Sex Abuse Scandal Rocks Penn State

[hooskins]

It truly is horrible. I do think that this issue didn't occur just because these 4 are bad people. The issue here is the money and power that comes with college football. This could've happened at any school. With all the money involved it was just easier, in their minds, to ignore the issue or minimize it.

I'm not trying to diminish how horrible it is; I just think we need to take a long hard look at what college sports, particular mens football and basketball, have become. Saying its all on Joe Pa., and that's it, is a gross simplification of the entire problem (too much money in college sports). All that being said, its pathetic these 4, and the Board, let something llike this happen.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by hooskins

It truly is horrible. I do think that this issue didn't occur just because these 4 are bad people. The issue here is the money and power that comes with college football. This could've happened at any school. With all the money involved it was just easier, in their minds, to ignore the issue or minimize it.

I'm not trying to diminish how horrible it is; I just think we need to take a long hard look at what college sports, particular mens football and basketball, have become. Saying its all on Joe Pa., and that's it, is a gross simplification of the entire problem (too much money in college sports). All that being said, its pathetic these 4, and the Board, let something llike this happen.

You'd like to think (perhaps naively) that, even as far as coaches/institutions will go to test the limits of what's acceptable behavior, there's a line that any decent human being knows should not be crossed.

[mooby]

The fact that the BoT is letting a statue of a child molester enabler continue to stand after the fact tells us everything we need to know. I still hope the NCAA gives the football program the death penalty. Their continued support for Paterno because of all the "good" he's done just shows they still aren't taking this seriously enough. Just put the hammer on them NCAA, and let it be a lesson. Because if they don't, it's a victory for other pervs taking advantage of their positions elsewhere.

[Chico23231]

Where will the money come when PSU is sued? It shouldnt be the taxpayers who pick up the bill. School should have to reach into all its donations and atheletic fund.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Chico23231

Where will the money come when PSU is sued? It shouldnt be the taxpayers who pick up the bill. School should have to reach into all its donations and atheletic fund.

Maybe that's why the statue is up still? To not upset the trustees who give the donations that the payments for civil suits will come from? Just speculating

And as gung ho as I was last week on the death penalty, it does not need to be carefully vetted out. There needs to be a plan in place that won't punish current players and the rest of the conference as well

[Chico23231]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Maybe that's why the statue is up still? To not upset the trustees who give the donations that the payments for civil suits will come from? Just speculating

And as gung ho as I was last week on the death penalty, it does not need to be carefully vetted out. There needs to be a plan in place that won't punish current players and the rest of the conference as well

I dont know about "death penalty", but I would think at the least the football team should be suspended at least 1 year and all football activities and multiple sanctions there after (multiple loss of bowls, 10+ scholarship yanked for several years, etc.). Its unfortunate for the current players, but my head cant get pass the fact the protection of the football program was more important than the protection of kids. I just cant let that go, and neither should the NCAA.

[hooskins]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

You'd like to think (perhaps naively) that, even as far as coaches/institutions will go to test the limits of what's acceptable behavior, there's a line that any decent human being knows should not be crossed.

I would hope so. Or does absolute power corrupt all?

[NC_Skins]

Seems I'm not alone.


Airplane banner makes threat if Paterno statue is not removed

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

Seems I'm not alone.


Airplane banner makes threat if Paterno statue is not removed

Love it.

His Alma Mater, Brown Univ. has stripped Paterno's name off buildings and an annual award.

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by Monkeydad

Love it.

His Alma Mater, Brown Univ. has stripped Paterno's name off buildings and an annual award.

I don't know off memory many buildings named after him on that campus and I have walked it many times.

Plus they are still deciding what to do:

Brown University may take Paterno's name off award

[SmootSmack]

VIDEO: NCAA President Mark Emmert will not rule out death penalty for Penn State - CBSSports.com

[12thMan]

Tragic

[mooby]

And now there's 3 accusers saying Sandusky molested them in the 70's/80's. I didn't think all the molesting started in the 90's but the fact that it probably happened for over 3 decades is just mind-boggling.

[djnemo65]

Guys, look, the statue is coming down. In fact, if it's still up whenever PSU plays its next game I'll ride with NC Skins and help tear it down. Actually I won't, but I'll ride along and will defend NC once he gets arrested. While I can't prove it, I'm reasonably sure that these Board member quotes arguing that the statue should stay up are coming from one of the five or so new members elected this year after running on pro-Paterno platforms. People like this: New Penn State Trustee Anthony Lubrano needs a dose of this little thing called reality (Video) | Larry Brown Sports

I do need to pushback against what I think has really been some piling on, here and other places. First, I'm not sure people realize that Penn State commissioned and paid for the Freeh Report. They didn't have to do that. More importantly, if they were trying to further suppress this story (as changing the channel in the student union is supposedly evidence of) they wouldn't have taken the lead in commissioning this type of report, or they would have farmed it out to someone less capable and unbiased than a former FBI director. The school has made some mistakes but it is trying to do the right thing moving forward and isn't getting enough credit for that. Everyone got fired, including Paterno before we knew the extent of his involvement (which ended up costing several board members their positions, not profiles in courage but still.) This stuff about changing the channel in the student union is an example. What do you think is more likely? That this was an order from up high to keep students in the dark? (Students who have like internet and stuff.) Or that this was the decision of some 12 dollar an hour shift mananager who probably has never been trained in PR and working under international media scrutiny? If they wanted to suppress this stuff they wouldn't have commissioned the report, simple as that.

SS, I don't get why you are so concerned about football players who had nothing to do with this but want federal scholarship funding cut for students who similarly had nothing to do with any of this, scholarships that allowed people like me to attend the most expensive state school in the country and are basically responsible for everything that I now have in my life. I get why people are angry but to just vindictively wish pain on anyone who has any PSU affiliation at all is just mean, and to show solicitude for football players (who can just transfer to a comparable institution easily) but not for regular students (who can't) is just perverse. I really don't get it.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by djnemo65

Guys, look, the statue is coming down. In fact, if it's still up whenever PSU plays its next game I'll ride with NC Skins and help tear it down. Actually I won't, but I'll ride along and will defend NC once he gets arrested. While I can't prove it, I'm reasonably sure that these Board member quotes arguing that the statue should stay up are coming from one of the five or so new members elected this year after running on pro-Paterno platforms. People like this: New Penn State Trustee Anthony Lubrano needs a dose of this little thing called reality (Video) | Larry Brown Sports

Thank you. I'll drop you off at the closet corner, right before I ram it. You can youtube it. I envision it going something like this.

Originally Posted by djnemo65

I do need to pushback against what I think has really been some piling on, here and other places. First, I'm not sure people realize that Penn State commissioned and paid for the Freeh Report. They didn't have to do that. More importantly, if they were trying to further suppress this story (as changing the channel in the student union is supposedly evidence of) they wouldn't have taken the lead in commissioning this type of report, or they would have farmed it out to someone less capable and unbiased than a former FBI director. The school has made some mistakes but it is trying to do the right thing moving forward and isn't getting enough credit for that. Everyone got fired, including Paterno before we knew the extent of his involvement (which ended up costing several board members their positions, not profiles in courage but still.) This stuff about changing the channel in the student union is an example. What do you think is more likely? That this was an order from up high to keep students in the dark? (Students who have like internet and stuff.) Or that this was the decision of some 12 dollar an hour shift mananager who probably has never been trained in PR and working under international media scrutiny? If they wanted to suppress this stuff they wouldn't have commissioned the report, simple as that.

You ask if the decision to pull the plug on the Freeh report being announced was the work of administrators or a 12/hr shift manager? I think the bigger question here is does it really matter?

Even if some 12/hr shift manager is pulling the plug, wouldn't that also show you how rooted the PSU football culture is? Protect the brand. Protect the brand. Now, not only do you have 3 administrators and 1 head coach protecting the brand, but now you have all the departments across campus following their lead. This is by far the main issue at hand here. The culture and atmosphere that has been created in which the well being of human beings comes second to PSU football and PSU university.


This where I stand. I think PSU football should die. I do believe the school itself should stand because it is a valuable educational institution, but I think the football culture has created a monster that will not stop unless it's killed. I assure you, if allowed to continue, something else in the future will also be covered up as well. In fact, there will be even a stronger case for these individuals to cover up the next incident because they are going to even look more out of control if they reveal it.

Also, the fact that you have guys like the BoT (linked above) spewing that garbage about how this wasn't a PSU scandal or a PSU football scandal is ridiculous. These are the exact types of people that allowed the mess to happen to begin with. People in denial. People that put PSU above all else. I'm with Matty when he says that anybody still defending JoePa should put a gun in their mouth and pull the trigger.