Posted on 11/26/2012 11:09:48 PM PST by FlJoePa
Much has been written, and will be written, about the tremendous job Coach Bill O'Brien did in guiding Penn State's football team, the university and all of Nittany Nation this season and it will all be well deserved. Similarly, Michael Mauti, Michael Zordich, Matt McGloin and others will be lauded as the embodiment of leadership and excellence and, like the accolades given to O'Brien, it will be well deserved. However, there is another person to whom we owe a bit of gratitude for the great season that was 2012 and that is the late Joe Paterno.
When recruiting young men to come to Penn State to play football, Paterno always focused as much on the character and academic capabilities of a young man as much as 40-yard dash times and bench presses. He would then mold those young men into the leaders that became the embodiment of the "Grand Experiment." In so doing, he would create a team that would often out-heart, as well as out-talent, other teams.
Over the course of the last thirteen months, the "Grand Experiment" has been transformed from a badge of honor to a punchline by many in the national punditry. They have mocked Joe's legacy of teaching young men how to be leaders in their communities. Yet, since Mark Emmert handed down his "crippling sanctions," the young men who comprised this year's senior class have led this team, this school and this community in a manner that befits their distinction of having been Penn State football players and have restored honor to that distinction. In short, the young men who led this team, this year became the outstanding men Paterno promised their parents they would be. It is not only a testament to the outstanding character of these Seniors, but also to the vision employed by Paterno since the 1960s.
In the years ahead, as the sanctions wane and Coach O'Brien is able to recruit a full compliment of players and compete for bowl games, B1G titles and National Championships, the 2012 Senior Class' accomplishments on the field will blend into the tapestry of Penn State football history. But their vital role as links in the chain between the Paterno and O'Brien eras will ensure that the Grand Experiment continues to be bigger than any one player, coach or team. It will be about a university, nestled in the mountains of Pennsylvania that continues to thrive by a code of conduct that places wins and losses in their proper perspective. That is Joe Paterno's legacy and it lives on today. For their role in healing a community, the 2012 Senior Class may be Paterno's finest recruiting class and, as such, is the greatest gift he ever gave to the university he loved so much.
The NCAA exceeded their authority by penalizing these players, the student body who support them and the players who went before them. They had absolutely nothing to do with this scandal.........
The old geezer should have retired a couple decades ago.
“They have mocked Joe’s legacy of teaching young men how to be leaders in their communities.”
Well c’mon! Joe kinda dropped the ball when he had the chance to protect a kid from one of his buddies. Not a crapload of leadership there.
Ridiculous...in any given college sports related scandal, 99-100% of the players had nothing to do with it...and when you factor in that you could ALWAYS make a case that 100% of the freshmen coming in had nothing to do with "last year's scandal," you'd never be able to level ANYTHING vs. a single school using your lame-brain logic.
And so what did JoePa do in the long run to properly ensure that the one eyewitness he knew of followed thru on his silence? Why first he made the shower scene witness into a wide receivers coach. Then he gave him yet a 2nd promotion as head of recruiting.
Nice job buying that witness' silence.
What? Did you just bury McQueery's account and testimony about what he saw -- and his meeting with Paterno the next day reporting to Paterno what he saw?
I hate Penn State admin and board for what they did to Paterno before and after his death. By their actions they are scapegoating a dead man who never had his day in court. And would not have even if he lived because there is no evidence against him.
When JoePa was still alive, Scott Ostler wrote a great column addressing this argument: Penn State's Joe Paterno gets what he deserves
From the Ostler column: With responsibility comes responsibility."
From the column: "With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more," Paterno said in a statement. That's pathetic. You need hindsight to tell you that you must do whatever you can to stop a dangerous criminal?
From the column: Several e-mailers demand, "Have you ever heard of due process?" The due process I've heard of involves a justice system and a legal trial. Paterno faces no legal action or charge. Legally, his rear end is covered. But there was no trial when Paterno was sainted, no jury declared him one of the noblest and finest college coaches of all time. The public decided. It's the same deal on the flip side...
(I see that Penn State won the Ped Bowl this year, beating pedophile Kinsey defending Indiana University)
(I see that Penn State won the Ped Bowl this year, beating pedophile Kinsey defending Indiana University)
Who cares. You know we had a guy in the Navy who was a pediphile....we kicked him out of the Navy and the authorities took care of him. Penn State did the same thing or do you think that every organization that has a pediphile should be looked down on. God Bless Joe Paterno!!!! He and his team are incredible people and thank God for the Penn State Fans who don’t let little weasles get them down!!!! Keep your head held high!!! You are 100 percent a perfect team and University!!!
When it comes to child abuse there are specific laws to be followed. In the case McQueery saw, police can only respond to eyewitness(McCueery) or proper reporting authority(Penn State police or admin). What Paterno had was 2nd hand info and not complete. By law he had to go through proper channels which he did. Even if Paterno went to the police there's no guaranty anything would have been done since Paterno wasn't the proper reporting authority. Plus you have the '98 incident which the DA dropped which doesn't say much for local officials.
As they say, hindsight is 20/20. I'm sure Paterno wished he did more, that's a completely natural feeling. But that doesn't mean he knew what was going on.
All the NCAA sanctions are based on stuff that happened after Sandusky left Penn State and before the legal process could play out. Why the big hurry?
Also, IIRC Sandusky was aquited of the McQueery incident. Not that he should have been but but the only incident remotely involving Paterno resulted in aquital which makes the sanctions BS in my book.
I found this letter to the editor of the State College newspaper (written by Carol Roman) interesting...Here's an excerpt:
Bill Pennington, of the New York Times, wrote an article (“Once Ubiquitous on Campus, ‘Paterno’ is No Longer Uttered”) this weekend about how Joe Paterno’s name is hardly mentioned at all in State College anymore. Isn’t that what the press wanted? Countless articles and broadcasts were made about how Paterno should not be honored in any way. Penn State administration complied. Paterno’s statue was taken down and is now in hiding somewhere in State College never to be seen again. His name was taken off trophies and buildings.
Source: Your letters: Blame the Media
As Carol Roman points out -- and among FR posters, Lancey Howard, who also points out, you can't just "blame the media." Lancey Howard focused on Penn State itself.
Carol Roman said "Penn State administration complied."
If people are upset, they should be upset with Penn State administration...which, btw, was what got Penn State into hot water to begin with (coupled with the actual Sandusky crimes themselves)
(So that's why...as I cited a State College letter writer in my last post...said that "Paterno’s statue was taken down and is now in hiding somewhere in State College never to be seen again. His name was taken off trophies and buildings. ... 'Twas cause of his "character focus" that Penn State people themselves are relatively silent about Paterno.)
Source: Your letters: Blame the Media
And so...let's put this on your ethical shoulders. Let's say you're a powerful boss somewhere.
An employee underling reports to you that he saw a former employee sexually assault a boy in the corporate showers.
What would you do?
Would you, as Paterno did over the long run, ensure that the still-silent witness got key promotions (to first one position, and then to a key coveted second spot)???
Companies and universities try to set up 'required' reporting channels as a CYA mechanism and to handle the PR battle. Those private attempts to protect the company or university have nothing whatsoever to do with actual reporting rights and obligations.
Nothing in Pennsylvania law requires a party to go through a chain of reporting. Nothing in Pennsylvania law prohibits a party from reporting any knowledge they have of child abuse. Police will listen to anyone who has credible information about child abuse.
By law he had to go through proper channels . . .
Absolute, complete, 100%, total, unadulterated hogwash.
Yeah...and now you're going to lecture all of us about all those college players who are temporarily removed from games or teams for dui s or other crim actions, eh?
BYU had two players involved in a restaurant fracus this year. Not only were they off the team in two days, but off the campus as well!!!
Where's your sanctimonious defense of those players...being booted off the team & even off-campus "before the legal process played out"???
The problem is that JoePa apologists like yourself NEVER go to bat for any of these college dui criminals (& assaulters)
Yes, ironically he was acquitted of that charge.
Perhaps someday one of the Paterno-hating mice around here will be seen hugging their grandson and get reported to the cops and accused of being a homosexual pedophile. Then, after the mouse gets cleared the accuser can just shrug and say, "Oops. Sorry about that, heh heh." Those scumbags think it's so easy to point a finger at another man and accuse him of being a homosexual child predator? Okay.
OBVIOUSLY, with 20/20 hindsight and with knowledge of the grand jury testimony against Sandusky, Paterno "wishes he had done more." Freaking duh...
Anyway, I'm done with this thread. Some posters are thoughtful and some are just simple, puffed up, wanna-be avengers with 20/20 hindsight who would think nothing of accusing another man of a heinous crime without themselves witnessing the abuse, and without even a single victim stepping forward during the course of the decade from 1998 until 2008.
FRegards, and good luck arguing with the simple mice!
LH
(Better listen to Scoutmaster, NEPA...he should know...with his own law industry background)
By law he had to go through proper channels . . . (NEPA)
Absolute, complete, 100%, total, unadulterated hogwash. (Scoutmaster)
Amen! Hogwash indeed.
The length JoePA apologists go to try to defend the indefensible.
I recall when the Okla State pulled a player from the Ok State - K State game...the player had been going 92 in a 60 zone and was arrested for DUI...
The way JoePa apologists play their game is to basically launch a crusade vs. any coach from pulling a player from a game "until the legal process has played out"...IF they were in ANY way consistent, that is...which they're not...'cause we don't see them goin to bat for all these players removed from rosters (either temp removal, or like BYU, more permanent)...
MORE Hogwash!!!
BYU even had a basketball player suspended from the roster after his girlfriend got pregnant.
There wasn't even a "legal process" to play out there...
Did NEPA go on various Web sites protesting such a roster removal?
What a ridiculous statement!
Penn State gave sandusky (post-employment) ongoing access to its locker room, including the infamous showers...
This much could not have gone on for so long without willing participants
The biggest question here is WHERE WILL THIS GROUP OF PERVERTS MOVE TO NEXT?
Every university that willingly harbors a pedophile for years...Sandusky had shower access til about 2008...should have a frown bigger than what the NCAA dealt out to Penn State...otherwise, you wouldn't have three Penn State admins going on trial, would you???
Seems to me if it was up to the State College people & Penn State alum, they'd cover up not only the Sandusky crimes, but the crimes their admins committed...all in the name of not tarnishing their precious reputation!
There really isn't a nicer way to frame how most of them have reacted...
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