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he played the good little bureaucrat and passed the buck.

You mean he did what was required by law and by contract.

He handed the ball off cleanly to his superior [Curley] and then made sure it went to the head of the PSU Police Department [Schulz]-- which he didn't have to do but did anyway.

He was a football coach -- not a child psychologist, criminal investigator, law enforcement officer, university president or vice president, or even the athletic director.

He handed the ball off to those whose position it was to carry it forward and they fumbled it.

Why is that his fault????

You mean he did what was required by law and by contract. He handed the ball off cleanly to his superior [Curley] and then made sure it went to the head of the PSU Police Department [Schulz]-- which he didn't have to do but did anyway. He was a football coach -- not a child psychologist, criminal investigator, law enforcement officer, university president or vice president, or even the athletic director. He handed the ball off to those whose position it was to carry it forward and they fumbled it. Why is that his fault????

Are you saying he had no FURTHER moral obligation to exercise his considerable sphere of influence to ensure that a criminal investigation was jumpstarted somehow, somewhere? If only for the protection of those kids?

You know it's quite interesting that so many relay the Joe Paterno personality cult in State College and say he IS State College (a god, if you will). Yet suddenly...ironically...they portray Joe as this limp-minded guy unable to exercise a considerable sphere of influence...somebody who couldn't even indirectly ensure that the most subtle spark of an investigation was ignited.

Sorry, Penn Staters: You CAN'T have it both ways!

You mean he did what was required by law and by contract. He handed the ball off cleanly to his superior [Curley] and then made sure it went to the head of the PSU Police Department [Schulz]-- which he didn't have to do but did anyway. He was a football coach -- not a child psychologist, criminal investigator, law enforcement officer, university president or vice president, or even the athletic director. He handed the ball off to those whose position it was to carry it forward and they fumbled it. Why is that his fault????

#1...we know Paterno testified that he was told (by McQueary) that some "inappropriate action" was witnessed re: Sandusky upon a boy in a Penn State locker room shower.

#2...As mentioned in post #122 re: a quote from columnist Scott Ostler: "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?

Hence, Paterno ALREADY conceded he failed to act!!!

What did this "failure" to act include?

(a) After McQueary met with Paterno, he delayed telling his supervisors for 24 hours. (What? What if YOUR kid Chip was accessable to a re-rape the night Paterno said nothing) And (b) ...What was a LOT worse: He never followed up in the LONG RUN to ensure that the authorities (not just his superiors) found out McQueary's eyewitness report.

Then (c), Paterno upgraded McQueary's lot in life (from grad asst to wide receivers coach & then head of recruiting). What? You don't think Paterno had the option of asking McQueary from 2004 to 2009 if the police had ever questioned him about the matter...and upon finding out 'no' -- to use his considerable influence to direct McQueary to do that?