Penn State's Joe Paterno gets what he deserves

SF Chronicle ^ | Nov. 10, 2011 | Scott Ostler

[Colofornian]

Folks, this is Joe Paterno's legacy.

E-mails jump into my inbox defending Paterno...

I won't remember what Paterno did, but what he didn't do. What he didn't do is what got him fired...

Firing Joe Paterno doesn't fix everything, but it's a great start.

[Paladin2]

Don't be an ageist.

JoePa was obviously still in full control of his facilities and with long experience in the field was likely an expert in figuring out what was going on around him.

[Colofornian]

OK. I'll accept your distinctions.

I guess what you said earlier could have just been worded a bit better...sounded too "absolutish"

[Paladin2]

PennState had NO problem whitewashing Michael Mann’s ClimateGate issues.

[StonyMan451]

When you think about it, Paterno did EXACTLY what so many Catholic bishops did. I wonder how many of the students who rioted last night in support of Paterno were critical of the bishops and the way they handled accusations of child sex abuse by those under their authority.

The students at Penn State and all those who defend Paterno, saying “but don’t forget all the good he did” should try applying those same words to the bishops and see if they feel the same way.

It is misguided loyalty.

As for me, I say Paterno should share the same jail cell as those guilty bishops.

[skeeter]

Paterno didn't rape anyone, so yes I consider him less guilty.

I shouldn't have to point that out.

If anything, he's considered MORE guilty because he's got a recognizable name.

[hecht]

I also wonder if Paterno is being scapegoated to keep the homosexual angle off the headlines

[kosciusko51]

Colofornian, I hope you didn't not think that I meant anyone who lived in SF couldn't comment on it. I just meant that the press in SF can have no moral outrage if they turn a blind eye to the immorality in their own back yard.

[Paladin2]

Ask the former PennState Prez.

[NewinTexsas]

The perp was “run off campus,” but what were Paterno and the school thinking? Just don’t do it here?

Actually he ran his boys camp on campus till 2008 when the investigation began and he was still seen using the facilities as of last week. They took his keys away only AFTER the indictments were released. They allowed him the use of campus facilities all during the three year investigation.

[NewinTexsas]

I also wonder if Paterno is being scapegoated to keep the homosexual angle off the headlines

He isn't being scape-goated.

[combat_boots]

Excellent point

[TheOldLady]

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[Paladin2]

How crude to think of Islamic goats being used instead of young boys.

[Razzz42]

Essentially, a predator was caught in the act but had others directly connected to him that knew and/or were participating in the same deviant acts elsewhere in time.

That predator is not prosecuted so as to avoid exposing a criminal enterprise, such as a predator’s farm.

This time around it involves a college and its administration, football coaching staff, self-police force, counsel and programs funded through the college besides city and state police forces along with Attorney Generals.

You can include the media as part of any coverup.

Thank gawd for Grand Juries but even this one investigating and uncovering the allegations took years due to the uncooperative witnesses germane to the matter hence the perjury charges.

Tough to do discovery when a criminal enterprise resembles the mafia whereas the victims are just the cost of doing business.

[taterjay]

This is a good lesson for me and a stark reminder for all of us to do right and to be defenders of the helpless, NO MATTER THE COST. Those in leadership have to be aware of all that is going on at all times. We must be prepared at all times because things like this will never happen at convenient moments.

[ExNewsExSpook]

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened at Sandusky’s “retirement” meeting in 1999. After being told to submit his retirement papers (for obvious reasons), he simply stated that if he went down, he’d take the entire university with him. And so the cover-up began.

And if anyone at Happy Valley thinks the worst of this is over, they are sadly mistaken. There will be more firings, more indictments and by some estimates, the university and the athletic program will have to pay out more than $100 million to settle scores of lawsuits.

Paterno once said he could “never” retire and leave college football in the hands of outlaws like Barry Switzer and Jackie Sherrill. What a sanctimonious ass. Switzer and Sherill were mere cheaters; JoePa helped a child rapist evade justice. Forget about all those wins; that will be his (fitting) legacy.

[ClearBlueSky]

So someone who SEES a rape, and someone who KNOWS someone raped AND PROTECTS THEM FOR YEARS is ‘less guilty’ to you.

I pray that none of your children are ever preyed upon. Then you won’t be as ‘fair’ about those who aided and abetted the perpetrator-thus allowing him to attack other children.

The ‘recognizable names’ here enabled this behavior.So now Paterno is a ‘victim’ of his icon status!!!??

You make my point.
The ‘stardom’ of these people is more important than the violated children.

[dfwgator]

Paterno once said he could “never” retire and leave college football in the hands of outlaws like Barry Switzer and Jackie Sherrill.

What he meant is, he couldn't leave it in the hands of somebody who would discover the shenanigans that occurred on his watch.

[Colofornian]

he ran his boys camp on campus till 2008

We know Sandusky ran camps not only thru the Second Mile Foundation, but also under his own personal entity: Sandusky Associates.

He ran sports camps for 4th graders on up @ the following campuses (some of these thru 2008):

* Penn State Erie (Penn State Behrend),
* Penn State Harrisburg (Capital College in Middletown)
* Robert Morris University
* Muhlenberg College
* Among others

[Parents in PA...if your kid -- even now grown-up adult -- attended a sports camp @ one of these sites...talk to them]

Note that two of the campuses that Sandusky had continued access to after 2002 were Penn State satellite campuses...IOW Penn State was willing to expose itself on other campuses for the sake of the continued "glory" of THE Penn State fooball program and its local personality god, JoePa.

For details see:
* Penn State assistant coach ran kid camps after ban
* Sandusky led camp at Penn State Behrend ['Snow ball effect beyond State College]

[skeeter]

A no-name in Paterno's position wouldn't be accused of the same things Paterno is being accused of. No one would think twice about their role.

So you make MY point. I guarantee half the people out there hearing these reports share your opinion that Paterno was 'protecting' the rapist. Even though there is no such evidence.