We wouldn't be talking about JoePa image as much if this was happening 5 years after the story broke, either. To raw at this point.
No way you will ever convince me that Joe thought his superiors resolved the issue. Obviously, Sandusky was still there and there was nothing done. Joe didnt want to know the truth, because he didnt want to deal with the truth. He just recently admitted that he just didnt know what to do and didnt want to jeapordize the university procedure. He didnt know how to handle rape alegations with a man and boy. Really? He was too busy being a "legend". His only concern was football. Becasue, well you know....football is so very important. Much more important than a young boy getting raped in the shower. Gotta keep up those legendary apprearances for the coach, team, and university. Because football is important, right?
You can make all the assumptions you wish, fletch. Thats your right. I would like to know how everyone would handle this situation... You are in your 60s, and a young man in his 20s is telling you that he saw one of your best friends in the shower with a boy, naked. Keep in mind, the man in question has been one of your best friends for years. You think he's a great guy. (So if you will, for the purpose of this investigation, imagine your best friend in this situation. Imagine the man in his 20s as one of your employees or co-workers.) The 20 year old man said he saw things that he felt were inappropriate and made him uncomfortable. How many of you would have stopped right there? Would have doubted this young man and at least talked to your friend first? How many of you would have gone to your superiors, as you are instructed to do so? For those that would have gone to your superiors, how many of you would have gone to the police after your superiors told you it was being handled? After your friend said he was just horsing around, it was nothing, and he understands its a situation he shouldn't repeat? (Again, for the purpose of this exercise, imagine this is YOUR best friend, not Sandusky). No one really has to answer that. I already know what you will say, whether its true or not. Most likely it won't be. I just wanted to make you think. You guys act like Joe was given the 2011 Grand Jury report back in 2001, or that he was standing lookout outside the showers. Again, I'm just basing my opinion of this situation off what I know. No assumptions, no what ifs, no conspiracy theories. I know, crazy right? As more information becomes available, I will adjust my opinion then. Jumping to accusations is more fun though, but I don't like to have fun.
That's just It Fletch, how do you/I/or anyone know what his superiors told him after this all happened. There's people sitting In prison that never committed the crime their In the for. I feel for them people deeply. If Indeed Joe's superiors told him that everything Is done and over and everything Is fine, Is everyone still going to throw the death sentence at Joe? I'm not at all saying this happened but what If It did? If Indeed Joe did let It slip under the rug then shame on him big time!!! I'll wait though to cast my stones on this.
Actually Vito, there are plenty of assumptions in that scenario. We will never know exactly what that conversation was. We will never know if Sandusky admitted anything to Joe. We will never know what the kid told Joe for certain. What we know is, it was a pattern that continued for years. And that it would be unlikely that there was not some degree of suspicion. And that many young boys were put in harms way. And that football is too important to get mired down in something so trivial as young boys being molested. The man is a legend afterall. Perhaps sainthood is in order? I mean seriously, the most victorious coach ever! That has to allow for some latitude when it comes to child rape, or murder for that matter. Perhaps coaches that reach legendary status should be given something akin to diplomatic immunity. What disturbs me is the fact that JoePA could have admitted complete guilt and there are still throngs of followers that would dismiss the fact because of his status as a football coach. Sad really.
Like I mentioned before, the issue for some people seems to deal more with praise his is getting for his successes, than what actually transpired. When things are being pushed in a direction that we don't like, it usually causes us to push harder in the other direction.
Along these lines. What do you think Joe could have possibly thought had been done? Or was that just a convenient way to get back to business as usual? Remember, there was a HUGE amount of money at stake here. Not to mention a University's reputation. Just seems quite unlikely to me that Joe was in the dark on this one. I mean really, something like 52 counts of sexual abuse against this monster and Joe is clueless? Truth is, we will likely never know the truth. He didnt fall far in my eyes. I never had him on a pedestal to begin with. I can only pray that the victims in this find their peace.
I did forget one name that should go above Joe on the list of faultiness. Jack Raykovit[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]z. Why is he being ignored? I bet many don't even know who he is or have heard his name. He ran The Second Mile. The place Sandusky recruited his victims. He was made aware of the shower incident, and chose to keep it to himself instead of going to the board of directors. He is one of the biggest enablers in this whole mess.[/FONT]
Hey...he won a lot of football games though....... ....as far as the rest of them that are involved...I hope they all rot in jail for a very, very long time, to bad Paterno died, I would of loved to see him do jail time as well!!!!!!!
It's been next to impossible for me to form an objective opinion on this matter because of my strong bias against all PSU faithful and thier unfathomable adoration of Paterno, the football program & the university itself. They've put him (joepa) and the football program on a such a pedestal they started believing they were Gods. Everyone involved was out to protect the image of Penn State & it's football program. Lost in the shuffle were the victims of such horrid crimes. And just because those guys were Paterno's superior on paper, doesn't mean that's how it was in real life. Especially when it came to anything involving the football program.
The issue is that every is making assumptions for what Paterno did or did not know and do. It has come to light in recent weeks, for instance, that Paterno had followed up with Shultz (then head of the PSU Police), and was informed it was taken care of. If this was the case, do you go above the PSU police investigation and administration, and go straight to the police. I doubt anyone here would. I mean, come on people. Put yourself in Paterno's position. A young grad assistant comes to you in the middle of the night saying he saw something inappropriate, but wasn't sure what he saw, no wait, he definitely heard something, etc. Something of this nature needs to be handled accordingly and in a discreet manner. At that point it was ONLY allegations and hearsay. You turn the information over to your superiors who then should be turning it over to the experts, the police. That didn't happen. Not to play devils advocate here. But I think most here could imagine what would happen if a similar situation were to unfold and the allegation(s) to be completely untrue or unfounded. The alledged person's life would be ruined, regardless, in the eye of public opinion. I pray for the victims and their families. I hope justice is served and Sandusky gets what he has coming to him... a long prison term in a cell with a roomy that thinks he has a cute ***. For those saying Paterno had some sinister plot, covering this up. You are clueless. It simply was not the case. Did he make it as big of a deal as he should have? No, he failed there and admits to it. But a child molestation advocate he was not.
I for one would of went straight to the POLICE first, then told the PSU and "so called PSU police" what happened and that I already informed the proper authorities! AND....I'm willing to bet there are many on here that would of done the same! Everyone involved in this horrible act that did nothing except protect Paterno and PSU should be held accountable and serve jail time, to bad Paterno can't do any time at this point! I hope they all get to rot in jail.
So your first step, if a young man you knew told you one of your best friends was in a shower and he thinks it was inappropriate (keep in mind Mc*****y never told Joe exactly what he saw), would be to go directly to the police? Thats your first move? Next question...do you yell a lot in real life?
I think the bigger picture is not just the ONE case that was directly brought to JoePA's attention. But the fact that there were OVER 50 cases. And those are just the ones that have now been reported. Hard to fathom how many guys dont want to relive the experience today by admitting it happened to them. All that, and it was unknown to Joe? Nothing further was ever brought to his attention? His "radar" never even blipped? Just doesnt seem too likely. Maybe so, maybe not. We will likely never know.
