E-Mails Suggest Paterno Role in Silence on Sandusky
 

Way to point the finger at someone who can no longer defend himself. Leave Paterno alone. It's time for the victims and Penn State to begin to heal.

It's not like they wrote the emails after he died. The investigation will continue, and this does not bode well for Penn State.

Heal? Right. Because getting ass raped by an old man is exactly the same as watching your college athletic hero and program fall from grace.

Maybe they can go out and have some ice cream to make them feel better and make it all go away.

Do you think the criminal investigations should stop because Joe Paterno died? Do you realize that at least some of the victims are going to sue Penn State, and all involved parties?

This is called being responsible and leaving no stone unturned. Sorry if that offends your delicate sensibilities.

Personally, I think Joe Paterno was mainly a figurehead and had no clue what he was doing for quite a few years before he died - in any sphere of his life.

I'll leave judgement until I can actually see the emails. I have never understood the point of "well we have this thing that says so and so but we're not going to let you see it."

Or maybe it can stay in the news for as long as possible and it will make the victims feel better. Right.

Penn State Proud
 

As a Penn State Alumna, I am upset with everything going on. I will say that I would appreciate if people would STOP assuming Penn Staters are upset about our "college athletic hero and program" falling from grace. Penn State is SO MUCH MORE than a football program. Though I am incredibly disgusted by some of the people who chose to turn the other cheek (certain people in power who were not even Penn State Alumni), I will not allow this scandal to define my college experience and the pride I take in proudly telling people I graduated from Penn State. I guarantee that there are MANY other Penn State Alums that would say the same thing. So, while this is upsetting, please stop pointing the finger and ASSUMING that Penn Staters are "drinking the Kool-Aid" or "upset about the football program/ hero" and recognize that Penn State was/ is our home.

I think I see what NutBrnHair is getting at, after reading the article.

"But in one e-mail, Curley wrote that after talking to Paterno, he no longer wanted to go forward with that plan."

and

"Wick Sollers, a lawyer for the Paterno family, said in a statement: “To be clear, the e-mails in question did not originate with Joe Paterno or go to him, as he never personally utilized e-mail. "

This article is pretty vague. Nothing concrete is said. It's not revealing some email from Paterno to Spanier, Curley, etc. that says "Leave Sandusky alone." It's speculation, and reads pretty weakly to me.

I'm not a Paterno/Penn State apologist, and if more comes out to this, I'm not going to stick my head in the sand about it. But all of the FB postings I've seen to the effect of "ZOMG JoePa covered it up! Penn State should kill off its football team! The NCAA should kill off the Penn State team," well, if they're based on this article, it's sensationalism and a huge rush to judgment. Sorry, I want something more substantial.

Time after time you go out of your way to prove what an ignorant idiot you are.

I wasn't assuming anything. I was responding to her ridiculous comment that equated the sexual assault victims' need to heal with those in the Penn State community who might require 'healing.'

I don't always agree with anything she says (practically never) but, resorting to name-calling because someone disagrees with you? It's pretty hard to take your stance seriously when you act like that. Yes, you were ASSUMING that Penn Staters were concerned about our "football program/ hero" and to think that people who currently attend or have attended aren't being shaken by this as well, is pretty ignorant on your part (see, I can name-call too). Do you have ANY IDEA how many of my sisters have been harassed by strangers or, in some cases, by co-workers and supervisors because of everything going on? No, you don't! So, maybe you should take that into account before you start acting like this doesn't affect MANY people on a grand scale. For those of us who work with at-risk youth (many of whom have been victimized) don't try telling me that we all care about our program and NOT about kids.

Geez... thanks. :(

I hope I didn't offend you. I did not mean to hurt your feelings. I was just saying that we don't always see eye-to-eye on certain issues (tiers/ rankings). It was not a slight against you. I still think you are a wonderful person. I apologize if I hurt your feelings.

I do think there are many individuals and groups who need to heal -- for different reasons and different degrees -- sure. And no, I'm not a "Penn State fan."

They keep dropping Joe Pa's name because it gets headlines, but that's not what this is really about. It is about the institutional power that would allow something like this to happen without anyone speaking up, and that deserves an investigation. From a very-big-picture standpoint, it's not even about Penn State, as we will likely see changes at schools across the country.

That said, I don't think there is any reason to let sleeping dogs lie. When this is all said and done, there should be no stone unturned, IMO.

No, no we're cool. I should have copied GreekGeek's quote, but it was so nasty I didn't want to repost it.

Okay, good. I do not purposely go out of my way to offend people on here (unless they sit around and start bashing various sororities/ fraternities). I really like what DeltaBetaBaby said. She hit the nail on the head. I'm sure we will see many things come from these horrible events. I pray for the victims.

Illinois has already passed a new law that greatly expands the number of state employees who are mandated reporters. I've been notified that I should expect further information on training to arrive shortly.

From time to time, I notice that GC still has rational and reasonable people left on it. Thank you.

If any of you ever follow fan boards such as Rivals.com, you'd perhaps see the sort of "deniers" who are hell bent on what they see as their job to come to the defense of PSU, mainly the football program, and at the bottom line, the resultant blowback from fans and alums of other schools has made the University an object of scorn and ridicule.

Penn State is a fine University, one that will have to endure an enormous hit to its reputation for years to come. Sadly, part of that is the result of the reaction that some fans and alumni had when the news broke. I'm thinking it will change the culture in such a small town, and I hope it's for the better.

I think we had an earlier thread that addressed how this is about institutional dynamics and not about Penn State specifically. I, for one, have never given a damn about Penn State and did not start giving a damn because of this situation. I care about those kids, Sandusky being found guilty, and the institutional dynamics that made this possible at Penn State and any institution.


There are Penn Staters who are only concerned with the football team, reputation of the school, and other things of minimal importance. Penn Staters are not monolithic and cannot be painted with a broad brush.

As for your sisters, if they fear for their safety tell them to call 911. If they fear for their Penn State pride or inconvenience tell them to brush it off and get over it.

There's obviously room for reasonable people to disagree, but here's what we do know from the emails currently released:

1 - The emails are "encoded" in a CYA maneuver by three men who know their emails are a matter of public record - because of that, it's reasonable to infer that there is more than the "surface" reading going on.

2 - The emails say that the decision to effectively bury the Sandusky matter (by going to HIM rather than the POLICE) occurs after a meeting with Paterno, and likely that meeting was basis in part for the decision. True, there's no evidence that Paterno said "Don't go to the police, please" - but there's pretty solid evidence he did not say "Please go to the police" given the nature of the emails and subsequent actions.

It's not necessarily damning, but it's clear there was a coverup, and given Paterno's stature, he's at least involved as a University representative (and friend of Sandusky), if not directly. And it very well could be read as he was directly involved in the coverup as well.

Exactly. And arguments being made on both sides of the fence are quite ridiculous...

Trying to eliminate the football program won't help. Attempting to defend the football program won't either.

This isn't about football.. or Penn State.. or whatever else people seem to associate it with. This is about someone abusing his power, and in turn, abusing kids. And other people in positions of power decided not to act appropriately. It's sad. And disgusting. As a Penn Stater, I wanted so badly to believe that no one attempted to cover it up. However, reality eventually sets in, people are fired or resign, and trials take place. The school will eventually get past this and things will return to normal. Unfortunately, for some of those kids, they may never again know what "normal" is.

I HOPE the investigation continues, and I hope that every detail about what happened and who was involved comes to the surface. No one should get away with ANYTHING in this case. Paterno passing away doesn't change that.

:)The sad thing is, this could have happened anywhere in any sports program. It's not unique to Penn State. It's not unique to sports. It happens anytime people in power sacrifice the weak for the benefit of those who are strong. We see it all the time. It will never change. Sadly, otherwise good people justify covering up these heinous actions. We've seen it now with the church and with officials at Penn State. God only knows where else this ugliness breeds.

:) This is where we keep saying the same thing over and over again. Yes, this can happen at any institution. Yes, this is about power dynamics. No, this is not just about college athletics. No, this is not just about Penn State.

Now that we have appeased some of the Penn Staters and anti-Penn Staters who needed this redundancy (they know who they are--I do not think they are in this thread):

Jerry Sandusky Case: Paterno family urges release of all Penn State memos in scandal

BTW...don't know where the smiley face came from. It popped up on my post and when you're on an iPad, it's too big of a pain in the ass to get rid of it.

Now that we're done petting the Penn Staters, I'm sick of hearing people jump to Paterno's defense to the detriment of the entire case. Being a good coach with a great reputation, dying of cancer before the end of the investigation and being an institution in the State of Pennsylvania do not earn you a pass. He may come out fine in the end, but IF he was involved in a cover up, all his good work deserves a nice thick coat of tarnish.

I was intrigued by ":) The sad thing is...."

From the general public's perspective (since we only know the after the fact cliff notes of Sandusky's offenses, Paterno's health, and the institutional dynamics) this all happened so darn quickly. Those who are in shock and awe (and who feel the need to pick a side) will make some...interesting...comments. I think Paterno's family just wants the truth to be told if there will be an investigation at the institution-level. They want ALL the emails to be released rather than a biased selection of emails.

Redundancy/

The-institution-that-shall-not-be-named did what many institutions have done/would do/will do by responding almost too darn quickly (i.e., replacing Sandusky on the mural and alleged debate over Paterno statue). This made it seem as though they were saving face, protecting their brand, keeping their money, etc. It made some people think the officials at The-institution-that-shall-not-be-named were more "oh snap, what was in the dark is now in the light" rather than "darn, we never knew the alleged incidents were happening...omg."

Again, perception.

/Redundancy

Seriously, what is your problem? So, Penn Staters are not allowed to be upset about this whole thing? What holier-than-thou school did you attend that you think it is okay to talk about us like we are a bunch of children who need our egos stroked?

Certainly your reading comprehension is better than this. Take off your Penn State Goggles for a second.

I take offense to her statement. I don't feel the need to be "petted" or given special treatment. I just ask that people not continue to jump to conclusions and realize that while college is four years for some people, Penn State is more than college to many of us Alumni. It represents so much more than just somewhere we earned a college degree. No need to be hateful. The Penn State goggles statement also falls along those lines. Normally I agree with what you say but, I am a bit upset you would feel the need to say something like this, as well.

Then her comment does not apply to you. Duh. Use your reading comprehension skills.

You will get over it.

The fact of the matter is that Penn Staters like you are one of the reasons why this will keep being about Penn State--almost to the detriment of the much larger point.

The "Penn State goggles" statement is far from offensive LOL

No one is telling you how to feel, but if you can't enter a discussion without proclaiming "OMG WE ARE PENN STATE I CANNOT EAT OR BREATHE BECAUSE PENN STATE IS TARNISHED" then, yes, you need to take a step back.

Look at this as "a child abuse case" and not as "a child abuse case at Penn State involving Penn State students and alumni in the state of Pennsylvania"

And I am amused that someone who proclaims "Penn State is more than college to many of us Alumni. It represents so much more than just somewhere we earned a college degree" will be in denial about sometimes wearing Penn State Goggles that erode her reading comprehension.

Sure, als463 feels empathy and sympathy for these children. But after it is all said and done, als463 has typed more in all of these threads about her love for Penn State than she has about these children and the details of the actual trial.

It's also naive to think that this is unique to Penn State.

Part of group pride is the belief that your group invented the wheel.

Alas, this has become about Penn State again. :eek: Thanks, als463!!

I certainly appreciate what you're saying and I believe that the majority of PSU graduates are of a similar mind.

But to those who are seeing this tragedy from afar may read things on message boards by a small minority who are vocal and angry that PSU is in the spotlight and that includes those who never set foot on the PSU campus, and are only followers of the sports teams. These folks grind their ax, so to speak, from a football fan's POV, and it can negatively affect the overall impression that others may have of the institution.

The surest cure is time, in my opinion.

And here I thought we'd gotten past the PSU aspect of all of this. als463, go back and read my post in context with the three before it.

Report Finds Penn State President, Paterno Concealed Facts About Sex Sandusky Abuse


A Problem Far Greater Than Penn State

Re the second article - how many of the boys who were abused actually went on to play football for Penn State? Of those, how many were superstar players?

I mean I kind of understand what they're saying, but the crux of the situation is that Sandusky used his powerful position to gain greater access to these boys. It didn't DO anything for the school. It didn't give them a better football record (like the paid for players at SMU). It didn't put more money in PSU's pocket (like the paid for players at SMU).

He could have just as easily have been, say, the guy who runs the Creamery who made a point of employing underage girls with big breasts. I'm also sure there are superstar professors at every school who could get away with this.

Comparing PSU and SMU is just apples and oranges. If you want to say "this is what happens when college ball is too much of a big deal" you have to gut the whole system, not just Penn State. And really, what happened has nothing to do with football. It has to do w/ people in powerful positions abusing that power. PERIOD.