Joe Paterno - It Shouldn't Have Ended This Way.

Long-time Nittany Lions Head Coach Joe Paterno has been caught up in a very ugly scandal involving Jerry Sandusky, his ex-defense coach.

Also, Paterno has announced his retirement at the end of this season.

I've not read the above link, but I've read a fair bit on ESPN over the past two day. Very Ugly scandal indeed.

College football cant help but pick these scandals up atm, but this is the clear worst of the bunch.

I'm not really sure what to say on it really. If someone or multiple people in the organisation knew about this via the witnessing then there is something plain wrong with them not to have reported it to the correct authorities.

I was shocked at how long Joe Paterno had been in charge when I first got involved in CFB (Since 1966 for those that don't know... yes the year England won the World Cup!) and he is clearly an icon of the game and that University, but this is a seemingly shameful end and tarnishes his legacy no end.

Joe was king in Happy Valley. If Joe took something seriously, those around him mirrored him. If he brushed it off, same deal. Sadly, in this case, Joe didn't do enough when Sandusky was spotted doing something in a university shower with a boy. Jerry Sandusky was Joe's heir apparent and at the height of his career when he disappeared. And now we know why.

I always liked Joe Pa, but now his legacy is beyond tarnished.

It's a very bad scandal and doesn't reflect well on Penn State University as a whole organisation, could have the potential to affect their ability to attract students. Although it's obviously good that such things are being found about however long after the original event, there is a slight shame that a guy who has been at Penn State from assistant coach in 1950 to head coach in 1966 and is now having to resign at the end of the season in part due to this scandal, with the American press from what I can work out effectively calling for his head.

Back Nebraska this Sat would be my advice.....

Seriously, college football has had plenty of rough press in the last year or two, when a legacy like this ends and especially in such circumstances it's always sad, but as a parent I have to say that you entrust schools with the safety and wellbeing of your children and the very least you expect is your child to be protected from danger from those in charge.
As for Paterno, my guess is that the love he had for the college and having committed a lifetime of effort towards the programme, he couldn't bare to see anything threaten the colleges name so chose to keep things 'in-house'.
How he went to work every day with Sardusky afterwards though is another question....

I read the grand jury evidence thingy. Very dark stuff in there.

What Sandusky did was unforgivable, but what Penn State Did as well just beggars belief.

Not surprising that many of the nfl analysts on twitter (especially those with kids, and those normally impartial) are going mental about this.

He has been sacked, along with the School President.

I have no sympathy for him at all and there can be no credible excuses from anyone who is alleged to have been involved in the cover up of such an alleged crime. Especially when it appears that the cover up may have allowed other children to fall victim.

Just got worse: Jerry Sandusky 'Pimped Out Young Boys To Rich Donors'

http://www.businessinsider.com/jerry-sandusky-donors-2011-11

Sandusky is being charged with:
•Seven counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, all first-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
•One count of aggravated indecent assault, a second-degree felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
•Four counts of unlawful contact with a minor, all first-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
•Four counts of unlawful contact with a minor, all third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
•Four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, all third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
•Four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, all first-degree misdemeanors which are each punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
•Eight counts of corruption of minors, all first-degree misdemeanors which are each punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
•One count of indecent assault, a third-degree felony punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
•Four counts of indecent assault, all second-degree misdemeanors which are each punishable by up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
•Two counts of indecent assault, all first-degree misdemeanors which are each punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
•One count of attempt to commit indecent assault, a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=6270

Anyone else think that them losing their jobs is them getting off light?

formerly known as Sam wrote:Anyone else think that them losing their jobs is them getting off light?

I imagine losing there jobs won't be the end of it

formerly known as Sam wrote:Anyone else think that them losing their jobs is them getting off light?

Without a doubt

I thought ESPN showing todays Penn St v Nebraska game would be a media circus but there were some seriously moving scenes just now, not sure playing football is right for either team given the circumstances though....

Moving scenes indeed. I'm glad the two teams got together and did something like that.

I think the US Sports seem to do a really good job of these "memorial" type things on the field. Maybe its because the teams are a lot bigger and so is has more of a visual effect, but for example all the 9/11 memorials were pretty moving as was today's mass prayer for the victims in the centre field.

Penn State is going to get annihilated by law suits and resultant tens of millions lost in damages.
I'm old but any time you have an institution for young people with a leader in his 70's (as Paterno was when boys started being more than boys) you're inviting trouble. It happened in its own way with Bowden, and in a very different way with Murdoch.
When will people learn?
PSU has only itself to blame.

As of yet no one's calling for Paterno's head; much of the U.S. media's opprobium is currently aimed at Mike McQueary for doing considerably less than he paints himself as having done.

But here's a real pip: sportscaster Bob Costas interviewed Jerry Sandusky and his lawyer:

Spoiler:

Jon Stewart pretty much sums it up
- it's Martin Bashir meets Michael Jackson all over again.

That interview has to be fake right ?
Has anyone run voice recognition ?
I can't believe that anyone is stupid enough to do an interview before a criminal trial and certainly not stupid enough to admit to 'horsing around' in the showers with 10 year old boys within 60 seconds of the interview starting.
It's just mind-blowing - now Bin Laden is history this sicko would come close to being the most hated man in the world by Americans....

Grizzly wrote:That interview has to be fake right ?
Has anyone run voice recognition ?
I can't believe that anyone is stupid enough to do an interview before a criminal trial and certainly not stupid enough to admit to 'horsing around' in the showers with 10 year old boys within 60 seconds of the interview starting.
It's just mind-blowing - now Bin Laden is history this sicko would come close to being the most hated man in the world by Americans....

As Michael Jackson showed us all, some people just can't own up to their monstrosity; indeed, they go out of their way to deny it rather than just shut up. How many bullies have said "it was just good fun"?

Whatever else can be said about how he mishandled the the Sandusky scandal, rest in peace.

Great coach, just a shame about how he handled his biggest decision. His accomplishments in college football are going to stand for a long long time. RIP Joe Paterno