Joe Paterno. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
Reporting Adam Hoge
By Adam Hoge-
(CBS) Joe Paterno was never fired.
Don’t believe me? I’ll let Steve Garban, chair of the Penn State Board of Trustees, and John Surma, vice chairman of the Penn State Board of Trustees, tell you themselves:
“Coach Paterno remains employed by the University as a tenured faculty member,” they said in a statement released Thursday. “The details of his retirement are being worked out and will be made public when they are finalized. Generally speaking, the University intends to honor the terms of his employment contract and is treating him financially as if he had retired at the end of the 2011 football season.”
That’s right. Paterno is still getting paid. Penn State is still honoring his contract. And yes, they plan on sending him off into the sunset just like they would any other employee who retired after years of service to the university.
Yes, Joe Paterno was never fired.
On Wednesday, November 9, 2011, John Surma sat in front of a crowd of reporters and a group of fans who found their way into the room and said:
“The Board of Trustees and Graham Spanier have decided that, effective immediately, Dr. Spanier is no longer president of the University. Additionally, the board determined that it is in the best interest of the University for Joe Paterno to no longer serve as head football coach, effective immediately.”
The fans in the room gasped. Some reporters did too. The headlines were immediately written: “PATERNO FIRED”. The students rioted.
After 61 years at Penn State, the unthinkable had happened. Joe Paterno did not leave Penn State on his own terms. He had been fired.
Or so we thought.
As if no one would notice – and oddly, no one did – the Board of Trustees released their statement Thursday revealing that Paterno was still being paid as a faculty member and that the university intended to “honor the terms of his employment contract and is treating him financially as if he had retired at the end of the 2011 football season.”
In other words, Penn State didn’t fire him. They suspended him with pay for the rest of the season and now that the season is over, Paterno is willfully retiring.
You may recall that earlier on Nov. 9, Paterno announced he would retire at the end of the season, but would not step down immediately. It’s evident that from the time of that announcement, until Surma sat down in front of the microphone later, the Board of Trustees found a creative way of honoring that retirement while also satisfying the public calls for Paterno to never coach another game.
Read Surma’s words carefully. All he said was that Paterno would “no longer serve as head football coach, effective immediately.” He never used the word “terminated” or anything of that nature.
Yes, we were had.
So why is the Board of Trustees coming clean now? Well, they didn’t really mean to. Thursday’s release came as a result of criticism from Penn State alumni who feel Paterno was treated unfairly. The first sentence of the statement says:
“Many alumni have asked why the Board decided to remove Coach Paterno from his position as Head Football Coach.”
Yes, two months later, the Board still feels the need to explain why they removed Paterno and, quite frankly, the Penn State alumni still questioning that action should be embarrassed by the fact that the Board still has to do that.
Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape. He failed to protect our children and he aided the cover up of the most heinous of acts by not telling authorities what he knew.
How do Paterno supporters not understand that?
Unfortunately they don’t. But even more unfortunate is that the Penn State Board of Trustees is still worried about this sentiment. Instead of realizing how ridiculous it is and letting those people soak in their own ignorance, they gave into the pressure and released a revealing statement intended to make Paterno supporters feel better.
In doing so, they assured them that Paterno was never fired.
And, as a result, the Penn State Board of Trustees proved that like the misguided Paterno supporters, they never felt like Paterno really should be punished. They simply gave into the public pressure to fire the longtime head coach, but instead of firing him, they created a clever way to make it look like they did when in reality all they did was sneak him peacefully out the back door.
I wonder how Jerry Sandusky’s victims – especially the post-2002 victims – feel knowing that instead of termination, Paterno simply received a four game suspension.
Nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
They used a band-aid when they needed stitches.
This is why Penn State University needs to be completely gutted. Not just the school president and the athletic department. Garban, Surma, every board member and any other person at Penn State with any sort of power needs to go. While publicly they are trying to paint a picture of change and remorse, internally all they are doing is trying save their own asses while protecting people like Paterno.
In other words, the Board has been playing both sides. They don’t care about the victims of child rape. They just want to make everyone happy.
Especially Paterno.
In reality, all they are really doing is showing the world how the hell Penn State let this tragedy happen in the first place.
Adam Hoge
Adam is the Sports Content Producer for CBSChicago.com and specializes in coverage of the White Sox, Blackhawks and college sports. He was born and raised in Lincoln Park and attended St. Ignatius College Prep before going off to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a Journalism degree. Follow him on Twitter @AdamHogeCBS and read more of his columns here.
274 Comments
This is the most important article about PSU that has yet been written, Adam. The. Most. Important. It shows, beyond the shred of any doubt, that Penn State is an evil organization run by evil, duplicitous people who bald-facedly lie — and the despicable members of the Pennsylvania media should be shamed along with the Board, Paterno, and everyone else associated with power at that corrupt university.
Let’s say it one more time, all together, so everyone can hear: Penn State University is an evil organization. Whatever else it serves as, it serves to cover up and facilitate child rape in order to keep its football program intact. It needs to be dismantled immediately.
January 13, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Did Coach Paterno molest anyone? NO. Actually, he never violated any laws and is simply guilty of being “politically incorrect”. Not following the political philosophy of the liberal leftwing is not grounds for bveing terminated as coach. if he had actually been fired, then the school would have faced a wrongful termination lawsuit and would have paid big bucks to Paterno.
Certain people at the school molested other people and they are the ones who should be punished; not the ones who failed to display political correctness.
being PC is not a law and is the worst thing to ever happen to this country in the past 200 years.
January 14, 2012 at 11:03 am
Yeah, because if you don’t molest children your a PC liberal. Only conservatives molest children. Thanks for straightening me out about that.
January 14, 2012 at 11:11 am
LOL @ not reporting or not reporting child molestation simply being a matter of political correctness. You’re an idiot.
January 14, 2012 at 11:16 am
I wonder how many other 84-year old pedophile enablers Penn State has on the payroll.
January 14, 2012 at 11:23 am
Let me get this straight, John. You have a boyfriend who is raping children you’re both paid to instruct/care for in their parent’s place. You knowingly cover up your boyfriend’s heinous crimes and in this way aid and abet your boyfriend so that you both get to keep your jobs/paychecks and you think it’s PC nonsense to fire you?!!!!
How about some moral correctness? Paterno belongs in jail. For life.
BTW, I’m an actual Conservative.
January 14, 2012 at 11:32 am
Without personally reviewing Paterno’s Employment Agreement, which I assume you haven’t, how can you say if he was fired he have prevailed in a wrongful termination lawsuit and would have been paid big bucks?
If his contract contained a moral turpitude clause, his failures (unethical conduct) to pursue proper remedies against Sandusky might be interpreted to put Paterno in violation of his contract.
January 14, 2012 at 11:32 am
If being against pedophilia and child sexual abuse makes one a liberal leftwing, sign me up. If supporting a pedophile enabler makes one a conservative, its time to round all of you up and find some rope.
January 14, 2012 at 11:35 am
he came. he saw. he did nothing.
Guilty.
January 14, 2012 at 12:16 pm
The trustee’s are now guilty of the same sort of failure that started this whole thing. They intentionally did as little as they could to correct things while intentionally making as meaningless statements designed to mislead the public and cover their butts. They misled the public, knew that Paterno was not fired, and when every newspaper and website in the country repeated their lie they hid that fact by not issuing a clarification. That is lying to the public, alumni, students, donors….
January 14, 2012 at 12:16 pm
I think you’ll find that most members of NAMBLA are liberal left wingers.
January 14, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Nomaybe he did not actually molest anyone BUT if Penn State is an institution that wants to be looked at as setting an example, as the epitimy (spelling?) of education and to promote the kind of student it turns out then it should be held up to a higher standard. Meaning that even if he did not commit the actual crime he knew about it and has probablywonder over the years about things yet he chose to do nothing. As adults and human beings we should be dedicated to the protection of our young but as seen here that is not the case. Animals take better care of their young. Paterno is a great disappointment and I am sorry I ever paid them money to educate my son and by the way I was quite disappointed with that as well. But that is another story.
January 14, 2012 at 12:27 pm
he is guilty of being a self centered immature sports jock idiot with only his own personal interest at heart. he does not belong NEAR an educational institution at all.
January 14, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Certain ADULTS molested and RAPED CHILDREN and Joe Paterno looked the other way. If you are going to reply at least have the guts to say it like it is
January 14, 2012 at 3:01 pm
While what Paterno did wasn’t right, they would have had a hard time making a case for a rightful firing. He did all he had to do under Pennsylvania law. Should he have pushed harder? Yeah, I think we can all agree to that. However, what he should have done and what he did do, isn’t the standard of proof in this case when it comes to Paterno.
His contract likely has a morality clause in it, however, it’s hard to make the case that he acted immorally when he responds to a situation by doing everything he was required to do by law. Had he sat on it and not told anyone, then yes, he’s an accessory and should be fired and they can make that case. But he didn’t do that. He fulfilled his legal obligation and would then meet the bare minimum of the moral requirements.
January 15, 2012 at 2:26 pm
So all this time Meatless has actually been Dan Bernstein. Take a deep breath Danny, its not the end of the world. Quit making your BP run concurrent with the latest development from that place. You’ve stroked the “entertainment’ portion of this story enough now.
January 14, 2012 at 11:09 am
You moron. Please, stay away from these blogs, since you have no idea whatsoever what you are talking about.
January 14, 2012 at 11:29 am
Paterno, who was busy running a major program helping thousands of young people, met his legal obligations. Perhaps he failed on ethical ones—how many people are in denial about wrongdoings large and small in their lives? How many liberal posters to this blog are in denial about President Obama? Sandusky did great harm to a small number of children, this horrendous, psychologically needy President and those that have enabled him in Congress and elsewhere are non-sexually raping (financially, culturally, morally) the country and all of its children. That harm far outstrips what Sandusky and Penn State turning a blind eye did. Where is the real outrage? It’s almost a guarantee that those in the “hang Paterno” crowd support Obama. They are envious of quality people who have had a long, successful, honorable career. (There are no liberals about which that can be said, except by other liberals.) Obama is to Sandusky as the mainstream media (and all liberals) are to the Penn State President, VP and AD. The country and future generations are as Sandusky’s victims.
January 14, 2012 at 12:00 pm
this has nothing to do whatsover about what you just said. you are totally on the wrong track. this is very simple; so simple you and so many others have missed it, and believe it or not-so simple there is no need for name calling in order to try to bring a point across. jp knew of the child rape and yet did nothing about it. However-had it been his grandson or grandaughter that was raped-i bet you he would most have certainly did something about it and asap!! in plain simple english-he did nothing about it because it did not affect him directly. put yourself in his shoes; would you have called the police if you knew a child was being raped in your building??? well, would you??
January 14, 2012 at 12:21 pm
How did Obama get into this? He did not molest those boys. You are making yourself look like a bigger fool than you already are. I realize that you hate that a Black man is sitting in the White House and from the looks of things, he is going to be there another 4 years and their is nothing you can do but to try to connect Obama to the Penn State is stretching it over the border of insanity.
January 14, 2012 at 10:41 pm
I see I touched a nerve in liberals. There was the typical, emotional knee jerk reaction of a charge of racism (I would vote for Herman Cain in a heartbeat). Obama was mentioned because the “hang Paterno” crowd are his supporters. They hate classy people as they feel devoid of class. It is part of the class envy that Obama promotes. And Obama policies are molesting us all and will for children yet born. For a far better article than this editorial, see what the great man himself says: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20120115/D9S941202.html
January 15, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Daisy:
Paterno certainly should have been fired. But, imprisoned for life? No way, especially since he DID report what he had heard to the president of the university. If anyone other than Sandusky should be imprisoned it would be the president since the ball, finally, was in HIS court.
January 14, 2012 at 12:18 pm
boomer. what in the world do you think 911 is for?? whats with all the promulgation of this illegal act against a child to other members of the univ. staff, but not to Police authorities?? they all knew what was at stake-that is why they did not report it to the Police. God is watching this whole scenerio to see if the university, jp, et will take rsponsability for there actions. when they will not-watch God finally step in. mark my words.
January 14, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Sam:
As I said, Paterno should have been fired, but as far as I can tell, PATERNO violated no criminal statute since he DID report what he had heard to his superior, the president. Morally, should he have gone to the police as well? Absolutely. But that is well short of a criminal violation.
January 14, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Bah Humbug
January 14, 2012 at 1:13 pm
Wonderful. Now explain this to the hundreds of children battling cancer whose families have been financially saved by Penn State students standing out in the cold trying to collect a buck from idiots like you and who stand on their feet for 48 hours (its called THON) pleading for contributions to save these children.
January 15, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Ummm… long before the Nittany Illiterati tried to make it catchy (or maybe you are just lazy), it was called, “The Annual Penn State Dance Marathon”. Some of us even participated as actual dancers and as musicians and as assorted helpers.
Begging for money in the streets, obstructing traffic, endangering their own lives not to mention the lives of all in the traffic flow who must now contend with their unwanted and unauthorized presence, would have been unthinkably ghastly behavior.
But that’s how the Nittany Lie-ons operate:in your face, “Look at me – I’m awesome!” etc etc.
The rest of us are simply disgusted by your self-absorption and complete, almost sociopathic disregard for anyone else.
January 15, 2012 at 2:29 pm
You, Josey, are a complete moron. The kids are trying to do something good for the soul and you bash them?..figures you’d be a fan on this journalist..both are the same breed..
January 16, 2012 at 8:27 am
Dearest obtuse Mike,
If those kids (they are only men and women when it’s convenient to call them such) want to do something good for their soul, they can attend Morning Prayer next Sunday and beg the Lord’s forgiveness.
“THON” is a racket and you would understand that if you were an actual personality. But you are not — you are acting under a form of brainwashing.
Must fly now. Ta ta!
January 16, 2012 at 8:36 am
Joe Paterno did exactly the right thing legally and morally. The authorities unfortunately didn’t do their jobs and the truth will come out in their trials. Hoge and his like who make this all about Paterno are shameless hypocrites.
January 15, 2012 at 2:12 pm
You are a fool, Tgg312. Please return to the peasant hovel that was your greatgrandpapa’s home before he washed up here in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave to pass the buck and cower before The Man.
January 15, 2012 at 2:33 pm
The. Most. Important. Article. written about Penn State? I don’t think you have read many other articles if that is your opinion, Meatball.
January 15, 2012 at 10:26 pm
I did not hear any of the details of the child rape charges, so do not feel in a position to comment on whether they are trumped up or factual charges. However, the news media responding with heqdlines the next day does faciilitate a different decision than would be made behind closed doors. The trouble with most of these areas is that there is either an expose (usually on the charge, not a conviction) or all good-all bad decision (treated as total guilt or not guilt) making behind closed doors.
January 19, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Adam, a beautiful article that brings this sad situation into perspective.
Thanks for the fine writing.
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January 14, 2012 at 6:54 am
Fine writing? Beautiful article? What a bunch of sh**. Here is a fine example of Adam’s fine writing “Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape” Paterno fired Sandusky in 1998 and subsequently banned him from PSU facilities in 2002 after he heard of the incident from McQuery and reported it to the head of the campus police. He also followed up a couple weeks later and was told there was an active investigation. I guess he should have kicked down Sandusky’s door and executed him on the spot. Would that satisfy you haters?
January 14, 2012 at 12:15 pm
I agree – I think the people making these comments must be related to the writer.
January 15, 2012 at 10:27 pm
I don’t remember what SMU did to deserve the death penalty, I think USC was about as shocking as revelations about professional wrestling. College students need money for tattoos? How quaint!
What a quaint bunch of problems.
January 14, 2012 at 8:19 am
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Disgusting ..that college needs to be dismantled
January 14, 2012 at 10:48 am
They all need to be dismantled…
January 14, 2012 at 11:21 am
No it doesn’t. How the h e l l can you condemn an entire organization because of one man – SANDUSKY. If you had a family member accused of an atrocity, would you expect to be shunned? Give me a break. Penn State is an icon. It’s located in a beautiful place.., and mental midgets such as yourself need to get a life.
January 14, 2012 at 11:29 am
Pedophile State University is a home for pedophiles and pedophile defenders like you, momiac.
January 14, 2012 at 11:37 am
your ICON is a POS.
January 14, 2012 at 12:32 pm
you are an idiot.
January 14, 2012 at 11:37 am
What escapes me? The grand jury testimony was posted online. This didn’t just happen yesterday, and yet Sandusky was still given access to the facilities. Something that Paterno could’ve stopped immediately and completely with no argument from anyone in the Penn State hierarchy. Why he didn’t is going to come out at trial? Then why has Louis Freeh been retained to run interference (football term for you) for the University. Plenty of good lawyers out there, why the former head of the F.B.I.?
January 14, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Morons …. All of you….. What Crime has Paterno committed? He did what he was suppose to do, but Penn State did not follow through. The police failed to follow through. The trustee’s failed. I live in State College, I know the people involved. Why are you trying to Lynch him?
January 14, 2012 at 10:50 am
Jack, because he rapes little boys. You are having a hard time understanding that??? Stay away from my kids ok.
January 14, 2012 at 11:07 am
John, Paterno did not rape anyone. Do your homework and get the facts Right. It was Sandusky.
January 14, 2012 at 11:21 am
Joe Paterno is not the one on trial for raping multiple young boys, Jerry Sandusky is. Jerry Sandusky is the one who was arrested by police, twice. Get your facts straight before posting.
January 14, 2012 at 11:23 am
Paterno didn’t rape anyone. Would you like me to accuse you of rape just for commenting here? You make me ill. Go read a book. Try to be intellectual before posting your drivil.
January 14, 2012 at 11:31 am
John P just justified my disparaging my remark…. What a moron.
January 14, 2012 at 12:06 pm
John, by the standards of your own evidence, YOU rape little boys.
Stay away from your own kids, OK? And please don’t make any more. We don’t need more welfare cases from the shallow end of the gene pool creating a mess that intelligent people have to clean up after.
January 14, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Wait…now the media circus has you thinking that Joe raped somebody now?..
wow..the power of the media
January 16, 2012 at 8:29 am
Yeah, that’s right. Joepa bucked the problem upstairs and forgot it. He was just following orders. Nothing to see here folks, move along.
January 14, 2012 at 11:13 am
Exactly.
January 14, 2012 at 11:35 am
Yes, exactly.
January 15, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Paterno is an icon where you live. Everywhere else, he is a man of immense power and influence who looked the other way when he knew something terrible was happening to little boys. He may have indeed done what he was supposed to do. But as a man of his stature, he did not do what he could have done. And that is why he is being treated as he is.
January 14, 2012 at 11:14 am
Do you know anything about due process of law. Jerry Sandusky has not been convicted yet. There for the grace of God go I.
You are all holding Paterno to a standard which the parents of these children seem to be exempt.
January 14, 2012 at 11:34 am
Did I say Paterno should be prosecuted? Did I say he should be jailed? People are fired all the time for what the powers that be deem as bad judgment. The board obviously felt this way. It is their right to do so. And it is understandable, given the horrible impact this will have on the university in years to come.
Whether Paterno enabled a child molester is still to be decided. But if Sandusky is convicted, it appears he did just that.
But back to Paterno and the university, the fact that he actually suffered no real consequences, after the university said he would, reeks of hypocrisy. It’s all about PR. Penn State is a fine university, and they would do well to rid themselves of all involved in this. That is a sad statement to make, because these are real people with real jobs and families. But many other people count on the university staying strong and viable. But, that is just my opinion.
January 14, 2012 at 11:48 am
like someone else said , Paterno was just following orders. As someone who was born before WWII this sounds so familiar to me.
January 14, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Beautifully stated, JGM.
January 14, 2012 at 10:47 pm
JGM, thank you.
Men like Paterno are granted awesome power and authority precisely such that they can act in the “Moment of Truth”.
Paterno failed his Moment of Truth, catastrophically, costing God knows how many boys their souls.
Some, most perhaps, of the “Nittany Lie-ons” are blind to this obvious moral imperative.
Why? Because in their pathetic, vicarious lives, THEY ARE PENN STATE in a literal, almost spiritual way in which they confuse their own selves with the personality of the god-man Paterno, his “knights in armor” the boys of the football club, and the propaganda of the university, designed to fleece them of every last cent, some kind of religious ritual of transcendence and redemption.
These fools will perhaps never understand the awful evil of Sandusky, and of all his many accomplices and accessories, before, during and after the fact. You see, Sandusky would have been IMPOSSIBLE without their blind and ferocious loyalty to the fiction of Penn State.
May God Almighty have mercy on their souls.
January 15, 2012 at 2:41 pm
I don’t know how you can have a pervert friend much less one working in the building where you are the top man. Me personally, i would not want to touch the same door knobs or light switches as the “perv”. Joe really stuck around too long, and I thought that about 1999.
January 14, 2012 at 11:15 am
Which is why Paterno banned Sandusky from the PSU facilities in 2002. Learn the facts before you make more of an ass of yourself.
January 14, 2012 at 12:23 pm
So you are aware of the Santorum connection to Sandusky’s foundation? Care to comment on that?
Paterno is not guilty of an overt, technical crime. He should have turned his “pal” over to the real police, not the college cops, immediately. And then banned him from everything connected with Penn State. What part of that escapes you? Why would anyone not do everything possible to get this guy Sandusky away from the university. That’s where we “morons” are coming from.
January 14, 2012 at 11:28 am
with you non this one!
January 14, 2012 at 11:30 am
and what part of waiting to find out exactly what Paterno did or didn’t do escapes you? That”s where he’s coming from.
January 14, 2012 at 11:46 am
Penn State cops ARE real cops in that jurisdiction. They have the SAME powers that other police in the state have, so he DID report it to the “real police”.
January 14, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Jack: Yes or No: Do you think Paterno realized the likelihood of his former assistant still being an active molester?
January 14, 2012 at 11:30 am
When Sandusky was allowed to “retire” in 1999 by the Trustees!!! Who are more at fault than anyone else at the University, I believe Joe ended all contact with Sandusky. Since 1999, I attended a number of events for both and I do not recall ever seeing them together at any of these. If they did, their would have been photos posted all across the Web.
January 14, 2012 at 12:12 pm
He could have called the real police. He could have followed up. He could have demanded that Sandusky be banned from the campus. Need more examples of what Paterno could have done?
January 14, 2012 at 11:38 am
You are just a little naive about this University. The Campus Police has jurisdiction. Local police cannot even write a traffic ticket on campus.The Campus police were notified.
January 14, 2012 at 12:04 pm
The “real” police are the PSU campus police. They are the only authprity legally empowered to deal with crime on the PSU campus. Had the Sate College police been called they would have referred the caller to the PSU police. But then thank you for giving us all a shining example of the abysmal ignorance of the Paterno haters, no less than their vomit-inducing venom.
January 14, 2012 at 12:25 pm
The PSU police are not rent-a-cops. They are sworn officers and had jurisdiction. Your thoroughly misinformed comment is like saying someone told of a crime by a third party in Newark should have called the NYPD. It’s nonsense.
Paterno could not ban Sandusky from campus. His access to facilities was part of his exit contract, likely his priviledges could only be revoked for cause. This may be difficult for a Wal-Mart greeter such as yourself to understand, but REAL employers who actually employ professional people cannot simply violate their contracts on a whim; and Paterno was not even his employer or fomer employer.
Stop spewing hate and start learning some actual facts.
January 14, 2012 at 1:09 pm
I will repeat what others have said on this post – Penn State Police ARE real police. They are not “rent a cops”. And Joe did not have the authority to ban Sandusky from Penn State. People like the think he was omnipotent and all-powerful, but he did not have that authority.
January 14, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Nice name calling.
January 14, 2012 at 8:05 pm
Why does everyone think that Paterno had the power to ban Sandusky from the school when he was no longer an employee there? You give Joe far too much power!
January 15, 2012 at 10:28 pm
But, this also shows how the sports media breathlessly reported a story that wasn’t so. When all it would have taken was to ask a simple question…”Sir, are you saying that Coach Paterno’s contract as head coach has been terminated? Has Coach Paterno been fired?” But, of course, no one dared ask that question in public? Again, another case of timid sports journalists here.
January 14, 2012 at 10:51 am
Oh please. Hoge and people like him — ALL or ESPN for one, which we now know has ZERO room to judge anybody else — have been everything but “TIMID.”
Sports “Jornalists” like this one have been leading a lynch mob for the last several months. They should be ashamed of themselves, and if you’re suggesting that an employer should terminate someone on the basis of a Grand Jury indictment — which is NOT adminissable in an actual court and is NOT evidence of a crime — then you should be ashamed of yourself, too.
You can’t just fire people on the basis of stories, even when those stories have been told under oath. When actual evidence is actually examined, PSU may well have cause to fire Paterno. But they don’t now. And fortunately, the BOT is not a bunch of morons like the people writing and posting to this blog.
January 14, 2012 at 1:15 pm
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So I guess you just weren’t paying attention. Paterno was fired as the head football coach as I guess everyone but you knew. And no, he was still a faculty member as I guess everyone but you knew. I suggest you do some research before writing about what you dont know. Maybe reading the Harrisburg paper a month ago would have helped.
January 14, 2012 at 10:55 am
The university never said he was fired. the Media assumed he was. Paterno was put on “suspension with pay”, until the end of the season, which is now over, and he is still employed until his retirement. He was not fired. Didn’t you read the article? It was what the article was about.
Paterno did report the incident to his superiors. He put in motion the process for the actual witness to be interviewed by Paternos superiors, the two people who were fired over the incident, for not following through according to university policy. At the time, Paterno was not the supervisor of Sandusky, and woudl not legally be involved in meetings between the Asst Coach and Sandusky.
Paterno, not having first hand knowledge of the offense because he did not personally witness it, could only be a “hearsay” witness, which is inadmissable in any court. His testimony would be as valid as if you testified against Sandusky from what you read in the papers, or if Hoge testified.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Paterno was put on suspension to act as damage control, but they had to pay him because if they didn’t there could be legal action against the university. Until such time as he is charged with something it would be very difficult if not impossible to fire a tenured professor without cause. Rumors and suspicion do not qualify. He may very well be guilty of something worthy of prosecution, at which time other actions may be taken, and rightfully so. Until then, He is innocent until proven guilty.
January 14, 2012 at 3:48 pm
I think the author, and a lot of other people are confused about how the world works. The coach had a contract AND did nothing LEGALLY wrong. The university has no grounds to break his legal contract. All lapses in judgement aside, the coach could sue for breach of contract and win…..or they would just have to buy him out. If they did that the headline would read, “Shamed coach receives millions after fired”.
Either way, you must accept he broke no law and will be paid what he is legally owed. End of story. No news to be found here except for idiots.
January 14, 2012 at 10:58 am
Ahh at least one person gets this. Correct Scott
January 14, 2012 at 11:24 am
Well stated Scott.
What happened WAS atrocious; and – regardless of how you feel and what could have been done: JoePa followed standard University policy.
He did nothing more; he did nothing less.
And YES, you could argue that JoePa should have and could have done MORE; but that in itself was not legally required.
End of story.
January 14, 2012 at 11:33 am
Leaving legalities aside . . .
Paterno knew children were being raped.
Paterno did little to stop the crimes.
Paterno is a P.O.S.
End of story.
January 14, 2012 at 12:13 pm
What is great is the breathless revelation by the writer( not journalist) about his own apparent stupidity when it came to the announcement. The announcement was made by a board that had contractual issues that were obviously apparent since you don’t fire someone that quickly without risking a massive wrongful termination lawsuit especially a high ranking official of the University. Such action, if that had fired him and terminated his contract, would clearly imply that they had a smoking gun tying Paterno directly to the crimes alleged and the crimes themselves are still only alleged at that point. The real story, if the media really were not clueless, would have been how they came to such a forceful action, to summarily fire him and terminate his contract, based upon the limited information and facts that were being disclosed at the time. Of course that is moot since it is obvious that only the most superficial understanding of both language and reality seem to be at issue with this writer. We all know what is really happening here. Hoge writes a silly sensationalist piece that gets everybody worked up, hopefully, and then he runs around pretending to be a journalist that blew the whistle on something we all missed. He has enlightened us all… The real story would be more interesting if he listened at the time of the announcement to what was obviously not a firing and only a removal as head coach. Can he possibly be this obtuse? This story is at least a one pinnochio…..yes?
January 14, 2012 at 11:54 am
Funny. All you Dumb A’s didn’t understand the English as it was spoken to you. Instead you let the media tell you what to do and how to react. Wake up and listen to the people who are talking not the media who are spinning. Additionally read what the Coach really did in response to being notified of the rape situation. If you read a non hyped story then you will find he did in fact report the assault to the authorities. He did his job and the authorities chose not to arrest or prosecute.
Wise up and quit being misled by angry journalists
January 14, 2012 at 11:00 am
Grow up. What he did was equivalent to reporting child rape to a campus rent a cop, not the police. And he did so in order to keep his lousy job going. Period.
January 14, 2012 at 11:39 am
Daisy,
you may be right but just contemplate a world where you can fire someone, terminate their contract, and destroy them in the public opinion world(which is happening anyway as you can see from this board) all in a matter of a few days if you go back to that time period. I think that is much more frightening a reality to think about.
January 14, 2012 at 12:09 pm
Daisy, that comment warrants you in a tie for Most abysmally Stupid and Clueless Commenter. The campus police are not rent-a-cops, they are the only authority legally empowered to deal with crime on the PSU campus. Try reading the facts a bit before writing your utterly vile and uninformed garbage.I also suggest changing your name from Daisy to Crabgrass.
January 14, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Paterno reported it to the POLICE. He told the VP and Treasurer of the University and the Athletic Director. The former is responsible for the the University Park police force, a fully accredited police force and not just a campus police unit. Doing so, he fulfilled his legal and moral responsibility. He did not kick it upstairs.
Read Yahoo Sports article “Did we get it wrong on Paterno” and the press release from the PA Attorney General.
January 14, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Actually, The Penn State Campus Police are sworn law enforcement personnel and actual police with arrest, detainment and prosecutorial powers that carry firearms. They are an actual police force, not “rent a cops”. When Paterno reported the incident to the head of the campus police he was reporting it to a judicial authority.
January 14, 2012 at 12:41 pm
Daisy – for the 100th time, campus police have the same jurisdictional rights as regular police. How many times do we have to say this? He told the HEAD of campus police. The very next day.
January 15, 2012 at 10:31 pm
As if CBS news has any credibility than Penn State does!
January 14, 2012 at 11:01 am
So the ass rape party is still on for next weekend?
January 14, 2012 at 11:01 am
Yeah, they’ll be showing up at your mom’s house, the way they did nine months before you were born.
January 14, 2012 at 1:21 pm
So “Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape”?
Really?
Looks like defamation to me.
January 14, 2012 at 11:03 am
Nobody is defamed by the truth. Truth is the defense of libel (in the absence of malice). This first-year Law School.
January 14, 2012 at 11:35 am
You go to a first year law school? Maybe you should have went to an established English school first……
January 14, 2012 at 11:50 am
Mr. Kerstetter: “Should have went . . .”???
It’s “should have gone.”
Maybe you should have GONE to the fourth grade, Mr. Kerstetter.
January 14, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Well, here’s first year law school for you JM: a Grand Jury isn’t a trier of fact, so there is as yet no evidence that a) a rape occurred or b) that Paterno knew about one or c) facilitated any.
So, until some actual evidence emerges that there was a rape, and that Paterno knew about it, this IS defamation per se.
January 14, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Sue, Sue, Sue!
January 14, 2012 at 1:31 pm
I’m not saying that Paterno did the right thing or the wrong thing, I just need more information. His GJ testimony only lasted 7 min. There was one lawyer asking all the questions with not cross examination. Are you ready to condem some one for that little information?
Should Richard Jewel have died in prinson? Should the Duke lacrosse team be in prison?
Let the full story come out. That is what our country is based on.
January 14, 2012 at 11:03 am
Booster money speaks a language that does not have the word ethical in it.
January 14, 2012 at 11:05 am
Lynch mob mentality speaks a language that doesn’t have any brain cells behind it.
January 14, 2012 at 1:25 pm
“Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape.” If Paterno wasn’t an upstanding guy, him being 10x better than you could ever dream to be, you would be hearing from his lawyers for Libel. There was a day that Journalists were run out of town for lying in print. Shame that day has passed.
January 14, 2012 at 11:06 am
My God, Joe Paterno was never fired!?!!! This is an outrage!
Think about a those hundreds of poor boys he raped!
Wait. What?
January 14, 2012 at 11:08 am
Huh? Paterno did no such thing. You are an idiot.
January 14, 2012 at 11:39 am
Dude, it was sarcasm.
January 14, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Ha ha – if ESPN and the other “journalists” had their way, we’d all be thinking that. Unreal – I got your sarcasm :-)
January 15, 2012 at 10:33 pm
OMG – how will the world survive?? Paterno is not being tarred and feathered! I have news for you people – there are far bigger tragedies that happen everyday. Granted yes – this is horrible – horrible — but what is he obsession with Paterno??? He did NOT abuse these kids. He reported to his BOSS what he was told. WHICH in grand jury testimony it was revealed that he was NOT told all of the facts. And morons like this feel better showing how they care with this garbage rather than focus on what the AD knew and when he knew it!!!!! Maybe they should hang Paterno and that will make dopes like this sleep better. Did anyone watch the X-Factor – they had two nights celebrating Micheal Jackson as the greatest artist of our lifetime – -where is the article about that outrage???? Did he not sleep little boys?????? Granted this is a sport article – so instead of doing real homework and thinking – lets put up an article that anyone with an 8th grade education could write. Deep thinker!!!
January 14, 2012 at 11:09 am
Well said Mike.
January 14, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Bravo, Mike!!
January 15, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Didn’t you go to class in journalism school? Their statement was accurate. You didn’t listen or read carefully. And now you’re angry because you feel you were lied to?
Grow up little boy.
January 14, 2012 at 11:09 am
“Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape.” Mr Hoge, this statement is completely outrageous. You are either a self righteous blow hard, or an idiot. You know no facts, but you can bloviate and stir up the mob. I hope it makes you feel better.
January 14, 2012 at 11:10 am
Replace the word “vehicle” with “setting” and this statement is on target. We know as fact that Paterno was informed of what happened in the shower. We know that Sandusky was confronted about this problem more than once over the years. Maybe Paterno didn’t want to believe it, but he knew about it.
January 14, 2012 at 11:22 am
You don’t know any such thing yet. You may think you know, but the trial hasn’t occurred and no testimony, other than the few things that have been revealed in the presentment, has been made available to you.
January 14, 2012 at 11:41 am
Joe Paterno testified to the grand jury that he had been told of the incident in the shower. See pages 6,7 of the grand jury report. A lot of other people took part in sweeping this under the rug, but he, realistically, had the most power to do something.
Again, maybe Paterno didn’t want to believe it. And any of us, in a similar situation, would probably have the same struggle to believe something so horrible. But from his own lips, we know that he was aware of it. That’s why people are upset.
January 14, 2012 at 12:42 pm
You seem determined not to understand that we DON’T KNOW _WHAT_ Paterno was told.
The Grand Jury indicted Curley and Schultz for felony perjury because their testimony was that they had NOT been informed of a sexual assualt or a rape. Paterno testified that he also was not told of such a heinous crime. Yet the Grand Jury has not indicted Paterno. Why not?
Well… quite possibly because McQueary, who has told at least four different stories we’re aware of — including two different stories under oath — may very well not have told Paterno that he saw anything except a naked man and a naked boy in a shower together.
This is a point in significant dispute, and I believe we will disocver at the perejury trials that McQueary has been telling different audiences different things for a long time. That is significant because most of the outrage against Paterno hinges on his reaction to this incident. And unlike the lynch mob, who is sure he was told about a “child rape.” The BOT cannot act precipitously on the basis of rumor or speculation.
January 14, 2012 at 2:41 pm
The Board of Trustees didn’t fire Paterno because he likely knows of many more skeletons in the State Penn basement.
January 14, 2012 at 11:10 am
They didn’t fire him because there is as yet no conviction for anything, he has a contract, and firing him would have required them to pay his contract out in full, along with any additional early termination fees, and quite possibly damages for wrongful termination.
January 14, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Ridicules. It appears that everybody but you knows that whenever a head coach, whose employment conditions are spelled out in a contract, is “fired”, they are removed from the position, they are paid through the end of the contract, but no longer have any connection with the organization.
You don’t think that Paterno reacted with “whew, at least I’m still a tenured professor”, do you?
College football & basketball head coaches, NFL Coaches, NBA Coaches, MLB Managers, etc. They all are employed the same way.
And you are a sports “reporter”?
January 14, 2012 at 11:10 am
Nothing is ever quite what it seems any more. Whether it’s Penn State or Obama at the wheel, American citizens are treated to a never-ending shell game. Little wonder the term “sheeple” had become so popular.
January 14, 2012 at 11:12 am
Pedophile State University. PSU. They ARE Ped State.
Those involved may have acted “legally”. But they did NOT act “morally”
As a result they own the moniker, Pedophile State.
January 14, 2012 at 11:13 am
Shut up. Penn State is not dead. And you most likely didn’t get accepted based on your lack of ability to communicate in an intelligent manner.
J- A**.
January 14, 2012 at 11:37 am
Momiac, I’m happy you are a Nittany Lion. Penn? Too boring with all that thinking tehy do. Harvard? Puleeze. Yeeoo wudden’t understaand them, lovey.
No, Penn State is the place for you. We ARE! Yo! Or is that, yeehaw? Yahoo!?
January 14, 2012 at 10:44 pm
People who call Penn State “Rape State” or “Pedophile State” are disgusting – you are making light of rape and pedophilia. Now that is some side-splitting funny stuff, huh? Pure class you all – pure class!
January 15, 2012 at 10:36 pm
and the coverup and lies continue!!!!!!!!!
January 14, 2012 at 11:13 am
What cover up and lies are they? Adam the idiot Hoge didn’t read the initial statement by the trustees and was made to look like a fool. So to make up for that, he fakes rage here and tells everyone who will listen that he was duped and tricked into believing what was not true. That is proof that Adam and the lot of you don’t actually pay attention to the details but just yell and rage at the headlines. Fools all of you.
January 14, 2012 at 11:52 am
Umm… as was mentioned previously, this is old news. Just because you didn’t listen to what was actually said by Surma in November, and rather you made something up in your head to be true, only reveals the fact that (a) you weren’t listening or (b) you couldn’t tell the difference. Try embarrassment, instead of outrage, next time you want to write something about something you knew nothing about.
January 14, 2012 at 11:13 am
Why, did Joe Pa let Sandusky to have access to the facilities after he informed the police?
January 14, 2012 at 11:14 am
” … of course you help a friend,”
(That actual statement was made by outgoing Gov. Schwarzenegger when he commuted the sentence of a killer, the son of one of his cronies.)
The rich and powerful often have no consciences.
January 14, 2012 at 11:41 am
Well genius, he “let him have access” because he couldn’t stop him. That was a part of Sandusky’s exit contract.
I have bad news for you: I’m sure Hoge will breathlessly report sometime next week that Joe Paterno and (quelle horreur!) Jerry Sandusky are still going to receive “full pension benefits from PSU.”
That “story” is also out there. The only thing wrong with the story is that it’s completely false on nearly every imaginable level: 1) PSU doesn’t pay _anyone’s_ pension 2) The PA SER’s administrators can’t deny anyone’s pension unless they’ve committed a felony and 3) that felony has to be committed as part of an actual violation of a public trust persuent to their duties. And Oh, yeah, one more trivial detail:4) the person actually has to have been convicted of the felony in the first place.
Wait. Just wait. I’m sure AH (an apt, eponymous acronym if ever there was one) will be shouting from the rooftops what an outrage THAT is, too.
January 14, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Hey Zarguna! Yo you tellin me an old Flatbush boy caint take car-a tings, you know, an da Q-T? Haaaahihihehhaaheeehawhah! You’re killin’ me!
January 14, 2012 at 10:51 pm
“Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape. He failed to protect our children and he aided the cover up of the most heinous of acts by not telling authorities what he knew.” Where are the facts on that? Somehow I missed them. Even the prime witness has supposedly changed his story several times. Some of us give the benefit of doubt to a person who has displayed impeccable character all their life. Others thrive on hatred and headlines.
January 14, 2012 at 11:15 am
Adam Hoge… your column on Paterno illustrates that you are a lazy pack journalist.. so you report we’ve been had? Next time do some diligent research in the first place… we readers have been has by YOU!
January 14, 2012 at 11:16 am
@spaulding! – I am a Texan and remember well what SMU did during that time period in 1981-86 to receive the death penalty. Basically they were caught paying players once and given probation; the board of trustees for the university, which included then-Governor Bill Clements swore under oath to stop all the illegal activities going on there. Then one of the star players on the team contacted a local news reporter with proof that the payments never stopped and were still going on. The reporter then confronted one of the boosters who was paying out the most money with an envelope he mailed to the player in question with one of his checks in it; the envelope had the official university logo on it, and that is when the NCAA dropped the hammer on them. Then they nailed Texas A&M for the same thing, then Oklahoma. The old Southwest Conference then collapsed and the rest is history……
All of that pales in comparison to what has happened at Penn State though. None of what I described at the other schools (except OU) involved any kind of felony behavior. This is different. This is Rape and Child molestation, and it all occurred with the knowledge of school officials as well as Joe Paterno. And it evidently kept happening after Paterno and school officials knew about the 2001 incident because Sandusky still had access to university facilities and was still bringing young boys around. And no, stupid – Paterno did not contact “the authorities” as you claim. As I understand it, university officials have no legal authority to enforce any kind of laws penal code or not. And it IS Pennsylvania state law that any crime like that must be reported to law enforcement officials immediately…… So, Penn State is complicit in these crimes since the officials noted in these articles are empowered to run and represent the university, period…….
January 14, 2012 at 11:19 am
You may know the facts of the SMU situation, but apparently you lack the facts iin the Sandusky matter. If you portend to have any authority on logic, please get a clue before you put another ignorent comment on the boards and make yourself look like an idiot.
January 14, 2012 at 11:47 am
Wow, so many false statements in one paragraph, I’m sure you’ll be immune toi the truth, but I’ll post this for people who may actually have some intellectual capacity and who might (mistakenly) believe you have the slightest idea of what you’re talking about.
1) There has been no testimony of “rape.” by anyone under oath.
2) There has been no actual evidence yet presented of “rape.”
3) There has been no evidence that Paterno was informed of a “rape,”
4) In fact, there is sworn testimony and the lack of a Grand Jury indictment , and statements by the PA AG to inidcate Paterno was NOT TOLD of a rape
5) Your “understanding” of the authority of the PSU campus is 100% WRONG.. The PSU police are not rent-a-cops. They are sworn officers with jurisdiction over the facilities where crimes are alleged to have occurred. They have full authority to investigate, arrest, and detain suspects.
6) Penn State is not complicit in ANY crimes, because no one has been convicted of a crime
7) The PA Act which requires notification is a separate question, but guilt under the act, unlike misprision of felony, or accessory before or after the fact, does not make anyone “complicit” in any way in to any crime other than not reporting the _possible_ endangerment of a child. It is a misdemeanor.
8) A third person witness to a crime is not “complicit” under the laws of any State nor of the Federal Code. His testimony to the effect is not even admissable in court.
Thanks for making yourself look like a fool in front of the whole Internet. Typical of most of the outraged people commenteding here.
January 14, 2012 at 1:57 pm
Good for you Miles.
Penn State is a bizarre world where useless rednecks/immigrant flotsam cling to the reflected glory of the man-god Paterno who effectively blesses them with a vicarious life of meaning and fool’s gold.
“The Penn State police ARE the real police, numnuts!” is a common refrain.
Oh, well, dang it all! No wonder the “real police” were “run” by a pretend CPA instead of an actual cop… who signs the paychecks for every Keystone Kop on the PENN friggin STATE PAYROLL ..
If the Royal Canadian Mounties “always get their man” …
What can the Nittany Lie-on deniers say about the Keystone Kops of Penn State?
Not much. I won’t even try to make a joke of what those damnable excuses of men allowed to happen right in front of their eyes.
(Oh and I hold two degrees from that place, and know at least in passing a number of the personalities surrounding this horror. Let me tell you plainly: Penn State is a den of thieves and they all have dirt on each other, the true meaning of “We are Penn State”.
January 14, 2012 at 10:59 pm
And they still stand by this bunch. Amazing. Can’t clean house–not no way, not no how. They simply love Joe to death, sodomy not withstanding. What do they think Penn State is, a Greek mentoring society?
January 14, 2012 at 11:20 am
I’m guessing you’ve take the nom de plume of Socrates because its a sarcastic commentary on your own intelligence. Or maybe because you know about pederasty. Either way, plese do inform us: what sodomy did Joe Paterno commit? Who has actually testified under oath and in a position to know that he knew about sodomy if he didn’t himself commit it?
No, we don’t think PSU is Greek mentog society. We think it’s an employer who has to honor its contracts with employees, especially when — at least so far — nothing has been legally established.
Now please do the rest of us a favor, drink your hemlock and go to bed.
January 14, 2012 at 3:55 pm
CBS News – lets see if I got this. Dan Rather fakes stories to bash Bush?? Now it all makes sense how a dope like this can have a job. What was the point of your education?? Do you think you need to go to Prep school and college to write this? I have 14 yr old nephew who could have wrote this. Of course he would be smart enough to point out Paterno did not rape anyone and in fact reported the limited information he was given. And the name of the real abuser appears 23 paragraphs into the story. I cant think of a reason why people have no respect for people who write stories. Adam please notice I did not call you a journalist!!!!! That would imply that you think and report facts. Not give some holier than thou opinion.
January 14, 2012 at 11:21 am
Dan Rather didn’t “fake” anything. He and his producer got lazy or in a hurry and followed the wrong lead. Then he and Mary Mapes were hung out to dry by Les Moonvies and Sumner Redstone for Viacom business interests.
Not relevant, just a little history.
January 14, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Not relevant, and completly FALSE.
Please trouble yourself to actually read the Thornburgh Report made by the independent commission CBS impaneled to investiage the TANG hoax.
In that account, you will discover that Mary Mapes created a story from whole cloth. In that account, you will discover that local newspeople,
quite well known to Mary Mapes, knew about Bill Burkett and his stilly stories, and not one person who actually knew Burkett regarded him as credible,
and you will also learn that Mary Mapes was warned about that.
You will also discover that the basic premise of the story — that Goerge Bush used the TANG to escape Vietnam Service was a lie, and that Mapes knew it
to be a lie. Mapes had interviewed TANG officers who told her that Bush had VOLUNTEERED for Vietnam service, and was informed that his
jet experience was not current enough. Nevertheless, she decided to fabricate a story that was diametrically opposed to the truth.
January 14, 2012 at 3:39 pm
corruption here corruption there corruption everywhere. with so much corruption ron paul doesn’t stand a chance. radiologist students corrupted test scores and corrupted program. one has to say that bachelors and masters degrees from these institutions have morphed into corrupted mirages of higher education. lets just get the government out of the education business and let the buyer beware.
January 14, 2012 at 11:24 am
Paterno “rapes little boys?” John P., this comment wins you the award for being the sickest, ugliest, most spectacularly ignorant person among the commenters not only here or anywhere else. Make a movement, please, and pull your teenage, acned head out of your ass!
January 14, 2012 at 11:26 am
Frankly, I find the idea of a reporter from Chicago writing about corruption and the need to dismantle ANY organization laughable.
Yes, what Jerry Sandusky did was horrible on a scale that cannot be quantified. Yes, the administration of the university was negligent or complicit in avoiding prosecution – but let’s let the LAW figure that one out – yes, Joe Paterno should have followed up after he reported WHATEVER Mike McQueary told him happened – only he and Mike know for sure what that was, unless you are a mind-reader, Mr Hoge – but to call for the dismantling of a prestigious ACADEMIC institution because of what SEEMS to have been contained to the ATHLETIC department and higher ADMINISTRATIVE officials is ridiculous at best, and downright inflammatory at worst.
What your article fails to acknowledge is that NOBODY is really calling the “firing” of Paterno unjustified, but rather the METHOD in which it was carried out. The administration was in a position to do exactly what you accuse them of – covering their butts – and thus they threw everyone they could get their hands on under the figurative bus. Paterno, having been cited as being the only person to have not shirked his legal duties – more on Morals in a moment – by the lawyers, was ungraciously thrown to the wolves of public opinion – like you, Mr. Hoge – when they could have handled his situation much better. Blame the administration for the fallacy of Paterno’s “firing,” but don’t blame Joe. They could have just said “Suspended, pending further investigation” and everyone – including Joe – would have accepted that, EVEN the victims – some of whom have already voiced their regret over Paterno’s situation.
Now, back to the Moral aspect of this situation: yes, no one will say that Paterno should not have done more, followed up more, or raised holy hell about the situation: NO ONE, Mr. Hoge. Even Joe has said that. What you fail to comprehend is that failing on Moral basis in America is not a CRIME; if it was, all of Congress would be in jail – and shouldn’t they be? – for such things. But in America, you don’t go to jail unless you break the LAW, which Joe Paterno did NOT do.
Did Joe need to be removed as head coach? You bet, and it pains me to say that. Did the administration need to handle the situation better instead of just flailing about for something to do to make them look responsible/accountable? You bet. What you CANNOT do is focus on Paterno – who has been cleared by the State – when the onus was on the University administration to act according to its LEGAL responsibilities in the first place, and Jerry Sandusky, who is the accused CRIMINAL in this case.
Should heads roll? Yes. But make sure you are aiming at the proper heads, Mr. Hoge.
January 14, 2012 at 11:26 am
LOL, nice.
January 14, 2012 at 11:43 am
Amen Lionbacker — the only intelligent and coherent response to this trash journalism
January 14, 2012 at 12:07 pm
I wonder if it was one of the Board of trustees kids, one of the Paterno supporters kids, or one of Paternos own children that was being molested by Sandusky the whole Paterno I did what was “legal” required argument would be satisfactory.
I doubt it….
I went to Penn State, and in my mind he WAS an icon, now he is just a man who looked the other way when innocent at risk kids were being MOLESTED. Thats his legacy.
January 14, 2012 at 11:28 am
Sadly, despite the alleged heinous acts of an underling to Paterno, his supporters apparently place football above morality without full knowledge of facts yet to be revealed.
January 14, 2012 at 11:36 am
You talk about putting the horse in front of the cart, but yet you chide his supporters, revealing your precognitive skills? Right….
January 14, 2012 at 11:38 am
Congratulations!
You get the award for clueless irony on the entire Internet for January 14, 2012. That’s quite an accomplishment.
Moron.
January 14, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Adam, get a clue. You’re looking like an idiot for writing this biased opinion blog. Take your fake rage and point towards something you can write about in an informed and thoughtful manner.
January 14, 2012 at 11:36 am
SO THE COPS SHOWED UP IN 1998 SAID WE HAVE A VICTIM WHO ACCUSES JERRY OF RAPE AND THEN IN 2002 AGAIN AND PATERNO DID NOTHING WHY BECAUSE HIS LOVE OF POWER AND ST PENN WAS GREATER THAN HIS DUTY TO THOSE VICTIMS -KIDS.
January 14, 2012 at 11:37 am
Last time I checked, Parterno isn’t a cop. If the cops showed up and then investigated and then found no evidence to charge him back then, what makes you think that Paterno knew more than the cops and should have acted accordingly? Your argument doesn’t even make sense. If you want to be angry, channel that anger in a positive way and volunteer for a nonprofit that counsels victims of molestation. Otherwise, you’re just a troll.
January 14, 2012 at 11:41 am
The cops AND DA showed up in 1998 and said, we have the MOTHER of a victim who accuses Sandusky of showering with her child. Let’s investigate this and see if there’s evidence of sexual assualt.
So… they had an officer listen in on an accusatory conversation with the mother, and found no evidence of a crime. Not rape, not assualt, not molesting, nothing. But don’t let the facts get in the way of your outrage.
In the same year, Child Protective Services heard the same rumor. They also investigated. They also reported to the DA that they had found no evidence of any crime.
Neither the DA’s office nor CPS is connected in any way to PSU, and neither authority is the least bit intimindated by or under the influence of PSU or its athletic department. In any event, that child did not accuse Sandusky of rape.
So, you’re a liar.
In 2002, an assistant coach who has told at least four different stories that we know of — including two conflicting stories under oath to a GJ and a prelimanry hearing– and who has NEVER in any of those conflicting stories said that he told Paterno of a rape, now says he heard “something that sounded like slapping sounds” in a shower. Did he see a rape? Not according to his (latest) testimony? Did he tell Paterno of a rape? Not according to him, to Paterno, and to the Grand Jury that found both him and Paterno credible. Did he tell _anyone_ of a rape? Not according to the only two witnesses he was actually required to inform by law.
So again, you’re a liar.
But your hatred of a man whose involvement in this was at best peripheral, and is still in any event completely undetermined, causes you to post SCREEDS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS ABOUT HIS DUTY TO THE VICTIMS.
Get a life. And stop spreading lies.
January 14, 2012 at 2:18 pm
“Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape.”
Adam, this is a very strong accusation. Do you have any actual proof of this? Proof that Paterno literally knew this? Proof that Paterno literally “allowed” this? Please present it.
January 14, 2012 at 11:39 am
Adam apparently knows all of the facts before the state and local authorities do. He also knew it back in 1998 and 2002 before Paterno knew it too. Adam should quit his job writing this blog and work for the Chicago police. Maybe then our crime rate will go down.
January 14, 2012 at 11:42 am
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Never heard of Adam Hoge before and glad that I didn’t. For a third rate, at best, sports writer to say what he has shows his limited skills and obvious bias toward a great university. Yes, this was a terrible tragedy for sure. But for anyone to point blame before all the facts are out there to look at just shows ignorance and obvious bias. Please, just shut up and if you must write, talk about the total political corruption in Chicago and the poor treatment of minorities in your disgusting city.
January 14, 2012 at 11:41 am
“Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape. He failed to protect our children and he aided the cover up of the most heinous of acts by not telling authorities what he knew”
Wow! That just shows how little you actually know about this story. And might I add; What’s the first rule of a cover up? Don’t tell anyone! If Paterno was aiding in a cover up, why would he report it to anyone???
I find this quite interesting too. You say “Yes, we were had.” You (the media) reported Paterno was fired!!! If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself and your colleagues for not properly researching a story before reporting it. And if you got that simple fact wrong, what else about this story have you erroneously reported???
January 14, 2012 at 11:43 am
What this shows is the media tells you what they are told and investigates nothing, unless it is to destroy someone they don’t like. In other words, they are pretty much useless.
January 14, 2012 at 12:10 pm
That Paterno wasn’t fired should have been obvious on Nov 9. Goes to show how the media jumped to conclusions and did not investigate further. It will be interesting in the end to see how much slander was committed.
January 14, 2012 at 11:44 am
In the state of PA Teachers and Other school personnel are required to report known or suspected cases of child maltreatment. This has nothing to do with moral arguments, political correctness or ethical considerations of the individual. Its the LAW.
If this was a daycare center you would close it down immediately but its a lucrative football program affiliated with a prestigious university so it gets a pass??
Professionals Required to Report
Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6311
January 14, 2012 at 11:45 am
By your reasoning, Paterno did what was required of him and reported it. Now get a clue and go crawl back into your hole with your pitiful knowledge of law.
January 14, 2012 at 11:55 am
With a name like “ChiSox” I can see where laws are “optional” in your mind.
What you and others don’t seem to get is why we “non joe fanboys” are outraged. This man in this position of power and authority had the ability to make this stop. Right or Wrong he had the influence to change what was happening at the University. He did not and that is what people can not ignore. He is the one who has to look at himself in the mirror and ask if he did all he could do-
January 14, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Joe Paterno reported the incident just like the law said he should. What the heck did you want him to do, Make a Barney Fife citizens arrest?
January 14, 2012 at 12:26 pm
It is a misdeamnor crime if not reported. It _was_ reported. If it was a daycare center, I would want the question to be tried. Last time I checked, we haven’t even impaneled a jury.
Your hatred of football, and the belief that football fans would excuse any crime is amusing. And it is nonsense.
January 14, 2012 at 2:24 pm
It’s the pot calling the kettle black.
January 14, 2012 at 11:47 am
Hard to fire a tenured faculty member. He was removed from coaching the team, equivalent to being put on administrative leave. He announced that the was retiring anyway, not a strange move for someone who 85 years old and has lung cancer. Let go of it.
January 14, 2012 at 11:48 am
I’d say you’re about right on this. But it still leaves another black mark on the university, making it appear that they were taking a tough stance for merely PR purposes. This is a university desperately in need of moving on. Stories like this don’t help them. (Though their recent coaching hire, someone totally from the outside from what I hear, was a good step.)
January 14, 2012 at 11:53 am
The University is desperately in need of getting to the truth, something that very few people (you included, judging by your posts on this thread) are interested in. The University will not “move on” until there are actual trials, and actual convictions, and the University so far has done an exemplary job of slaking the bloodthirst of a lynch mob while protecting its employees.
I’m sorry the PSU haters, the Paterno haters, and the football haters haven’t gotten the pound of flesh that they feel their sanctimonious ravings entitlte them to.. But PSU is not going to “move on” at the expense of innocent people. And PSU is not going to move on until it has made some restitution to the victims once its complicity has been decided.
Moving on is inappropriate before anything has actually been determined. And so fare, not ONE single juror has been seated.
January 14, 2012 at 2:30 pm
“In reality, all they are really doing is showing the world how the hell Penn State let this tragedy happen in the first place.”
Adam, spot on, spot on.
January 14, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Paterno wasn’t fired because he legally should not have been fired. We are a nation of laws. In the USA, you may judge this in any manner you choose, but legally, he should not have been fired. I, and many others, believe the trustees did the right thing in trying to avoid even more problems. I am not a PSU graduate, however I am satisfied with their decision to handle it in this manner. NOW….take off on that all you radical PSU haters. Add all your extreme views and show your ignorance. Ignore the law and let your passions run wild. You DO NOT know all the facts and neither does Adam Hoge. He is extremely opinionated though, revealing his ignorance.
January 14, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Oh so it’s okay to go bananas worshiping the Great Paterno, lauding him, exaulting his name to the Heavens, bearing his graven image on your own, giving sacrifice of blood and treasure.
But now… now that he is held morally accountable for a catastrophic failure to act …
Now we are to STFU and wait for the trail verdict.
Flip off, cowards. He who lives by Public Adoration shall Perish by it.
January 15, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Penn State loves them some pedophiles and cover-ups.
January 14, 2012 at 12:04 pm
What’s wrong with pedophilia? It is a common practice in the gay community. Haven’t you heard the popular saying, “Sex before eight or else it’s too late”? I think you are all a bunch of anti-gay bigots. Shame on you!
January 14, 2012 at 12:05 pm
If Sara Palin was the Head Coach and all this stuff happened under her watch, all #ell would break out form the left wing media outlets for her not being fired. What a joke.
January 14, 2012 at 12:06 pm
I have absolutely no problem with Penn State doing this for Paterno. I believe Joe Pa’s contributions to his players and the community outweigh the lack of action in the sex abuse scandal..
January 14, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Yet there are CBS personalities who are celebrating Paterno’s cancer and wishing for his death to come asap who are somehow still employed by CBS. Morally reprehensible.
January 14, 2012 at 12:10 pm
Who can now say this world is not evil? These people care more about football than they care for the soul of a child. And they are not even ashamed of it.
January 14, 2012 at 12:07 pm
So many judges, juries, and hangmen with righteous indignation. Why can’t you all wait until the whole story comes out and then you can show your need to bury another to make yourselves feel bigger and better? You are all acting like the Queen of Hearts, “Off with their Heads!!”
January 14, 2012 at 12:11 pm
The story is out.
January 14, 2012 at 12:16 pm
Weird that his wife was recorded saying he should get himself a gay boy for that stuff instead of raping those little boys, you now, since we’re all still waiting on the story.
January 14, 2012 at 12:18 pm
Hate to tell you this, folks, but employees have rights. Tenured faculty can’t just be fired at will. Paterno, who isn’t even accused of a crime, has rights that even the Board of Trustees and the media have to respect. You need to follow procedures and provide due process. If Adam and the rest of the braindead reporters did not understand the announcement made in November, they need to look in the mirror. The announcement was clear. It did not say he was fired. The statement Garban made has been made several times to the media.
January 14, 2012 at 12:12 pm
He hasn’t been accused of a crime? That’s NEWS.
January 14, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Not to people who’re actually paying attention.
January 14, 2012 at 3:58 pm
He WAS fired, as head coach, but not as a faculty member. What’s so hard
to understand about that? This reporter is making a mountain out of a molehill.
January 14, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Absolutely correct. CBS should fire these reporters immediately without any investigation, hearing, or justification and see how they feel to have their procedural rights trampled.
Stripping Paterno of his coaching duties one game before retirement was far more of a blow and reprimand than cutting off any benefit he was legally and contractually entitled to. The key here is “Tenure”.
January 14, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Adam – You wrote: “Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape.” Can you prove that? Careful there… you are setting yourself and your employer up for a MAJOR libel / slander lawsuit!
January 14, 2012 at 12:16 pm
the extremely reluctant witness to child rape in the showers at Penn State.
Of course this isn’t a court of law, but i don’t pretend I don’t have common sense without a court order backing me up
How’s that?
January 14, 2012 at 12:22 pm
It’ll be fine, as soon as you take out the “without a court order backing me up.”
No one under penalty of perjury has ever accused Paterno of knowing about a rape. No one.
January 14, 2012 at 3:11 pm
This article is a travesty and the author should be sued for defamation. 1. There is no proof or evidence presented so far of a “child rape” on campus, in fact there is more evidence to the contrary. A GJ presentment, for those who should know better, is a summary written by a prosecutor. It is not evidence, testimony, or proof, nor is it admissible in court. You are making the same mistake as you made when you jumped to the conclusion that Joe was fired. When Sandusky is put on trial we will know whether or not there was a child rape on campus and I suspect not. 2. The BOT was informed of the Sandusky investigation at least a year ago, but they allowed him access to the campus facilities and he even sat in the President’s Box for the Illinois game. NOW you tell me what Joe Paterno was supposed to do when his BOSSES knew about Sandusky and did nothing. 3. Ray Gricar investigated Sandusky in 1998 and did nothing. 4. A PA Attorney General, associate prosecutors, and Police investigators were looking at Sandusky for YEARS and didn’t do anything until 2011. 5. Joe Paterno told the HEAD of the police department at PSU about McQueary’s report. We still don’t know what happened with that report. 6. For some reason, everyone else knows what to do in hindsight in this instance, but so many times I see ethical and moral issues that were mishandled by sooo many people over and over again. It is amazing that there are sooo many perfect people in this world.
January 14, 2012 at 12:23 pm
His wife knows it. And at the very least, the faculty was made aware of accusations and COVERED THEM UP instead of investigating it because we love us some football. That is wrong and if you can’t see that you have no hope.
January 14, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Thatsit, Is that really it? Joe Paterno isn’t the police and he did what he should and could do. He did not witness it. He didn’t cover it up. He told the freakin police. What part of that don’t you understand? He isn’t God on campus, and if he was he would still be coaching PSU.
January 14, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Whose wife knew? Are you getting this confused with Syracuse and Bernie Fine?
January 15, 2012 at 10:41 pm
I know this will drive everyone on this board crazy but…..
I have no idea how the Sandusky allegations/charges will turn out but look at this Wiki post on Mcmartin which I remember well from 20 years ago and it was much more media driven and the hysteria was incredible. there were hundreds of allegations. Please read this as it speaks to our system and it is what makes us a great country to live in! These are largely undisputed facts in this link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMartin_preschool_trial
January 14, 2012 at 12:42 pm
I agree. McMartin was a sham and frightening at that.
We’re not talking about the McMartins. They really were innocent.
We’re talking about Paterno who, when faced with eye-witness testamony from one of his own “employees” (actually, McQueary would have been one of Paternos students) …
DID NOT ACT EXCEPT PERFUNCTORILY.
We EXPECT more from Paterno. He is there, paid millions and entrusted with children’s lives only becasue WE EXPECTED HIM TO ACT IN THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.
Instead the Great Paterno … punted.
Get the difference?
(Whoever dares call Penn State a “public Ivy League” again should be jailed for gross contempt of reality. I have never heard such willful idiocy in all my life as I do now emanating from purported holders of university degrees attested by the “Board of Trustees on Recommendation of the Faculty” of Penn State.)
January 15, 2012 at 3:24 pm
“Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape. He failed to protect our children and he aided the cover up of the most heinous of acts by not telling authorities what he knew.”
This is just not true. You know nothing of Paterno, and yet you ascribe motive and make a conviction. This would be libel if anyone really cared about sensationalist thrash articles like this one. Go write for the National Enquirer.
January 14, 2012 at 12:23 pm
GOOD. I demand to be sued.
January 14, 2012 at 12:28 pm
I know he likes little boys and therefore know more about him than you do obviously.
January 14, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Moreover it is unlikely that a “child rape” occurred. There are witnesses to the contrary and there are other reasons why summation of McQueary’s testimony was misrepresented. Any thoughtful person would question the “child rape” aspect.
January 14, 2012 at 12:31 pm
so the child gave consent?
January 14, 2012 at 12:32 pm
You guys do realize that Paterno *did* report the activities to the proper local PD… The “campus” police everyone refers to are actually the real police department for the *Borough* of State College and the Centre Region. That whole area is called State College. The Police are real local police responsible for between 50,000 and 100,000 people in the region – not just students. I’m not a Penn State or Paterno fan at all – couldn’t care less about the region – but I do think he is getting a raw deal in the media. Paterno reported the allegations to the local police department that has jurisdiction for the city – something he wasn’t required to do. He also reported it to the administration – something he *was* required to do. It should have become a law-enforcement issue then, and the University should have collaborated with the police at that point. If Paterno did anything else after that, he could have been sued by Sandusky or even cited by the police for interfering with an investigation.
Did the University drop the ball? Absolutely. Sandusky should have been removed and prosecuted immediately. Did Paterno drop the ball? Not so much – he did more than he was required to by regulation and law. I would have preferred that he removed Sandusky, but until the U stepped in or the PD charged him, Sandusky could have fought any decision for removal.
See the State College Police FAQ if you still think they are campus police, or rent-a-cops. Frankly I’m surprised that the police department doesn’t have a big banner up stating that they are THE police and not CAMPUS police.
http://www.statecollegepa.us/FAQ.ASPx?TID=1
January 14, 2012 at 12:33 pm
They all missed that point in the rush to not only Judge him but to also fire him and execute him. rough bunch. Thank god we live in the US.
January 14, 2012 at 12:36 pm
Appreciate your comment, but a couple of inaccuracies.
University Park is where PSU is…. State College is really a different jurisdiction. PSU has its own PD, separate and equal to the State College PD.
They are both under the auspices of the Centre County District Attorney’s office.
While both PDs, the AD’s office and even the PA State Police all had suspicions about Sandusky over the last 14 years, none had any proof to charge him with a crime.
So why do people believe that Paterno should have known better or more than the authorities, and that he had the power to arrest, convict & maybe even execute Sandusky? Yeah, that’s what he should have done!
Sandusky was tenured, and had a right to office space in his contract.
McQueary told his dad, his doctor friend, Paterno, Curley and Schultz the same story – that he did not see anything of a sexual nature in the showers that night.
His father and the doctor are PA health officials, required to report any kind of child abuse.
Paterno was a coach, not a King. He was an educator, not law enforcement.
We will find out what happened, and so many haters will be disappointed.
January 14, 2012 at 3:40 pm
On the basis of what I see here, it will only inflame their hatred. Facts be damned.
January 14, 2012 at 4:02 pm
Hmmm… because as a private citizen, as a tenured professor, and as a father of BOYS … Paterno is under no obligation to adhere to courtroom conventions or legal standards of “proof”?
Hey, imagine that! Paterno could have done all sorts of things to see justice was done.
Paterno could have …
Called some of his mob buddies back in Flatbush and “tooken care-a dat guy”
Gone to his place and rearranged his ugly face himself, “just because”
Gone to a Second Mile fund raiser and ask his old pal Gerry if he was or wasn’t a boy raper.
Wrote a letter to the editor of the local rag, the Seedy Tea.
Dropped the dime to county CPS
Called the feds
Blacklisted the little pervert
Burned down his house
Protested outside his house
Called known Second Mile parents and supports and tell them to “be careful” cuz something weird is going on.
Of course, we know Joe*Pa* metaphorically shrugged his shoulders in his Penn State office, then called Penn State’s hack-employee/CPA that writes Penn State’s checks for the Penn State DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, so that Penn State could handle this “issue” with former Penn State football coach and present Penn State PROFESSOR EMERTIUS Gerald Sandusky.
Yeah, Joe*Pa* did what any father and grandfather and Big Man On Campus would do: punt.
Flip off!
January 15, 2012 at 3:17 pm
“Penn State dropped the ball.”
So who is, exactly, “Penn State”????
I thought the tedious football cheers says, “We ARE Penn State”.
Except, of course, when it comes to having the balls to act. Then THEY ARE Penn State, and we all know who “they” is, lol.
January 15, 2012 at 2:47 pm
Josey – let’s encourage violence – nice suggestions above. Let’s hope you are never falsely accused and that those people don’t go burn your house down or punch you in the face before getting all the facts. Again, excellent suggestions! You sound brilliant.
January 15, 2012 at 10:45 pm
“Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape. He failed to protect our children and he aided the cover up of the most heinous of acts by not telling authorities what he knew.”
That statement is patently false. Paterno reported to his direct superior (AD Tim Curley) and to the VP (Gary Schultz) in charge of campus police, which had jurisdiction, what was told to him by Mike McQueary. And then he told McQueary to speak directly with those two people himself and tell them what he saw.
What is so hard to understand about that? It’s in the grand jury presentment and is not in dispute. McQueary, Curley, Schultz and Paterno all said the same thing with regard to what Paterno did.
The only thing that needs to be gutted is the part of your brain that can’t think for itself and recognize that at that time, in March 2002, Paterno acted entirely appropriately. Almost perfectly.
What is in question, with regard to Paterno, is what happened after that – what was Paterno told was the result of the inquiry into the incident McQueary witnessed? And what did Paterno then do? What could/should he have done at that point, after Schultz/campus police investigated, after it became clear that Sandusky would not be punished in any meaningful way? Those are the big questions right now with regard to Paterno.
It’s too bad this author, like so many, simply can’t look at the facts we have and judge them properly and wait for the rest of the facts to unfold.
January 14, 2012 at 12:35 pm
By the way Adam Hoge, I was googling and trying to find the article you wrote about ESPN and your OUTRAGE regarding ESPN sitting on taped evidence of child molestation. Could you send me the URL for that article? I would think with hard evidence like ESPN had of the Syracuse cover up of Child Molestation and Child Rape, that your probably wrote a dozen or more articles, but so far I didn’t find any.
January 14, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Thank you Dan,
Until we see the article you are referring to I as one will hold Adam Hoge and all his journalistic brethren in the same regard he holds the PSU board of trustees.
January 14, 2012 at 2:02 pm
There is something more interesting about the Syracuse case, which is really a great deal more damning than anything Paterno failed to do:
The DA in Syracuse has already told these men that the statute of limitations has expired, and so he cannot prosecute this particular offense. So there will be no justice for them. The DA has also made it clear that hap ESPN done nothing more than play the tape for someone in his office, he would have started an investigation. So ESPN is directly culpable for this miscarriage of justice.
January 14, 2012 at 4:05 pm
You can clearly see the PSU haters here. Those with some almighty sense of right and wrong that they would not adhere to themselves? Joe Paterno never raped any child nor is there any evidence of a cover-up, other than in the minds of many. Prove to me that Paterno intentionally covered up child molestation and I will be the first in line to support removal of him entirely from everything PSU and even throw him in jail if the evidence warrants. This is why America is a country of war-mongers. Lead with emotion and short of thought.
January 14, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Hey ben, Paterno is a failure. Get it?
Paterno was hired as a professor. Meaning a teacher. Of children. (Yes, the precious football team is comprised of boys, who are still children, and are supposed to be students, not of grown men training in the farm league of the NFL.)
Teachers of children must act in the children’s best interests. All children. It’s part of the “calling”, n’est-ce pas?
Paterno took the coward’s way out, covering his own pansy arse instead of acting to protect even the one child he knew was molested by his (so-called) “employee”, fellow academic and Professor Emeritus, one Gerald “Jerry” Sandusky.
This also explains why Paterno was “fired” as coach of the boy’s football team but is even now on the university (meaning Commonwealth’s) payroll as a … professor.
I know, thinking is hard. But that’s why you support PENN STATE! instead of doing something productive with your life.
January 15, 2012 at 2:56 pm
“Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape.”
This is defamation per se, and you will be hearing from a lawyer very soon. If you think either the First Amendment or the fact that Paterno is a public figure will protect you, you are mistaken. Defamation _per se_ is evidence of actual malice — and with that both the “public figure” and First Amendment protection go straight out the door.
Hope you and your employer have deep pockets.
There is not one shred of evidence to support your sensationalist and ultimately quite evil claim; and that is precisely why Paterno was not fired. McQueary has not stated he witnessed a rape, merely insinuated that he _might_ have. [He has actually now told four different stories, including two different stories under oath to the Grand Jury and a Superior Court Judge at a preliminary hearing.]
Neither is there any evidence from any other part of the Grand Jury presentment that Paterno or any other Penn State official knew anything about “rape.” Furthermore, what we know now is nothing more than an accusation. As yet, NO trier of fact has ruled. Paterno made clear to the Grand Jury that he was NOT told of a rape, and the Grand Jury believed that claim and the PA Attorney General regards him as a cooperating witness. By YOUR own standard — that mere testimony to a Grand Jury establishes a fact — that makes YOU a liar.
You are vile. You are the C R A P that C R A P wipes off of the bottom of its shoes.
If there is any justice in the world, someday an accusation made by a co-worker against another co-worker that you may or may not have knowledge of will cause your employer to fire you before the actual facts emerge. Hopefully, you’ll be smeared publicly by disgusting “journalists” despite the fact that a real jury has made no finding. And hopefully, know-nothings, haters, and morons will show up on a blog to denounce you as an enabler of the most heinous kinds of crimes. All before a REAL jury has even been impaneled.
Fortunately, Penn State employees don’t work for such an employer. But I hope you do.
January 14, 2012 at 12:43 pm
Sure he is gonna hear from a Lawyer very, very, very soon. You say he knows nothing but you claim know everything about the case and Paterno is clearly innocent. But you don’t know, your just another idiot form Penn State kicking and screaming about their football program, you really don;t know how sick you look to the rest of the country? You don’t get how hated you are? You don’t know how wrong you are? It’s in your own words you speak about Paterno’s claims, well that’s all they are is claims.
What Paterno did was wrong the moment he fired Sandusky and lied about why he was doing it. It’s called a conspiracy to commit public fraud. He and Penn State actively participated in a cover up to try and prevent a scandle. In doing so they not only faned efforts to bring a Child Rapist to justice but went so far as to aid and abet, by providing him with funding, use of facilities, an office, keys to said facilities. I don’t care how much Paterno fanes ignorance, or the school or idiots like. That’s a sick place and most of the country wants to see it wiped off the face of the earth. You are an embarrassment to the institution of education, this country and the human race, please do the world a favor and kill yourselves.
January 14, 2012 at 1:20 pm
They only reason we look sick to you, is that you’re convinced you’re correctly informed of the situation. You’re not.
This has nothing to do with the PSU football program, never did.
You folks listen to people’s opinions and projections and believe them as truth.
You’re convinced that ‘everyone must have known everything that happened’.
Don’t you understand how stupid that is?
We don’t mind being ‘hated’ by stupid people like you.
We simply pity you for your lack of intelligence and insight.
Oh, and perhaps if you read a little bit more, you might find enlightenment.
January 14, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Actually I am quit well imformed, you look sick because you are defending a rapist. It has everything to do with the football program. Football equlas money, that’s how it all started they didn’t want a scandle in their football progam. So they attempted to cover it up. They never said why they fired Snadusky did they, they just let him walk away so to speak. Why not be honest about why they fired him? And why after you let him walk away did let him continue to use the campus and facilities at will? Even supplying him with an office and doners. Why was Sandusky in the Presidents box two weeks before the story was broken? Why was Sandusky going on scouting and recruiting trips for Penn State after he wsa “cough” let go. Why did a half dozen Penn State professors go on national telivison saying they had always heard rumors about Sandusky and kids and would often wonder why he was let on campus? Why was Sandusky’s supposed ban from campus never enforced to the point he was attending games with the damn president of the school? Why in 1998 didn’t Joe Paterno simply tell his staff and security if you see this man anywhere near the athletic facilities call the police. Those same facilities were he raped a kid in a shower in 2002. Oh yes they really tried to stop Jerry Sandusky, by giving him an office, letting him help recruit, letting him have full use of the campus and athletic facilities, allowing him to attend games with staff members, and by encouraging donors and alum to give his rape manufacturing chariety money. Oh yes the rest of the country has it all wrong and the Penn state supports who think PR spin is actual reporting have it right. Boy you got me there. Penn State allowed a man to commit forcible felony after forcible felony apon children with the expressed knowledge of what he was. Those are forcible felonies, Penn State could have acted with extreme force legally and nobody would have said boo about it. But they covered it up. Why didn’t they just say Paterno was stepping down instead of making it seem like he was fired? Why didn’t they correct anybody? They wanted everyone to assume he was fired, just like you assume you are right without on single fact to support your argument. You would rather see your school cover up a rapist and lie, then admit what they did was wrong, you don;t want the problem solved, you want it gone, covered up, buried. That’s what is wrong with, you would rather ignore the problem than fix it. Doing the right thing is hard, that’s why Penn state keeps doing the wrong thing. It’s easy to lie, but it’s hard damn work to admit you were wrong and to fix it. You know why they don’t do the right thing? Because of money, becuase of lawsuits, because they are scared.
January 14, 2012 at 4:14 pm
ESPN is still sitting on that tape, and Bernie Fine is still molesting, if Bobby Davis (for a second time) and his cousin didn’t come forward, spurred by the Sandusky victims.
January 14, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Pingback: The Ethical Firing That Never Happened: Penn State’s Blindness Continues | Ethics Alarms
Joe Paterno’s complicity and criminal conspiracies are irrelevant. Government employees cannot be fired. Even if Joe Paterno raped those children himself, you couldn’t fire him. Government employees protect each other, and if you don’t pay them, YOU go to prison.
January 14, 2012 at 1:21 pm
There was no conspiracy, and no coverup.
Read about the case, and the facts before you comment.
January 14, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Hoge isn’t the only piece of garbage at CBS Sports: http://www.briancuban.com/who-do-you-hope-will-die-of-cancer/
January 14, 2012 at 1:35 pm
See my post of Dec. 9: “Erikson Hides, Paterno Hasn’t Been “Fired”- and PSU Still Hasn’t Found Its’ Conscience”, http://wp.me/p15xE1-eQ, blog is brewonsouthu.wordpress.com W Wilson
January 14, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Blog Pimp and an Idiot. Mom must be proud.
January 14, 2012 at 4:09 pm
If you haven’t read the grand jury reports, please do so. It is clearly evident that Joe Paterno knew what was going on. Even if the word rape was never used, (which I highly doubt), the fact still remains that Joe Paterno should have done more. Yes he did report it, but how can anyone not see this all the way through. And if that’s all his higher ups decided to do, then why would anyone in their right mind or set of morality want to stay there. Also, it’s not just the child rape scandal, but how he grandstanded for himself. He stood on his front yard and just did the old “we love grandpa Joe” act. His inability to give the situation the proper attention, and his blatant self-centered actions are what really show his true selfish colors. Lastly, with the amount of power that Joe Paterno had on that campus, it is his responsibility to make sure that morality, justice, and above all safety was upheld. He may have played it by the book (which I doubt) but for a man with that much power and pull on that campus it was simply not enough. No matter how you spin it Joe Paterno failed and is a selfish arrogant tool with no morality. The fact he’s still getting paid is beyond sickening, but rather dis-heartening. How can anyone justify this? At what price is football glory?
January 14, 2012 at 2:35 pm
This is an excruciating example of sensationalist/defaming journalism from yet another holier than thou writer that states that “the institution is evil, that Paterno is evil, etc, etc.”. This point of view from someone who is comfortable saying “If I were in that situation I would have…”, the classic Monday Morning Quarterback. Let me tell you from experience that you don’t ever know what you are going to do in a questionable situation until you are faced with it. I can tell that this writer has never had a decision he has made called into question so neither has he been anyone in any sort of leadership role on a football field or any leadership position at all, and certainly not combat where decisions and judgment calls can be second guessed with huge ramifications. (Ive been in the latter situation a number of times.)
You never know what you are going to do in a situation. Mike McQueary is 6’4″, 240-ish* and a former quarterback at Penn State… And he did nothing, literally nothing but run and tell his coach and his dad. He didn’t step in and stop what was going on. He didn’t beat down the old man allegedly raping the young boy (depending on which of his stories you believe), he didn’t immediately call the police… He left and allowed whatever was happening to continue to happen.
There are plenty to veterans that wish that they would have done more for their injured and killed friends/brothers. Joe Paterno wishes he would have done more for those kids and he will have to live with the fact he did nothing more than he was required to and no more than would make him legally culpable. Period.
Here’s to hoping that none of you that are judging and condemning the decisions made by this man end up in a situation that calls for you to make a decision that people will be able to sit, days or years after, and question whether or not you did the right thing…
January 14, 2012 at 2:47 pm
I can’t believe the city of Chicago is inhabited with so many uninformed and stupid people. I will not comment to a poster who calls himself “Meatless Meetbal”.Has anyone ever heard of due process? You take one charge and run with it without getting all the facts. It is one thing for this site to have crummy writers, but come on Chicago, you used to be a great city. I guess the city of corrupt politicians have finally gotten to you.
January 14, 2012 at 2:59 pm
First, if you asked a 6th grader at random from around the state of PA, they’d tell you that JoePa, while relieved from coaching duties, could not be ‘fired’ from his CONTRACT. This ‘journolist’ is simply trying to get people to participate in the forum, and so will write whatever comes into his tiny brain.
Second, I know the court of public opinion has convicted Joe, every coach who ever worked @ PSU, and in fact, every person in the world who ever attended the university of blatantly turning a blind eye to Sandusky’s perversion. But that court is filled with stupid people, informed and encouraged by ignorant, irresponsible, pretend journalists… whose only chance at increased compensation comes through the number of readers tweaked to respond to their inane ‘articles’.
They have the temerity to blast out ridiculously ill-researched pieces that are nothing more than random, angry, mercenary thoughts.
They wouldn’t know virtue or ethics if it bit them in the arse.
I’ll be CBS is happy to have him.
January 14, 2012 at 3:15 pm
If the news media got it wrong, that the board fired Joe, why didn’t the board correct the news media the next day? Adman, in hindsight, you are splitting hairs.
January 14, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Excellent decision.
Paterno did nothing wrong. Sandusky is ACCUSED of criminal behavior and Paterno notified his immediate superiors according to the rules of the school. This notification was based on second-hand or “hearsay” information given him by another coach.
You cannot punish anyone remotely connected to this situation and justify the punishment by claiming he SHOULD HAVE done this or that. This type of punishnment does not hold up in court and EVERY defendent is supposed to be considered INNOCENT before proven otherwise at trial.
There’s been no trial, no conviction, but there’s been a witch-hunt nonetheless. This news that Paterno has been treated properly is the first news about this case that sits well with me. Congratulations to the Board and to the school for doing the right thing by this man who gave his life to the school and to the team. Paterno never did anything wrong.
January 14, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Amen.
January 14, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Ahh what are you talking about, you have no idea what hearsay is do you/ “Hearsay is information gathered by one person from another person concerning some event, condition, or thing of which the first person had no direct experience.”
Ah the first wittness was an eye wittness moron. If it was just hearsay they couldn’t even open an investigation. See why a Grand Jury reviewed the case? They decide weather criminal activity occured, and if they find that criminal activity occured they open an investigation and begin prosocution.
Joe Paterno by his own addmission actually admitted he did not do enough, on national TV. Just because you don’t lie does not mean you do not decieve, or conceal. What Paterno did was help conceal the truth about Sandusky. Sure he never did anything wrong. All Paterno is done is try and maintain Plausible deniability, but in doing so he failed to act in defense of children who were being raped. This is by his own addmission “I should have done more” this is clearly stated that he did not do everything he could to prevent a child being raped. What Paterno did was Omission or failure to act, this will constitute an actus reus or guilty act. Understand now, by his own addmission he did not do enough, by his own addmission he did not act enough, actus reus. Which by the way that bum of an assistant coach is also guilty of for not stopping a forcible felony he actually say taking place. If your going to pretend you know the law at least google what you think you know first.
January 14, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Say Creighton,after all your jibber-jabber, did you really mean “WEATHER”?
Joe is wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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January 14, 2012 at 4:49 pm
By choosing not to report the crime, he became complicit in the crime. Allowing this person access to the facilities, influence and recruiting for the program and uncurtailed privledges and perks is total acceptance of Sandusky’s behavior and crimes. Facing a firing squad is closer to what he should receive.
January 14, 2012 at 3:49 pm
He did report the crime, as it was reported to him to the appropriate authorities. Your firing squad comment shows that youve never had a decision questioned and are above having one questioned. Don’t look down. Its an awful rough fall off of that high horse.
January 14, 2012 at 3:55 pm
Such a short paragraph, and so many lies.
Not reporting “the crime,” is false. Paterno reported the crime. The PA AG and GJ agreed that he did.
Complicit in a crime for “not reporting it..” Even if we stipulate to the false claim that he didn’t report in order to advance your silly point, this is a novel and bizarre legal theory: that a_ heresay_ witness to a crime becomes “complicit” in it. Luckily, no person who actually practices (or for that matter, understands) the law would give this idiotic legal “theory” the tiime of day.
Sandusky had access to facilities because of his exit contract. Paterno could do nothing about that.
Influence? Whom did Jerry Sandusky influence at PSU? No one. He USED PSU. PSU did not use him.
Recruiting? Nope, he didn’t. Don’t know where you got that idea, but it’s as silly as your other ones.
Facing a firing squad for heresay knowledge of a crime. Wow. That about sums up your powers of reasoning. Thanks for demolishing your own dubious “arguments.”
January 14, 2012 at 4:20 pm
When the truth is inconvenient some people escape to burying their head in the sand. You obviously have no moral compass.
Exit contract? Are you f’ing kidding?
January 14, 2012 at 4:41 pm
Pingback: The School Philly - Joe Paterno Speaks For the First Time Since His Dismissal
You conveniently ignore that Sandusky was allowed to still use the facilities and even recruit for the program as if nothing had happened.
January 14, 2012 at 4:26 pm
I do not recall him “recruiting” for the football program. He abused privileges offered to him by the program by using it to allegedly lure young boys from the 2nd Mile Foundation into bad situations. But he no longer recruited for Penn St ate at any level. Period. Please fact check, when you dont you make the argument that youre trying to make lose credibility.
January 14, 2012 at 4:35 pm
My facts are accurate. Link below
chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/…/sandusky-recuited-hs-players-this-seas.
January 14, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Pingback: Joe Paterno was never fired. | Foundation Life
Here’s the only test that matters to determine if how Paterno acted was right: What would he have done if the child in the shower was his grandson? Case closed.
January 14, 2012 at 5:01 pm
POOR jOE WOULDN’T KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO!
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January 14, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Another outstanding rationalization by someone who is obviously above criticism.
January 14, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Are you people serious??? To start, I do not know Paterno. I did not go to Penn State. I thought, and expressed my opinion, that Paterno should have retired about 5 years ago. So, no, I’m not a “misguided Paterno supporter”. This article is Bravo Sierra.
This article is moronic based on the facts that are known. I quote,
“Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape. He failed to protect our children and he aided the cover up of the most heinous of acts by not telling authorities what he knew.”
The writer does not know this as a fact. The GJ, the police, the DA and the AG have all been on record as saying that Paterno did nothing wrong. Paterno stated he wished he had done more. We still do not know EXACTLY what he was told or what he did do. In hindsight I’d bet that everyone reading this blog, the writer of this piece notwithstanding, can say the same thing about something at some point in their life. In reality, if McQuery (who is said to have witnessed this incident) would have done what HE should have, this business about Paterno would not even be an issue.
Also, to quote the writer:” I wonder how Jerry Sandusky’s victims – especially the post-2002 victims – feel knowing that instead of termination, Paterno simply received a four game suspension.”
Well, had he done a little basic research he would have found that the attorney representing the victims (alleged victims to be correct) stated the very next day that they wished the BOT would not have taken that action with Paterno.
This writer fails to bring to light the hundreds, probably thousands, of children and youth that have benefitted from Paterno’s charity and actions over his many years at PSU.
This heinous act was done (allegedly) by ONE individual. This person was NOT a part of the PSU organization. HE broke the law (allegedly) and should be dealt with quickly and severely if found guilty.
What I find most funny about this commentary, by this writer, is that a SPORTSWRITER would want to be a moral compass. Even funnier is that he is a sportswriter from CHICAGO (the very center of everything moral). I think he has college envy and the envy that, if he would be unfairly dealt with by his employer, no one would care.
January 14, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Hey Bravo Sierra Man:
Ever hear of the crime of “leaving the scene of an accident” or “failure to report a felony”.
Do you understand the moral concept underlying the legal concepts of “accomplice” and “accessory”?
Yeah, it sucks to be you.
January 15, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Yes, I apparently understand it better than you do. There has not only been nothing like that proven, it hasn’t even been legally suggested.
BTW – It’s great being me.
You must be another disgruntled college wannabe.
Thanks for playing.
January 15, 2012 at 3:48 pm
Ummm… wrote of “morality” as the superior claim? you know, the font of legality?
Also, I tried to show you the text of my diploma… but the comment software seems not to accept it. You wouldn’t understand anyway. It’s in Latin.
January 15, 2012 at 4:15 pm
Who read it to you?
January 15, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Fred Zarunga
Thornburgh Report, named for Richard Thornburgh, George H.W.Bush’s Atty. General. Working at the time lobbying his former bosses influence and appearances. Plenty of other evidence that Rather had the info. Sumner Redstone, CEO of Viacom,just before the ’04 elections, stating that a republican administration would better serve the comunications industry. Viacom being the parent company of CBS. However I’m sure Les Moonvies president of CBS ahd no idea that was his bosses sentiment.
I’m convinced it was all above board. You?
January 14, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Wow, Joe Paterno Was Never Fired?
Blah, blah, blah…what a story.
You suck Adam Hoge.
January 14, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Well if Paterno does not conceal and cover up he sure has a funny way of showing it. Maybe he should reread his statments to the police when he let Jerry go. Oh wait according to his recent interview he had no idea Jerry was involved in any sort of child rape and even that’s why Paterno called him and let him go. But now he never heard of that even though it’s in his testimony. Great quotte from him too for all you Paterno fans.
”You know, he didn’t want to get specific,” Paterno said. ”And to be frank with you I don’t know that it would have done any good, because I never heard of, of, rape and a man. So I just did what I thought was best. I talked to people that I thought would be, if there was a problem, that would be following up on it.”
Well Joe it wasn’t a man it was a little boy and that’s also in your testimony. But now it’s a man.
Some more great quotes.
“Paterno said he wished he knew how allegations against Sandusky didn’t come to light until years after the alleged assaults occurred. ”I don’t know the answer to that,” he said. ”It’s hard.”
Well Joe the reason it didn’t come to light is because you didn’t follow up on it or do anything about it. See that part were you say you don’t think it would have done any good no matter what cause now you claim it’s man?
What else did he say?
Joe Paterno says he ”didn’t know which way to go” after an assistant coach came to him in 2002 saying he had seen retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing a boy.
Well Joe there are only to ways to go, cover it up, or and this sounds crazy at least to people from Happy valley, you could do the right thing and bring it to light.
He also said that he fired Sandusky because he was doing to much work at his charity. Well he was sort of right. But gosh who fires someone for doing charitable work? I find this funny because Paterno also told everyone Sandusky retired and was not fired. Gosh why those are two different stories. I also find the timing funny, right after he found out about the first charge from 98 he fired/retired Sandusky (read the testimony) for doing to much charitable work. Oh yes that makes sense, nothing strange there.
So basically he new about it but didn’t no about it, he fired him, no he retired, wasn’t sure if he should do the right thing or the wrong thing(hard choice), probably would not have done anything anyway(his words), and still says he has been fired eventhough he has not been fired, and this is your hero. You can have him.
Oh and in his own testimony Paterno never refers to the 2002 shower inncident as a man being raped, oh no it’s child back then. Now it’s a man. I wish he would make up his mind. I guess it happens at his age, he is old he forgets which lies he tells.
Your school so deserves the name Rape State.
January 14, 2012 at 10:25 pm
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Adam–
One question with all the critism. Does your stomach turn when you hear a Michael Jackson song come on? Or do you find yourself singing along to “beat it”. My guess would be you don’t think much about it but don’t turn the station necessarily if MJ is on. So, if you don’t condone one pedophile, why be so hard on someone who isn’t even a pedophile at all.
BTW all CEO’s fired from companies get large payouts; why would PSU be any different
January 15, 2012 at 12:43 am
This piece is classic example of why the media can’t be trusted. Mr. Hoge says that “we were had” by the Board of Trustees. But being “had” implies some kind of trickery or deceit. In fact, the Board’s original statement was clear enough: “The board determined that it is in the best interest of the University for Joe Paterno to no longer serve as head football coach, effective immediately.” It was Mr. Hoge and his media colleagues that universally reported – incorrectly – that Paterno was fired, failing to dig any deeper. Now Mr. Hoge is indignant is because the board’s additional remarks have brought into focus the inaccuracy of the media reports and its failure to do the necessary investigative work. Just unbelievable.
January 15, 2012 at 11:20 am
I strongly support free speech and the press, but Hoge’s statement, “Paterno knowingly allowed Penn State to be used as a vehicle for child rape,” in my opinion meets the legal definition of libel. According to the transcript of the prelim court hearing for Curley and Schultz held last month, McQueary and Paterno both testified that Paterno was not told about child rape; therefore the statement that Paterno “knowingly” knew about “child rape” occurring at Penn State is patently false.
January 15, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Yes, and there is a tooth Fairy. In your case, put your head under the pillow.
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January 15, 2012 at 1:37 pm
The truth of your statement is a great stumbling block to the haters. Zatso’s “oh yeah, you are too” retort is proof of that.
January 15, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Pingback: Joe Paterno Was Never Fired by Penn State, Still Getting Paid | Larry Brown Sports
Josey ..if Sandusky’s victims were a few years older and he was a famous movie producer, you sound like you would thank him from your knees.
January 15, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Hmmm… How to say this…. you’ve confused me with someone else, Tgg312.
January 15, 2012 at 5:32 pm
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All of you wingnuts out here who are so morally outraged over the actions of PSU, Joe and the rest and who are posting with little or no knowledge might want to show the rest of us poor sinners how it is done. Show us all big boys and girls, make a donation right here: http://www rainn org/ProudPSUforRAINN to actually help the children affected by abuse. Don’t go worrying your little moral behinds now, this is not PSU affiliated, it was set up as a grassroots effort by a couple of our alumni and PSU will get nothing from it. So far, however, thousands have already benefitted. We cannot do anything about the actions of one potentially evil alum, and it is doubtful this could have been prevented, but going forward, PSU and its alumni are going a long ways to making sure it will Never happen again….further than say Syracuse, who I note you don’t blog so much about…interesting. Oh, and by the way, you all can show us your moral might by donating to Thon and help kids with cancer…you know, as long as you are out here for the kids and all…….or has something gone wrong, W-w-wingnuts…..why do you take so long ?????
January 15, 2012 at 9:11 pm
This “article” (if this trash can even be called that) makes me lose all faith in humankind. Adam, the fact that you are so willing to bash Paterno and Penn State the way that you do with as little fact as you included makes me sick (by the way, I am not a Penn State alumnus and am not affiliated with the university in any way). It is because of ignorant “reporters” (in quotes b/c this is not reporting, but rather speaking with a forked tongue) like you that the general public are so misled on serious issues such as this one.
January 15, 2012 at 11:23 pm
LET’S BOYCOTT CBS NOTHING WORTHY THERE ANYWAY!!!!!!!!
January 16, 2012 at 7:30 am
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This is the best news. How you feeling today Adam? You young, inexperienced, naive fool. Maybe when you have more life experience to fall back on you can speak to what should have been done and pass judgement on what happened. You have no idea. I hope when you are 40 or 50 you look back at these things you have written-and ask for some forgiveness.
January 22, 2012 at 4:48 pm