Posted on 01/26/2013 9:52:14 PM PST by FlJoePa
Franco Harris doesn't believe the NCAA sanctions against Penn State will stand, nor is he convinced that the trials of former Penn State officials will occur. Further, the former Penn State running back said, he sees opinions shifting about his alma mater's role in the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
"The narrative is starting to change," Harris said Friday. "The [grand jury] presentment and the Freeh Report are falling apart. The NCAA [sanctions], that will fall apart. There will be no trials for [Tim] Curley and [Gary] Schultz. There's no case. We're starting to find the truth."
More than 200 turned out Friday in King of Prussia for an event Harris hosted and funded, presenting a defense of Penn State and late football coach Joe Paterno. "Upon Further Review: Penn State One Year Later" offered a critical look at the Sandusky investigation, former FBI Director Louis Freeh's findings and the media's coverage of the entire scandal.
It was the second of three such sessions, and Harris said he hopes to schedule more in the future. The first was held last December in Pittsburgh. Another is scheduled for Saturday night near Washington, D.C.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcall.com ...
How are those goats?
The book can be obtained through Amazon for about $17.
May God continue to bless you and yours!
I never wrote that Paterno approved of or encouraged Sandusky’s actions. I did write that I think it is obvious that Paterno knew about the 1998 allegations and investigation against Sandusky. He also knew nothing happened to Sandusky after the later 2002 incident. It does not really matter who was dominant in the decision to keep it quiet. If Paterno knew Sandusky was getting away with repeating behavior that he was already aware of and he did nothing about it, that is shameful. Are you saying that he should have deferred to whatever Spanier said even though he knew that Sandusky was probably getting away with molesting little boys? Are you saying Joe Paterno was rightly more worried about his job than he was about doing the right thing and stopping Sandusky? I do not believe Paterno had to be forced into anything. I think Paterno was agreeable to keeping the Sandusky thing quiet to protect the football program and it doesn’t matter much if he or Spanier was the one who suggested that course of action. The point is he knew about the allegations and lack of legal action against Sandusky and took no action. Silence is complicity in a case like this, in my view.
BTW, Wikipedia says the Franklin Child Prostitution Ring allegations were “a cleverly crafted hoax”. DeCamp is mentioned in their article on it. To quote the article, “After investigation, the Douglas County, Nebraska Grand Jury determined the abuse allegations were baseless”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_child_prostitution_ring_allegations
A short list of things that seem not to concern you at all include: the role of perv coddler and PSU president Graham Spanier, the role of Curley, the role of Schultz, whether the disappearance and presumed murder of Ray Gricar had anything to do with the pervert rape culture of Gerry Sandusky, whether any university trustees or political big shots were involved and, if so, whom and how? I get that you are outraged at the kiddie rapes. I don't get why the late Joe Paterno is the single target of your undeviating wrath when it should seem that many others were more responsible (assuming that Paterno failed, in any way, in his ACTUAL responsibilities, which are not to substitute his guesswork as a football coach for actual law enforcement, and not to pass McQueary's non-credible gossip along as Gospel fact. Paterno witnessed absolutely NOTHING. But, hey, what does that matter? Some folks are out there with pitchforks and torches and a blood lust that just MUST be satisfied against the dead celebrity. If Paterno's now dead scalp can be taken, by GOD, those tabloid readers will join the mob. What good is it to fix blame on the likes of Spanier and Curley and Schultz and any other co-conspirators that NOBODY has ever herd of? The only justification to go after them is IF they wre guilty in any way leading to Sandusky's criminal perversions. That doesn't satisfy the Ooompah Band, though, does it?
Ever wonder how the Salem Witchcraft trials may have gotten hand? Oh, magistrate, Goody Bradford looked cross-eyed at me two weeks ago and three days later I became ill with the flu. She's a witch, I tell you! Burn her at the stake!!! No inquiry first! None of that irritating due process tripe that those lawyers hide behind! We weren't hindered by constitution or a bill of rights. We had our suspicions. Who needs evidence??? Right?
As to Senator De Camp's book, the Franklin County Coverup, I have not read it recently but I have a copy and my recollection is that "Child Prostitution Ring" does not begin to adequately describe the goings on in that scandal.
As to Grand Juries, state and federal, we who have practiced law are inclined to observe that a grand jury can be dominated by a prosecutor into "indicting a ham sandwich." If the Nebraska prosecutor is protecting the potential defendants, he can persuade the grand jury NOT to indict by act or omission of the prosecutor. The Jon Benet Ramsay case, anyone? I once served as the paid attorney for a grand jury in a domestic murder case. My fellow grand jurors included a nun who said she could not vote for an indictment because our state might impose a death penalty (2/3 was necessary to indict) and a bunch of other folks who wanted neither discussion nor deliberation because of parking rates in an adjacent lot and their desire to leave it behind because it was Friday afternoon. Contemplating that Obozo was re-elected, that long ago experience comes to mind to explain voter negligence or perfidy. Read De Camp's book and you are quite likely to have a different take on the case in Nebraska.
Or, perhaps you are a hopeless case. The clock neareth three. Good night!
No, it is the same DeCamp and it is called the Franklin case. I don’t think there were multiple high profile child abuse ring cases named Franklin in Nebraska. I never wrote that I am not concerned about the other people, they will have their day in court. I think it is shocking that a group of men decided protecting a football program was more important than stopping what they knew was an active child molester. I also think things would have turned out much better for everybody had they done the right thing and pressed charges against Sandusky in 2002.
Paterno was a great man, with a great program, winningest coach ever.
Why bother him with some trifling story of young boys who were being savaged physically, psychologically and spirtually by his ex assistant coach? The program was what was important..........he saved it.........*phew*
BTW, Paterno WAS a great man. He ran a great football program and he was the winningest football coach of all time. He was not the campus police. He reported what he had HEARD from McQueary to the school authorities precisely as required by the rules of the university. THEY covered up not Paterno.
jospehm20:
Second hand criticisms of De Camp's book, legislative investigation and understanding of the rape and murder of juvenile boys in the Omaha area (no mere "prostitution ring") involving major law enforcement and governmental officials and civic leaders is no equivalent to the book, the investigation and that understanding of De Camp much less a trump card except for those who have read only the criticisms and not the work being criticized. If you ever get around to reading De Camp's book, you will be better able to see why its conclusions would meet with massive denial and resistance. BTW. it is not the "Franklin case" but the Franklin County Coverup. I refrain from describing the specifics to let De Camp speak for himself.
You "think it is shocking....etc." Again with the planted axioms. Spanier was protecting something a LOT closer to him than a football program. If you really are so SHOCKED!!! maybe you should consider being a sportswriter. They all confuse themselves by playing pop moral authority. See Cosell, Howard and Costas, Bob, among hundreds of others. Each and every one a self-appointed moral authority over all. When I need pontifications, I will get them from my Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI as of this time.
At the time of the incident in 2002, Paterno followed state law in reporting the incicent to his superior.
If Paterno had gone out of the chain of command on his own, he could have been charged with a crime.
Then why did the Freeh report say that senior officials at Penn State University, including Paterno, failed for more than a decade to take any steps to protect the children victimized by Sandusky? Maybe Freeh, who used to be a federal judge and the head of the FBI just doesn’t know the law? The report did say that Paterno met his obligation under state law by informing his superior but he should have done more. To me, it looks like Paterno decided to keep quiet and hope the Sandusky thing went away to avoid embarrassing the football program. Other people may see it differently.
Maybe (in fact definitely) Louis Freeh who used to be a federal district court judge until he was appointed by Slick Willie to head the FBI and NEVER found anything wrong with Slick Willie or his remarkable administration (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil and dance with the girl what brung ya) retired to private legal practice with his spiffy new credentials as a former federal judge and former FBI Director and was hired by...... That's Right! Lavender promoting Graham Spanier and the Penn State marshmallow (if not worse) trustees needing a CYA report, paying well for one and getting one.
Of course, you just will not broaden the spectrum of your concerns to the actual Penn State culprits other than Sandusky because you just suspect that Paterno (the celebrity scalp) just has to be the scapegoat. And you are going with those suspicions come hell or high water.
Of course, since Paterno's death from lung cancer, it is God alone who is in charge of his punishment, if any punishment is deserved. Let's concentrate on the living perps.
This is not like overlooking some misdemeanor behavior on a player, or someone who is late to practice, or someone who didn't show up for a bed check. This is serious, life changing stuff that was going on, life changing stuff that was disgusting, and as vile as it gets. I really don't enjoy saying this, but anyone who looks at it that way, knowing that Paterno had the control he did, knowing that Paterno had information on his ex defensive coach that was damning, then hearing about the incident, then never following up, and you still think he was entirely innocent in this matter has drunk the kool aid big time. Really big time.....
I'm not defending Spanier or the rest, but give us a break, you sound like an old fool who has a crush on a Hollywood idol.
Whatever. Trashing Freeh does not make Paterno any less responsible for what he did or did not do. I don’t care much for any of the people involved in covering for Sandusky and I hope they all face justice.
Assuming that Paterno was ever guilty of anything at all, it is too late to punish him now, If he was innocent of anything, he ought not to have been punished for such an anything. Spanier, Curley, Schultz, and others are still available. Ignore the sideshow created by Spanier and the Penn State Poobahs. Focus on those still punishable. Then maybe they WILL all face justice. Courts cannot indict the dead.
So when Paterno himself said he did not do enough to stop Sandusky, he was lying to set himself up? You can believe that if you want to. I’ll just go with what I believe.
See #52.
Paterno did what he was required to do and did not do what the university required him not to do. He honored the rule of law and the rules of his employment contract. He did not go on a personal crusade without adequate evidence as you apparently would have preferred. You were disappointed. Toooooo bad! Welcome to the wonderful world of academia and its carefully constructed Fantasyland.
The courts can neither indict nor convict nor criminally punish the dead. If you REALLY care so much about the child raping done by Sandusky, then, now that he is safely behind bars functionally forever (too bad he could not be executed), it is time to turn your attention to the living perps or those who may have been perps (kiddie rapers and cover up artists alike, university officials, Second Mile Foundation, etc., and particularly Spanier).
As to Paterno's innocence, he is and was innicent until PROVEN GUILTY BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. Again, that is well-settled law in all 50 states. He is dead and it is too late. Further, you purport to know just what it was that Paterno "knew." Neither you nor I nor anyone else here "know" any such thing as what Paterno KNEW. Even if Paterno SAID he knew, and even if he were not dead, you would have to get that testimony by the hearer into evidence under a valid hearsay exception. Do you have some kind of machine that is a psychic detector of what Paterno "knew?" I have never heard of such a device being allowed into testimony or to testify.
The "life changing stuff" WAS disgusting and as vile as it gets. That was the stuff that Sandusky DID to the kids according to the jury that rendered the verdict AFTER he received due process of law and legal representation, etc. The trial court just yesterday rejected defense motions to set aside the verdict on a defense claim of inadequate time to prepare his defense before the trial. Your unsupported planted axioms after "as vile as it gets" don't make a shred of difference. They are not evidence of anything but of your passions and temper tantrum.
I note that you have a remarkable reluctance to go after Spanier and the other administrators at Penn State. You too would only be satisfied by the celebrity scalp offered to you by Spanier and the trustees and the administrators who have been indicted. And you think I drink the kool aid big time??? Don't go to law school. You have no future in the legal profession and little capacity for discernment.
I did not do enough to stop Charlie Manson and prevent the Tate-LaBianca murders. Of course, I have yet to set foot in California. I have no doubt that you will go with what you believe and that other than perfunctory remarks, you will continue to concentrate your concern on the dead and unavailable celebrity scalp. Somewhere, Graham Spanier thanks you for taking the bait.
Good night, gentlemen.
That is not a valid comparison. Did you know Charles Manson? Were you aware of what he was doing and then help cover it up afterwards? Paterno knew Sandusky, was aware of what he was doing and he helped cover it up. See the difference?
From the Immaculate Reception to the Immaculate Deception, huh, Franco?
The whole mess is stomach turning, Paterno stayed too long, he was surrounded by a bunch of hero-worshiping people who most probably knew he could no longer manage the entire program.
During the first part of the breaking story, I heard a sports reporter (don’t remember who) talk about trying to cover Penn State football. He said that he had covered many teams, big time college teams and had never had any problem getting into the football facilities. The exception was Penn State. He more or less said that it was so closed and secretive that getting near anyone in charge was near impossible.
That lead me to believe that Paterno was being covered 24/7 by syncophants and yes men & hero worshipers.
Paterno should have retired 20 years ago and this should be a lesson to all coaches. Paterno failed because he was too old, had his tail covered by people who believed he could do no wrong, nor needed to hear of any wrong being done.
Defending that minimum is flat out wrong, it's like saying Bambi or Hillary did no wrong at Benghazi. They were just so busy with more important things.......
I mean, "who cares?"
Right?
Wrong. Absolutely, positively wrong.
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