, who if given the information that Paterno received from Mc*****y, would have done anything differently. We all would have taken it straight to our boss's, managers, superiors, etc., and expected them to follow through. Tim Curly and Graham Spanier (now ex university Pres) had asked Paterno to step down over 10 years ago (during PSU's down years in football, and he refused to do so. It is publicly known that both of these men wanted Paterno gone. Hell the majority of the Board of Trustees wanted him to step down. Whats more, we have a missing DA, Ray Gricar, who disappeared some 10 years ago. This "case", as reported to Paterno and moved up the ladder, landed on this man's desk and he neglected to take it further. There will be MUCH, MUCH, more to come out of this, shedding light on what happened after Paterno reported it. There is way more to this whole scandel than any of us know. Those passing judgement at this point are either ignorant and enjoy this sort of thing or have not read everything about the case except what our beloved media reports. Was Paterno a saint? Absolutely not. He's human and I'm sure he's made his fair share of mistakes, like any of us. But I'm sorry, he was not responsible for what the monster, Sandusky, has done to all of those kids. Sandusky is and the countless others of authority that failed to lock the guy up. Paterno was a football coach, not an administrative figure or legal figure. We're all taught, I believe, that if we see or hear of wrong doing, we take it to our superiors, most likely our boss and entrust that they will take it through the proper channels. His legend and legacy will never be seen from again in collegiate athletics. I doubt there is any coach who gave more back to a university or touched as many lives as he has. He lived a simple life, walked back and forth to work every day from a small, modest house he bought back in the 70's for $8K. He had the smallest salary of any Big 10 college football coach and donated the majority of it back to the university or other charities. Sorry, but for those of you who say you're glad he's dead and gone now, I suggest you join up with that nutjob church group from the midwest who plans to come to PSU today and picket his funeral services. Let me know how that works out for ya.
Once Paterno knew his superiors were not going to follow through on this, he had a moral and ethical obligation to do it himself. He had plenty of opportunity, yet did nothing. Shame on him. That tells me where his interest truely was. I have really never understood how being a football coach could ever elevate a person to immortal status and why any of us should think of them as anything other than an overpaid Phys. Ed. instructor. It's football, not rocket science. They arent finding the cure for cancer folks. They are using young men to gain fame and fortune for themselves and their institutions. I have never been impressed.
While I can see some good points to both sides of this issue, I have to agree with M88 on this statement. Many people have jumped to conclusions based on media reports. Its what this country does. Guilty until proven innocent, and once that happens, there is no turning back. Justin touched on this. Sure, if Joe knew all the information that is in the Grand Jury report and still did nothing, thats very bad. There is no way he knew all of it, and unfortunately, we'll probably never know exactly what he knew. I agree that Joe did what he was suppose to do. If he was then told that it was investigated and no charges were filed, then he would have to assume Sandusky was innocent. Mc*****y has said himself that he did not go into detail with Joe. Here is where the leap by society occurs. People assume Joe knew everything that we now know. Joe should have done more, Joe had the power, Joe is a monster. None of us are Joe Paterno. None of us know exactly what he knew. I absolutely hate child sex abusers. Sandusky is the monster. If Joe knew with certainty that this was occurring, then yes, he should take some of the blame. But what did Joe know? Does it matter in the court of public opinion? Sandusky, if the alleged is true, is one awful excuse for a man. Truly a monster in every sense of the word. Curly and Spanier are greedy people, who put the image of university ahead of young men's lives. Mc*****y was greedy as well, putting his own well being and career ahead of these young men's lives. He had an obligation as a human being, and he failed. Joe was a middle man, but the biggest name associated with this. Joe did a lot of good in his time. A lot. More than many of us would could do in 10 lifetimes. Should we forget about that? I don't think so. Unfortunately, this latest event is the freshest in our minds, and the crimes committed are horrendous. That is what the public will always focus on. What happened shouldn't be forgotten or ignored, but neither should the rest of his life. The court of public opinion is perhaps the ugliest example of our society. It often shows no mercy or forgiveness, even by those taught to do so, or those that seek it themselves.
Why didn't the guy who actually saw the acts taking place go to the police directly instead of simply telling Paterno? Shouldn’t he be crucified more since he actually saw it but yet he didn't go to the police?
One more point. Much like Tebow, I think the issue becomes more with the support/praise being shown for the man more so than the actual events. If Joe died and there were no tributes or talk about what a great man he was, you wouldn't be seeing the backlash you are now.
I agree that Sandusky is the animal, IF he is found to be guilty. But in this situation, they asked that Sandusky resign, so something was up there. JoePa, being what he is/was had alot of power and prestige, and if he wanted something to happen, he could have made sure that it did. I think that the 50 yr old JoePa was probably pretty ashamed of what the 75 yr old JoePa did in not pushing the issue.
By his own admission, he was made aware of the situation. He informed his superiors. He also knew his superiors did nothing about it. Yet, he chose to do nothing further as well. For YEARS! I can assure you, if that was your son that was molested, you would also blame the "legendary" JoePA for his lack of response.
I'm not saying he's completely innocent in this whole thing. Not for a second. My opinion on this situation is pretty clear in previous threads. But for some reason, the bulk of the blame is getting put on Joe. Most likely for two reasons. 1) He's the biggest name. 2) People are defending him. No one is defending Sandusky, and as a result, his name rarely comes up. Joe did not know his superiors did nothing. What we do know from the Grand Jury investigation is that Mc*****y was extremely vague in what he told Joe, but he told Joe enough that he felt he should report it to his superiors. He was then told, by his superiors, that they took the necessary steps. Thats what we know. IMO, the list of people at fault, in order of faultiness should be... 1. Sandusky 2. Mc*****y 3. Curly and Spanier 4. Board of trustees 5. Joe Somehow, Joe has become #1 in the public eye. Thats my point.
