I do find it highly amusing that the professor is upset that the narrative that has taken hold is at variance with his preferred narrative. Not much mention of the actual facts, although to be sure some of the facts will never be known such as just what did Coach Paterno know? (Maybe he was in denial, because the description of Sandusky’s activities vis’a’vis young boys would have pegged my creep-o-meter off scale-high.)
But for the professor to say that he’s hoping for the ultimate revealing of the truth, for a rectification ala the Duke Lacrosse case is just psychotic. Let us recall that it was a baying lynch mob of faculty members who drove that case even in the face of all evidence precisely because they wanted to create a narrative of white privilege, black victimhood and gender oppression that ascended far above the actual facts and supported and validated their leftist orientation. I’d like to see the series of op eds and amicus briefs that the professor emeritus, former faculty senate president of an eminent institution like Penn State penned in support of the Duke students.
I’ll bet there aren’t any. The Duke faculty enthusiastically threw their lacrosse team to the wolves, the facts be damned, because the narrative was right. Our Happy Valley prof was content to sit back and watch as those students were crucified by the campus crazies in the (whatever) Studies departments. Now he is upset by a narrative that doesn’t go his way.
(Although the Duke players did appear to have been involved in some pretty low behavior and serious lack of class and judgement)
And he, and a lot of folks here are upset that an entire institution is blackened by the actions of one man, Jerry Sandusky. But really, was it just one man? So far, there is prima facie evidence that the head of the university, the athletic director and others knew damn well of Sandusky’s predations and covered them up. If they are convicted at trial, what will our professor say then?
And how did Sandusky access his victims? Through an infrastructure created by Penn State and its institutional fetish for football. Why did he get cover? Because Paterno was God and all his works Divine and so no scandal or scrutiny must be allowed to intrude. Everything must be hushed up and buried lest the football program money diminish.
It was all about the almighty buck.
Um...js met and groomed his victims through his charity - the second mile. The second mile is not affiliated with the University. He was a retired employee from PSU, and employeed by the second mile. I don’t get how this can’t be comprehended by so many.
The PSU board of trustees and then interim president threw the football program and Joe Paterno under a much larger bus than the Duke admins ever could have imagined.
They hand-picked louis freeh to do a one-sided investigation (w/out talking to ANY of the particulars in the case) and also to continue to cover up THEIR connections to the second mile. They (the PSU administration) most likely WROTE the ncaa sanctions and signed a consent decree so they couldn’t be appealed.
You think the ncaa could come up with an investigation to warrant what they did w/out PSU’s blessing? Look how the Miami investigation went for them. Penn State has never, EVER committed a major ncaa infraction in ANY sport in it’s history (the only school that can say that). They still haven’t to this day. They also graduate 90% of their student athletes.
And yet the football program was handed the worst punishment in the history of collegiate sports. For something they had nothing to do with.
The second mile was a HUGE charity and funneled a LOT of money from a LOT of corporations to a LOT of politicos - including the sitting governor. A sitting governor who ironically was the AG who sat on the js case for years until he got elected governor.
Follow the money - it doesn’t lead anywhere near McKee St. in State College.
One last thing. How would turning in a pedophile - an ex-employee - that Paterno despised (the feeling was mutual) be bad for business? How would that cost PSU Football money?
I’ve never understood that premise, as it makes absolutely no sense.
Amen brother, that’s it in a nutshell.
Thank you for the excellent post.
“And how did Sandusky access his victims? Through an infrastructure created by Penn State and its institutional fetish for football. Why did he get cover? Because Paterno was God and all his works Divine and so no scandal or scrutiny must be allowed to intrude. Everything must be hushed up and buried lest the football program money diminish.”
Yes, we have a winner. Well said and damn the apologists.