Sex Abuse Scandal Rocks Penn State

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by itvnetop

Anyone catch the streets of State College? This student body reaction is scary. It's like the entire population is in a collective uproar over the firing... the firing of a pedophile enabler. You could throw this into a sociology intro textbook, under the Groupthink chapter. The defiant Penn State chants are eerily similar to those of a cult. I'm baffled as to how an entire community can actually muster up a movement in support of JoePa.

Coincidentally, I think this is yet ANOTHER bad situation, although much lower down the scale, that JoePa could have prevented had he acted differently and with more forethought.
The writing was on the wall, he should have 'gracefully' stepped aside effective immediately. Since he chose to retire at the end of the season he forced the board's hand and had to be fired, which rallied the students even more.

[mredskins]

Joe and the students that support him are just lost or refusing to realize he made a big error by not reporting this.

JoePa will cling to the few cult members that hang outside his house and still feel like he justified but the rest of the nation is shaking their heads at him.

Paterno Talks To Crowd - ESPN Video - ESPN

The guy needs to ride off into the sun set and let the coals cool; if he keeps talking to folks like this he is going to say something really dumb that may wind him up in more trouble.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag59

NC Skins letter worked. JoePa fired as Penn State head coach. Def. Coord. Tom Bradley named interim head coach.

I'd like to think my (and mooby's) letter worked, but it probably had more to do with every person(including press) outside of Penn State calling for him to be ousted.

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Good. When Paterno said in his statement that the Board of Trustees should “not spend a single minute discussing my status” I was pretty appalled. I mean that's a slap in the face to the Board. And what right does he have? If I was in his situation I couldn't go to my bosses and say "You know what, don't worry about me. I'm just going to go ahead and do my thing and leave when I'm ready to leave" Just doesn't and shouldn't work that way.

Marcellus Wiley said it best. How could the NCAA not allow Dez Bryant to play another game because he had dinner with Deion Sanders yet Joe Paterno could keep coaching until he decides he doesn't want to anymore.

Sorry, a legacy is ruined, especially so late in his life (kind of reminds me a bit of Helen Thomas' situation), but he had 10 years to do something about it. And he didn't. So he ruined his own legacy

And Sandusky. I mean it totally baffles me how a grown adult could even think of doing the things he did to those kids. And then to actually do them. I feel terrible for those poor kids. The grand jury report is unfortunately very graphic. And if you're mad about the situation without reading it, you'd be livid if you did

My thoughts exactly Smoot. The sheer arrogance of this guy baffled me. In some of the video's the show this interview with him talking about how the President and the AD came to him after the 2004 season and asked him to step down. He said in that interview that he was going to retire on his own terms and when he wanted to. Yeah, this asshole thought he was bigger than the institution. I'm glad I haven't read that grand jury report because I know how I'm going to be and I rather not put myself in that mood.

[SmootSmack]

I don't know how much of it is arrogance or just ignorance. Like he has no clue the severity of what's going on?

And what's with him being all pissy about getting fired via phone. He announced his retirment via press release. And as far as I know he didn't notify the BOT beforehand

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I don't know how much of it is arrogance or just ignorance. Like he has no clue the severity of what's going on?

And what's with him being all pissy about getting fired via phone. He announced his retirment via press release. And as far as I know he didn't notify the BOT beforehand

Which only bolsters the arrogance argument - "I don't need to inform the people entrusted with running the school what I am doing, I'll just do it 'cause I know what's best" contrasted with "How dare they not speak to me in person! I deserve better b/c of everything I've done."

I'll give you it's a clueless arrogance - i.e. he doesn't think he's being arrogant, he's thinks he's just doing what's best for the school.

And I'm with you AMD - He should never have put the BOT in this position. He should've manned up and said something to the effect of "Doesn't matter what I thought at the time, ultimately, the buck stops here and, as an example to our students, I am resigning." But noooooo .....

I've never really cared one way or another for Paterno. I know he's an icon but I guess I never got it and have thought he was mostly running on fumes since sometime in the mid-2000's. What little respect I had for him is so far gone at this point.

Jail time all around folks.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I don't know how much of it is arrogance or just ignorance. Like he has no clue the severity of what's going on?

And what's with him being all pissy about getting fired via phone. He announced his retirment via press release. And as far as I know he didn't notify the BOT beforehand

With his son, his wife, his family, and his lawyers, to be sure he can't play the ignorant role on how severe this is or are all the people in his circle nitwits as well? Having a pep rally the night prior? Really? Speaking to the media even after he was told not to? To me, that's sheer arrogance and a person who thought he was above it all. If he's smart enough to run a 50 mil a year football program, then surely he's smart enough to know to shut the hell up and let things run it's course while staying out of the limelight.

As far as him being pissy. It was evident he wanted to dictate how his future went. Watch that interview and you can tell he answered to no one.

Joe Paterno's Legacy - ESPN Video - ESPN

(4:25 mark in the video)

"I'm going to retire when I want to retire. I'm going to retire when I think it's the best time for Penn State football. Period."

You can look at his demeanor when he's saying it. I think he bought into his own hype.

[SmootSmack]

Yeah I think a lot of people would agree he's been running on fumes and someone this morning, Paul Posluszny maybe?, said after such a long career you figure it may not end well. Like he'd stay a bit too long and leave after some losing years or something like that. But I'm sure no one expected it to end like this

And another thing, did you see his brief statement outside his home last night? When he says "and say a little prayer for the victims" I mean, I don't want to say it was insincere, but it was just odd how he was already going back to in his house and he turned around and was like "Oh yeah. By the way. Say a prayer. Go Penn State!"

Such a tragedy

And what is McQueary still doing there?

[saden1]

Can we stop calling him Joe Pa? He isn't worthy of being called "Pa" given his aiding and abetting of a child molester.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

And what is McQueary still doing there?

THAT is what the hell I want to know. How can they let that douche bag who not only didn't stop the rape, but help cover it up as well.

[saden1]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Which only bolsters the arrogance argument - "I don't need to inform the people entrusted with running the school what I am doing, I'll just do it 'cause I know what's best" contrasted with "How dare they not speak to me in person! I deserve better b/c of everything I've done."

I'll give you it's a clueless arrogance - i.e. he doesn't think he's being arrogant, he's thinks he's just doing what's best for the school.

And I'm with you AMD - He should never have put the BOT in this position. He should've manned up and said something to the effect of "Doesn't matter what I thought at the time, ultimately, the buck stops here and, as an example to our students, I am resigning." But noooooo .....

I've never really cared one way or another for Paterno. I know he's an icon but I guess I never got it and have thought he was mostly running on fumes since sometime in the mid-2000's. What little respect I had for him is so far gone at this point.

Jail time all around folks.

I have always thought him to be the epitome of selfish. There's has to be something wrong with you to sit up there in the booth and play head coach for the better part of a decade.

[saden1]

So are they going to fire Mike McQueary (the punk who saw the incident)? Is he going to jail?

[hooskins]

For those of you that the emotional reactions are only from the undergraduate study body, you would be mistaken.

A lot of my friends went to Penn St. They are in their mid to late 20s and all I see is facebook posts with Joe Pa. motivational quotes and 30 likes. I really don't understand how anyone who has a child or a cousin, etc. could be so blinded by what occurred to those kids.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by saden1

Can we stop calling him Joe Pa? He isn't worthy of being called "Pa" given his aiding and abetting of a child molester.

Thank you! I have found that particularly disturbing. I think I used it once or twice and then realized the incongruity and thought "Wow - that's just wrong."

[firstdown]

I can't believe how people can worship a stupid F*&6ing coach. He is just a football coach not a god stupid a$$ people.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by hooskins

For those of you that the emotional reactions are only from the undergraduate study body, you would be mistaken.

A lot of my friends went to Penn St. They are in their mid to late 20s and all I see is facebook posts with Joe Pa. motivational quotes and 30 likes. I really don't understand how anyone who has a child or a cousin, etc. could be so blinded by what occurred to those kids.

This goes back to me saying (in regards to the OWS movement) that if it doesn't affect people directly, they simply don't care.

Some kid gets raped by a serial child molester? Don't care.
Some innocent civilians get bombed overseas? Don't care.
Some protesters get shot with rubber bullets and tear gas? Don't care.
Some people in Africa committing genocide? Don't care.

Take away their Social Security. NOW they care.



Nobody gives a shit until it affects them, and then they want somebody to stand up for their cause. It's sad, but sports has become almost too big in America these days. We put a priority emphasis on our favorite teams, and don't really care if these people turn a blind eye if they are protecting their team while doing so. They are just as selfish as the people enabling these child molesters.