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Posted on 11/12/2011 8:13:38 AM PST by Kaslin
Back in 1999, I was driving into State College for a Penn State football game, listening to the pregame show on the radio.
They were interviewing Jerry Sandusky about his impending retirement. The play-by-play man asked him how much he had enjoyed working with Joe Paterno.
“Nobody enjoys working for Joe,” Sandusky said. “He’s hard on everyone. He demands perfection, and perfection is hard to achieve. And he lets you know about it when you fall short.”
The host sort of recoiled from the answer, but the color man cackled and said, “Yeah, Joe and Jerry don’t exactly see eye to eye.”
The color man was George Paterno, brother of the coach.
That’s what makes the defense of Joe Paterno offered by Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post and others so absolutely misguided. Jenkins’ idea was to call a shrink and ask him about the psychology of reporting one’s friends for the acts of which Sandusky has been accused.
But Sandusky wasn’t a friend. He was a co-worker, an underling – and one, by then, whom Paterno knew to be capable of some ghastly things. So what if we rethink this and view Paterno not as a man of honor who protected his friend out of misguided loyalty but as CEO of a corporation – which, essentially, is what a major college football coach is – who has discovered misdeeds by a top executive?
And make no mistake, whether he liked him or not, Paterno did protect Sandusky. He knew about the 1999 incident. He knew about the 2002 incident. He probably knew much more. Yet, he allowed this alleged predator to go on for another decade, even though he knew Sandusky was a foster parent and head of a charity that brought vulnerable children into his orbit.
And remember, Sandusky would be on the loose today if it were up to Joe Paterno. The coach can say what he wants about hindsight. But for hindsight to be meaningful, it has to come before the frog march. Ask Jack Abramoff.
The I-told-my-boss defense also does not fly for Joe. It’s fine if you start out that way. You tell your boss. You get the paper for a week. If you don’t see a story in the paper about what you told your boss, you take other action. Particularly if you’re Joe Paterno.
Because if you’re Joe Paterno, your boss – the athletic director – is not actually your boss. He can’t fire you – the AD tried once, with the help of the president of the university, and Joe rebuffed it. He can’t discipline you – Paterno’s version of right and wrong is infinitely more credible than the ADs to the people who care about Penn State football. And the performance review is done by the TV-watching, ticket-buying, suite-reserving, game-attending public, which cares all about Ws and Ls and nothing about your opinion.
It’s a little more complicated if you’re Mike McQueary. To him, Joe is much more than a friend. He is a mentor, a boss, an example of what manhood and leadership are supposed to be. If he thinks the Sandusky secret should stay in-house, it is not as easy to go against this. But go against this you must.
But back to the original question: If Paterno didn’t protect Sandusky out of friendship and loyalty, then why? And why did those whose ties are not as strong – the president of the school, the VP of finance, the athletic director – not only not come forward but affirmatively lie on Sandusky’s behalf?
There is a good chance the AD and vice president could go to prison for awhile … and perhaps longer if more details emerge.
And how big is this cone of silence? Does it include the university police? The local police? Other state officials and/or office-holders? And, again, why? What are these victims to make of the community they live in and the men who run it? Did nobody care about them enough to stand up and stop this?
This time last week, we all assumed these were decent men. The rioters in State College obviously still think Paterno is.
Why then? Why was this hidden? A lot of people think the secret inside the secret has been revealed – what on earth could be worse than a 40-count indictment for child molestation? But some other secret was bigger. That secret is worth keeping even if it means prison for some of the top officials at Penn State and, for Paterno, the loss of the job that seemed to be his for life and a reputation envied by all in his profession.
That must be one hell of a secret.
Thanks
****This whole thing is sick, depraved, and digusting. Corruption and crime at the highest levels of that school and I bet it reaches out beyond that given the money, power and prestige this thing threatened.****
This is the kind of thing that makes the Clinton death toll numbers sound believable.
In a nation where Barney Frank is STILL a Congressman, despite running a gay pedophile hooker ring out of his basement, why is anyone surprised by this??
It will probably bankrupt the state of Pennsylvania
JUST NOW:
New Pedo St Prez Erickson says that if Penn State earns the right to go to a Bowl Game, they SHOULD!
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, FOLKS
You should have seen all the Freepers defending their “pride” over Penn State today in earlier threads.
I am going to throw this out there for the purpose of clearing some questions in my mind. NOTHING is inferred.
He seems to have been a straight shooter. Is there any possibility that Gricar could have been paid off in 1998 and then when this issue came up again, he panicked?
I am throwing this out for input from those who know more than I.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/11/penn-state-scandal-police-ray-gricar-sandusky_n_1088790.html
(excerpt)
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The man investigating the 2005 disappearance of a central Pennsylvania prosecutor doesn’t believe it is linked to the prosecutor’s 1998 decision to not file child-sex charges against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
***not sure I believe that after reading the family’s opinion****
will be on Judge Jeanine at 9pm Fox News
I still say they have earned the right to go to the State Penn.
I watched Anderson Cooper looking very concerned that “anal intercourse” had occurred in the showers.........it makes me wonder how Anderson knew so much about tea bagging?
You're right on this one - your plan is superior.
I'm wrong.
It happens - thanks for sharing. :)
So what was on his hard drive that he could not allow to be revealed? It was so important that, even if he committed suicide, he could not let that information out.
How does this sound? He knew about Sandusky as far back as 1998. The stuff he wanted to purge from his hard drive incriminated a lot of Penn State people. He suffered from depression. He did not want to be known as the one who brought down Penn State, but he couldn't live with himself knowing what was going on.
He killed himself and destroyed the evidence.
bttt
I wish FR had a 'Like' button like Facebook.
Then if the Madden rumor of a Big Wheel pedophile ring being supplied by Sandusky is true the next obvious step is to go over it’s donor list with a fine-tooth comb. That’s where the leads will be.
well....your not gonna get it.....you get what you see....jim said so.....now make your quarterly offering.....
When they are getting ready to hunt down the pervs they are fearful.
“I wish FR had a ‘Like’ button like Facebook.”
Nah - this system is better!
When a particular comment strikes you, you can BTTT with any old comment you want - your was a good one; just be prepared to be open with your sentiment.
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