Sandusky scandal is the sports story that really matters
The Jerry Sandusky case is one that no sports fan can afford to ignore. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
It’s not a typical sports story. It’s uncomfortable. It’s ugly.
Some of the testimony was so repulsive, so evil, that it was difficult for the brain to even process it. This partly explains why the masses often lean toward the candy of the sports world. A college football playoff debate. Cheering or mocking of LeBron James. A baseball pennant race. It’s simple. It’s easy to digest. Real-life drama such as the Jerry Sandusky child-molestation case gets pushed aside, even if it’s potentially one of the more impactful sports stories of our generation.
“I really wish ESPN and other national sports outlets would start covering this more,” Tammy Lerner, co-founder of the Foundation to Abolish Child Sex Abuse (FACSA) said Thursday. “So many stories like Sandusky are coming out. Pedophiles are drawn to places with access to kids, like sports. We’re seeing stories about abuse involving Olympic coaches, football players, hockey players, basketball players. But people don’t want to believe the worst. If you believe it, you have to do something about it. It’s easier not to.”
The Sandusky case was given to a jury Thursday. The evidence seemed overwhelming. The defense seemed flailing. Sandusky himself declined to take the stand and speak to 12 jurors directly, even after effectively taking the stand and speaking to them indirectly in a disastrous national TV interview with NBC’s Bob Costas last November. But if you’re wondering what happens next, here’s your simplistic sports analogy: Round 12 just ended and we await the judges’ decision. Feel comfortable?
Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coordinator, faces 48 counts of child sex abuse. The prosecution called 22 witnesses, including eight males who alleged abuses ranging from kissing and fondling to forced oral and anal sex. They wept on the stand. They gave testimony in agonizing and horrific detail.
In his closing argument, deputy attorney general Joe McGettigan stood near Sandusky and alluded to the alleged victims, saying Sandusky “took pieces of their souls. … Give him the justice he deserves.”
The defense tried to cast Sandusky as a caring man who was just trying to help disadvantaged kids through his “Second Mile” charity. Defense attorney Joe Amendola played the conspiracy-theory card. He fell just short of suggesting there was a second pedophile on the Grassy Knoll. He suggested every witness was wrong in their interpretation of what they saw or heard. He claimed victims were coerced or coached by police or are being guided by financial motives.
Before the defense rested, Amendola even presented something called, “Histrionic Personality Disorder” to explain some of his client’s strange behavior. The paralegal in his office who dug that one up should get a nice bonus.
If a scandal like this can happen at a university and football program such as Penn State, it can happen anywhere. There have been allegations of a years-long coverup. Joe Paterno, the late coach, was forced out. President Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley were fired. Curley and the recently retired vice president, Gary Schultz, face charges of perjury and failing to report suspected child abuse.
And yet, we obsess over LeBron James.
Lerner is a victim of a child molestation. She and at least six others in her family were molested by an uncle. She grew up in central Pennsylvania, has a son at Penn State and her husband is an alum. The family even once had a dog named “JoePa.”
She said she has no doubt of Sandusky’s guilt. But she is concerned that jurors may be swayed by defense arguments.
“They had one [former Penn State] assistant coach [Dick Anderson] who said it wasn’t unusual for coaches to shower with boys,” she said. “But pedophiles groom their victims and manipulate their victims.”
We’ve seen too many strange things happen when a jury goes into deliberations, particularly when a celebrity is the defendant. It’s also troublesome that eight of the 12 jury members have direct or indirect ties to Penn State. One alternate juror who replaced an ill juror Wednesday is an alum and Sandusky spoke at her graduation.
Many in the Penn State community are understandably upset by suggestions that they would protect “one of their own.” But if we believe even a fraction of the allegations against Sandusky are true, it also seems clear he was protected and enabled. It takes only one sympathetic protector to hang a jury.
“I would hope the jurors can put their personal feelings about Penn State aside and just look at the evidence,” Lerner said.
It shouldn’t be too much to ask. Look at the evidence. Don’t look away. These are the stories that really matter.
By Jeff Schultz
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106 comments Add your comment
J-Man
June 21st, 2012
10:07 pm
IMO this is the worst sports scandal of all time
emmysmom
June 21st, 2012
10:28 pm
Amen, Howard.
Old Dawg
June 21st, 2012
10:30 pm
And now this sordid tale has a new chapter: one of Sandusky’s adopted sons has stated that he too was molested.
How sick can one person be?
Sad to say, whatever punishment he receives won’t fit his crimes!
Sam
June 21st, 2012
11:00 pm
Come on, Jeff. You know darn well your readers don’t care that much about this case. It’s old news anyway, and the courts will take care of the matter. Your editor was looking for a volunteer, and you weren’t quick enough.
Mike da Tiger
June 21st, 2012
11:15 pm
this exposes the hypocricy of the NCAA, and the myth that is and was Penn State football. There are a ton of Nittany Lion grads in the right places within the media and judicial system to keep this under wraps. Shame on them all.
Mel from SW Atlanta
June 22nd, 2012
12:41 am
Man, Penn State’s program is almost as pathetic as Georgia’s! BUNCH OF LOSERS, MAN!
fan
June 22nd, 2012
1:16 am
With the people that’s on that jury don’t be suprised if that bastard doesn’t walk.
Dan
June 22nd, 2012
6:55 am
I have always held you in high esteem as a writer, Jeff. To the point, humorous and a little off-beat…really makes for great sports journalism
Highlightling this issue and speaking out about the frequent obsession of sports and its particpants is exemplary. i realize that during tough times pro sports provides a healthy outlet, but discernment is needed in cases like this when so much is at stake for our children’s lives, their future and that of our country. Thanks for speaking out for the victims, Jeff!
Thanks a mil, Jeff, for all your A+ writing and for you.
Darth Obama
June 22nd, 2012
8:50 am
This isn’t a sports story. It’s a sexual predator story. The predator that did it just happens to be a coach, but there are people who prey on children from all walks of life.
If this is a sports story then what’s the score? Are they going to make the playoffs? Those are sports questions, not this.
This just gives sports media something to talk about when there isn’t anything else.
Hang him high, Hang him quick
June 22nd, 2012
9:12 am
I have participated in sports from pee wee to 18 years old, have taken many showers but have never showered with a coach.
jeffrey d
June 22nd, 2012
9:36 am
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Bud:_Seventh_Inning_Fetch
Looks like there’s a racoon in this one too
Stank Wren
June 22nd, 2012
9:50 am
I wish Sandusky would run into that guy from Texas who caught a guy with his 4 year old daughter and beat him to death with his fists. That would be a fitting ending to this story
kimmer
June 22nd, 2012
10:21 am
This is no more a sports story than it is a medical story if he happened to be a physician or an arts story if he happened to be a musician. There is thing called NEWS to cover this kind of stuff.
What this man has purported to have done and is being tried for has nothing to do with the sporting world and I for one would hope that while the story is not ignored by ESPN that they would keep their main focus on things directly relevant to the actual competition of sports.
Carl Lee Hailey
June 22nd, 2012
10:22 am
“Yes he deserves to die, and i hope he burns in HELL!
RD
June 22nd, 2012
11:08 am
jeff -Why if it’s so important have you not covered it more ?
HighTech
June 22nd, 2012
11:52 am
I agree with Kam Fong. This is not a sports story. It is depraved.
adam
June 22nd, 2012
12:25 pm
please jury,convict him and let him spend the rest
of his life in jail.
The Truth
June 22nd, 2012
12:27 pm
I don’t deny that the Penn St story is sensational, disgusting, inexcusable, and all those things. HOWEVER, the real story in college sports is the University of North Carolina “academic” story. Why you Journalists and Sports Opinion writers are avoiding it is beyond puzzline.
Why is UNC being given a pass on the academic fraud which was supported by and condoned by the Admin at UNC? Is it because you are afraid of the “political correctness” you would face, or is it because the fraud benefitted minority student athletes? UNC had a bogus major created to keep athletes in school and eligible, they were handing out grades even though there were no instructors for classes, nor did classes meet.
Were this Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee or Clemson the national media would be all over this. Since it is UNC, they get a pass.
G-man
June 22nd, 2012
1:11 pm
PMC- Cereal pedophile? You mean he molested breakfast foods?
To everyone who says this does not belong in Sports- maybe if you had young children under the authority of coachs you might feel differently.
iopbrave
June 22nd, 2012
1:12 pm
Penn State sat on the story – JoePa did not want to tarnish their reputation or hurt recruiting – Sandusky should be caged in solitary and given quadruple doses of saltpeter three times a day- sick freak
Rodster
June 22nd, 2012
1:26 pm
Agree with Bill Payer. This is a front page crime story not a sports story. I’m tired of hearing about it. Sorry for all the innocent people, the victims probably also include Sandusky’s family.
mehlman rings twice
June 22nd, 2012
1:34 pm
Let him go! At least he wasn’t fighting any dogs (sarcasm).
Misty From Macon
June 22nd, 2012
1:54 pm
Two things — First I don’t know if Schultz, a rabid LeBron hater who suffers from LDS (LeBron James Derangement Syndrome), is making this point now because he just doesn’t want to congratulate Miami/LeBron and admit his inferiority complex concerning LeBron and Miami OR he really IS concerned about the rampant child exploitation that goes on in sports.
Secondly — IF he is concerned, what is he doing about it? Is he an advocate to clean up / out pedophiles within youth sports? Or is this just a “don’t look at the man behind the curtain” moment so that he won’t have to blog about LeBron / Miami?
Only time will tell………………..
Glenn
June 22nd, 2012
2:23 pm
Enter your comments here
catlady
June 22nd, 2012
2:28 pm
Not cherios–froot loops.
Glenn
June 22nd, 2012
2:29 pm
I’m going to disagree with you Jeff . This story so far above sports . Its been on the front story on CNN’s website for days & ABC news is now running this story at the opening . Roger Clemens being acquitted for using growth hormone after a dishonest congressional testimony maybe but something with this kind of impact is WAY above a sports section story .
Lets not forget the agent working on this story at the start floated up on the New Jersey shore . Have a good weekend .
Walter
June 22nd, 2012
3:05 pm
I think the reason people are more interested in pennant races and the finals has to do the with the fact that those are, um, sports. Child molestation is not a sport…so it seems fairly reasonable that a sports fan would be more interested in the actual sports.
shivas
June 22nd, 2012
3:28 pm
He’ll fry. Alarming that a coach refuted McCreary’s testimony about seeing him in the shower with one of the kids, though.
Don’t know if you or the head of the agency (Lerner) were in a coma a while back. ESPN covered this ad nauseum for the months leading to Joe Pa’s death……
Vinny
June 22nd, 2012
3:28 pm
Awaiting Moderation?! I’ve been on these blogs since before you were Shultz, I should be moderating YOU!
ticklemonster
June 22nd, 2012
3:49 pm
any body wanna get tickled afterwork by the ticklemonster?
Jerry you s.o.b. wait till bubba starts tickling you, then you will really know who the real ticklemonster is.
old dirty bastard.
Pitbull
June 22nd, 2012
3:54 pm
Now Sandusky’s adopted son has come out and stated that Sandusky molested him too.
I’m not privy to all of the testamony, but if he did it I hope the jury gets it right.
Fats
June 22nd, 2012
8:17 pm
Glad Jeff wrote this story…………………Sick of guys like ESPN’s Skip Baylee and his non stop garbage about useless sports facts,etc. This Penn State cess pool tells alot about big time college sports and how they tried to cover it up. Shame on em
Dawg Tired
June 22nd, 2012
10:19 pm
Jeff – Are you still concerned about the jury? Just announced: Guilty on 45 counts (as I predicted when you first wrote the nonsense about the jury). No way those folks were going to find him not guilty.
Train Wreck Bystander
June 23rd, 2012
12:52 am
FWIW, “Sandusky Guilty” has been the lead on ESPN.com every time I’ve checked this evening.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8087028/penn-state-nittany-lions-jerry-sandusky-convicted-45-counts-sex-abuse-trial
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June 23rd, 2012
2:05 am
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I said if for years....
June 23rd, 2012
4:36 am
Paterno was insignificant after 94 and just like Green Bay got a Super Bowl right after Farve left, PSU will get a NC within 7 years, prob 5. Penn State will for decades to come regret holding on the has been known as Joe Pa. And ultimately, he is to blame for not doing anything. He has more power than anyone above him there and would have been hero. But as it is, he is just as guilty as Sandusky.
Now Trade the CRY BABY
June 23rd, 2012
8:19 am
Now TRADE the CRY BABY JURRJENS quick before he FLOPS again – absolutely worthless Kawasucki Clone.
Nativebird
June 23rd, 2012
8:27 am
What a monster. Sad, pathetic…..a tragedy. Penn State needs to pay for the institutional protection afforded this monster while committing these crimes. And pay big. Not a program death penalty….but a steep steep price for this anject crime. Head coach got off easy, the former AD needs to be brought up on charges. The program: many Scholarships,Big time probation, no bowls, no tv, no anything for at least 5 years.
bo
June 23rd, 2012
8:37 am
I don’t think this awful story is being ignored by sports fans or others.
But speaking of being overlooked, why didn’t sports media ask more questions when Sandusky “retired” a dozen years ago or so? I recall a story on ESPN about his last game (or some similar hallmark) and highlighting his accomplishments. In retrospect it shows how stupid society is to fawn over someone who is good at training linebackers. But, more importantly, why didn’t sports writers look into why the coach next in line to Paterno was retiring in his 50s? No one thought there was funny business there?
DONE
June 23rd, 2012
10:33 am
It was obvious in the statements he made before the trial that he has a problem and from what I know about histrionic it could be the case for him. However, abuse is abuse not matter the why or what type of abuse. It should be confronted no matter where it happens and the sooner the better so that others can be saved from experiencing the abuse. People should also be aware that men are not the only abusers.
What I get from your article is that we should be aware and report it quickly. This situation was horribly mishandled and resulted in more victims. Abusers have issues and their rights end where someone elses rights begin. Especially when it is children.
Instead, good people working with children take classes on how to not be false accused. What does that tell us?
Observer
June 23rd, 2012
10:39 am
Schultz,
THIS IS YOUR BEST COLUMN, EVER.
KUDOS TO YOU FOR CALLING A SPADE A SPADE.
steak and eggs
June 23rd, 2012
11:05 am
Its like this espn did have a story of guilty plea on there sportscenter show when breakin news..However they are into sports that really up to ABC NBC CBS CNN MSNBC FOX NEWS…..as for coachin and won both Natl championships then Penn state should be remove as champs////Ncaa is goin have to do somethin if he did all that bad stuff for years n AD and President of Penn state cover up for years they should be fired n on trial too
What about this....
June 23rd, 2012
11:41 am
PATERNO interviewed with the grand jury in Jan, but this did not come to light to 1 week after he set the all time record. Tell me the top brass was not complicit.
What about this....
June 23rd, 2012
12:54 pm
He’ll have to be separated from the main prison pop otherwise, he is as good as dead.
nobody
June 24th, 2012
12:34 am
there are two kinds of mistakes, dumb, and stupid….everyone makes the first kind, the kind you make just doing your best…the mistake you make because you don’t know any better…you learn from those mistakes…they aren’t the killer mistakes…they make you better…it’s the second kind of mistake thats a killer i.e., the stupid mistakes, the ones you make when you knew better but did it anyway….Sandusky made the second kind… he violated the only rule that every coach who ever coached in youth programs knows better than to violate …. he voluntarily left him alone with the child of somebody else….
DawgNole
June 24th, 2012
12:06 pm
TAB
June 21st, 2012
3:45 pm
if you’re not guilty, get on the stand and do so! Since you didnt, you sealed your own grave. i hope once he goes to jail, he get the jeffrey Dahlmer treatment and ends up with a broom stick up where the sun dont shine!
He is a sick sick man that preyed on young boys that needed help, instead he took advantage of them. and to set up the foundation, was that his personal picking fields?!? I hope he lives a long miserable life in jail!
_____________________
You hope he gets “the Dahmer treatment”–AND” lives a long miserable life in jail”? Unfortunately, you can’t have both. If he gets the Dahmer treatment, he won’t have a long life at all.
DawgNole
June 24th, 2012
12:16 pm
DJ Sniper
June 21st, 2012
4:28 pm
FYI: Sandusky actually did offer to take the stand, but he was overruled by his attorneys.
_____________________
BS. He wanted no part of the cross examination he would’ve had to endure.
DawgNole
June 24th, 2012
12:23 pm
richard whiskey
June 21st, 2012
5:31 pm
can’t believe this old fart had’nt done us all a favor and went off somewhere and shot himself
_______________________
He’ll never get that opportunity now, regrettably.
DawgNole
June 24th, 2012
12:27 pm
Sonny Clusters
June 21st, 2012
6:28 pm
. . . we think we’d rather give our attention to the front page for Sandusky news and we’ll save the sports pages for tweaks and strains and obliques, and thumbs, and quads, and groins, and bruised legs, and bad ankles, and bad toes, and headaches, and flu-like symptoms, and errors at third base.
_________________
Not groins, OK. That would be right up Jerry’s alley.
DawgNole
June 24th, 2012
12:35 pm
dawg4u
June 21st, 2012
8:05 pm
He is a scumbag and the fact that his stupid lawyer agreed to an interview with Bob Costas in November is mind boggling. When asked by Costas if he was attracted to young boys and then having to think and repeat the question was definitely not good for him.
____________________
He was actually asked by Costas if he was SEXUALLY attracted to young boys–which makes it all the more mind boggling that he had to grope (pardon pun) for words in his response.