Most disturbing is how Mike McQueary, at the time a 28 year old asst on the football program, walked into a shower, witnessed Sandusky anally raping a 10 year old boy; yet took no action. He left the shower, called his father, and the next day they BOTH went to tell Paterno what they had seen.
Like many, I couldn't understand how he could fail to intervene, to remove the child, and to keep from smashing Sandusky's head into the tile. McQueary has already well demonstrated his courage. He single-handedly broke up a KNIFE fight between two players in the athletic dorm. That takes guts...to get between two football players with knives...how many of us would do that?
Then I went back, and REREAD twice the grand jury report, and several things surprised me.
He described hearing "rhythmic, slapping sounds." He believed those to be of sexual activity. He saw the boy, with his hands up against the wall, being subject to anal intercourse.
"Rhythmic, slapping sounds..." note that phrase.."hands up against the wall." I assume that all those reading this are aquainted with the sex act, in its many positions and permutations, yet I suspect that none of us would use those terms to describe it.
To me, as a lay person, it sounds almost like a flashback, PTSD. And if so, it totally explains what McQueary did right after that, how he acted.
So let's examine the possibility that McQueary was sexually abused by Sandusky as a child. McQueary grew up almost next door to the Sandusky house. He played with Sandusky's sons as a kid. He went to the same schools as several of them. As a young QB, in youth leagues, he no doubt had many interactions with Sandusky, who was active in the community.
So, the time line AND the physical proximity fits, to allow us to posit that he was abused by Sandusky as a child.
So when his dad found out, what would he do? The elder McQueary has had an exemplary career, including working with Special Forces troops years ago. So one might assume that he wanted to go and beat the hell out of Sandusky.
However, if he did that, the fact that his son had been sexually molested would come out. No way it could be kept quiet. And back then, they didn't quite yet understand the trauma that these events caused the victims. The incliniation is to bury it, to forget it, to just move on.
So the elder McQueary goes to see coach Paterno. Tells him what happened. And maybe, just maybe, Paterno tries to rein in Sandusky. To protect the child, and yes, of course, to protect Penn State and the football program. Maybe Sandusky swears it's the only time. Maybe Paterno believes him. Maybe JoePa isn't really awaree of how sexual predators actually behave.
So, a bargain is struck. And, as we have all learned from Watergate and other scandals, it's always the coverup that gets you in the end. Especially so in this case, because Sandusky now owns Paterno. If he goes down, Paterno also goes down, and the story about McQueary comes out. Paterno's stuck.
So, Sandusky continues abusing kids. Paterno helps to bury the charges. He forces Sandusky to retire, yet Sandusky still has access to the campus, the football facilites. Sandusky found this charity, "Second Mile"..maybe telling Paterno that he wants to atone for his past sins. Maybe Paterno believes it, maybe he doesn't.
NOTE: I've been trying to find lists of the Second Mile board members. All those I've seen posted do NOT have Paterno listed. Which in and of itself is telling. Paterno knew what Sandusky was, and couldn't put his name on the organization..
So McQueary sees the rape, is horrified, and calls his father, the ONE person who knows of his abuse. His dad tells him to go home, and to go see Paterno the next day. But, what is largely overlooked..McQueary AND his father BOTH go to see Paterno. To me, this is key. There is NO reason for the father to go UNLESS he's somehow already involved in this..that he knew what went on. And maybe he's still trying to figure out how to keep the story of his son's sexual abuse from coming out..becoming known. To a jock like McQueary, in the high testosterone world of college football, having it publicly known that he was a victim of sexual abuse would seem a fate worse than death. Remember, he was the recruiting coordinator for Penn State. Couldsn't keep on doing that. So, the cover-up is extended for another decade, until other victims surface, and the game's over.
Some will say this is implausible because McQueary worked around Sandusky for years. Actually, this almost supports the theory.
Many victims of abuse, unless they undergo extensive therapy, are often convinced that they are somehow responsible. We don't know what treatment McQueary received. He's married, hopefully a happy one, and has a child.
But over the years, Paterno has attempted to keep an eye on McQueary..a scholarship, then coaching positions, and he's obviously Paterno's favorite, always next to him on the sidelines. So maybe Sandusky apologized to the McQuearys, and they chose to let it drop, to get on with their lives. And Paterno continued to try and protect his protege.
This is all reasoned speculation, but it fits...
It completely explains McQueary's behavior..it was PTSD.
It does not exonerate Paterno, nor should it, for it's obvious that his multiple failures permitted Sandusky to keep molesting childen for many more years, but it does allow a possible explanation as to how a good man like Paterno could get so ensnaed in such a horrid situation.
And it also could explain why he he didn't want to retire..as long as Sandusky was around the program, Paterno had to be there to continue the cover-up,a nd also, maybe, to try and control Sandusky as much as possible.
I’ve thought of that.
The rape happened during spring break in 2002. Sandusky was banned from the campus after that incident.
Interesting take...
... or maybe its not a problem. Just clarification.
Second Mile was founded in 1977.
My theory is that Spanier, Shultz, and Curley were also in on the Sandusky thing, and they tried to shift the blame onto Paterno.
Spanier is one of the most gay-friendly college administrators, and, quite honestly, he has always seemed like a fruit to me.
Keeping in mind the Mark Madden rumors, I’m wondering if there is a Clinton Cover-Up going on in State College.
Who knows?
My thinking is that McQueary showed a lack of morals, judgement and character by not:
A. stopping the assault immediately, violently if necessary
B. calling the police immediately after
He was clearly more worried about his job. He was working for Joe Paterno (also known as God in Happy Valley) and didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize his opportunity.
This theory certainly explains a 28-year-old man calling his daddy instead of the police, which is completely unbelievable.
It’s the only logical explanation for that which I’ve seen so far other than McQueary being a goofy jock type that has to ask the coach permission to sneeze.
“I’m not defending Paterno here. Whatever he did, or failed to do, will come out. But looking back at his life, it appears that by most counts, its been a pretty decent one, filled with a great many good acts of generosity and kindness, most of which have been done quietly, anonymously.”
You never saw “The Godfather”?
When I waa in college, it used to get on my nerves that everyone acted as though paterno was a god. There was always something that just wouldn’t allow me to like him. It took this long to find out why.
When I get those gut feelings about people, sometimes I find out right away and sometimes it takes years, but it works.
That's a fact that should be repeated.
Except why wouldn’t MqQueary’s father have gone to paterno LONG before this if he KNEW the kind of man sandusky is?
I floated that a few days ago here (and elsewhere).
If I were his defense attorney, you bet that's what I would be saying.
"So, a bargain is struck."
And that bargain is silence for the prime coaching slot in perpetuity.
You mentioned that Sandusky was practically a next-door neighbor to the McQuearys’. Mike McQueary had known Jerry Sandusky & his kids since he himself was the victim’s age. That might have been enough right there to freeze him into indecision.
OTOH, I think that he was still obligated to go to the cops as soon as he thought things through. I can’t forgive him that.
The McQueary childhood trauma scenario is certainly plausible. I’ve wondered myself.
Hmm ping....
It’s definitely a plausible theory IMO, especially about how McQueary could continue to work w/ Sandusky.
I posted on another thread the entire list of the State and Regional Boards for Second Mile.
It’s in the current copy of the annual report on their website.
This is an eye-opening read that reveals the size and scope of Second Mile as an organization.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Pennsylvania children - all over the state - are involved in Second Mile programs.
If there is any pimping alleged - in any sort of way - through anyone involved formally or informally with Second Mile - PA LE should be putting a hold on referring children to that organization and issuing warnings post-haste and questioning everyone involved thoroughly, until the full extent of criminal or dangerous activity can be determined, IMHO.
The Second Mile annual report is on this page:
http://www.thesecondmile.org/aboutUs/history.php
Did Rodney Erickson at his presser just say that Graham Spanier is still a tenured prof at PSU and could return to teaching?!?