Paterno’s statement’s not enough, Penn State dropped ball
Joe Paterno is retiring, but he will be allowed to coach the rest of the season. (AP photo)
Joe Paterno will coach at least three more football games.
This is not going to be pretty.
Paterno confirmed this morning that he will retire at the end of the season. This follows ugly sexual abuse claims against former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and the belief by many that school officials, including Paterno, may have been complicit in covering up the matter and/or could have done more to push for an investigation.
Paterno released a statement in which he conceded, “With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”
They were the proper words. But they should have been spoken, not released via email, before anybody at Penn State even considered allowing him back on the sideline.
I can’t imagine any university, company or entity handling a situation worse than how Penn State has handled the past few days.
Paterno’s complete statement:
“I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.
“I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.
“That’s why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.
“My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.”
I wrote the other day about how sickening this whole saga is, that potentially something so despicable could go on for so long. Paterno had met his legal obligations in the Sandusky matter but questions about whether he had met his moral obligations lingered.
I also wrote that before I jumped on the growing “Paterno Must Go” bandwagon, I wanted to hear what he had to say — live, in a room, behind a microphone, with people. Granted, Paterno was being crushed by public opinion and it seemed implausible that he could not have known — 0r done –more. But to me it all seemed a little too much too fast, given Paterno’s stature and reputation before this story broke.
I believed that Paterno needed to get behind a microphone, answer every question, show remorse and make us believe that there was no intent on his part to cover up such alleged heinous crimes for a long-time friend.
Because anybody who enabled Sandusky also belongs behind bars.
But Penn State already has made its decision. That’s a mistake. It’s as if the university is allowing Paterno one final power play in State College.
It’s going to be ugly in “Happy Valley” at Saturday’s final home game against Nebraska.
It’s going to be ugly and scary when Paterno and Penn State go on the road for the final two games to Ohio State and Wisconsin.
If Paterno coaches in a bowl game, the atmosphere certainly is not going to seem like a season celebration, which is what bowl games were intended to be.
Penn State dropped the ball. And when everybody looks at Paterno on the sideline Saturday, the first thought most will have won’t be, “There’s a great football coach.”
By Jeff Schultz
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
590 comments Add your comment
kevdawg
November 9th, 2011
2:41 pm
It doesn’t take hindsight to know that raping a 10 year old boy in the shower should be a police issue immediately. He was only concerned about himself and Penn State. Anyone in a leadership position who knew of any sexual misconduct and did not immediately bring it to the attention of police should be fired immediately. “With the benefit of hindsight” that pi$$eS me off. How can he preach about good virtue if he can’t be trusted to stand up when something this heinous is brought to his attention. He better be praying for himself as well!
reckingball
November 9th, 2011
2:42 pm
phil, once again, you show just how much of a complete idiot you are.
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
2:43 pm
Phil, I guess those little boys getting raped in the shower didn’t have much dignity left. Sure would be nice if someone could give them some. A good leader knows what’s going on during his watch in his house!
gbal
November 9th, 2011
2:44 pm
Phil – It’s how reporting works now days. Which is sickening in itself.
Get the facts first… JP will make a live statement in time.
I dont feel news reporters are the right ones to ask the questions. Talk about sleeze and pot calling the kettle black.
The Furman Bishers of reporting are gone my friend.
kevdawg
November 9th, 2011
2:45 pm
Finish the season with dignity and respect. He should be embarasses and forget about his precious team for once. That is what clouded his judgement the first time. He has put a 20 yr stain on Penn State and is a hypocrite to every player that player for him after that day.
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
2:46 pm
If you read the grand jury report, & then for the sake of giving him the benefit of doubt say Joe didn’t really know what was going on. Then they need to fire him for STUPIDITY!!!
Lou
November 9th, 2011
2:46 pm
Based on everything that I read, Paterno had second-hand knowledge about the abuse, i.e., a grad student told him. Paterno reported what he was told within 24 hours to his superior. It would have been his superior’s responsibility to investigate the allegations further.
There are very few professionals required by law to report suspicions on child abuse. As a psychologist, I’m one of them. The laws are very clear: my duty is to report. Each state sets up a unique mechanism for reporting. I have not yet lived in a state where reports are made to the police. There’s also some other agency that does the investigation to determine if further action is warranted.
Given that Paterno did not have direct knowledge of the events and given that a teacher or coach is not required to report abuse to the appropriate state agency, I don’t see how what Paterno did was wrong. He did report what he knew to a responsible authority.
Yes, further investigation should have happened. Clearly, the administrators at PennState sat on this. But given the process for sexual harassment in most corporations and institutions, it appears to me that Paterno did what most sexual harassment policies would require. Was it enough? In hindsight, perhaps not. . He made an honest attempt to deal with a difficult problem that most people will never experience.
SSIgator
November 9th, 2011
2:47 pm
From the Orlando Sentinel:
“The year was 2006 and Florida State was playing Penn State in the Orange Bowl. At the time, Penn State coach Joe Paterno was asked about FSU linebacker A.J. Nicholson being sent home from the bowl site after he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in his hotel room in the days leading up to the game.”
“Replied Paterno irreverently: “He may not have even known what he was getting into. … A cute girl knocks on the door. What do you do? Thank God they don’t knock on my door. I’d refer them to a couple of other rooms.”
What else do you need to know about the moral compass of JoePa?
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
2:47 pm
I keep scratching my head and trying to figure this out. Maybe Joe and Sandusky were taking some late night showers?
gbal
November 9th, 2011
2:48 pm
At this early point in the investigation Jo Pa and others likely can not report all the facts and what they knew or didnt know and when….
The DA and others are still investigating the incident and looking for more victims to make their case and I am sure Joe PA has been told to keep any comments generic for the sake of the investigations.
Reporters want the info now so they can report it. I really think that the responsible and concerned general public (readers) would rather have all the facts be collected and get it right before reporting.
Lay off reporters! In due time JP will speak. If warranted, then throw him under the bus or as Bradley says off the cliff tied to a car.
North ave. faithful
November 9th, 2011
2:49 pm
Phil, you sir are a IDIOT! Are you a father? How does this McCreary see this and call his father, what a gutless wonder. And how does his father, being a parent himself, tell him to just leave. Oh yea, to protect then integrity of PSU. UNBELIEVEABLE,read the indictment!!!!
GMan1234
November 9th, 2011
2:49 pm
It makes me mad when I hear the word “hindsight” used here. Hindsight has no meaning when this man that you were told about years ago, is in your building, using your facilities, bringing people into your areas – as recently as last week. There is no hindsight for knowing something, then never saying anything for the last 10 – 15 years.
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
2:51 pm
This abuse has been going on for 15+ years by Sandusky. What do they need, video tape evidence from about 5 cameras. If Joe didn’t know or hear rumors then the Pope ain’t Catholic!
phil
November 9th, 2011
2:52 pm
I’ll just be an idiot then.
But I’m not going to jump the gun in the absence of the entire story and join the lynch mob trying to run Joe Paterno out of town after 61 years for the actions of a sick bastard that JP likely didn’t have the full story on.
I assure you I’m all in favor of a bullet in the skull of people who do this kind of thing to innocent children.
However, I’m not in favor of shoot first, ask questions later with something like this. It’s not fair.
And I’m not defending anyone. Fry em all if it’s all proven. In the meantime, call of the lynching.
Dawgsgone
November 9th, 2011
2:55 pm
A 28 year old amn sees a 10 year old child being raped by a 50 year old mand he knows. His first thought is to get to his office and call HIS FATHER and tell him what he saw??? And then his fther advises him to”get out of the building and come to my house” so we can decide what to do? They decide they have to tell the “boss” but not tonight, tomorrow morning is soon enough. The “boss” hears (according to the grand jusy transcript) that his friend of over 30 years was in the shower, late at night, naked and having anal sex with a 10 year old and he waits till THE NEXT MORNING to call his “boss” to report it. After that apparently he completely forgets about it for the next 9 years????? Does he ever ask his friend about it or does he ask the man who told him about it or does he ask his boss what they did about it? Apparently not and now he says “in hindsight I should have done more”????? Now its the greatest sorrow in his life and he is praying for the victims and families??? The only thing he has said that I agree with is that the board of trustees should not sp[end a minute discussing his future. HE SHOULD BE FIRED IMMEDIATELY, END OF DISCUSION ALONG WITH THE ASSISTANT COACH WHO WITNESSED THIS ACT AND IS STILL WORKING THERE.
Joe
November 9th, 2011
2:55 pm
kevdawg, he immediately alerted his supervisor, the AD (and yes that is his supervisor, even the grand jury report claims so; in response to those that claim the AD was not Joe’s supervisor) and an investigation was conducted. Was Joe supposed to conduct the investigation himself??? No of course not. He did his job by promptly alerting proper authorities and is not liable for the shabby investigation/cover up by others. Stop acting like Joe sat there and watched all these acts happen simultaneously in the same room. They were separate instances spread out over MANY years, so just because you are being given all the information in one report does not mean Joe watched it all happen last week and didn’t act on it. The crime is horrible, those responsible should be punished. Joe Pa is not one of those men that needs to be punished by this.
Nobody is defending the crime, the argument here is more of why are Schultz, the media, and half the ignorant people reading this mess so eager to throw Paterno to the wolves?? If you want to see a train wreck, go watch Jersey Shore, don’t force it upon an innocent man. If further investigation finds out he is lying or covering up anything, then have your field day. But until then, show the man the respect he deserves.
reckingball
November 9th, 2011
2:56 pm
gbal, just what in the heck do you think a reporter’s job is, how many crimes do you think would have gone unnoticed throughout history, if it were not for investigative reporters?
Bill
November 9th, 2011
2:56 pm
It really isn’t that difficult to see that JoePa is guilty of participating in a cover-up. The degree of cover-up remains to be seen but will surely come out as the investigation continues.
According to the Grand Jury Report, Paterno was contacted the morning after the event took place and then he had the AD over to his house on Sunday to inform him. Then it was another week and a half before the AD called the eyewitness in to get more facts. What were they waiting for? To get their stories straight?
I would also have to question a 28-yr old man (a.k.a. “graduate assistant”) who contacts his father instead of the police.
This entire incident is a shame…
phil
November 9th, 2011
2:57 pm
North ave. faithful
November 9th, 2011
2:49 pm
Phil, you sir are a IDIOT! Are you a father? How does this McCreary see this and call his father, what a gutless wonder. And how does his father, being a parent himself, tell him to just leave. Oh yea, to protect then integrity of PSU. UNBELIEVEABLE,read the indictment!!!!
******************
Yes, I am a father. I read the presentment and was appalled by it. But it’s the reactionaries like you, who want to lynch anyone and everyone before they’ve even had a chance at something called a taste of due process, perhaps a chance to cross examine someone, that scare me more.
What are you planning to do, know it all engineer boy, when you get arrested one day and charged with something you know you didn’t do and start whining about your rights? Remember your reaction to this tragedy? Shoot em all! Fire em all! Kill em all!
And some of you people call me an idiot….
A person SMART enough to know......
November 9th, 2011
2:58 pm
I know there are some men on here that have a buddy that was screwing around on his wife/girlfriend behind her back. Did any of you go tell the wife/girlfriend?
No it is not child rape. It is committing adultery by omission. It is passing the buck by ignoring the facts and people are getting hurt.
There are a lot of Perfect people on here.
A lot of people making excuses for their teams coaches, players, & fans while condemning other teams coaches, players, & fans.
Hold those rocks UGA fans. Your house needs cleaning too. The biggest money man at UGA is on Board of Regents and a adulterer and EVERYBODY at UGA takes his money.
If Don Leeburn is doing such an excellent job, why, after 14 years on the Board of Regents, did he not know about the board’s policy against using university trademarks on alcoholic beverages? If he did know, why then did he openly violate those rules by distributing a wine with the UGA Alumni Association logo through his company, Georgia Distributing? And why did it take the geniuses at the board six months to figure out that Leeburn was violating the rules?
As for Mr. Leeburn’s “educational philosophy,” could that have been honed through an up-close-and-personal relationship with a member of the University of Georgia staff? Leeburn lives openly with UGA gymnastics coach Susan Yoculan, despite the fact that he hasn’t bothered to divorce his wife, Betsy, who still resides in Columbus. Details. Details. Maybe this doesn’t bother the governor or the university administration, but it bothers the hell out of me. Doesn’t anybody else think these two lovebirds aren’t exactly the kind of people we want to hold up as role models to our young people? My momma would have called what Leeburn and Yoculan are doing “tacky.” And my momma would have been correct.
Imagine the furor if a female member of the Board of Regents set up play-housekeeping with the UGA football coach or basketball coach while still married.
phil
November 9th, 2011
3:00 pm
reckingball
November 9th, 2011
2:42 pm
phil, once again, you show just how much of a complete idiot you are.
*******************
It figures you would have to say something about me, you classless jerk.
Continue on with your all knowing character assasination of JP in the information vacuum in which you find yourself.
Text of statement released by Penn State coach Joe Paterno on his retirement … – Washington Post | moneybusinessblog.info
November 9th, 2011
3:00 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
gdawginkalamazoo
November 9th, 2011
3:00 pm
Techman, “The DA did not press charges.” So nothing happened then? It was all a big misundertanding. “What seems to be in question is did he fulfill his moral obligation. I think he did.” He fulfilled his legal obligation. Moral obligation was non existent.
top dawg
November 9th, 2011
3:01 pm
Apparently it’s already been decided that Paterno met his legal requirements in the 2002 incident though there’s some debate about whether that’s true or not. The issue is whether he met is moral obligations and that’s a case that be debated in the court of public opinion. Unfortunately for Penn State the court of public opinion will matter because there’s bound to be lawsuits levied again the university and everyone there that’s remotely involved with this case. Even if the suits are settled out of court, the university stands to lose millions in donations, tv revenues, reputation, etc. While I’m a huge fan of Coach Paterno I don’t see how the trustees can allow him to coach another game – much less stay to the end of the season. If he truely loves the university as he professes to do, he (the President, AD, etc.) would resign immediately and not force the university to take action.
phil
November 9th, 2011
3:02 pm
Looks to me like someone who thinks he’s smart enough to know is about to know what being sued for libel is all about….
Take it easy there, chief…
TechMan
November 9th, 2011
3:03 pm
If the DA did not press charges, a reasonable assumption to make is there was not evidence to prosecute. Are you advocating Sandusky should have had a label attached to him even there there were no charges?
Again, you say he did not fulfill his moral obligation. I feel that he did. Nothing really to argue. In light of the current facts you won’t change my mind and I know I won’t change yours.
Bill
November 9th, 2011
3:04 pm
I have to admit .. the police may have been the second, not first, phone number I would have dialed. The first would have been an ambulance because a middle-aged naked man was found beaten senseless in a locker room shower.
7576DAWG
November 9th, 2011
3:04 pm
The reason Paterno’s press conference was cancelled is because there is no way he won’t answer questions very truth full and the reporter will have a field day with it. If nothing else Paterno seems to be a very honest man and will answer to the best he can. Penn State and all that are involved are subject to law suit’s from the victims and if Paterno was allowed to answer questions the public would see just how bad everybody involved looked the other way.
Bill
November 9th, 2011
3:06 pm
There are now 17 kids, boys that have come forward..how many more did this Sandusky abuse?
Joe P and PSU President need to go..now!
Buffalo Bill
November 9th, 2011
3:09 pm
Daniel, are you serious? You think the indictment, drafted by the state, and rubber stamped by a grand jury w/o being tested by defense counsel could possibly one-sided?
TyreH
November 9th, 2011
3:10 pm
The NCAA has to impose the death penalty for the Penn State football program.
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
3:10 pm
Whoever made the comment earlier in the day saying that if that had been one on JP’s grandchildren, he would have moved heaven and earth to take Sandusky out. But oh well it wasn’t so, no big deal.
A person SMART enough to know......
November 9th, 2011
3:10 pm
PHIL………….that is not libel………..I posted an article. I didn’t write it. The FACT is Everybody knows about Leebern and has for a long time.
Adams the Church of Christ Moral man and Richt the good Christian Moral man have no problem accepting all Leebern’s money. I am pretty sure a good chunk of Richt’s salary comes from Leeburn’s Devil Water Profits.
top dawg
November 9th, 2011
3:11 pm
For those of you who continue to defend Paterno ask yourself this. If you were in Paterno’s shoes and received the GA’s report, would you not ask for specific details – particularly when the GA was concerned enough about what he saw to report it and because it involved a child. By not trying to determine the facts – or by not accurately relaying the events up the chain of command as they were told to him by the GA (which may be the case) – isn’t he guilty by omission and complicit in allowing Sandusky to continue to molest young boys?
reckingball
November 9th, 2011
3:12 pm
phil, for someone that is always so eager to burn any Braves player or coach at the stake, for any accusation made against them, your defense of Paterno is just plain stupid, even by your ignorant standards.
I suppose that you would have just turned a blind eye, if you had of been in Paterno’s place.
You are a moron, without a moral compass.
I have nothing further to say to you.
phil
November 9th, 2011
3:12 pm
Well hello, gullible doofs out there!
The man apparently had 40 years to abuse these kids. There will be many, many victims of this horror before it’s all over with. Assuming everything is true that we;ve heard about Sandusky, none of it covered any period of time before the 90’s. OF COURSE there will be more now that they are emboldened to say something. Predators don’t usually just wake up one day at age 50 and decide to have at it.
Like I’ve been trying to say, let all the facts come out before shooting everyone you see just because some media person says they “did” something.
TechMan
November 9th, 2011
3:12 pm
I think 7576 nailed it re: the press conference. It wouldn’t surprise me that if PSU forces Paterno to resign prior to the end of the season, I think he’ll hold his own press conference, unless he listens to his attorneys. Paterno doesn’t owe the media, no matter how much the public thinks he does. He needs to do what’s best for him and his family at this point.
North ave. faithful
November 9th, 2011
3:13 pm
A smart enough person apparently to sound like phil. Both idiots!
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
3:14 pm
I love the headlines on ESPN Sports online. “Paterno To Walk Away” If only it read: “No one knows what happend to Joe because he slipped out in the middle of the night like a thief”
personsmart?
November 9th, 2011
3:14 pm
You are insane. I personally think Leeburn is a slime bag. However there is no comparison between consensual sex between adults, even in an adulterous setting, and child rape. If you think the two are equal do everyone a favor and drop dead.
Billy
November 9th, 2011
3:14 pm
right on..top dawg
phil
November 9th, 2011
3:15 pm
You, reckingball, only repeat soundbites you hear in the media – moral compass – because you lack the intelligence to think for yourself.
You don’t see the difference with this and the stupid Braves?
Good. Please don’t comment to me anymore. I asked you to stop months ago because I couldn’t take the rock-like skull of yours through which no rational observation can pass.
Buffalo Bill
November 9th, 2011
3:15 pm
You people bagging on Phil are doing so w/o reason or logic. If you are unable to check your emotions when entering a discussion you are wasting your time and breath, bc you are not participating in the discussion. Being a parent does not make one’s argument more or less legitimate, in fact the reason the justice system and the Supreme Court in particular were created, is to protect the minority from the logic-free emotional impulses of the majority. There is a reason that a case does not end with an indictment and grand jury. That reason is, bc the accusations are untested, just as they are in this instance. The fact that you have made up your mind about what happened based on an indictment shows that you lack the ability to keep an open-mind and are swayed not by logic, but by emotion.
Kramer
November 9th, 2011
3:15 pm
My question is this to those who want to protect Paterno. If you had a neighbor who was molesting young boys and you knew about it, would you report him to your neighborhood association and feel you did all you needed to? Then continue to let him come on your property with your kids around? No, you would report it to the police. Paterno did not do enough and has said so today. They guy and the university screwed up and will pay the price for a long time to come.
7576DAWG
November 9th, 2011
3:16 pm
This is so major Paterno does not deserve to go out with dignity because there is nothing dignified about it. His entire career just went to hell , exactly where it belongs.
The younger crowd or older adults that are defending Paterno need to write down all the thing’s they are saying in support of Paterno and store it away. After you are married and have 2 or 3 kid’s and let’s say when the youngest is 10 years old , I want you to get the things you said today back out and read them . 99% would wonder what they were defending back in 2011 and then they will understand how major looking the other way is and that Paterno didn’t deserve to go out with any dignity.
personsmart?
November 9th, 2011
3:18 pm
This guy was Paterno’s friend, his heir apparent and worked with him for 30+ years. The real problem is when he heard the comments he didn’t do everything he could to get to the truth of the matter. He simply did the least amount of effort required by law and then sat on this for the last 9 years. It doesn’t make him a criminal but it sure as hell destroys his image as Mr. Morality. He needs to go, NOW.
phil
November 9th, 2011
3:18 pm
Buffalo Bill
November 9th, 2011
3:09 pm
Daniel, are you serious? You think the indictment, drafted by the state, and rubber stamped by a grand jury w/o being tested by defense counsel could possibly one-sided?
*******************
You won’t get anywhere trying to reason with this tar em and feather em, know it all bunch…..
Just give up. Only if it’s ever them in the crosshairs will they understand.
Joe
November 9th, 2011
3:19 pm
@Top Dawg, Ask yourself this. Are you saying the GA showed more concern than Joe? He waited until the next day to tell Joe, who DID pass the information up the chain of command. An INVESTIGATION was then conducted (you know, one of those things where they TRY TO DETERMINE FACTS). He told the AD that the GA had seen Sandusky doing something of a sexual nature with the child, so its not as if he didn’t accurately relay the info either.
Ask yourself another question, did you form your own opinion or did the title of the article form it for you?
TechMan
November 9th, 2011
3:20 pm
For all of you who keep posing hypotheticals – in everyone of your situations, I would wait until facts and full stories were made known. I don’t think anyone here is “defending” Joe Paterno. What we would like to see is the full story be presented.
What I will store, 7576Dawg, is the content on these message boards so I can show my children case after case of what hyperbole, illogical responses, lack of reading comprehension and lack of deductive reasoning look like.
phil
November 9th, 2011
3:20 pm
A person SMART enough to know……
November 9th, 2011
3:10 pm
PHIL………….that is not libel………..I posted an article. I didn’t write it. The FACT is Everybody knows about Leebern and has for a long time.
Adams the Church of Christ Moral man and Richt the good Christian Moral man have no problem accepting all Leebern’s money. I am pretty sure a good chunk of Richt’s salary comes from Leeburn’s Devil Water Profits.
*********************
If it’s college football, it will involve corruption. No kidding, nothing new, ok.
I’m simply suggesting that messing with a powerful person like this guy with incendiary stuff like you’re saying probably isn’t a good idea.