Paterno Fired

[DoW]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7211281/penn-state-nittany-lions-joe-paterno-retire-end-season

You think of sports icons and how you wish they would have left before being forced too or circimstances warranted it.
What happened at Penn St. is a mess and a disgrace.  It sad that Joe Pa's tenure ends like this.

[danje]

As a current Penn State student, I think he and everyone involved should be long gone. Absolute fucking bullshit that anyone involved is still associated with the university at this point.

[runawayjimbo]

As a current Penn State student, I think he and everyone involved should be long gone. Absolute fucking bullshit that anyone involved is still associated with the university at this point.

I'm glad to hear you say that, danje. In Philly, there are obviously a lot of PSU people and it's amazing to me the way people are defending him. I understand students/alumni have an attachment to him, but when you think about the fact they knew about this and could have prevented further abuse it's pretty sickening.

It is a shame that a reportedly reputable coach would have to leave in disgrace like this, but given the circumstances, I surprised he's even finishing the season.

Is it too soon to do a "What's the best thing about having sex with a 10 yr old in the shower?" joke?

[UncleEbinezer]

As a current Penn State student, I think he and everyone involved should be long gone. Absolute fucking bullshit that anyone involved is still associated with the university at this point.

I'm glad to hear you say that, danje. In Philly, there are obviously a lot of PSU people and it's amazing to me the way people are defending him. I understand students/alumni have an attachment to him, but when you think about the fact they knew about this and could have prevented further abuse it's pretty sickening.

It is a shame that a reportedly reputable coach would have to leave in disgrace like this, but given the circumstances, I surprised he's even finishing the season.

Yeah, its always too soon.  Please just delete that comment.

As for the rest of your statement, its really hard for people to disconnect emotion from reality.  I think as more time goes on people will recognize that this is a different type of issue where you report it and you've done your duty.  Its not a victimless type of report, this is clearly disgusting.

[nab]

Gotta admit, I'm next to clueless when it comes to the college sports world.  I didn't even know who Paterno was until this story broke.  Now that I've spent a couple of days reading news stories and familiarizing myself with the man, I can see why people are attached to the man.  I get the impression that people held him in high regard as a paragon of not only longevity, but also as a sounding board of virtue and ethics.


The glaring inconsistency in continueing to defend this vision of the man, from my ill-informed point of view, is that it isn't as if his involvement in this case happened only yesterday, it happened almost 10 years ago.  That means that the man has been a co-conspirator, at the very least (and obviously more) in a lie for the better part of a decade. 

How can anyone who has been actively engaged in such unethical behavior for that amount of time be defended as a paragon of ethics.

[iamhydroJen]

I have only read a little bit about this story, but it is absolutely disgusting.  Can someone explain how, after all these years, the people involved/who knew about what was going are now just being held accountable for all of this?  I don't understand that...

[UncleEbinezer]

I have only read a little bit about this story, but it is absolutely disgusting.  Can someone explain how, after all these years, the people involved/who knew about what was going are now just being held accountable for all of this?  I don't understand that...

I don't either.  Its been really interesting as more facts are coming forward that there seem to have been multiple cover-ups about this. 

The guys on ESPN radio (Colin Cowherd and Scott Van Pelt) have been doing a fantastic job covering things.

[VDB]

I have only read a little bit about this story, but it is absolutely disgusting.  Can someone explain how, after all these years, the people involved/who knew about what was going are now just being held accountable for all of this?  I don't understand that...

I have an incomplete understanding of the details, but I think it's because a handful of people, such as Paterno and the graduate assistant, thought they were fulfilling their obligation by passing the report up the ladder, but whoever stood on the top rung never bothered to bring law enforcement into it.

Here again, this should serve as a lesson on the dangers of lionizing and ascribing broad virtues to a person based upon his exploits in sports. Yet we seem to do it all the time.

[danje]

I'm shocked at the support Paterno is receiving. It's crazy how many people up here are defending him. Super, super fucked up.

[VDB]

I have only read a little bit about this story, but it is absolutely disgusting.  Can someone explain how, after all these years, the people involved/who knew about what was going are now just being held accountable for all of this?  I don't understand that...

I don't either.  Its been really interesting as more facts are coming forward that there seem to have been multiple cover-ups about this. 

The guys on ESPN radio (Colin Cowherd and Scott Van Pelt) have been doing a fantastic job covering things.

This kind of story ought to be right in Cowherd's wheelhouse.

[blatboom]

Fuck Joe Paterno.  sweet pep rally on your front lawn last night clown.

[runawayjimbo]

Fuck Joe Paterno.  sweet pep rally on your front lawn last night clown.

What, you mean the one where he said this to a crowd of adoring students:

And as I said, I don't know if you heard me or not, is, you know, the kids who were victims or whatever they want to say, I think we all ought to say a prayer for them. It's a tough life when people do certain things to you. But anyway, you've been great. You've been really great.

Stay classy, JoePa

Now being reported that University president Graham Spanier will resign or get the boot by the end of the day.

[mehead]

the fact that Paterno is even being given the option to retire is an absolute joke - his ass should be fired

I have only read a little bit about this story, but it is absolutely disgusting.  Can someone explain how, after all these years, the people involved/who knew about what was going are now just being held accountable for all of this?  I don't understand that...

I have an incomplete understanding of the details, but I think it's because a handful of people, such as Paterno and the graduate assistant, thought they were fulfilling their obligation by passing the report up the ladder, but whoever stood on the top rung never bothered to bring law enforcement into it.

Here again, this should serve as a lesson on the dangers of lionizing and ascribing broad virtues to a person based upon his exploits in sports. Yet we seem to do it all the time.

and if they thought they were doing the right thing by telling the person above them - that's bullshit! we're not talking about a recruiting violation - we're talking about a 10 yr old boy getting raped in the shower...this is criminal...the guy that witnessed it should've stopped what was going on and called the cops immediately

[VDB]

Fuck Joe Paterno.  sweet pep rally on your front lawn last night clown.

What, you mean the one where he said this to a crowd of adoring students:

And as I said, I don't know if you heard me or not, is, you know, the kids who were victims or whatever they want to say, I think we all ought to say a prayer for them. It's a tough life when people do certain things to you. But anyway, you've been great. You've been really great.

What the f is that supposed to mean? Is Joe Paterno such a geezer that he thinks child molestation is some bullshit new-age "problem" like restless leg syndrome or something?

[UncleEbinezer]

I have only read a little bit about this story, but it is absolutely disgusting.  Can someone explain how, after all these years, the people involved/who knew about what was going are now just being held accountable for all of this?  I don't understand that...

I don't either.  Its been really interesting as more facts are coming forward that there seem to have been multiple cover-ups about this. 

The guys on ESPN radio (Colin Cowherd and Scott Van Pelt) have been doing a fantastic job covering things.

This kind of story ought to be right in Cowherd's wheelhouse.

Yeah, I caught him at lunch and he was seriously going off on some idiot that called in.  I don't always agree with him, but he has a very unique way of presenting his arguments. 

the fact that Paterno is even being given the option to retire is an absolute joke - his ass should be fired

I have only read a little bit about this story, but it is absolutely disgusting.  Can someone explain how, after all these years, the people involved/who knew about what was going are now just being held accountable for all of this?  I don't understand that...

I have an incomplete understanding of the details, but I think it's because a handful of people, such as Paterno and the graduate assistant, thought they were fulfilling their obligation by passing the report up the ladder, but whoever stood on the top rung never bothered to bring law enforcement into it.

Here again, this should serve as a lesson on the dangers of lionizing and ascribing broad virtues to a person based upon his exploits in sports. Yet we seem to do it all the time.

and if they thought they were doing the right thing by telling the person above them - that's bullshit! we're not talking about a recruiting violation - we're talking about a 10 yr old boy getting raped in the shower...this is criminal...the guy that witnessed it should've stopped what was going on and called the cops immediately

Agreed.  I think what is really weird about what is being reported is that this was "witnessed."  I only use quotes because it seems so outrageous that this would be witnessed and not dealt with correctly.  No matter the relationship you may have with the adult, it is disgusting.  A 10 year old!  It makes me want to cry.