The Sins of The Father (Paterno)

espn.go.com ^ | July 13, 2012 | Rick Reilly

[ransomnote]

What a fool I was.

In 1986, I spent a week in State College, Pa., researching a 10-page Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year piece on Joe Paterno.

It was supposed to be a secret, but one night the phone in my hotel room rang. It was a Penn State professor, calling out of the blue.

"Are you here to take part in hagiography?" he said.

"What's hagiography?" I asked.

"The study of saints," he said. "You're going to be just like the rest, aren't you? You're going to make Paterno out to be a saint. You don't know him. He'll do anything to win. What you media are doing is dangerous."

Jealous egghead, I figured.

What an idiot I was.

Twenty-five years later, when former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was accused of a 15-year reign of pedophilia on young boys, I thought Paterno was too old and too addled to understand, too grandfatherly and Catholic to get that Sandusky was committing grisly crimes using Paterno's own football program as bait.

But I was wrong. Paterno knew. He knew all about it. He'd known for years. He knew and he followed it vigilantly.

[ransomnote]

More of the article at the link. Related articles on the right side of the page too.

[fortheDeclaration]

I talked about Paterno’s “true legacy” in all of this. Here’s his true legacy: Paterno let a child molester go when he could’ve stopped him. He let him go and then lied to cover his sinister tracks. He let a rapist go to save his own recruiting successes and fundraising pitches and big-fish-small-pond hide.

Here’s a legacy for you. Paterno’s cowardice and ego and fears allowed Sandusky to molest at least eight more boys in the years after that 1998 incident -

[pallis]

What if Sandusky wasn’t the only one molesting little boys? Could it have been a case of perverts of a feather molesting together? Maybe there is more to turn up.

[pepsionice]

Paterno has proven the case of having an independent sports director over the whole sports program and having an outsider occasionally come in and audit what really is going on. I will also make the case that we just don’t have coaches come into a program and stay two or three decades as the football coach anymore. Most guys come in....spend three to eight years, and then move on.

[Slings and Arrows]

I wonder where Dante would put Paterno? I’m thinking Circle 8, Pocket 8 (evil counselors).

[re_nortex]

I wonder where Dante would put Paterno?

No matter which circle, rest assured that the murderous Ted Kennedy is close at hand.

[ScottinVA]

That`s the sad part in all this. I admired Paterno, given his (now proven false) emphasis on off-the-field excellence.

Paterno had all the power he needed to put the whole issue to an abrupt and proper end. Upon first learning of the abuses, he should`ve immediately fired Sandusky and reported him to the LOCAL, not university police. He should`ve then pressed for a news conference announcing the action, along with the pledge of full cooperation with all investigations.

Maximum disclosure with minimum delay. Abiding by that often thorny, but wholly vital principle at the outset would`ve preserved PSU`s reputation and Paterno`s legacy. Most important, it would`ve gotten an evil sexual predator off the streets before other boys could be victimized.

[Slings and Arrows]

IMO, Teddy, in a Dantean universe, would be in Circle 9, Division 3 (Ptolomea) - treachery to guests.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

Corruption and protection of money producers is not uncommon at universities. Very disappointing, but very true.

Sexual harassment, cheating to get federal funds, and tolerated abuse of students and faculty by leadership occurs much more often than you might imagine, and the number of ‘buried’ stories, including the number and nature of ‘out of court settlements’ would be shocking if the details were let out.

At many universities, if Jack the Ripper brought enough money in they’d endow a chair for him, and/or make him emeritus faculty. I agree that the highest levels of university leadership should be held accountable, and in this Penn State case, if the president of the university knew and covered up, he should go to jail.

[Artie]

The NCAA has imposed a $60 million hit on them. What will be the total cost after the civil suits are filed? There isn’t enough punishment on earth for the crimes this University allowed to happen.

[MacMattico]

My Dad never liked Paterno. I always wondered why. I knew Penn State was a rival to his favorite team, but dad usually respected rival team's coaches and players if they played by the rules and he always used to say “Wow! nice play!” even if it was against our team. We were huge Yankee fans and he'd cheer for Boston if they were in the playoffs and the Yankees weren't, supporting the AL East, even against the Mets, and we're from NY.

My Dad died 9 years ago, and every time Paterno was shown he'd say “there's something wrong with that guy”. Which was strange to me. I wish I would have asked more.

I miss those days, though, my dad and I, a girl no less, bonding over football, basketball and baseball. And Paterno the only coach he ever said anything bad about. Weird.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

the highest levels of university leadership should be held accountable, and in this Penn State case, if the president of the university knew and covered up, he should go to jail.

In the disgrace of Paterno, Penn State has lost an ornament. In the case of Duke University’s response to the Crystal Mangum allegations and the lacrosse team’s subsequent vindication, the faculty and administration have showed themselves to be as self-serving as Jerry Sandusky. They tried to utterly destroy the reputations of students to satisfy their own vanity.

You send your child to college to improve their reputation by getting recommendations from faculty as well as a degree. Why would you ever consider a university which has shown that it is willing, nay eager, to do the exact opposite? Duke’s faculty as a whole disgraced Duke.

[FreedomPoster]

I lost a huge amount of respect for Mike Krzyzewski over those events. There was a guy who had to know the real story, who had the position and stature to be able to do what was right, and who didn’t say a thing to stop the witch hunt ruining the lives of a lot of kids. Was it as egregious as what Paterno did (didn’t do)? No, not by an order of magnitude. But it was bad enough, and showed that Mike was in it for Mike and his precious team, right and wrong be damned.

[Portcall24]

Wow! Powerful words of disgust.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

Totally agree.

[spankalib]

We should all learn to not let the enemy use language that covers up the real issue.
He’s “subtil” indeed, getting this ‘slider’ over the corner of most people’s plates...
I want FReepers to stay sharp, be on top of the issues, inhabit Realville:

“pedophilia on young boys” = PEDERASTY

Make no mistake. As vile as it is, mere pedophilia conjures up...well, what do you think?

PEDERASTY otoh, spotlights exactly how homos RECRUIT.
Use it.
Correct it.
Shine the light of truth on these reprobates.
nuff said.

[SkyPilot]

"We are Penn State!"

That is what the drunken, screaming, violent mob of Penn State students and fans chanted to "protest" Paterno's firing.

This is what happens when you worship idols instead of Almighty God. Your idols can be sports, money, sex, power, fame, vanity.......you name it.

I like to watch NFL football and college basketball, but I am so put off by the extremes of many of the fans. They remind me of pagans on a rampage.

Here is a hint: if you are this far gone as a sports fan of any team or anything, you have lost perspective.

The football program at Penn State became pagan worship. Rather than enjoy it is a game and a sport, it became the identity and source of worship to many of it's "fans."

[PA-RIVER]

I always thought the worship of this man was way over the top. That it was kind of sick. Maybe your dad saw what I saw. Paterno never discouraged the worshiping. He seemed to wallow in it like a pig.

[albie]

Interesteing story about your Father. Thanks for sharing! Sounds like a good, honest, level headed man.

[Hoodat]

This is far from over. Sandusky has been pimping out these young boys to like-minded Penn State boosters. The NCAA has decided to quickly drop any further investigation of these boosters in exchange for a $60 million windfall, as they encourage the Penn State football team to get back to work, sell more tickets, win more games, and send the profits to Indianapolis.

Not only should they raze the entire Penn State campus, they should raze the NCAA as well.