Olbermann called for his firing last night; what’s truly depressing is the number of students who put Penn State football ahead of a witnessed rape of a minor; talk about screwed up values.

Paterno should have retired years ago but that wouldn’t have fixed the problem of this pedophile. It was appalling to see all those young people on Paterno’s lawn cheering for him. He should be shunned in every way along with the rest of his staff. It’s unlikely they didn’t all know about this tragedy. I saw Matt Millen (PS alum) on ESPN yesterday and he just broke down. PS reputation is destroyed for a long time.

I worked in sports for many years, everything from pro football to auto racing to the Olympic Volleyball program. And I’ve known for decades that Joe Pa was as phony as a $3 bill, a hypocrite of the first order. He’s always been all about Joe Paterno. May he burn in hell.

And he needs to get fired — before this weekend’s game. And banned from campus.

Past time to go Joe , this is your reputation forever not the wins and losses.

Institutions are comprised of people. People who can choose to do the right things, or not. An institution is not a shield to protect individuals from their bad choices. Paterno may have fulfilled his responsibility to the institution, but not his responsibility as a human being to that outraged boy. The institution and the individuals involved are all culpable.

Boys, last I heard on radio was Nine victims.

This is America.
The only thing that matters is money.
So the question, what’s in the best interest of money.
Students showing up on his lawn to support him clearly indicate where their values lie.
The fact he hasn’t been investigated, nor will he be, and that he gets to slink away after this clearly reflects the values of or society.

Majority opinion? I call bullshite. The only thing that matters is money. He will not be investigated, *money*, and he will get to walk away scott-free, *money*. Money trumps justice … again.

AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen David Dayen:

I think it’s important to keep the model of the Catholic Church and its institutional response to the on going pattern of abuse and criminality as a background landscape to individual cases like this one. The relationship of the perpetrators to the larger institutions that shelter them and the relationship of the sheltering institutions to the larger political economy (ie the Vatican Bank scandal and the protection of state justice systems of individual priests) must be seen in every case like this. The complete corruption of systems of “justice” and the double standard of applied justice to individuals outside the protection of institutions like the Church or large corporations is nowhere more evident than in this case and the case of the French financier and the immigrant maid.

No sir Brother David, you give Joe and PSU no quarter and keep makin the connections for us.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, NO QUARTER…NO MERCY!!

BTW — some wiseass commenter on ESPN.com said that PSU now stands for Pedophile State University. Bet the PSU teams will see that sign in the stands when they go on road trips.

“Preemptive retirement”, yes. Still trying to be the king in complete control. He needs to resign in shame immediately as the only current way he can begin to pay back for his moral obtuseness, legal half stepping, personal arrogance and blindness. His ass needs to go. Now. Not at the end of the season. Not on his schedule. Now.

I live in Blacksburg and am familiar with the cover ups, excuses and blind eyes turned on numerous occasion to “protect” the football fraternity; Virginia Tech has sold a lot of it’s soul to make it into the big time. Its all disgusting, just like the corporate world too often plays by it’s own sick rules, so too the football world. Sick.

Now if only Keystone XL, banks destroying the world, Israel starting WWIII and Obama surrendering our country to the fascigarchs could have a sex scandal of their own to help keep those silly stories somewhere near the front page.

I had only heard about the one. The first untreated cut sets the infection.

I think anybody who judges an entire school or, for that matter, any other entity by the behavior of a few is a fool.

First time I ever heard that phrase. Good one!

It’s not a matter of judging. Something like this stains everything – especially if it was known and nothing was done about it. That’s the problem – nothing was done. I read one report that said a member of the coaching staff observed this pedophile having sex with a young man in the shower! Visible! The pedophile must have felt perfectly safe and sure that no one would report him.

Smack on…this guy ought to be booted NOW….no waiting,he was part of the problem that led to so many kids being hurt.

And to see some students,who obviously couldn’t care
about the victims in this heinous crime camp out and offer support to Paterno….well lets just say how disgraceful.

It’s safe to say if any one of those who assembled in front of Paterno’s house offering support were in charge of the investigations,well lets just say Penn State would still employ the Child abuser.

Read and weep the editorial highlighted some victims 20 times , really Good God .

Not just 1 victim,he brought the many of his victims to the Athletic Dept for his rendezvous.

There are a couple of points in play here about PSU.

First, largely because of Paterno PSU has played the holier-than-thou card for a long time. Having worked in sports (known PSU players and coaches since the late 1970′s) I can tell you that Paterno’a carefully crafted pious and proper image is just that, a well-crafted facade. Dig deep enough you’ll find a few instances where racist comments got buried and the guy had to be dragged kicking and screaming into compliance with Title IX. (Women getting resources that should go to his football team? Heaven forbid!)

Second, this was an institution-wide failure. Newspapers in PA are already calling for the resignation or firing of the President of the University. This isn’t some recruiting scandal confined to a few coaches. According to one story, a PSU cop who witnessed the statement of the mother of one of the molested kids was told to drop the investigation.

Paterno is under investigation for perjury and obstruction of justice. It is alleged that he lied to the Grand Jury.

I don’t know who it will turn out to be, but someone will have to be thrown under the bus for PS to make any steps towards rebuilding their reputation.

We are so used to criminals at the highest level getting away with murder (literally) on every conceivable level. I can see why you’d think that Paterno, et al. will never pay any price for their cowardice.

Sports Illustrated online

A jock, through and through.

SMU, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Colorado, Michigan, Miami, Baylor, USC… Institutions are what the individuals within them, by action or inaction, make of them. All of these institutions have laudable charters, that individuals have chosen to violate. If the institution is to have any credibility, it is encumbent for conscientious individuals in it to confront and reprimand any and all violating individuals. The word “institution” is not sacrosanct, as the Cato and American Free Enterprise Institutes illustrate.

I’ve got a bad feeling these are just the start of the revelations about child sex abuse, sex slaves, and ritual sex abuse by people in positions of power.

There was a story in a DC newspaper that linked a pedophile ring almost to the front door of the George H. W. Bush White House printed once, then the story vanished. There a huge elites pedophile ring found recently in Portugal…

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-488654/Why-Portugal-haven-paedophiles–disturbing-backcloth-Madeleine-case.html

“…After checking that the children were not suffering from any sexual infections, the doctor was joined by the orphanage caretaker, known as Bibi, who ushered the unfortunate children outside to a waiting van.

With the doctor following in his red Ferrari, Bibi drove the van to the prestigious homes of some of the leading members of Lisbon society – ranging from Portuguese government ministers and high-ranking diplomats, to famous television stars and members of the judiciary.

There, the children were repeatedly sexually abused. Some were allegedly drugged to make them compliant; others were plied with alcohol.

This continued for years. Assaults were filmed; pictures of one attack were subsequently found at the home of a suspected paedophile in Paris.

According to medical records, the victims’ injuries were horrific – and consistent with serious sexual assault and rape. In witness statements, many were able to describe in minute detail the homes where they were taken and identifying marks on the bodies of their abusers.

The existence of this so-called “magic circle” of the Portuguese establishment, allegedly involved in an international paedophile ring using boys and girls from Casa Pia, was last week likened to an earthquake waiting to shake Portugal to its foundations.

New allegations about the scale of the network will be put before the country’s highest court within the next few weeks.

Amid rumours of links to other paedophile gangs across Europe and the U.S., international experts on child sex crimes and murders are expected to be in court when the case re-opens, four years after a group of victims broke a silence lasting more than 30 years….”

This whole sorry spectacle goes to the failure of institutions, the poverty of justice, that has characterized American and even global society in recent history.

A generation ago, I doubt we’d even be discussing this – it would have been swept under the rug. We weren’t hearing much about pedophilia in the Catholic church back in the 1970s. Now, it’s a running joke. I’d guess that at least part of the reason Paterno didn’t do more about this is that his generation didn’t believe in talking about such things.

Ugly as this scandal is, in some ways it’s an example of things getting better. The greed and the fecklessness of lots of folks kept this under wraps, but that it finally saw the light of day says something, too.

Paterno is right to resign, and Penn State needs to confirm that he’s not coming back. That needs to happen both for the university’s interest and for the interest of future athletes, as well.

BTW, I have connections to PSU. I grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, and graduated from PSU. I have extended family who have gone there, too. It’s a sad time, and I hope that Sandusky’s victims get some justice.

I disagree.

Also, with David’s post regarding Paterno, but not so much the rest of the post.

I think in view of his many years of service to Penn State and his non-central role in this scandal, Paterno’s retirement at the end of the year, and clearly viewed as forced, is punishment. No one thinks the retirement is really self determined.

If you read the grand jury report, it is clear Paterno did what he was supposed to do, but not all he could have done. I don’t think it was wrong for him to report it to his superiors as required, but it was wrong for him not to follow up to see what was done.

The administrators really f’ed up. And the assistant, who for sure knew what happened, should not have let it rest with just banning Sandusky from bringing kids to the campus.

IN the report, it says the Grad assistant, after witnessing the anal sex, called his father who told him to come over to his house to discuss. After that discussion, he reported it to Paterno the next morning.

The big question is how much he told Paterno. He did not report to the Grand Jury that he gave Paterno details, but he did tell the Grand Jury that he did tell Curry and Schultz details, so my guess is he was vague.

If he was vague with Paterno (who wants to talk anal sex with a revered 84 year old man?), then, I don’t blame Paterno so much.

But, retirement at the end of the year and ending a career in some disgrace is fitting.

But, the administrators really f’ed up and what they did was a crime.

I should also say that I had a guy hack into a customer’s email and try to divert a bank wire from me to them to his account.
I reported this to Scottish police, as that is where the person was located. I was AMAZED at the run around I got. The guy was ripe for taking with his name and address, everything, but they gave me a total bureaucratic run around. So, nothing got done. The guy is free to keep trying to defraud people.

So, yes, some institutions have fallen down on the job.

though the Sgt. I talked said the privacy and other regulations prevented them from doing much.

Paaterno is a scapegoat for the administration phoneys.

I read that the original prosecutor “disappeared,” and was found dead.

I agree and disagree. It is the public that is on Paterno’s case, not the administration so much. Whatever action the administration is considering is motivated by the public outcry.

And, if Paterno was not so well known, the public wouldn’t be saying a thing.

In this case, Joe’s fame is working against him.

But, I tell you, I don’t get it about Curry and Schultz. If they were told the detailed version, as the grad assistant says, that Sandusky was in the shower having anal sex with an 11 year old, they suffered a massive failure of humanity.

It should have been immediately reported to police and Sandusky arrested.

Period.

And, if I was the grad assistant and I found out the admin only slapped Sandusky’s hand, I’d have gone to the police that minute.

Joe Paterno was the most powerful individual on that campus. Nobody, not the AD or the Trustees or the President of the University, dared fuck with him.

Seven years ago the Trustees asked him to retire. He refused. (Essentially, “This is my fucking job and it’s mine until I die or decide to retire and fuck everybody else because I’m bigger than the institution.”) You take that attitude, you gotta take the blame as well as the glory.

What an aloof statement.

What vacuous morality possesses you to mitigate the further attacks he enabled.

That is a Vile disgusting response to enable ongoing child rape.

Good day.

Very much related…the holy greatness of a big and successful football program….More reverence than elicited by the Holy Catholic Church, as you surely know….Alabama, UT, etc etc etc. It’s the absurd idolatry of football and money, pros and college alike.

The latest. (Check out the last sentence — emphasis added.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1…n_1083867.html

Graham Spanier Out? Penn State President May Quit Or Be Fired By The End Of The Day: Report

Graham Spanier’s tenure as president of Penn State may be ending.

According to the Lehigh Valley Express-Times, sources close to the university’s board of trustees informed the paper that Spanier will resign or be let go be the end of the day Wednesday.

Criticism has been mounting against Spanier’s conduct in the Jerry Sandusky case since the allegations were made public. In 2002, Spanier was informed that Jerry Sandusky had been seen allegedly sodomizing a a child in the school showers, according to the Grand Jury report. Spanier claims he was only informed of the full nature of the allegations last month, though the report states that he was aware that the 2002 incident was sexual in nature.

Spanier has been the president of the university since 1995. He is a sociologist and the founding editor of the Journal of Family Issues.

Founding editor of the Journal of Family Issues — and he did not report a sexual contact between an adult and child to the cops?

You’re right about the absurd idolatry, but unfortunately there is a correlation between football success and both enrollment and alumni giving.

When SMU got hit a two-year ban on football (the “death penalty”) admissions applications dropped by over 20% and alumni giving plummeted. And both stayed down for years.

Paterno and his staff are, IMHO, criminally culpable based on the information that’s managed to find a way into the press. I shudder at the thought of what remains hidden.

Using RICO, or like statute, PSU’s endowment should be seized and put into receivership immediately.

Paterno and his entire staff, including those in the university’s employ as far back as 10 or more years ago, should have their retirement funds withheld pending the outcomes of a full, multi-agency, state and Federal investigation.

Every time I’ve heard or seen news of this story, I’m reminded of reports from African, Balkan and other war zones where sexual violence is institutionalized and the terror it breeds used to keep the “moral” atmosphere hostile to honesty, legality and compassion.

I guess you know the inside of someone’s head and everything they heard.

As noted, which you likely missed, the grad assistant did not tell the grand jury that he told Paterno of the details of what he saw. He DID tell the grand jury that he told Curry and Schultz and made a point of it. Logically, that means he didn’t tell Paterno the details, or he WOULD have told the grand jury so.

Therefore, what Paterno says about his understanding of the situation is likely true.

Unless you have some evidence, like actual evidence, otherwise, I suggest you temper your remarks else a house fall on you, too.

If the grad students report to Paterno was vague as he said and the grad assistant did not contradict, he did the correct thing reporting it to superiors.

It was not his job to investigate. That is the job for the police and I would imagine Paterno thought that the police or some authority would be doing that.

As the police told me in the instance I gave above, it is not my place to investigate, let them do it.

the easiest way to resolve this is to consider this; if the people above Paterno, Curry and Schultz had done what they were supposed to do, Sandusky would have been caught and arrested. And, this thread would not be here. So, the failure was above Paterno.

Hind sight is always 20/20, but for people like you, who always do everything right and have never wronged another or made any mistakes, I guess it is hard to understand human beings.

BUT, if Paterno should have followed up on it better for sure.

You need to actually read the grand jury report before popping off.

Don’t get me wrong. The INDIVIDUALS involved are ALL guilty. And the school WILL endure the stain for a long time.

People usually think in terms of similarities, not differences.

For example, an insane person would think all people around him are Martians.
A sane person recognizes that guy’s a mechanic, that woman’s a lawyer, etc.

So, your average person is going to associate the entire University with the actions of a few. “They’re all bad.”

I’m thinking that the 8 (9?) kids are just the tip of the iceberg.

Also, I hope someone is keeping track of any efforts that were made to shut McQueary up, either by stick or carrot. It’s unbelievable that he witnessed Sandusky sodomizing a kid, told Paterno about it way back in 2002, Paterno told Curley and Schultz, who then told Spanier, and the thing just went away for 9 years.

When you get to a certain level, you can’t play dumb and relying on playing dumb, especially when you have a personal interest in concealing and minimizing the facts. It’s incredulously irresponsible, bordering on the unbelievable. And this in the middle of Catholic church scandals — the COVERUPS — in the news constantly. Joe a good Catholic boy. Methinks you protest too much.

And I guess those supposedly represent the adults….Yes, it’s a stain of the whole culture. Thanks for the addition to the very sickening picture.

If he was vague with Paterno (who wants to talk anal sex with a revered 84 year old man?), then, I don’t blame Paterno so much.

Bullshit. If the 84 year old man was fit to coach students he wouldn’t have let the graduate student out of the room until he knew every detail. If he were half the man he pretended to be he would have driven his graduate assistant to the nearest police station immediately.

I admired Joe Paterno. I’m sick to my stomach.

Think of the huge revenues College Football brings in to the colleges and universities. Whatever misdeeds take place, the football(and basketball) programs will always be given a free pass. Money is the reason for these “Pro” college sport programs.

If there’s any connection between the scandal and the mysterious disappearance (death?) of the prosecutor who investigated and then dropped the earlier charge, then RICO would be an entirely appropriate vehicle.

Great article by Jamele Hill at ESPN.com.

http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/page/hill-111109/penn-state-not-allow-joe-paterno-retire-terms

The end for Joe Paterno: Now, not later

Excerpt:

If the Paterno era is allowed to end this way, it will be just another example of Penn State University cowardice.

“I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind,” Paterno said in Wednesday’s statement. “To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.”

But the only interests being served here are Paterno’s and Penn State’s. If the 84-year-old coach is given the freedom to dictate the terms of his departure, it means that university officials will have shown again that they are unwilling and unprepared to confront their legendary football coach.

The whole article is worth the read.

Penn State’s new logo

I saw one (sorry, don’t have a link) that said:

Ped State

Penn State President Graham Spanier Has Resigned

Are you suggesting there’s something I missed?

If you have a point, make it.

You are mistaken, cregan. The grand jury presentment clearly indicates that McQueary told Paterno that he saw Sandusky anally penetrating a ten-year old boy in the Penn State football locker room showers.

When Paterno (after waiting a day) reported this to his boss, Paterno changed the story to having heard that Sandusky “was fooling around or something” with a boy.

Joe knew that an illegal activity involving a child had taken place, for there is no legally acceptable reason whatsoever for Paterno’s top assistant coach to be naked in the Penn State football locker room showers with a 10-year old boy.

Immediately, and without any hedging, as an employee of the state of Pennsylvania, he was obligated to report this incident to the county child protection services, and then within 2 days report it in writing to the state of Pennsylvania.

My email comment was read on the statewide WPR broadcast this morning and expresses my initial feelings about this travesty:

Paterno should be fired immediately and divested of every penny of any and all retirement benefits and remaining salary obligations, travel and/or office perks. These funds along with those of any other perpetrators to be used exclusively for victims compensation.

Obviously hoping to minimize HIS personal suffering and the focus of public ire on his role, an apology and announced retirement at the end of the year being accepted as an adequate response is further enabling and endorsement of the behavior behind the whole stinking affair and should be grounds for dismissing every school official that this is OK with.

He’s gone

Assistant coach, Tom Bradley is interim coach.

in the Penn State football locker room showers

just revolting

Uh, I had read the entire report before commenting. After reading your reply, I went back and re-read the entire thing to see if I missed something.

It does not say the grad assistant told Paterno anything about anally penetrating the boy. It does not say Paterno changed the story.

It says simply that the assistant told Paterno what he had seen. It does not give any detail as to exactly how he described it.

It does say that Paterno described the activity to Curry and with no mention of anal penetration. But, the report does not say Paterno altered what he was told, and I am sure the report would have if that was the case since the report did not mince words or conclusions in any other part of the report.

On the other hand, the report DOES say specifically that the GA told Curry and Schultz of the anal aspect.

So, it is plain that Paterno was not told that detail.

The REALLY odd thing is that none of the experts in this thread mention ANYTHING about 5 or 6 janitors who knew Sandusky had performed oral sex on a boy in the shower and SAID NOTHING TO ANYONE, and worse, had agreed as a group to say nothing to anyone.

THAT takes the cake for me.

Only the big name people are worthy of their scorn.

Thanks Elli,

Having been a crisis-line phone operator decades ago, I had been aware of the multiple ways perpetrators are ignored and or have their behavior minimized by colleagues. I was just repeating my call for action against Paterno prior to his actual dismissal about twelve hours later than my comment.