That was Paterno's influence.
As we all know by now, his statue was removed, early Sunday morning, in the wake of a damning indictment by former FBI Director Louis Freeh.
Even President Obama has concluded this is the right thing to do. But I wonder. Had this been Jerry Sandusky, I could actually see hanging the statue. But Paterno seems to have been scapegoated by a frenzied media and cowardly college administrators. I thought we were a country in which people are presumed innocent.
In a statement, Paterno's family makes that clear:
"[I]t should matter that Joe Paterno has never had a hearing; that his legal counsel has never been able to interview key witnesses, all of whom are represented by lawyers and therefore unavailable; that there has never been an opportunity to review critical evidence which has not been made public; that selective evidence and the opinion of Mr Freeh is treated as the equivalent of a fair trial. Despite this obviously flawed and one-sided presentation, the University believes it must acquiesce and accept that Joe Paterno has been given a fair and complete hearing. We think the better course would have been for the University to take a strong stand in support of due process so that the complete truth can be uncovered."So what do you think?
41 comments:
The better questions should be, "Why wasn't Corbett held accountable for not doing his job, so many years ago?"
While Paterno did a lot of good at PSU, no coach or program should be bigger than the school. PSU has many notable grads that could have statues but don't. Bottom line is Paterno, even if he "reported it to his superior", continued to allow a pediphile to use athletic facilities to ply his trade for over 10 years. If your grandson or my granddaughter, were abused and I knew who did it, I would be sure he was prosecuted whether my "superior" acted or not.
Bill, I suspect that yours will be the majority view.
Paterno became almost a God at PSU and I think even he came to believe it. The "Penn State Way" (football) became the mantra with Joe leading the chorus. State College's isolation and state protection (not being accountable under open records law) allowed them to think they were invunerable. Consequently even pediphiles were excused to protect the image of the almighty football team and the coach, God himself. Anyone who thinks Paterno had a superior at PSU is deluding himself. Football became the school and the program was of paramount importance.
Americans have a fascination to watch somebody high up fall. They especially love it when they can take a break from all their gutter "reality shows" to watch someone who has a reputation for integrity get caught in the feeding frenzy. It seems to make them feel better about themselves in some perverse, politically correct, kind of way.
Sad day, but probably for the best, at least for the time so it would not be a lightning rod distraction for the yahoos looking for their "15 minutes" doing something stupid to "make a statement." At least the University left the Library alone.
And I did read the Freeh Report when it was posted. As I read someone else comment, it was kind of like learning that your grandfather maybe didn't live quite to the standards he preached. But, there were still some conclusions drawn from connecting dots A and C while assuming where you think B must have been. And in some sort of media need for "collective guilt", it almost seems secondary lately that Jerry Sandusky, and he alone, was the perv. His victims continue to ripple beyond the perhaps unknown number of boys.
Kind of sad that during all those years when the Catholic church was being exposed, it was duly noted in the public eye then on to the next story. It took a sports backdrop to jar people to acknowledge a societal issue that is almost always done at the hands of someone known to the victim.
". But, there were still some conclusions drawn from connecting dots A and C while assuming where you think B must have been."
That was my impression, too.
To a lot of us who were not members of the Penn State community, but, who were members of the Commonwealth, PSU has always had a semi-creepy cult-like following. That cult was born and bred in the football program and headed by Mr. Paterno. That atmosphere did little to further the central mission of the college--particularly a state funded college--which is to liberally educate undergraduates. Instead, it led mostly to brouhahas and uncritical thinking.
To read the Freehr (sp) Report and now see that Mr. Paterno protected the cult at the expense of children-rape-victims is truly disturbing. For those of us on the outside, even more so because he was protecting something many of us believed to be broken and illegitimate to start with.
His statute should have remained but been blindfolded or turned around. It would have been a good lesson about human character--that one can try to do good within a system and be led astray from higher ideals. That idol worship is bad and all the rest. That would have been an actual lesson. And a good start to a liberal education.
Bill Coker said...
"Paterno became almost a God at PSU and I think even he came to believe it. The "Penn State Way" (football) became the mantra with Joe leading the chorus. State College's isolation and state protection (not being accountable under open records law) allowed them to think they were invunerable. Consequently even pediphiles were excused to protect the image of the almighty football team and the coach..."
Substitute "bishop" for Paterno, "church" for PSU and football and the parallel with the scandal affecting the Catholic Church is unmistakable. When we deify humans, when we make the mistake of thinking individual rights are held at a level below the "needs" of the institution, we are on a slippery slope.
I admired Joe and the program, but here's a cold hard fact: Joe Paterno cannot have it both ways. he cannot be the ultimate leader, then say he was suspiciously not engaged with respect to this matter.
Statues are symbols. Unfortunately, the Paterno statue has become symbolic of something horrendous, and must therefore be removed.
VOR
The statue needed to go. Paterno was Penn State and he weilded a lot of power. Innocent until proven guilty? What about Austin Scott. Accused of rape and before he was proven guilty or not guilty, he was off the team (later found not guilty). These were Paterno's rules and he should be held to the same high standard. He protected his buddy Sandusky and all because of power and money. He just as guilty. It's a sad day for Penn State.
"To read the Freehr (sp) Report and now see that Mr. Paterno protected the cult at the expense of children-rape-victims is truly disturbing"
You see, that's the thing. I read the frickin' report. In 1998, when police decided NOT to charge Sandusky based on a mother's allegations, Paterno should have known better, claims the former FBI Director. And in the famous shower incident, in which Paterno was only provided some of the information, he reported Sandusky as required.
Paterno later claimed he should have done more. But to remove his statue, so soon after his death, seems so wrong to me.
JoePa should have retired years ago when his archaic play calling resulted in the team's demise. But he was too arrogant and intent on setting the NCAA winningest coaching record. There is no doubt in my mind that he was complacent in the Sandusky scandal. He did not want to stir things up to compromise his legacy of running a squeeky-clean football program. His hubris led to his downfall in the tradition of Greek tragedies. His god-like image in the form of the statue was a symbol of our worship of a flawed hero. It had to come down.
The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones. So says Marc Antony over the body of Julius Caesar. It appears an apt sentiment over the statue of Coach Paterno. But the larger message should not be lost. Antony was pandering to the baser instincts of the masses. The statue should remain for what it is, not only a reminder of acheivement but as a warning.
I didn't want to see it come down, but it had to.... for many reasons. In the end, Joe Paterno will be remembered by both his success and his failure. Capable of greatness, but human and flawed, just like the rest of us.
Whose job was it to allow Jerry Sandusky to use Penn State Athletic facilities ? Was it Paterno's or the Athletic Director's? For only a short time Paterno was both Athletic Director and Head Football Coach. During that short period did he make any decisions regarding Jerry Sandusky? Or did the Athletic Director's or higher ups tell him to be quiet?
As far as the statue --- return it but add other important Penn State athletics and officials beside it...
This is unrelated but will Pete Rose ever be allowed to be elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and will Willie Mays ever be allowed to play a larger role in Major League Baseball ... Currently he can't because of his involvement with a Casino.
The next question is what shall be do with Bill Clinton?
I have to agree with Bobby Bowden who said the statue would be a detraction for the program. Every televised sports event would show the statue and remind viewers of the past indecencies.
Paterno probably should have retired a long time ago. Take a page from John Wooden who gave up the sport at age 65 and ten national championships. Wooden went on to a successful career lecturing on his "winning philosophy", pyramid of success. Paterno should have done likewise. Wooden admitted that in his final years of coaching he developed "tunnel vision", not really seeing a lot of what was going on around him because he was caught up in the hype and the winning moment.
Makes you wonder. They tell businessmen to be aware of that elderly clerk who handles money and has never taken vacation or intends to never retire. There usually are some unexplained entries in the checkbook. Perhaps this is only the tip; what else has been buried in a file cabinet?
Say it ain't so Joe. Perception is what guides us. All this talk about due process and rights and innocent before proof of guilt does not change perception. OJ was found innocent. Really! Let's get him ajob coaching a major college program. As far as Joseph Jefferson Jackson is concerned. A jury found him innocent. But, not major league baseball! "a need to maintain a clean image" and Shoeless Joe never played again. They still talk about the case. It gets reviewed all the time. I suspect that will be Joe Paterno's legacy. His case will be reviewed over and over. There will be those who claim his purity. Others will kick dirt at him. The case will never settle.
My final take on this. For the first time in my life, I am ashame to call myself a Pennsylvanian. I am not alone.
"Creepy following" really!?
Being a stater this is all lunacy, the witch hunt is nearing an end at least. I hope Sandusky gets what is coming to him. Paterno no longer is the winningest coach in history. There you go big mouth bowden, it's yours. Kicking a dead man....
Oh, and to me the NCAA only has a right to step in if a program uniquely benefits over others. They should have no say on the current issue.
Seamus
Bernie, I agree with you that it does feel rather soon after Paterno's death to remove the statue. I also find myself wondering, if Paterno were still alive, would the statue have been removed? The Paterno family also seems to have raised some fair questions about whether or not he was afforded due process.
At the same time, I feel very strongly that the guiding principle here should be as follows: what can be done so that everyone understands that indications of child abuse must be dealt with aggressively, and should never be covered up to avoid embarrassment to an institution.
I have not read the report but from what I've read in the media, Paterno did what was legally required by reporting to his superiors, his only failure was not following up or perhaps not calling the Police himself. The e-mails between his superiors, where they are seen calculating the political ramifications of their different options, are far more damning than anything Paterno did or didn't do. In my opinion those superiors were acting to protect the football program just as much as the larger institution itself.
I hope it will be possible to recognize Paterno's contribution to building a strong football program while simultaneously sending a message that combats future institutional blindness towards child abuse. The message should be that NO institution or program, no matter how prestigious or useful, takes priority over aggressively fighting child abuse by involving the appropriate law enforcement authorities the moment that any suspicions arise.
Lots of people say they would have done things differently had they been in Paterno's or Spanier's shoes. I don't believe them. Rather than exercise 20/20 hindsight, we need to figure out how to deal with this crisis in a way that makes future crises far less likely. If that means Paterno's statue has to come down, or the PSU football program has to be penalized to the point where it's crippled, that's really unfortunate... but there's a far more important principle at stake here.
Rinky-dink, teensy-tiny agricultural school before the PENN STATE FOOTBALL powerhouse arrived.
Thank you, JOE PA.
Considering how football funds ALL other college sports (except basketball) on every campus in the Land, it is staggering to think about all the damage and destruction that WILL be occuring to many, many people in Happy Valley who have and had absolutely nothing to do with the misguided homosexual Jerry Sandusky sodomizing boys.
Thank you, Progressive Liberal Mainstream Media.
Crippled?
How about permanetly destroyed.
There is no coming back from this.
The MSM will NEVER allow it.
When does Joe Paterno's name come off the library ...
... does Sue get all the money (read, millions and millions and millions) that she and Joe Pa donated to Penn State all thru the years, or what?
The Freeh report was in fact deficient in some ways, reading more like a prosecutor's brief than as a neutral observer's report on a complex situation. It contains elements of opinion, and as noted above, some logical assumptions. Which is sad, given that I think the idea of bringing Freeh in was that he would be a disinterested "outsider."
And yet, there is a good (defensive) case to be made for removing the statue. Note, the statue was not destroyed, merely put in mothballs for the time being. As others above have noted, the statue was a potential magnet for all kinds of craziness during the upcoming football season. Remember, there was a plane flying a banner over the campus last week, stating something about "either you take the statue down, or we will." Best, perhaps, just to take it off the scene for the time being.
The black-and-white conclusions about Paterno's guilt, and that of the administration in general do not concur with a very messy, sticky reality that covert abuse of any kind, perhaps sexual abuse especially, creates. Human systems being what they are, there are too many competing values and beliefs to make it easy to spot and deal decisively with an offender who by his very nature is sly, manipulative and deceitful. Paterno like everybody else, had competing beliefs and priorities, which did not necessarily make him cover up the truth, but made him unable to discern the truth. Cate
As far as I am concerned Joe Paterno still has 409 wins ... And his teams from 1998 to 2011 won their games on the field fairly...
Governor Corbett should now resign as Governor because as Attorney General he did not take up the Sandusky Case ... So if you blame Paterno you also blame Corbett.
Joe Paterno was not charged with a crime. He did not have due process.
And the importance here is that did the NCAA have a rule to cover this situation. If they did not have a rule is it legal to make a rule now and apply it to the past,
If that is the case Bernie you may be in trouble,
Bernie
Lets turn the question on its head. Why should there be a statue of Joe Paterno RIGHT NOW? Why can't we just wait a few years, see where passions are, and decide a few years down the road if a statue is appropriate? Nothing has to be decided today.
What disappoints, and really galls, about this whole thing is that it always comes back to football and how football makes a certain group of people feel. It always comes back to who told whom what, when, blah blah blah.
If folks don't care about the victims, why not care about the students, professors, and researchers who have important work to do in many fields--who probably don't want this scandal destroying the strong academic institution they believe in.
Joe Paterno may or may not be a criminal, but the program he LED is connected to a horrible set of events. Maybe now's not the time to be discussing statues and football. Frankly, that many people after all these months still care almost solely for Joe Paterno's reputation belies a deeper problem with that school and our Commonwealth.
-------------------------------
The idea that any Athletic Director ever told Joe Paterno what do to is laughable, by the way.
I gotta' admit. You got me there. There probably should have been no statue for a dude who is still alive.
Bernie, the statue should have stayed until the remaining three have their cases heard. I too read the Freeh report. Here is my opinion. Freeh was hired as an expert by the Trustees. When you go into court the prosecutor usually calls his expert and the defense also calls an expert to testify. WHY? These so called experts such as Freeh are for sale to the highest bidder like whores selling themselves.. Had the Paterno Family hired Freeh for ten million dollars he would have done an investigation that would almost totally exonerate Joe Paterno. Freeh was hired by the Board of Trustees to take the flak away from them and make it look like they did nothing wrong. That is exactly what Freeh did. If you pay someone six million dollars for a report, the report will say exactly what you asked for. The freeh report is so full of questions it is actually somewhat riduculous. He uses words like Joe Paterno consulted with Curley when in fact the evidence shows these two individuals discussed the issue. Is it possible that Paterno told Curley that there will be hell to pay no matter what happens? Joe isn't here to defend himself. Further explanation must come from OUR GOVERNOR. Why would four highly intelligent men such as Spanier, Curley, Shultz, and Paterno....go before a Grand Jury without legal counsel. Were they set up because of what Spanier and Paterno did to Corbett last year. How could Corbett sit as a Board of Trustee for more than year, knowing Sandusky was coming on campus with kids and not do anything about it. Sandusky the sick bastard he is, had extremely poor legal counsel. This will not happen with Curley. What if Curley's attorney gets him acquitted? Where does the NCAA go then? This issue was handled hap-hazardly. Curley has legal defense that is going to make Sandusky's legal counsel look like mickey mouse. She is one of the best in the state and well respected by all trial lawyers. There is more to this and not enough room to address it all here. They should have waited. This isn't over by a long shot. I personally feel Joe should have done more but he did do what he was supposed to do according to the law. That obviously wasn't enough. So...let's go after a dead man. He can't defend himself.
I am sorry, but Joe Paterno is NOT the one that needed to be excoriated into his early grave! The ones that needed the most scrutiny and accusatory blame are Spanier, Corbett, McQueary and the B.O.Ts!!!
Isn't Louis Freeh the guy who never saw any corruption in the Clinton Administration? Just think of all those Clinton lackies who knew he was schtooping Lewinski, a subordinate in the workplace, yet sat silent. A bit Paterno-like, no?
Every school penalized by the NCAA has innocent athletes penalized. USC after Reggie Bush, Florida State (with Bowden losing 15 wins), etc. Joe being dead is a moot point. He was informed of a problem in 1998. He allowed Sandusky to retire emiritus (sp?), access to athletic centers, and full support for 14 years. He was informed again by McQueary in 2001 of another incident and he is to be excused because he informed his "superior" (who was above Paterno?)? You have to live in OZ if you think Paterno was innocent. By the way, what "indepenent investigator" will the Paterno hire? I'll bet they find Joe completely in the dark on the whole matter.
Paterno's
I don't think the young boy should be at that place.
That's because you're an asshole.
I really have never understood the focus on the Trustees. Whether you think they did great things 10 years ago, investigating the activities of the university is THEIR JOB. Whether they pay someone, or do it themselves--they have "oversight" over all activities.
I would agree they were late to the party, but a fair reading of evidence would probably indicate that a logical result would be Joe Paterno fired, or brought to heel, many years ago. Is that good for Joe Paterno's reputation.
Fact of the matter is that Paterno got a statue because of the football program. The football program is intimately connected to this case. If you think the football program deserves a statue right now, you probably need to think some more.
Paterno was finally exposed. Cover up at the sake of winning and staying on for an extra 13 years to gain the most winning coach label while making sure the Sandusky thing was kept quiet was all this guy was about. Smoke and mirror folks. He fed the PSU football machine like nobody else. The NCAA did the right thing here. They are taking down the PSU football culture in front of the rabid PSU fans' faces. We WERE Penn State comes to mind. Someone will no doubtedly write a book abou the Fall of PSU Empire!!
It amazes me how many people will come to the defense of a program that obviously was flawed just to save the name of one guy. Not one time do these defenders of Paterno ever mention the kids that were abused. I bet if it were a family member of theirs that was abused they would be singing a different tune. They also blame everyone except PSU. I don't follow college football so it means nothing to me. But this is no different than the catholic church, those involved are to blame...and Coach Paterno was their leader. And to say Paterno had a superior is a joke and everyone knows it. LAst comment, one reader satated the paternos gave millions to the school...one question....where did he get all those millions? Oh that's right, PSU is protected from right-to-know laws.
If it was a family member Sandusky would not have to worry about a trial.
How did the NCAA do the right thing? How do they have any right to do anything? How did Penn State benefit unfairly from the dark actions of a demented coach. The players won or lost on the field. Witch hunt, hope everyone is happy. Now some kids won’t get scholarships who could have. Now a state school is fined 60 million, glad everyone will be happy when rates go even higher. This is lunacy....
Like I said before, Penalize Paterno if you must. Take down the statue, remove his wins whatever but why should the student body, the new players, coaches and student body suffer?
I just don't get it
Seamus
Just keep the media clucking the name Paterno, then no one will dare ask, "Why did Tom Corbett take people off the investigation at one point? Was timely political corruption scandals threatening safety of Pennsylvania residents more than a forcible statutory rapist?"
National media loves shinny objects, like already famous names. Looking into Corbett might involved actual working, fact checking, introducing another player in the case, and other journalist duties. And lets me be real, TV reporters are stumped if a subject's Facebook page is private.
When in any Court proceeding,
A good Attorney, Alway's BLAMES the person who has Died.
They needed to blame this on someone that would be unable to defend himself, and that someone was Coach Paterno, who due to his death was the perfect target.
The entire board of trustees should resign also and let Penn State truly get a fresh start.
Seamus,
As a PSU outsider who attended another large university, i concluded the same.... creepy following.
There is always those who 'peaked" in high school, and thats all they talk about and refer back too. I feel like most all I know from PSU peaked there, and just cannot move past being a student there...
Well 10:11 I know many who have gone on to be very successful after PSU, but then again I'm exposed to many alum. I think the Eagles god worship is creepy, but never felt that about PSU. Most are willing to concede a better teams showing in a game or accept a loss gracefully. No matter how you slice this though, the NCAA ruling is bullshit and vindictive. There was no enhancement to the program through these horrendous acts, therefore should be no repercussions to fans or student body. Will the penalties change anything? Will anyone act differently because of it? Does it have any bearing on personal values or how the team performs? It’s a resounding No…. All they did was punish innocent people in their actions. Go after the parties involved who were all eliminated from the program already, not those of us who just love our school and team.
Seamus
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