Paterno is out at Penn State

[WilliamPitt]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/sports/ncaafootball/penn-state-said-to-be-planning-paternos-exit.html?hp

[yellerpup]

1. Good.

He should be.

[trumad]

8. Funny how the Big 10 loses them

Woody for punching an opposing player...and now Joe.

[madinmaryland]

19. Woody never covered up for a pedophile, though he may have covered up for a

gambler, Art the Gambler Schlicster.

[dtexdem]

2. Wow, Paterno is gay?

;-)

[rocktivity]

13. Bad dtexdem! BAD!!!

:spank:
rockivity

[hlthe2b]

3. He surely destroyed his own legacy....

What a sad and pathetic man to have chosen to protect one who preyed on children.

[Drale]

6. According to ESPN radio this morning

One of the mothers called Sandusky and confronted him while the police where listening in, he admitted to it all but the district attorney refused to prosecute, that district attorney has also been missing since 2005.

[fishwax]

10. it was actually in her home rather than on the phone

but according to the grand jury report, that is true. He admitted it in front of police officers (who were out of sight in another room). But for some reason charges weren't filed.

[hlthe2b]

14. Well that does add another wrinkle....

Hmmmm....:shrug:

[jtown1123]

15. I thought the DA committed suicide several years ago? n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

33. The DA disappeared, and his body was never found

They found his laptop in a river, I believe.

His family had him declared dead.

[hlthe2b]

38. Is there speculated to be a connection?

[alcibiades_mystery]

41. There's always speculation of everything, of course

Is there any serious investigation of a connection? No, I don't think so.

Ray Gricar was an odd bird to say the least, and his disappearance in 2005 was the defining mystery of the last decade in Centre County. In all likelihood, he went out into the woods and shot himself. That said, there are no doubt tons of drooling people who would like to see the Gricar case connected to the Sandusky case, since that really moves this thing into weirdo, John Grishamesque territory - media super-scandal of the century type stuff.

[liberal N proud]

4. It's time for him to fade away

He has been there far too long now!

[fishwax]

7. In this case, it might have been better if he'd faded away

But this is more of an explosion.

[banned from Kos]

5. one of the cover-up guys was a big Pat Toomey donor and volunteer

according to the Pennsylvania blog Down with Tyranny.

[rocktivity]

9. CUE THE VONAGE THEME!

I don't hold it against him that he reported what he learned up his chain of command instead of directly to the police. But by doing nothing more, he became a full-fledged accessory after the fact.

:woohoo:
rocktivity

[SomeGuyInEagan]

11. Just when the story cannot get worse, more details come out ...

What the fuck is wrong with the law enforcement involved? The Times story claims Paterno knew since 2002. SI's Peter King wrote yesterday that some at the school have known for 13 years.

Jesus, these were children!

[fishwax]

16. yes -- there was an investigation in 1998

Sandusky admitted (in front of police officers, who were eavesdropping out of sight) to a victim's mother that he had showered with her son and otherwise behaved inappropriately. For some reason, the DA chose not to press charges. (The DA disappeared in 2005.)

[jtown1123]

12. The timing thing is the issue. It has to be immediately. Not clear when it will happen n/t

[piedmont]

17. Wow. I never would have thought JoePa would go out like this. nt

[HERVEPA]

21. Well, after all, he was a Rethuglican, and campaigned for them

[LynneSin]

24. You'd think but he donated to democrats too. He has donated to Sestak and Obama

http://www.newsmeat.com/sports_political_donations/Joe_Paterno.php

[HERVEPA]

26. Thanks for the update Lynne

[LynneSin]

27. I know he did alot of campaigning back in I think 2002/4 when his son ran for office

Scott Paterno was a big jackass who thought his name would give him a house seat.

[HERVEPA]

30. Yeh. I saw Joe donated to that.

[gratuitous]

18. He got his record, so he can go

I didn't think Paterno would last until Thanksgiving, but I didn't think it would be this quick. Since Paterno has his now-meaningless record for most victories as a coach, he can be quietly cashiered, and Penn State can hold all his prestige.

However, I think Paterno's legacy will not be as the winningest coach ever, but as the guy who made sure Jerry Sandusky had a continuing supply of victims.

[Recovered Repug]

20. To clarify one point, Paterno is not yet "out" at Penn State.

For anyone who doesn't follow the link to the story: He has not yet been fired nor has he resigned. He (almost certainly) won't be back next year, but it is unclear as to whether he will finish the season or not.

[NightWatcher]

22. his presser for today is cancelled. His end might be soon

[Recovered Repug]

23. True. My point is that the title of the thread suggests that he is

no longer the head coach, but the story linked does not support that claim. That Paterno will soon be gone is certain. When he leaves has not yet been determined. I just wanted to clarify the situation for those that didn't follow the link.

[RedCloud]

45. What I understand is the molestor was not a PSU coach at the time?

when Joe Pa reported it.

[LynneSin]

25. If they beat Nebraska then he'll retire at the end of the season. If they lose he's out

That's my bet on it because that football program is such a huge part of Penn State and Paterno is such a legendary coach. Right now PSU is ranked 12th in the college ranking with only one loss (to 8th ranked Alabama).

If they manage to beat Nebraska amidst all this scandal they'll let JoePa finish out the season and then he'll retire. But they lose then he'll be out next week.

[Bill McBlueState]

28. It's a sad end to a distinguished career

Here was a guy who built good football teams and had academic standards too. You rarely see that in I-A football anymore. He donated millions to the campus library and lived out the quaint notion that student-athletes are students first.

I don't know what he was thinking by doing only what was legally mandated when he heard about Sandusky. It's funny and sad how one bad decision can cancel out a lifetime of good ones.

[LynneSin]

31. I always thought Penn State had one of the classiest football programs

And that Joe made sure his kids got an education.

Maybe Joe felt that he could talk to Sandusky about it and that the problem was done and in the past.

Who knows.

I think Joe Paterno would have looked like a hero had he just turned in Sandusky to the authorities when it happened. Now he'll retire in shame.

[adigal]

39. No, he's old school. I know a lot of men like this

Very dedicated to the boys who play for them, love them, really, but they have their prejudices and old fashioned beliefs. Paterno probably felt that Sandusky just needed a good "talking-to," and the behavior would stop. Lots of older people in their 80s don't understand this as a sickness and don't believe it when they hear it. My parents and in-laws would have been like this, just tell them to knock it off. My mother-in-law ran a fundraiser for the priest in her church accused of molesting a boy. They are deniers.

[LynneSin]

40. In a way I honestly believe Paterno did what he thought was the best for the team

Maybe Sandusky made some excuses like he was drunk or tired or that the boy made advances at him. I'm sure Sandusky promised he would never do it again and accepted his 'punishment' that he couldn't bring boys to the games.

You are right, JoePa is old school and felt that he could clear this mess up internally.

[rocktivity]

49. What Paterno was doing was "protecting" the university from the worst kind of scandal, of course

and by extension, his future.

x(
rocktivity

[KamaAina]

29. Just in time to be Herman Cain's running mate

:eyes:

[jberryhill]

32. Good Riddance

I am not going to balance his failure to act on knowledge of child sexual abuse against, "oh, he won a lot of football games".

WTF. He won a lot of ball games? Who gives a shit?

Bobby Fisher won a lot of chess games too. He's still a weird guy.

Since when is the measure of a person about winning a fucking game?

If anyone close to me did that, I'd surely tell the police where to find the remains of them after taking care of the justice part myself.

[Liberal_Dog]

34. Wow

You have appointed yourself judge,jury and executioner.

I suppose that we really don't need that pesky little criminal justice system, do we?

[jberryhill]

36. Not when I'm on my game, no

Any other questions?

Whether Penn keeps this child molester coddler or not, is not a question for the criminal justice system.

And I am entitled to my opinion that he is scum. I don't care if he is the world rock-paper-scissors champ.

In what other area of human endeavor does one say, "Well, yes, it seems he failed to act on knowledge of child molestation, but he could really get people to play hopscotch like nobody's business!"

[KansDem]

51. I tend to agree with you...

We've had the "celebrity as worshiped icon" syndrome in this country for as long as I can remember. AND IT MAKES ME SICK!!! These are mere mortals and the fact that they can do one thing well, or project the image of doing one thing well, does not excuse them from disgusting and sociopathic behavior.

Shit, entertainers (and I include athletes) just amuse us...that's all they do: amuse us. And we give them exalted status and riches beyond imagination!

Everyone connected with this disgusting crime needs to be held accountable and brought to justice. EVERYONE. Even those who knew about it and did very little, if anything...

I don't always agree with you, jberryhill, but I do this time...

[Whisp]

53. I agree with you. the man is pure scum.

something wrong with people that think some hotshot sports guy should be granted some special forgiveness for being the scum of the earth. The people on CNN today were practically in tears today in consolation of the fucking waste of skin creep.

[Major Hogwash]

35. Yeah, I agree.

I don't see how they can allow him to stay now.
Was Penn State your alma mater, Will?

[WilliamPitt]

37. No

But my wife grew up near PSU, my sister-in-law went there, and one of my best friends went there. They're all ready to jump off a bridge over this. Not just because of the football program, of course. This is a horrific black mark on the entire school.

[jberryhill]

42. A black mark? At PSU?

Not to worry. If it's black, they'll make it unwelcome.

[Major Hogwash]

50. Well, it looks like it will all be over by January.

Keep them away from bridges until then.

[eridani]

43. Many, many years past his expiration date n/t

[SomeGuyInEagan]

44. If what we are hearing is true, NCAA should go with the Death Penalty for Penn State ...

The appropriate sanctions would be something like banning all involved (including the original witness, who at least seems to have profited from his silence) from working in a Division I program again; having Penn State vacate every win and title they received during the period in which they worked to keep this quiet to protect the program; making the university bowl ineligible for double that many years going forward, and eliminating 50 percent of their football scholarships for that period. Gut the program these men were trying to protect" I think that'd be a good start.

But I imagine Joe Pa will retire and the NCAA will create some sort of coaching award in his name.

[RedCloud]

46. Mrs. RedCloud says JoePa is like a Russian word for asshole.

I hope it is a mere coincidence.

[spanone]

47. unbelievable....simply unbelievable.

[ecstatic]

48. Good. The others need to go as well

if they're not already gone.

[sarcasmo]

52. Kick!