Joe Paterno and President Out at Penn State

Could any of YOU really have let JOE PA off the hook, knowing what he knew and when? This could have stopped with ONE victim, instead their is probably going to be a couple dozen!

This shit that he went to his "superior" with what he knew and failed to follow up on the inactions of the AD are just too much to overcome.

So Long Joe Pa, enjoy your retirement.

I agree with the school's decision to fire everyone involved but there is something of a psychological phenomenon at play that I dont pretend to understand or be able to explain.

Why do some bishops turn their head on abuse of choir boys? Why do some women turn their heads when their husbands molest their child? Certainly they dont condone the activity. Its almost like some sort of defense mechanism that makes denial a more secure path than confrontation. I dont get it. I dont justify it. But his reaction is not unprecidented. I'm sure Dr Phil could explain it.

RD, how many times have you seen or heard about something that wasn't right and the powers that be just let it go after knowing about it? Hell, this happens in government every day and yet no one say anything unless people get caught.

Follow up? We are talking about an 80+ year old man here, I'm surprised he can coach, let alone remember what he told who, when?

Note: I am NOT condoning the actions of Joe Pa, just that if he heard or noticed anything illegal that he reported it.

Joe Pa first of all pissed off the trustees yesterday when he told them "That’s why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status."

His worst mistake in his statement was This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.

There are probably going to be big time civil lawsuits forthcoming against Penn State. That last statement could be interpreted that Paterno knew of it and went no further in reporting it. This defensive coordinator was allowed to still use the facilities at Penn State and brought children on campus subsequent to discovery of what he did.

The other question is what becomes of the team? There is one remaining assistant coach who witnessed this guy doing the molesting, but is still coaching.

The team is still in contention for the Rose Bowl.

Do they go out against Nebraska and win one for Joe Pa or do they collapse?

JoePa was paid handsomely, ruled with an apparently gentle but iron fist, and his actions over the years proved that in his mind he was Penn State, and a whole lot more. In other words, he made himself bigger than a mere football coach and was rewarded in the process. To think he did not have some higher moral and personal responsibility than simply clicking the appropriate box and alerting his superiors -- whom JoePa essentially ignored in recent years when convenient, you might recall -- when one of his guys, a center of the kid-supporting foundation JoePa was part/parcel of, was said to have been laying the wood to a child on school property, well, your sports allegiance has gotten the better of your brains.

Sorry, JoePa does not earn a pass because he was old or an institution or because he graduated tons of kids from what looks (looked?) to be a clean program. When you are The Man, you need to wear a man's shoes and show a man's sense of authority AND responsibility.

How can you applaud Penn State when the actual eye witness of this crime is still on the coaching staff?

_________________________________________________________________________________
just let it go after knowing about it? Hell, this happens in government every day and yet no one say
Follow up? We are talking about an 80+ year old man here, I'm surprised he can coach, let alone remember what he told who, when?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well he wasn't in his 80's when it was brought to his attention! IF he is that damn forgetful or lacking proper supervision he should have been excused long ago! No one deserves a "pass" on abuse of defenseless children! PERIOD

This is just another example of the false advertising that is America. "Innocent until proven guilty"??? Bullshit.

Old Joe gives 6+ decades of his life to Penn State, some loser assistant allegedly can't keep his penis out of little kids, and everybody is shown the door.

BUT WAIT!!! Nothing has been proven yet and nobody is any imminent danger, so there's no need to worry about doing anything yet! Nope, we're just going to do whatever we want anyway. What a joke.

Well actually here is the problem. This will most likely fall under a mandatory reporting situation. I guess it depends on what the rules where when this happened. But telling your superior DOES NOT comply with mandatory reporting. Each person that heard about this, whether a rumor or not, was to report it to the proper county/state authorities. You don't get a pass when you just tell your boss. If that is the case they are all guilty of not reporting in a mandatory reporting situation.