OT: Paterno Fired

[TopDog18]

Just curious what people think if PSU did the right thing by firing Paterno or should they have left him coach the remainder of the season?

From what I have read he heard too much and said too little and had to go. Sad way for a legend to go out.


It's tragic that sick #### Sandusky destroyed so
many lives

 

[hooskies]

Sad, but the right move.

 

[Fishy]

He had to go - they all had to go.

When something like that happens, you clean house.

I don't know the whole story and won't pretend that I do. I don't know if he deserved to go or not, but I'm mystified that no one contacted the police at any stage. No parents, no victims, no friends of the victims, no one who claimed to have stumbled on some wrong doing, no one at Penn State, etc., etc., etc.

The media, sportswriters in particular, are going after Paterno because he's the low-hanging fruit and that is all they are able to grasp, but there are reams of people who didn't act and who are getting a pass.

For the first time since this whole thing started, Penn State seemed to be represented by a grown up tonight. John Surma was excellent in dealing with a very odd press conference announcing Paterno's dismissal.

 

[HuskyFan32]

This is a weird situation to say the least. On the one had I almost feel bad for Paterno. Its weird seeing this little old man who seems so defensless just go down in flames. It also sucks that he spent 60 yrs at PSU and 45 or so as the head coach, face of the school, ambassador etc. From all accounts before this he was an upstanding honorable man and a true role model. So it kinda sucks that all the good he did gets ruined by one thing. Butttt, on the other hand its dispicable that he didnt do something about it. I guess this sort of reveals his true character and he wasmt such a good guy after all. Its an odd situation to see him go out like this after all these years, but I guess its tough to feel bad for him after he let that scumbag get away with that stuff.

 

[DogMania]

I thought putting him first on administrative leave would have been an alternstive. I'm not shocked he's gone. He had to go one way or another.

 

[Clockshop]

He should have stepped down on his own. This was known of a long time ago.

 

[Danzz]

Just curious what people think if PSU did the right thing by firing Paterno or should they have left him coach the remainder of the season?

From what I have read he heard too much and said too little and had to go. Sad way for a legend to go out.

It's tragic that sick #### Sandusky destroyed so
many lives

Just curious what people think if PSU did the right thing by firing Paterno or should they have left him coach the remainder of the season?

From what I have read he heard too much and said too little and had to go. Sad way for a legend to go out.

It's tragic that sick #### Sandusky destroyed so
many lives

Tough call. There are good arguments on both sides.

 

[Kitaman]

Should have let him finish out the season then release him. He built that program and at his age this could be devastating to him. On the other hand protecting children is paramount and apparently Joe failed.

 

[Deepster]

Should have let him finish out the season then release him. He built that program and at his age this could be devastating to him. On the other hand protecting children is paramount and apparently Joe failed.

Who cares about him or his feelings right now? I don't know the specifics, but at the root of it all, he was someone who let a very bad thing go unpunished. Good riddance.

 

[SubbaBub]

But, there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

The same attitudes to avoid uncomfortable issues that caused this mess, were in play again last night. Without bothering to talk face to face they tried to short circuit due process.

Of all the administrators involved, Joe was the least culpable, based on what we know. There would have been no harm letting him finish the season. It's going to be a circus anyway.

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[Prezidint]

He acknowledges that he was told that "something inappropriate" happened in the shower between his friend and former #1 assistant and a 10 year old boy.
Even if we can believe that he didn't then ask, "what are you talking about? Be specific," he then made the choice to take the action that was one step above doing nothing. He chose to simply report to his superiors.

What he did not do is quite obvious - from contacting police, to admonishing his friend, to warning the charity that his friend used to target fatherless boys . . . nothing.

The historical context of his choice to do nothing is quite clear - it was during the very public revelations that the Catholic church had been actively covering for the child rapists. There can be no doubt that Joe understood that the reach and the effects of his friend's action could be lengthy and dramatic, and that inaction would almost certainly result in more rape and abuse.

It comes down to this for me.
He said nothing for one or a combination of these reasons:
1. To protect his friend.
2. To protect his program/himself.

I'd like to believe that he was afraid, like a person might be if he witnessed a violent crime and the threat of retaliation existed, but that seems implausible in this case.

I conclude that he made the following conscious choice - he chose to protect himself/his program/his friend knowing that it would result in more raping of boys.

Ergo, while I would never support a good Samaritan law that attached criminal liability to inaction like this, I certainly believe that he failed morally in the duty that we all have to, first, protect all children everywhere from violence and abuse. So I agree with immediately canning him.

The history books must not read, "retires after X seasons in cloud of questions over child rapes." Instead, they must read, "fired midseason after storied career for failure to protect children being raped."

 

[HuskyBballFan]

It goes even further than notifying or not notifying the police. A 30 page report was circulated about Sandusky in 1998. McQuery (sp?) walks in on Sandusky in 2002. And yet, he was still allowed to bring little kids to a Penn State football practice? He was still allowed to hold overnight youth football camps on Penn State's campus? Sandusky was basically rubbing everyone at Penn State's face in this. Do people really think that the head coach is not accountable here?

 

[Rico444]

I have heard for years, from many people closer the Penn State than me, that Joe Paterno is the classiest man you could ever meet. Humble, generous, etc.

Hearing his arrogant remarks makes all of that hard for me to believe. "They need not spend another minute discussing my future?" "With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more?" No, Joe. Any decent human being wouldn't have needed hindsight.

 

[Prezidint]

Do people really think that the head coach is not accountable here?

Apparently. I'm not sure if it's loyalty or sympathy or what.
We all react differently.
My initial reaction wouldn't be to call the AD.
My initial reaction would be violent thoughts.

 

[Prezidint]

Hearing his arrogant remarks makes all of that hard for me to believe. "They need not spend another minute discussing my future?" "With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more?" No, Joe. Any decent human being wouldn't have needed hindsight.

It's an interesting point. It hearkens back to Tiger Woods - there appeared to be more of a concern for damage control than for true contrition.

 

[Deadrody]

He had to go - they all had to go.

When something like that happens, you clean house.

I don't know the whole story and won't pretend that I do. I don't know if he deserved to go or not, but I'm mystified that no one contacted the police at any stage. No parents, no victims, no friends of the victims, no one who claimed to have stumbled on some wrong doing, no one at Penn State, etc., etc., etc.

The media, sportswriters in particular, are going after Paterno because he's the low-hanging fruit and that is all they are able to grasp, but there are reams of people who didn't act and who are getting a pass.

For the first time since this whole thing started, Penn State seemed to be represented by a grown up tonight. John Surma was excellent in dealing with a very odd press conference announcing Paterno's dismissal.

Yup. I had a short conversation with my wife over this. She works at a local HS and deals with attendance and grades in the principal's office. She routinely has issues with teachers and coaches, especially football, trying to keep those kids eligible.

And I told her about the Penn State thing and suggested this country might be about to start having a conversation about just how much emphasis is being placed on sports. Its one thing to be worried about trading tattoos for memorabilia or too many recruiting calls, but when something like this is getting papered over in teh name of big time sports, its gone way, way, WAY too far. I wonder if I'm being too optimistic about the ability of people to reconsider their deeply held beliefs over something like this.

 

[LIuconn]

can anyone post a link to the John Surma press conference? Can't find one on google.

 

[Deadrody]

But, there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

The same attitudes to avoid uncomfortable issues that caused this mess, were in play again last night. Without bothering to talk face to face they tried to short circuit due process.

Of all the administrators involved, Joe was the least culpable, based on what we know. There would have been no harm letting him finish the season. It's going to be a circus anyway.

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Due process ? WTF ? No way in hell does Paterno have any case whatsoever about being fired. I don't care what processes or who was involved or when. There is no way Paterno did not know something BAD happened. He can claim he didn't "really" know, but that is dubious based on what I've read. And if this was the day or the week after the incident, maybe I let it go. But he had more than ample time to make sure it was addressed and he failed to do so, at the expense of a traumatized 10 year old boy as far as he knew, and as it turns out, 17 such boys.

Had to go. No discussion of "process" required. Gone. Finito.

 

[LIuconn]

http://deadspin.com/john-surma/

presser video for those interested.

 

[Deadrody]

It goes even further than notifying or not notifying the police. A 30 page report was circulated about Sandusky in 1998. McQuery (sp?) walks in on Sandusky in 2002. And yet, he was still allowed to bring little kids to a Penn State football practice? He was still allowed to hold overnight youth football camps on Penn State's campus? Sandusky was basically rubbing everyone at Penn State's face in this. Do people really think that the head coach is not accountable here?

Indeed. And apparently the graduate assistant AND his father both claim they told Paterno exactly what was seen - Sandusky sodomizing a 10 year old boy.

I was hesitant, at first, to necessarily believe them over Paterno, based primarily on the fact that he had NOT been fired. Now that he has, I tend to believe he was told. And to me, if that is true, his actions are inexcusable.

 

[SubbaBub]

Due process ? WTF ? No way in hell does Paterno have any case whatsoever about being fired. I don't care what processes or who was involved or when. There is no way Paterno did not know something BAD happened. He can claim he didn't "really" know, but that is dubious based on what I've read. And if this was the day or the week after the incident, maybe I let it go. But he had more than ample time to make sure it was addressed and he failed to do so, at the expense of a traumatized 10 year old boy as far as he knew, and as it turns out, 17 such boys.

Had to go. No discussion of "process" required. Gone. Finito.

It's real easy to cast stones from the outside with the benefit of hindsight. It is also easy to take in the sloppy media coverage and riff on that.

Joe failed in his moral responsibility to follow up when it became clear after weeks and months went by without news of the proper authorities taking action in the case. For that, it was time for him to step down.

Prior to that, he did everything correctly. I've read the entire grand jury report. It is unclear exactly what Joe was told. It is clear that it needed to be report to the authorities. He did that. It is important to remember that there is a work place component to this matter. He reported it to his supervisor and the head of campus police. The university is its own legal principality. They are the legal police force. Unless find out Joe was actively covering this up, he for at least a reasonable period of time should have been able rely on the authorities doing their job. Only when it became clear that nothing was being done, did he fail in his moral obligation. This is why the DA made the statement she did.

With no other information, the board mistreated the man who was neither a witness nor in charge of the investigation. The BOT could have let him finish up, but they got squeamish and panicked. That is the same attitude that failed the victims in this case.

Firing Joe immediately does nothing for the victims. It only feeds the mob's need for more carnage. The president, the head of campus police, and the AD should be fired for their criminal negligence. The later two have been rightfully charged bases on the information available.

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[Rico444]

Firing Joe immediately is the right thing to do. His legal responsibility was fulfilled here, there's no question. But his lack of moral responsibility is why he shouldn't coach another day.

He made an enormous, incredible mistake that, indirectly, lead to more little boys being attacked. He deserves no sympathy.

 

[UConnSwag11]

He should have stepped down on his own. This **** was known of a long time ago.

all of psu has known for for 13 years, and they are firing him now? to save their own asses when mcqueary is still there and the ad is on leave... joe pa should go but he shouldn't be thrown under the bus, they should've let him speak when he wanted to this week instead of saying no and letting this seem like an even bigger cover up... everything needs to come out

 

[HuskyBballFan]

It's real easy to cast stones from the outside with the benefit of hindsight. It is also easy to take in the sloppy media coverage and riff on that.

Joe failed in his moral responsibility to follow up when it became clear after weeks and months went by without news of the proper authorities taking action in the case. For that, it was time for him to step down.

Prior to that, he did everything correctly. I've read the entire grand jury report. It is unclear exactly what Joe was told. It is clear that it needed to be report to the authorities. He did that. It is important to remember that there is a work place component to this matter. He reported it to his supervisor and the head of campus police. The university is its own legal principality. They are the legal police force. Unless find out Joe was actively covering this up, he for at least a reasonable period of time should have been able rely on the authorities doing their job. Only when it became clear that nothing was being done, did he fail in his moral obligation. This is why the DA made the statement she did.

With no other information, the board mistreated the man who was neither a witness nor in charge of the investigation. The BOT could have let him finish up, but they got squeamish and panicked. That is the same attitude that failed the victims in this case.

Firing Joe immediately does nothing for the victims. It only feeds the mob's need for more carnage. The president, the head of campus police, and the AD should be fired for their criminal negligence. The later two have been rightfully charged bases on the information available.

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How do you explain the fact that Sandusky was allowed to bring little boys to a Penn State football practice and hold youth football camps on Penn State's campus, AFTER Paterno and others knew about who he really was. You think these things can happen without the head football coach knowing about it?

 

[UConnSwag11]

How do you explain the fact that Sandusky was allowed to bring little boys to a Penn State football practice and hold youth football camps on Penn State's campus, AFTER Paterno and others knew about who he really was. You think these things can happen without the head football coach knowing about it?

maybe paterno felt his superiors took care of it, again we need to wait until everything comes out