I Think Paterno Knew More by Dave Wischnowsky November 9, 2011 9:49 AM On Sept 22, 2001, Joe Paterno’s punchless Nittany Lions lost 18-6 to Wisconsin to fall to 0-2 for the second consecutive season. Three days later, SI.com’s Ivan Maisel published a piece about “Penn State’s Decline,” detailing the sounds of panic echoing throughout Happy Valley. “The defense has been nothing short of terrible,” Maisel wrote about Paterno’s struggling squad. “Miami torched Penn State for 344 yards through the air in a 33-7 rout on Sept. 1; Wisconsin racked up 320 yards and held the ball for 41:53.” “Confidence has a shelf life and has to be replenished,” PSU defensive coordinator Tom Bradley lamented in the article, “and there’s no question that our confidence has been shaken.” That sorry state of affairs in State College back in ’01 was a far cry from the atmosphere just two years earlier when the Nittany Lions were as confident as any football program in the nation. In the 1999 Alamo Bowl, Penn State skunked Texas A&M 24-0 to cap another 10-win season – which, quite remarkably, was the Lions’ season average for victories since Paterno & Co. had joined the Big Ten six seasons earlier. In 2000, though, Penn State football suddenly fell of a cliff and finished 5-7. And in ’01, after that 0-2 start, the team would go on to finish the year an anemic 5-6. So, what the heck happened? Well, for one thing, after 32 years at Penn State, Jerry Sandusky had retired from coaching. “Most people don’t realize how much Jerry meant,” former Nittany Lions linebacker Brandon Short told Maisel about JoePa’s longtime defensive coordinator, who had surprisingly stepped down in ’99. “He was just as much a part of Penn State as Joe Paterno is.” Another former Penn State player, James Boyd, added: “When Jerry was there, [Paterno] would only come by and look at the defense in practice, but once the coordinator changed, he started working more with the defense. He felt he needed to be more hands-on because of the new coaches.” Now, tell me why in ’99, Sandusky – arguably the finest defensive coordinator in all of college football at the top of his game following a 10-win season that was capped with a bowl game shutout – retired in perfectly good physical health at the tender coaching age of 55? And explain to me the reasons behind Paterno choosing that ’99 season – which, by any measure, was a highly successful one – as the proper time to inform his longtime defensive lieutenant that he would not be succeeding him as head coach of Penn State, a job for which many had long considered Sandusky to be the heir apparent. Call me cynical – or just call me sensible – but knowing what we now know about Jerry Sandusky, I have a very difficult time believing that the recently revealed 1998 investigation by university and municipal police into a complaint that he had inappropriate contact with a naked boy in a shower didn’t play a role in Sandusky’s abrupt retirement. Interestingly, that ’98 inquiry resulted in no criminal charges against Sandusky, much like the alleged 2002 sexual assault incident reported to Paterno by graduate assistant Mike McQueary went nowhere, as well. However, Paterno tells us this week via a statement that he’s “shocked” by the child sex abuse charges levied against Sandusky and that if the allegations are true, “we were all fooled.” But how about you stop playing the rest of us for fools, Joe. Because, again, call me cynical – or just call me sensible – but I don’t think Paterno is telling us the truth about what he knew and did not know regarding Jerry Sandusky’s sordid history. At best, for nine long years, Paterno completely stuck his head in the sand after informing athletic director Tim Curley of the 2002 rape of a child that McQueary told the legendary coach he witnessed in the Paterno’s team showers. That incident resulted in the university banning Sandusky from bringing children to athletic department facilities, a decision for which Paterno surely nodded his approval, yet didn’t think the authorities should get a head’s-up, too At worst, Paterno could be the actual driving force behind this entire sordid cover-up, and the one who told Curley and Schultz – neither of whom have ever had the power that JoePa enjoys – that it was in the university’s best interest to keep Sandusky’s despicable predilections hush-hush. And it could be that Paterno gave McQueary a full-time assistant coaching job in 2004 in return for his inexcusable silence about what he’d seen two years earlier. Why, you might ask, would a coach do such things? Well, perhaps it’s because Paterno knew that if the deplorable actions of Sandusky, his longtime right-hand man, came to light in either ’02 or ’98, it would have forced his own retirement. A story like the one that’s exploded in State College this week will bring a coach – any coach – down, particularly one who already was in his 70s. Now, Joe Paterno has no doubt done many good things for many people over the years. But, the man’s ego is also the size of the Keystone State. And there’s no person in America who’s more stubborn. Fact is, no one in any sport should still be coaching when they’re 84 years old. But at Penn State, Paterno still is – in name, at least – because his ego won’t let him retire, and because he’s been far too powerful for anyone else to make him do so. Considering all that, I think it’s entirely possible – if not likely – that egomania and the fear of losing control of an “empire” drove Paterno to help conceal a despicable situation that’s been allowed to grow into the worst scandal the sporting world has ever seen. For decades, Joe Paterno has jealously clung to his unending job, his unfettered power and his untarnished legacy. But he’s now losing all of it in a staggering fall from grace – although I suppose in his mind he has those 409 precious wins to soften the landing. But if my suspicions about Paterno’s deeper knowledge of this inconceivable mess are correct, the question that football’s senior statesman has to be asking himself today is: Were they worth it? And that answer’s easy. No, Joe, they weren’t. Not at all. Not if this was the price. Now, stop pretending as if you never knew anything was wrong with your program and finally do the right thing instead: Take a knee, hand over the ball and call it quits. Today. Not at the end of the season. Your clock’s already run out. in more ways than one......Heaven or Hell he's got some explaining to do.
Let the man rest in peace. The story is done. Sundusky is going to jail for the rest of his life. He's gonna be Bubba's sex toy now.
Oh contraire the college is going to pay..And this story is going to be talked about for years as others start coming forward.
Joe Paterno is dead - End of Story. Sandusky will probably spend the rest of his life in prison - End of Story. Mike McQuery - Now there is still a story. He brought the complaint forward several years ago (2001) and knowing this was going on, accepted a job working with Sandusky. Story doesn't break until 2011. What else happened??? Why would someone who turned in a child molestor go to work with him?
The job promotion was a payoff, who authorized the payoff after knowing what was going on???? Gun Range time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de1F8WZeYR8 http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...uMy4Bg&usg=AFQjCNGABO21TMA18AEfQL8T2L1W-NV62Q As I said before Paterno knew more.
Paterno family says Penn State email release smears coach OOOooohhh the legacy of coach dead azz pedophile protector is injured. My, my, my, what do we say to the young boys who were raped by that sick twisted azz ex coach Sandusky. Paterno's right hand man. Sorry we were trying to protect our win loss ratio not your dignity as a young men. So what if Paterno's dead. His memory of being a wining coach should be remember as a man who didn't protect kids and that those children didn't mean nothing over his accolades.
I agree Paterno knew more. Likey knew the whole dang story. I think everyone should be investigated who could have had any knowledge yet chose to keep it quiet...Paterno included. Dead or not it should be investigated. I dont care how great a man people make him out to be. If he knew and covered it up he is scum.
Rest in peace...really?......more like rot in hell!!!!! http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/12/us/pennsylvania-penn-state-investigation/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Penn State profited under leadership of Paterno knowing what Sandusky, was doing and the college administrators turned a blind eye and allowed it to continue for over 14 years. If Reggie Bush can lose his Heisman over his family living in an house not paying rent and USC penalized for 2 years..Penn State should lose it's football program for 5-10 years.
Took the words out of my mouth. He can rot in hell right next to Sandusky and everyone else who knew and just let all of this go on.
A murder investigation should also be considered...also 3 boys from the 2nd Mile program disappeared between 1995 and 2001. Ray Gricar investigated Jerry Sandusky before he disappeared
Joe Paterno knew more for sure and tried to hide it...those boys affected are going to have issues there whole life if they cant over come what happend...sandusky can never be punished enough for what he's done...
An evil man can do some good and it won't erase the bad he's done. Same goes for a good man who does bad. Today's findings don't change how I feel about Paterno because it was unlikely to me that he was without blame from the start. The facts known prior were enough for me to realize he had failed along with others. IMO, the statue needs to go, but his name can stay on the library.
So exactly why should the people that are there in charge now and the students who are playing there now (all of which had ZERO to do with it) be punished??
Its a tough call, but unfortunately this is the only way to hit schools where it hurts. It completely sucks for the football players, as it does in most cases. I just don't know what the other options are? If you fine them, they don't care. The program continues to make money and boosters will donate more to keep them afloat. The death sentence takes years to recover from. That will cost the school way more money than what they would even consider fining them. The university, not just he football program, needs to be severely penalized for this.
