Penn State horror story

[RockRaines]

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/720508...wing-penn-state

 

From those capable of introspection

I feel for the fans because they did nothing wrong and now their symbols will be tarnished as they root for their team. It sucks.

 

 

 

Oh and Matt Millen is on the board of directors for Sanduskys charity. I would cry too Matt.

[LittleHurt05]

@FOX29philly Joe Paterno's son Scott sez his dad will be on sideline Saturday vs. Nebraska and coaching PSU for the foreseeable future

 

[cabiness42]

I feel for the fans because they did nothing wrong and now their symbols will be tarnished as they root for their team. It sucks.

 

Not in any way trying to equate Brian Kelly's negligence resulting in a student death with what Sandusky did, but I kinda feel the same way.

 

I want Notre Dame's players, students, and alumni to have a championship team, but I really don't want Kelly to personally have that kind of success.

[Jenksismyhero]

I want to know why this McQueary guy is getting such a pass. The guy (28 yrs old at the time, so not exactly a kid) walked in on a rape and did nothing but call his coach. How on earth do you not make a scene and try and protect the kid from that monster? McQueary's inaction was worse than anyone else at Penn St. IMO.

[RockRaines]

@FOX29philly Joe Paterno's son Scott sez his dad will be on sideline Saturday vs. Nebraska and coaching PSU for the foreseeable future

Pff yeah right. The board of trustees will have something to say about that.

[Balta1701]

I want to know why this McQueary guy is getting such a pass. The guy (28 yrs old at the time, so not exactly a kid) walked in on a rape and did nothing but call his coach. How on earth do you not make a scene and try and protect the kid from that monster? McQueary's inaction was worse than anyone else at Penn St. IMO.

First of all...are we quite certain he only told the coach about it once? I believe according to the police report he was quite shaken up when he first made the report. Second, I'd still guess that the coaching staff told him to let them handle it, with some force behind that decision.

[RockRaines]

First of all...are we quite certain he only told the coach about it once? I believe according to the police report he was quite shaken up when he first made the report. Second, I'd still guess that the coaching staff told him to let them handle it, with some force behind that decision.

Technically he called his dad first and based on the GJ report he then met with the coaches including Paterno at his house.

[Balta1701]

Pff yeah right. The board of trustees will have something to say about that.

The New York Times reported that Penn State's board of trustees has had discussions about the 84-year-old Paterno's departure and how to manage it. The newspaper, citing "two people briefed on conversations among the university's top officials," said that Paterno's exit could come within days or weeks.

 

Paterno's son, Scott, who is considered the family's spokesman, tweeted, "NYT report premature. No discussions about retirement with JVP."

Link

 

I really don't know how he could possibly be on the sidelines/in the press box this weekend.

[Palehosefan]

First of all...are we quite certain he only told the coach about it once? I believe according to the police report he was quite shaken up when he first made the report. Second, I'd still guess that the coaching staff told him to let them handle it, with some force behind that decision.

 

I think he's asking why he didn't attack Sandusky or at least put a stop to the action.

 

Personally I think it's absurd to report this to your boss instead of calling the cops immediately. I can't imagine a work environment where it's proper protocol to inform your boss of a heinous crime instead of the cops.

[LittleHurt05]

I want to know why this McQueary guy is getting such a pass. The guy (28 yrs old at the time, so not exactly a kid) walked in on a rape and did nothing but call his coach. How on earth do you not make a scene and try and protect the kid from that monster? McQueary's inaction was worse than anyone else at Penn St. IMO.

 

I can understand why he didn't make a scene and stop it. Everyone says they would, but sometimes in a situation like that you get scared and freak out and aren't sure what to do. Not everyone can play the hero role.

 

That being said, after the fact, there is no reason why he didn't call the police to report what had happened. He definitely deserves more blame than he has been receiving.

[Balta1701]

I think he's asking why he didn't attack Sandusky or at least put a stop to the action.

Well, I don't know what kind of shape he was in at the time, but the guy was a Penn State D-Lineman when he was in school, some brief photo checks suggest he's still quite a well-conditioned guy.

[RockRaines]

I can understand why he didn't make a scene and stop it. Everyone says they would, but sometimes in a situation like that you get scared and freak out and aren't sure what to do. Not everyone can play the hero role.

 

That being said, after the fact, there is no reason why he didn't call the police to report what had happened. He definitely deserves more blame than he has been receiving.

Right, given the cool down period and the conversation with his father, the cops should have been called by someone.

 

This is so freaking sad.

[southsider2k5]

I think he's asking why he didn't attack Sandusky or at least put a stop to the action.

 

Personally I think it's absurd to report this to your boss instead of calling the cops immediately. I can't imagine a work environment where it's proper protocol to inform your boss of a heinous crime instead of the cops.

 

Welcome to our educational system.

[Jenksismyhero]

In my opinion his actions were much worse and much less excusable than Paterno. He's the eye witness. Not only did he fail to stop it, but he failed to notify the police. Paterno on the otherhand didn't witness anything, and he's being told a pretty crazy and probably unbelievable accusation (at the time) about his friend of 30 something years. He goes to his superiors, let's them handle it, and probably assumes (reasonably) that if no proceedings were initiated, there might not be any credible claim. Should he have had a follow-up conversation to see what happened? Sure. But for all we know he did and the assholes in charge covering it up lied to him. This turning Paterno into the ring leader and tarnishing his otherwise impeccable record, without any actual knowledge of what he knew/did, is ridiculous.

 

As to the grantland piece, wtf. Terrible. I'm sorry, but as much of a tragedy as this is, and for as terrible as it was handled, you're still talking about a handful of people that are the bad guys here. Not the school, not the student body, not the town. Calm the f*** down. It's not like that place was the Garden of Eden. I'm sure there was crime before Sandusky arrived....

[StrangeSox]

In my opinion his actions were much worse and much less excusable than Paterno. He's the eye witness. Not only did he fail to stop it, but he failed to notify the police. Paterno on the otherhand didn't witness anything, and he's being told a pretty crazy and probably unbelievable accusation (at the time) about his friend of 30 something years. He goes to his superiors, let's them handle it, and probably assumes (reasonably) that if no proceedings were initiated, there might not be any credible claim. Should he have had a follow-up conversation to see what happened? Sure. But for all we know he did and the assholes in charge covering it up lied to him. This turning Paterno into the ring leader and tarnishing his otherwise impeccable record, without any actual knowledge of what he knew/did, is ridiculous.

 

As to the grantland piece, wtf. Terrible. I'm sorry, but as much of a tragedy as this is, and for as terrible as it was handled, you're still talking about a handful of people that are the bad guys here. Not the school, not the student body, not the town. Calm the f*** down. It's not like that place was the Garden of Eden. I'm sure there was crime before Sandusky arrived....

 

This blog lays into McQueary pretty hard

 

The point of lingering over McQueary’s decision to value his potential for career advancement over stopping a serial child rapist from continuing to find and parade his victims in front of McQueary’s face isn’t that McQueary (along with the rest of the actors in this saga) is some sort of inexplicable moral monster. It would be nice to think so, but consider that his despicable behavior merely mirrors that of his head coach, his athletic director, and his university’s president, who all made, and continued for years to make, essentially the same decision to value their careers over stopping little boys from being raped by a man they had worked with for years, and who they allowed to continue to walk among them every day. The point of calling out McQueary’s physical and especially moral cowardice is to remind us how we are all capable of sinking so low, if we do not remind ourselves constantly, in whatever way is most useful for each of us, of the truth of Samuel Johnson’s remark that, “courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has that virtue, he has no security for preserving any other.”

[zenryan]

Paterno on the otherhand didn't witness anything, and he's being told a pretty crazy and probably unbelievable accusation (at the time) about his friend of 30 something years. He goes to his superiors, let's them handle it, and probably assumes (reasonably) that if no proceedings were initiated, there might not be any credible claim

 

 

I can think of only 2 reasons why Paterno didnt do anything more than the minimum in this situation:

 

 

1. Paterno, while knowing it wasnt right, didnt really think it was a big deal.

 

2. Has known for years what Sandusky does to these kids and his visit to the AD was more like, "well Sandusky is doing it again..." type visit.

 

 

I really dont want to believe the first option but it is reported that Sandusky would have these kids stay with him in hotels the night before the games. How does Paterno not know that his DC has kids in his room that arent related?

 

 

 

 

 

On a side note, am I the only one here thinking this will never go to trial because Sandusky will kill himself?

 

 

[Jenksismyhero]

I can think of only 2 reasons why Paterno didnt do anything more than the minimum in this situation:

 

 

1. Paterno, while knowing it wasnt right, didnt really think it was a big deal.

 

2. Has known for years what Sandusky does to these kids and his visit to the AD was more like, "well Sandusky is doing it again..." type visit.

 

 

I really dont want to believe the first option but it is reported that Sandusky would have these kids stay with him in hotels the night before the games. How does Paterno not know that his DC has kids in his room that arent related?

 

 

 

 

 

On a side note, am I the only one here thinking this will never go to trial because Sandusky will kill himself?

 

As to the hotel - he's the operator of a boys and girls type club. He fostered like 6 kids because he couldn't have his own. In that situation are you really going to question the guy sharing a hotel room with one of his "kids?"

 

There was some rumor that Sandusky had been warned about his behavior with kids way back long ago. Campus police were involved and they basically just told him to stop. Whether that info ever got to Paterno, who knows.

[clyons]

On a side note, am I the only one here thinking this will never go to trial because Sandusky will kill himself?

 

You are probably giving him too much credit.

[bmags]

I don't know how you would have read the Grantland article, but I think you're response doesn't fit what was written Jenks.

[Kyyle23]

Such an ironic choice for him to title his book

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31751_162-5732...called-touched/

[Jenksismyhero]

I don't know how you would have read the Grantland article, but I think you're response doesn't fit what was written Jenks.

 

I'll admit I read about 3/4's before stopping. But what I was getting (correct me if I'm wrong) is that fantasyland of Happy Valley is now forever tainted and that his views of the people he knew or revered is now the opposite. I've just been reading a lot of those articles and it's so over the top that it's kinda dumb. Even though he's saying this isn't an indictment of the school or the students or the town, he still has to bring out this larger meaning about the life and times of the community, and I just don't buy it. s***ty people live everywhere. They don't define communities or schools or cultures. They're just s***ty people.

[greg775]

Do you folks think Joe Pa should be fired?

I say yes.

 

This scandal really truly saddens and sickens me.

Matt Millen IMO said it best. If we as a society can't protect our children, then what good is our society?

My god. How could people at Penn State live with themselves knowing this predator was on the loose?

I guess in a similar vein, how could some of those bishops live with themselves transferring predator priests around? I mean PROTECT THE CHILDREN people!

And I am Catholic and still a practicing Catholic but the people in society who don't call the police! My god, put them in jail.

 

Can you imagine the 100,000 people at the Nebraska-PSU game Saturday? They won't be proud PSU alums. They will be horrified alums.

Edited November 8, 2011 by greg775

[Milkman delivers]

Absolutely yes. But I doubt it matters. Firing Joe Paterno at this point would be like firing a watermelon.

[Soxfest]

Joe Pa must go.

[StrangeSox]

I'll admit I read about 3/4's before stopping. But what I was getting (correct me if I'm wrong) is that fantasyland of Happy Valley is now forever tainted and that his views of the people he knew or revered is now the opposite. I've just been reading a lot of those articles and it's so over the top that it's kinda dumb. Even though he's saying this isn't an indictment of the school or the students or the town, he still has to bring out this larger meaning about the life and times of the community, and I just don't buy it. s***ty people live everywhere. They don't define communities or schools or cultures. They're just s***ty people.

 

I kinda agree with what both of you are saying. He's looking at the impact that this will have on a whole community that has strong ties to PSU and Paterno in particular, but he's probably being a little overdramatic and anyone who has so much of their identity wrapped up in a football team might want to take a step back.