<p>@LasMa, I watched the video link your provided. [Successful</a> Coaching: Joe Paterno - Linebackers - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)
When I see Sandusky crouching down and motioning with open-palm hands, I can only think of the poor victims he groped. Nauseating…</p>
<p>LasMa, yes, I do know that they wanted him to retire years ago 2004 I believe, he told them know and probably kicked them out of “his” house. That’s his football power to do that. I don’t think it drifts off into other University matters–and I thnk he’s just fine with that from what I’ve recently read about him. He wasnt interested in anything other than what went on within his football program. They tried to have him retire last year and he said he’d let them know when he was ready. Yes, Paterno had power within the football program and lots of fans to go along with that so they wouldn’t fire him under contract unless they had absolutely good reason to (like now). From all I’ve read about the relationships there–there was definitely contentious relationships which makes me question the tight, tight, cover up that people allude to. I think the other poster Tom or Tim said it correctly–there’s too much we don’t know about this case making the generalizations based on the GJ report not enough information about the roles of Paterno, Curley, and Schultz.</p>
<p>There is much cleaning up needed in college sports. The code of silence among big time lacrosse teams contributed to the death of Yeardley Love at UVA. The coaching staff had the opportunity to step in before a murder occurred but they circled the wagons, team and coaches, in silence instead.</p>
<p>I think that’s an unfair judgment and generalization of sports at big schools. My student-athlete is doing great academically on his own as well as in his sport. I hate when journalist write these hate=filled articles generalizing these things as sports are horrible at these big institutions. We don’t know why these MEN did what they did. I’ve been on campuses and these athletes are not as closed off from everyone as you think. I call b.s. on that story. sorry.</p>
<p>LasMa, that article is an excuse to blame the sports programs for the failures of people to live up to the integrity and honesty their programs should exemplify. NO, these are individuals making these bad decisions, not ALL of the people involved in these programs.</p>
<p>Hana, not necessarily so. They know his worth to the Football program at that University, make no mistake. They also know that he can draw in the best talent and has a large football fan base–especially with the alumni. It’s called “use”. They use him for what the NEED him for, but that doesn’t give him unconditional power by no means. I know for a fact in my current organization, executive who want certain people gone–BUT, they need them for specific reasons and thus keep them around til the time is right. They don’t KNOW everything going on and the executives like it just like that. Don’t be fooled, that’s corporate america at its best.</p>
<p>If the President of a University gets kicked out of his house, then Joe Paterno has more power than he does. If my boss comes into my office tries to fire me and I get tell him to take a hike, then he does not have more power than me. Simple Logic. </p>
<p>A man who has this much power, and prides himself on his moral superiority (Success with Honor) should have least followed up to see what happened to a 10 year old boy who was attacked in a shower. JoePa was the face of the university, and those who follow sports know the power he wielded there. All the sports commentators I have heard are laughing at the idea that he did not have that power. All Joe had to do was pick up a phone, and he didnt.</p>
<p>I didn’t realize that Sandusky was released after his arraignment last Saturday. He hasn’t spent one minute in jail, apparently. I hope they took away his passport.</p>
<p>Wonder if the 10 year old rape victim & other victims who didn’t testify before the GJ are even alive? As someone posted, perhaps he/they disappeared like the DA that is now presumed dead. Does make you wonder why Sandusky was allowed released on bail & what conditions of bail were.</p>
<p>I think this is going to be my last post about this subject. I have never seen anyone receive the almost universal condemnation from the public and the media like Paterno has in the last week. People who dare to defend him or even ask people to withhold judgement until all the facts are revealed are shouted down or abused unmercifully. This is the closest thing to a lynching, without actually using the rope, I have ever seen. It is a sad spectacle to see this angry mob-like rush to judgement, particularly if after the emotions cool and in the fullness of time the facts may actually reveal an entirely different scenario than the one the intemperate masses so dearly want to be true.</p>
<p>God help us if this man was not guilty of the vile and heinous attacks unfurled at him. We all understand the tragedy visited upon these helpless children, but how does it ameliorate these awful crimes by vilifying Paterno and anyone who dares to suggest that we withhold judgement until we hear all the facts from all the participants. It is truly scary when people who attempt to interject opinions contrary to the popular belief are afraid of being tarred and feathered by the angry unruly mob. </p>
<p>Anyway, I don’t expect the people here or anywhere else to heed my advice, not when they are busy storming the Bastille. Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, knew fully well the dangers of mob-thinking: it is unfortunately part of the human condition from time immemorial. Maybe after some time has passed, the passions of the moment will have diminished, and we will be able to dispassionately look at this case in an objective manner.</p>
<p>@parent57: Joe Paterno himself said he wished he had done more. But you will not let that get in the way of your righteous indignation.</p>
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<p>I have taught at two institutions that are well known for both academics and athletics. I have to agree that there are systemic problems because of the money involved. At my current institution, the AD left recently because he had no oversight over one sport (i.e., he had to play second fiddle to one coach). When problems occur at some school, the bad actors are the proximate causes, as at Penn State, but there are also fundamental (systemic) causes.</p>
<p>Well, I’m not storming the bastille. For one thing, though many in Pennsylvania happened to think of Paterno as royalty, I don’t. I’m not much of mob thinker, either.</p>
<p>But, when children have been raped and sexually assaulted for years and powerful, grown men have turned the other way, chosen not to find out what was going on and provided him with an office and keys to the building, not to mention de-facto credibility by allowing him to remain a seemingly retired in good standing member of their institution? I’m going to be outraged. </p>
<p>Whether it is the Catholic Church, the Federal Government, the University of Football, or whatever, wherever the powerless are abused by those in power and allowed by those with even more power to walk around free? I"m going to be outraged.</p>
<p>Many of the students from Penn are quite outraged. Why aren’t you?</p>
<p>How could they allow Sandusky out on bail when he is a possible danger to the public based on the charges, as well as a possible flight risk, as it is speculated if convicted he will die in prison due to the nature of the charges and his age?</p>
<p>I have no sympathy for Paterno, the college president or obviously Sandusky.</p>
<p>However, I don’t think that the grad student, McQuery, should be penalized. He was in his early twenties when he witnessed the incident. At the advice of his dad, he properly reported it to Paterno. I can’t really fault him especially if Paterno said, “We will take care of this.” It’s not the grad student’s job to follow up. In fact, he might have followed up for all we know and was told that the incident is being taken care of or being investigated.</p>
<p>Yes, hindsight is 20-20. Maybe he should have called the police. However, as far as I am concerned, the grad student did the right thing.</p>
<p>Taxguy. The grad assistant was a 28 year old man.</p>
<p>i read about how the grad assistant is being looked at as a whistleblower. This makes no sense to me. He witnessed this act in 2002 and did not go to the police. It took a mother, a victim, the school system and finally the police to bring this to an investigation 7 years later. </p>
<p>I don’t know how he became involved since then. All I know is that he was questioned by the grand jury. He witnessed an attack.</p>
<p>I think everyone is appropriately outraged, and what happened to those children, and what was allowed to continue while people turned a blind eye is unacceptable at every level. But I totally get what parent57 is saying. Those posters who even dare to suggest that the legal system should be allowed to run its course or that decisions made in the moment of an upsetting situation, while not acceptable are perhaps at some level understandable, are met with mockery and insults by other posters. So fine, be outraged at the situation, at the failure of the system on many levels, but please, stop the outrage towards the posters who dare express an alternative point of view. The situation that occurred with these poor young children is without question uncivil. The conversation about it doesn’t have to be.</p>
<p>I imagine that the responsibility is different for a “student” versus an “administrator” regardless of the age. Just simply based on position.</p>
<p>And that may also be why the “student” is being classified as a whistle blower. But anyhow, we don’t actually know that he has whistle blower status, do we?</p>
<p>I am shocked that Sandusky is leaving his house, driving around in his car, going to the store, and has not yet been attacked. The front window of his home was broken and now has a plastic sheet.</p>
<p>Ohiomom-he didnt even have to pay the bail that was set. He is just out…</p>
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Now THAT is outrageous</p>