Why Joe Paterno can’t be allowed to coach another game
Here's Penn State president Graham Spanier, shown with his boss Joe Paterno. (AP photo)
Penn State felt the need to cancel Joe Paterno’s news conference Tuesday, but allowed him to conduct practice later that afternoon. On Saturday the Nittany Lions will play host to Nebraska. Paterno cannot be allowed to lead Penn State onto the field.
In all likelihood, the Nebraska game would have been the 84-year-old’s last home date as coach if Jerry Sandusky had remained a footnote in Penn State’s athletic annals, but whatever Paterno wanted is immaterial now. At issue is if a proud university wants to be remembered as a school that was handed a last chance to do something and finally did it, or as an institution that again chose to do next to nothing.
The New York Times reports that, in May 1999, Paterno told Sandusky he wouldn’t become Penn State’s head coach when the incumbent, meaning Paterno, retired. Could it have been mere coincidence that, in 1998, Penn State had investigated Sandusky for showering with an underage male? No charges were filed, but Sandusky announced in the summer of 1999 that he would retire as defensive coordinator — at the not-exactly-advanced age of 55.
Did Penn State know back then that such a man couldn’t continue to represent it and nudge him aside? If so, why didn’t it inform the proper authorities? If so, why did it continue to allow Sandusky to hold emeritus privileges on campus and to use team facilities? This is no trifling issue: It was, according to the grand jury’s presentment, in a Penn State locker room that Sandusky was allegedly seen having sex with a 10-year-old — in 2002.
This was the act allegedly witnessed by Mike McQueary, then a grad assistant and now Penn State’s recruiting coordinator. McQueary told Paterno what he’d seen, and Paterno told his superiors, and then nothing much happened for a very long time. He was barred from bringing children on campus, but he maintained an office and reports indicate he was in the team’s weight room as late as last week. According to his lawyer, Sandusky has known he was being investigated for three years before the indictment was handed down.
Think about that. Penn State has sought to act as if this all has been a bolt from the blue, but in 1998 the school should have had cause, if not exactly to know, then surely to wonder. And here we must also wonder if Paterno, faced with a choice between what was right and what was best for his legacy, didn’t take the path of least resistance.
For all the lack of ostentation in Paterno’s image — the ugly glasses and the khaki pants and the football cleats — this is a man who cares very much about how he’ll be remembered. He once famously said he planned to keep coaching because he didn’t want to leave the sport to the likes of rogue operators Jackie Sherrill and Barry Switzer, but the Penn State Story is infinitely more distressing than any $100 handshakes with recruits. Lots of schools cheat in the attempt to get players. The program that has portrayed itself as above it all might well have concealed a predator.
When first the charges against Sandusky surfaced — and here we stipulate that he’s innocent until proved guilty — the reaction was, “How could he have kept such a life hidden?” After further review, it defies credulity that he could have. Someone had to know something. Someone had to wonder why a grown man was showering with boys and traveling to bowl games with adolescents who weren’t his sons.
In 1977 Sandusky founded a charity called The Second Mile, named after a verse from the Gospel according to Mathew, to provide aid and comfort to troubled boys. In the second paragraph of the grand-jury presentment is this chilling sentence: “It was within The Second Mile program that Sandusky found his victims.”
As a player and a coach, Jerry Sandusky had been part of Penn State from 1963 through 1999. Someone had to know something, and surely the 1998 shower incident was enough to generate suspicion even among those who didn’t want to know. Joe Paterno has been at Penn State since 1950. If he knew nothing, it was only because he wanted to know nothing.
But that’s the thing about being a head coach: You’re paid to know everything. Joe Paterno had come to be a case study in ethics in modern athletics, and he’ll retire with the most victories of any FBS (formerly Division I-A) coach ever. But Paterno also emphasized that there’s more to his job than winning, and that’s why he needs to coach no more. If he knew, he needs to go. If he didn’t know, he should have.
By Mark Bradley
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404 comments Add your comment
Yeah Right
November 9th, 2011
8:32 am
Joe Paterno didn’t do anything wrong, he did what he was supposed to. The article really should be why is this hack still allowed to write articles.
doc
November 9th, 2011
8:47 am
matt milleb bring quoted here as an expert after showing how little he knew as a repeated failure as the leader of a pro sports franchise is a joke. he should stay under a rock as he has no crd to say anything. asstouded how many without facts or misrepresentaions of facts continue to have their hanging ropes ready.
sad that you mark are doing little to set facts straight like yhe ome that says sandusky stayed for ten years after some facts became known. the first invedtigatiom which came up negative wws 98 and sandusky was gone in 99 without conviction.
where were the people that stood behind his foundation and their culpability? they continued to support him? how could a publishing company print up a book written by him after 98 andwhy didnt they see it? how would these things happen lke the catholic church, madden and sandusky? it is ultimately because of greed and this is not all paterno’s fault to make you feel safer these things wont happen again. this is the madness that drives sick crowd mentality. again i am sad to see mark not put more facts straight along with thus far paterno being the only one of the higher ups including the pres to not be under investigation by legal authorities acvording to lead prosecution council.
mark you obviously have an opinion but you also know the facts here. if you can claim to know what the grad assistant has no power to leave in a very corrupt situation he witnesses first hand and not seek employment elsewhere? one has to question his stature as much as joe pa. that should have bern enough trauma to go elsewherein my opinion not to talk about power. everyone has the power to leave a bad situation.
Keith Y
November 9th, 2011
8:47 am
This is what happens when coaches become more important and powerful than college presidents. Sad day for the young men that were abused. Football is a game, not real life. All of the PSU leaders should be fired at least. The lawsuits and huge settlements that will follow, will be well earned and I have no respect for Joe Pa regardless of his record wins. He is just an old man who did not understand when it was time to step aside and I say that as a 68 year old.
FLA DAWG
November 9th, 2011
8:48 am
Mark,
How about commenting on those on your blog site here that are turning this into a religious issue?
Don’t you have a responsibility to monitor the comments of others when trash like this is spewed forth?
No one in their right mind condons this kind of thing and those who commit such crimes should be put in jail. But to allow comments on your site linking this action with ANY religion requires a response on your part in my opinion.
Respectfully,
FLA DAWG,
Class of ‘79
JROLL1
November 9th, 2011
8:51 am
This was the act allegedly witnessed by Mike McQueary, then a grad assistant and now Penn State’s recruiting coordinator. GOOD LUCK GOIN INTO THE HOMES OF YOUNG MEN NOW MCQUEARY!!!!!
RxDawg
November 9th, 2011
8:52 am
This is a terrible story. But I think Joe Paterno is becoming the public scapegoat for it. I’m still waiting to hear from Joe.
Barticus Maximus
November 9th, 2011
8:54 am
All of a sudden, illegal drug usage at UGA is not so bad
spider
November 9th, 2011
8:57 am
terrible story but as far as the sport part of it at least joe and pa state did not cheat on the field of play changing the outcome of a game at the end and put pa state in a bowl game like BYU did last year. hard to believe the stinkin NCAA did nothing to BYU for that hyenis crime they committed.
Kyle
November 9th, 2011
8:57 am
Well stated and I agree. Hard to defend Joe Pa.
Michael G.
November 9th, 2011
9:02 am
Sandusky was investigated for misconduct in ‘98, and committed this horrible crime in 2002. Yet Joe Paterno allows someone he has reason to suspect is a pedophile to hang around the university and the football program for another 9 YEARS??!!?? Are you kidding me? Stop trying to defend any of these individuals that allowed further rapes to occur. You just make yourself look stupid.
St Simons - we're on Island time
November 9th, 2011
9:02 am
Hard to believe, but yes Auburn, it does get worse than you
Big Dawg
November 9th, 2011
9:05 am
I agree Mark with what you say, Coach Paterno can not be allowed to Coach another game. But more than that he should be brought up on charges, just like Mike McQueary and the AD Graham Spanier. This whole mess was handled improperly and yes I agree with the poster who stated you don’t know how you would have reacted in a similar circumstance unless you have been through it yourself. They all should be brought up on charges simply to set an example that this can not and WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
By doing nothing these men allowed/empowered this depraved man to possibly continue to prey on innocent children. If McQueary had done the right and manly thing he would have first gone into that shower and stopped Sandusky from raping that young boy. Next he would have called the police and took out a formal complaint and then notified Coach Paterno and Spanier. Next when JoePa was notified by McQueary he also should have immediately called the police that way a proper investigation of Sandusky would have begun and notified Spanier.
And before any of you ask, yes when I was in the Air Force I had this young lady who worked for me, when she first started she was very pleasant with a sunny disposition but after a few months she seemed to change as she wasn’t smiling anymore, she didn’t want to be left alone with the 2 other male airmen in our office. So I asked her what was wrong that I had noticed a big change in her demeanor, she then broke down and told me that one of the other Sargents had been sexually harassing her, he would make some of the most vile and vulgar comments to her, he was always trying to put his hands on her. I was shocked as this other individual was one of the nicest and most dependable people I had. Also complicating this and making it worse was the other airman had witnessed some of these things and never said a word to me or put a stop to the behavior himself. I can tell you I did confront this individual and I did have him removed immediately and he was kicked out of the service with less than an honorable discharge after spending time in correctional custody (jail)and counseling. The other airman received a formal reprimand, loss of a stripe and counseling as well.
These kinds of things just show how depraved and evil people can be when they don’t fear YAHWEH and have JESUS as the LORD of their LIVES with the HOLY SPIRIT in their hearts. May Mr. Sandusky and all involved have a change of heart and realize what they have done.
Another Dawg
November 9th, 2011
9:05 am
Penn State and Joe Pa lost their legacy as the upstanding pillar of college football when they sold out to Nike and put the swoosh on their uniforms. To hell with both of them and this hypocritical BS.
Calhoundawg
November 9th, 2011
9:07 am
Count your blessings, Dawg Nation;
“There is no pressure on Coach Richt,” [A.J] Green said. “There’s a bunch of rumors out there, like I said. Coach Richt is a great guy. I believe there is no better coach in the country that has the character and the leadership that can really push a program like he has. He’s a great guy. He just preaches how to be a better person, how to be a better husband, better father and to be a better person to society. That’s really why I went to Georgia. He’s a high character man. You can’t really find another coach like that in the nation.”
Joey
November 9th, 2011
9:11 am
I bet Jackie Sherrill and Barry Switzer never aided and abetted a pediphile, huh?
I hope his butt goes to the pokey . . .
bigdon
November 9th, 2011
9:13 am
Gotta go, Joe. You knew, you know you knew and we know you knew. You are without doubt an evil coward and your legacy will be remembered as an evil coward. Leave now, you coward. The damage you have caused is immeasurable and uncalculable (if that’s a word) with regard to these children’s lifes. As someone who knows what that stuff feells like and has a first-hand knowledge of those damages you deserve prison time for failure to report child abuse and eternity in hell where you and Sandusky can get reacquainted. You BASTARD!
doc
November 9th, 2011
9:15 am
most coaches i ser or have played for arr narcisditic godlike creatures that have a sadistic bent in them. why should they be expected to be above the criwd when you realky look at what they do each day? they are expected to win at any cost and that is how they compartmentalize what they do. how cpuld anyone of sane mind continue to be a part of a sporr that puts all of its participantsin risk of serious head injury that is now known to be true starting at the youngest age and the total effects not seen for years. why do we even encourage people and youth to use their heads as bludgeons? so we can feel better at work on monday and go n with our lives. folks you are the problem that go and support violent sports not joe pa.he is an accesory to your own crime you now project on him. that is something to really look deep unto.
Gerhart76
November 9th, 2011
9:15 am
Just some more from the Grand Jury Indictment:
“The Grand Jury finds that portions of testimony of Tim Curley and Gary Shultz are not credible.”
Curley and Shultz are the PSU AD and Sr VP of Finance and Business who the Grad assistant informed of the shower incident.
Another incident was reported to the PSU police in 1998, investigated, but no indictments or charges made.
TOO many people have turned their back on this one.
figures
November 9th, 2011
9:18 am
@ FL Dawg
If it wasn’t part of the story and so hypocritical it wouldn’t be mentioned. Did you read about the faith based charity he started to lure the young boys? Its as germane as JOPA’s culpability.
Wake up
November 9th, 2011
9:20 am
How can they say that JoePa didn’t lie when he CLEARLY changed the story when reporting it to the AD. The details were provided to him by the graduate assistant and he changed it completely when he relayed it to the AD. Not going to get into the nasty details, but read the report. Joe Pa needs to be run out of town ASAP.
PSU2003
November 9th, 2011
9:21 am
Mark, your damnation is somewhat overwhelming for someone who is not close to Penn State. We can all read the grand jury report and be sickened by the allegations and the way it was handled. The board of trustees is hard at work to implement a fire sale with the entire administration and athletic department. Allow, them time to do their job before you start calling for the head of coach Joe Paterno. For a man that has been the head coach 46 years with ZERO NCAA investigations and has raised not only his own kids but his players and his players kids, he deserves the benefit of the doubt to explain himself. As a 2003 alum and letterwinner, I assure you JoePa did the right thing! At this point the details are vague and he is not being allowed to speak on the matter. If and when we here his side of the story and what exactly happened then press judgement, but you cannot prosecute Paterno at this point by calling an end to his time as head coach based of a one-sided report. Dont get my wrong, calling for the punishment of Sandusky, Spanier, Scultz and Curley are warranted, especially in Sandusky’s case seen there are numerous witness reports.
Remember Joe never saw these accusations in person. It would have been up to Mike McQueary to report it directly to police as he was the one that witnessed the event. Joe could do no more than instruct Mike to call the police based on what he saw. Joe could have only then spoken with Sandusky on these allegations, which may have alluded to forcing him out in 1999.
I am shocked by the entire scandal and it really stinks, especially due to the innocent children involved. As a father, grandfather and coach to many, I assure you Joe did not turn a blind eye to such a crime. I ask that you not let your emotions convict a man who has stood his entire life for good based on information that has yet to be presented!!
South Carolina DAWGS
November 9th, 2011
9:22 am
You HIT the nail on the HEAD – HE (Paterno) goes BEFORE GAME on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!
FLA DAWG
November 9th, 2011
9:25 am
figures,
Show me the evidence where any priest had anything to do with this or even knowledge of this.
Anyone can start a faith-based charity. Where is your evidence? You’d better have some before implying something like this.
Wake up
November 9th, 2011
9:25 am
PSU2003, pull your head out of your a$% man! Look at the timelines and let me know again how JoePa or anyone else for that matter should be given the “benefit of the doubt.” Good luck with recruiting for the next decade.
Joey
November 9th, 2011
9:25 am
Count our blessings? So, the other 118 football programs (excluding PSU) have pediphiles on their staffs too? Only Coach Richt’s staff doesn’t?
That’s a ridiculous take on this discusting story.
I just wonder why the 28 yr old student-assistant and the janitor didn’t literally jump on Sandusky’s ass when witnessing up close him having sex with 10 yr old boys. I would have picked up something heavy and beat him in the head until he quit moving.
Unbelievable.
FLA DAWG
November 9th, 2011
9:26 am
figures,
If I misunderstood you I apologize.
FloridaDawg
November 9th, 2011
9:27 am
Good article Mark………..I agree, Joe Paterno should not coach again at Penn State. He should have been out years ago based on the news that is coming out.
And Penn State has a “statue” of him erected? What are they going to do with that?
PSU2003
November 9th, 2011
9:28 am
You cant make a report based on hearsay. The individual witness to the crime has to file the claim with law enforcement.
Why would JoePa turn a blind eye to such a crime when, he wont even let you be late to a practice? There is more to this story than the grand jury report and more will continue to come out in the coming days.
If it were that easy to have found Sandusky, they would have done so when they started their investigation years ago, but obviously it was hard to pinpoint the allegations.
figures
November 9th, 2011
9:28 am
@ FL
Read the article or the transcript. Here it is since you missed it.
In 1977 Sandusky founded a charity called The Second Mile, named after a verse from the Gospel according to Mathew, to provide aid and comfort to troubled boys. In the second paragraph of the grand-jury presentment is this chilling sentence: “It was within The Second Mile program that Sandusky found his victims.”
figures
November 9th, 2011
9:30 am
@ FL Dawg
This is also not an indictment of religion, rather outrage of those that pervert the message for shameful outcomes.
Joey
November 9th, 2011
9:30 am
If I had seen what that 28 year old student-assistant and janitor saw Sandusky doing, I would have taken anything I could find and beat him in the head until he quit moving.
What is it with Penn State employees? Do they all think a 50-something man having anal and oral sex with 10 year olds just an event to tell one’s boss about?
Unbelievable.
Ga Tech Old Timer
November 9th, 2011
9:30 am
Ga Tech Old Timer wrote @ 8:54 – Mark – I just have one question / comment concerning the focus on JP and his “Moral” responsibility to do something more than alert the officials on up the ladder of command – as in calling the cops himself and following up on the case. What part – if any does the alledged witness – Mike McQueary play in this sortid tale of what happened and what should have happened? Why isn’t his name being called out in this media frenzy to clean house at PS and right the ship? Didn’t he have the same moral obligation that JP had to report to higher-ups and then follow up? I’m not saying JP is OK in all of this – I’m just wondering about the other “player” in this “cover-up” and why all the focus is only on JP.
Mark wrote @8:56PM – “There’s a little difference between being the patriarch of a program and a graduate assistant. One has all the power; the other has none.”
Mark – another comment / question for you – Why are you enabling McQueary? Your lame response doesn’t answer the question I asked. So, let me see if I understand your logic – if someone is doing something dispicable to your wife, son, daughter, mother, father – you get the idea – and anyone witnesses the act but is not on the same “level” position wise as say your editor – then it’s OK that he / she doesn’t step in to help someone in trouble or even call the police – they have the right to wait to report the crime later because they lack the “position” in society and therefore have no responsibility to anyone except their superior? One last thing Mark – you may be a whiz-bang reporter but you lack the same traits / faults you are roasting JP about. I hope to God that if my family were in this type situation and someone saw it happen – that someone would not be you because instead of stoppijng it or calling the cops – you’d play the “I don’t have the power” card.
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
9:32 am
The first thing I would have done if I were coach Paterno would have asked Mike McQueary to take a polygraph test. Then I would have asked Sandusky to take one. This doesn’t make sense. If indeed the allegations are true, they need to find a jail cell next to Bernie where they can all spend their remaining years together. I’m talking about everyone from Joe on down. This makes me sick!
Kelvin
November 9th, 2011
9:32 am
I don’t know if this makes a difference in people’s minds regarding Mike McQueary, but I think it might give you some insight as to why he called his Father instead of taking other action. It turns out that McQueary, Sandusky’s kids, and Paterno kids all grew up together. They spent time at each other’s homes, probably had sleepovers and things like that. Mike McQueary has known Jerry Sandusky practically all his life. He was probably like a second Father to him. So for McQueary to walk in and see Sandusky (some one he and his parents have known for years) doing that to a child was probably shocking to him. All I’m saying is until we know all the details we should probably withhold judgment on McQueary and Paterno.
Joey
November 9th, 2011
9:32 am
PSU2003, okay you get the “Ogre of the Day” award. You probably think all those Catholic priests got a bad rap also, too.
You make me sick.
PSU2003
November 9th, 2011
9:33 am
Wakeup…..no really WAKE-UP! Go ahead and be taken in only by the facts you can read on the news. As an alum and letterman, I assure you, you dont know all the facts. As with anything human nature is to assume the worst and crucify based on raw judgement. Unfortunately, the law is based on factual evidence.
JoePa has never run a dirty program and definitely would not put an assitant above the university no matter what the issue was. Wait for the afternoon press conference today where more facts will be layed out before you snap judgement on Paterno
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
9:35 am
McQueary take the poly and it can all be resolved quickly!!!!
PSU2003
November 9th, 2011
9:38 am
Joey, where did the analogy of football and religion come into play? Paterno is not accused of committing these crimes is he? Ok then next…
It is public opinion that Paterno could have and should have done more…ok wait for him to explain himself. Everyone is just so positive that he knew of all of this. From what? reading the grand jury report…hmmm think there is a lot more to it than just a 23 page document.
LawDawg
November 9th, 2011
9:42 am
I just hope everyone at Penn State involved in this realizes that they are morally, if not legally, culpable for every child that Sandusky raped or molested since 1998, or at least 2002.
abravefan
November 9th, 2011
9:42 am
The details from the grand jury about what Sandusky did to the ten year old boy in the shower (I haven’t read them) apparently suggest the incident was a full on violent rape. Why those who saw the incident (or person) did not try to rescue the boy is inexcusable. More importantly, Paterno chose to simply pass the information on and then ignore it. JoePa Should be fired today. Not at the end of the season. He has said he is praying for the many victims of this animal. Wonder what his response would have been if Sandusky had done this to one of HIS grandchildren.
I recall the Gator Bowl vs GT and Sugar Bowl vs UGA
November 9th, 2011
9:43 am
Does anyone recall the GT/PN State game in the Gator Bowl that PN State won over Bobby Dodd? I do and it was rough. 1965 or 66?
Now, UGA alumus. We lost to PN State and CBS’s Todd Blackledge in NC game in Sugar Bowl and that hurt far more than the Gator Bowl thing.
Always had high regard for PN State but never bought in to the Joe Pa is wonderful narrative. Now i am glad. He is creepy.
dh
November 9th, 2011
9:45 am
As a Tech fan, I don’t like the northern schools at all, esp Big 10 teams. However, even when I was little, I had a fondness for Penn St. Even after they joined the Big 10, I still rooted for them most of the time. This was mostly because I liked Joe Paterno. He just seemed like a coach that stood for what was right in college football. However, I do not have that admiration anymore. As the spouse of someone that endured this type of abuse, I have seen firsthand how it affects people, even after 30+ years. I don’t care about ‘innocent until proven guilty’, if this many people are reporting this scumbag did what he did, then 99% of it has to be the truth. People may ask, “Why didn’t the victims come out sooner?” It’s not that easy, because there is a lot of shame that person feels, at times blaming themselves for what happened. No child has ever asked for that kind of abuse and trauma to happen to them. Paterno did report this to his AD after the GA told him about it, so one can say he did take action. But for him to know about this allegation and allow this monster to maintain access to the school, he is just as guilty if he was doing it himself. I don’t doubt Joe would never wish this tragedy to happen to anyone. However, I can’t back Joe on this one, and it’s sad because everything that man has accomplished has been completely tarnished, at least in my eyes. As for the abuser (who I will not even mention his name because it disgusts me to even see or hear it now), I hope he is sent to GP when he gets his sentence, because even most criminals hate this kind of abuse too. On the final note, I want to express my sympathies to the victims and I hope they are able to live happy lives after going through such trauma.
GT Joe
November 9th, 2011
9:46 am
Let me get this straight:
McQueary sees the attack.
McQueary tells Paterno, but doesn’t go into details out of respect for Paterno.
Paterno alerts the administrators.
How is Paterno at fault here? He didn’t even know the facts! And how do you call the cops based on what someone told you, that you didn’t see yourself?
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
9:48 am
I agree with you abravefan. Why didn’t he try to rescue the boy. Doesn’t make sense. When I was around 11 or so, an older boy was trying to talk to my younger 7 year old brother. This boy was a known sexual pervert. When I saw it I ran and grabbed my baseball bat the threatend to take him out. I don’t know why McQueary didn’t sound the alarms and take him out. I hope this is resolved with the proper punishment for all involved soon. Think of all the young men who don’t want to come forward because they have tried to move on with their lives and don’t wish to relive it in public again.
GT Joe
November 9th, 2011
9:49 am
Don’t forget, Paterno is OLD school. He is 84 now, 75 at the time. If you came to him and said “Sandusky was having anal sex with a kid in the shower”, Paterno wouldn’t even know what that meant.
Imagine telling your grandpa at age 80 or so that very sentence, do you think he could comprehend it, or know the seriousness of it? It’s too foreign for that generation of people.
GT Joe
November 9th, 2011
9:50 am
McQueary for sure should be punished; and the janitor. But Paterno? Come on. He’s the only person that did ANYTHING at Penn State, by alerting the admins.
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
9:52 am
GT Joe you’re living in la la land. This coach grew up around college athletes. You don’t suddenly lose your mind at 75. If he did he wouldn’t have still been coaching.
jvillebil
November 9th, 2011
9:54 am
Oh, wait I just thought of something. What is Joe’s starting quarterback was the one getting nailed by a coach in the shower. Think Joe would have gotten more involved.
dmr
November 9th, 2011
9:55 am
Hey Mark, I would like it if you or one of your colleagues through the normal course of business would ask Mark Richt, given the “known circumstances”, how he would have acted in this situation? Paterno was given the opportunity to become an icon in “Happy Valley”. Just as Bobby Bowden was given the opportunity at FSU. Sometimes, not being the most winningest or the all-time greatest in a category can have its own rewards just by doing the right thing. Bowden, will be remembered as one of the all-time greats as a coach, but also as a man. Mark Richt is well on that path already. Paterno may have sealed his fate outside of his community as a “world class” enabler of the worst kind.
We must used terms like alleged in a time where we don’t have all the facts. We also have to let the judicial system play out, as we’ve seen what happens in cases like the Duke Rape Case. However, this isn’t that. There was something sinister and EVIL going on at Penn State University. You have reports, eye-witness testimony, and many complaintants that came forward as grown men, who claim abuse as children.
The whole thing makes me sick and want to vomit. AND IF THERE IS A HELL, the men who perpetrated these acts and/or condoned them, and/or did nothing to stop it; I hope they find themselves there…AND SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
GT Joe
November 9th, 2011
9:57 am
“grew up around college athletes”? Okay, so he should know what child sex assaults are? Not following that logic.
What I DO know is that 80 year old people typically don’t understand/can’t process that kind of assault.
And McQueary (from what I read) didn’t go into details about the attack to Paterno. Paterno might have just thought they were “horsing around” in the shower.