[pieceofthepuzzle]

It's always appropriate to wait for the details to come out, but if Paterno knew about this for that long, and didn't personally confront Sandusky and demand that this be addressed by the authorities, he is an accessory. Maybe not legally, but I don't know how else to think about this.

I can understand not wanting to believe the worst about someone you work with and are close to, but I can't see how you can just ignore something like this. If Sandusky had been involved in a one-time crime, say embezzling from the University, I can somewhat understand getting a break from the system (not justifying - just saying I could at least understand it). This, however, is a crime with victims, many victims, and is an ongoing crime with children continuing to get hurt.

I just don't understand what Paterno’s excuse is.

[yldstrk]

same thinking as when at our church the married choir director was having an affair with the married organist...........whole church “knew” it, no one would admit it or confront them because the whole house of cards could come falling down

[HIDEK6]

I just don't understand what Paterno’s excuse is.

One of the thories going around is that Paterno got his power from having the goods on everyone.

That is to say, he would blackmail all the sleazy university types into making him the king of Penn State. The coaching job was just a way to get money to him.

[vette6387]

The underlying lesson here is that you don't deafy an effing football coach! This guy pulls on his pants every day just like the rest of us and should not have been given the lofty status ( along with all the money) that the university conferred on him. My guess is that he began a long time ago to believe his own bullsh!t! To me, it does not matter what he did “for” Penn State. Or that he's in his 80’s. He needs to suffer greatly for allowing this to go on for so many years when he had the means to stop it and didn't.