[Mdraluck23]

Goodbye Joe Pa.... Strange that such a long and wonderful career would end on such a note... Really sad actually.... He leaves a horribly tainted legacy behind now.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Yep, farewell JoePa.

I'm torn about this. Back in '93, I flew back to Penn State with the USC Band to perform at the game. I was impressed by the school, program and fans. A class act and I've pulled for Penn State since (save for the USC games, of course).

What really got me was that, after that game, Giles Pellerin was hospitalized back there and JoePa paid him a visit. Pellerin was the "Superfan," who attended 797 consecutive USC gsmes over 73 years. Seriously. That meant a lot to me.

On the other hand, I spent a few years working with sex offenders. To put it very mildly, I have a problem with them. Especially the serial predators. Had I found out that one was around, I would have reported him and then broken out the pitchforks and torches. That's not the kind of thing you report and then forget about.

So while it is sad, I think the Penn State Trustees did the right thing.

I still like the school, so I hope they properly clean house and return to being a great program.

 

[ronnielee54]

Quote:

Rematch! 
 
Edit: Also, what went wrong with Arkansas? #8? That's just wrong. 

One our "quality" wins, A&M, got curb stomped by OU and fell out of top 25.  Computers dropped us because of that would be my guess.  It doesn't matter though.  In the end, only 1 and 2 count.
 

 

[grokit]

JoePa, what a way to end your career.
 
It feels like something is being left out, this story makes no sense.

 

[J W]

I'm curious why Paterno announced his retirement effective after the season. I know he's no dummy and I don't think he's senile. It seems like the board could have reached out to him and communicated, "hey, coach, we're probably going to have to fire you if you don't resign." It seems like that would have saved the city and the campus from some of the uproar. 
 
Maybe the board did communicate that to him and maybe Paterno thought they were bluffing? You're right, grokit, this story doesn't make much sense. 

 

[Skylab]

I think Paterno was hoping that by announcing his retirement that the Board wouldn't fire him, and that it would accept his resignation on his terms.  They didn't, which I think is a shame.  Unless more facts come to light, based on what we know now, Paterno did what was required of him and didn't lie about the situation or try to cover it up.  Assuming that stays true, I think his being fired is a knee-jerk reaction by a Board desperate to distance itself from the disgrace of what happened.  But I don't see that firing Paterno, when they haven't even fired the AD who has been charged with perjury, is reasonable.  Paterno is being punished for "not doing enough", which, while probably true, isn't a good reason to out and out fire the guy.  Paterno isn't the sicko perp, after all.
 
All that said, and looking at it just from a football perspective, this will likely be the beginning of a death-spiral for the PSU football program, which will take them years to dig out of.  They will have a hard time recruiting for several years at least.  I think even recruiting a new head coach will be tough, as that person will know that recruiting will be hard for a while.  And I would imagine that once the season is over, they whole current staff will be out. So it will be a tough road for PSU in the next several years, I would think.

 

[grokit]

He isn't the sick perp but maybe he was involved with protecting someone, or at the very least letting the inmates run things right into the ground. But yeah they're not telling us everything, maybe it will come out in the wash.

 

[TexasBuck]

Quote:

Paterno is being punished for "not doing enough", which, while probably true, isn't a good reason to out and out fire the guy.  Paterno isn't the sicko perp, after all.
 
 

I think it's plenty good reason to fire him.  It's his football program and he has to held accountable.  How many more children were harmed due to Paterno and McQuery not doing more?  How could any non brainwashed PSU fan root for Paterno knowing he harbored a known serial pedophile on campus for over a decade?  Sandusky was reported to have been on campus on a regular basis, as recent as last Friday, with full access to the PSU facilities.  The same facilities he raped a child in.  Paterno isn't a sicko perv but his lack of appropriate action is morally sickening.  
 
Reporting and not following up is totally unacceptable for something as horrific as child rape.  Paterno or McQuery have to go to the police if their bosses aren't going to act.  The incident McQuery witnessed wasn't even the first abuse reported regarding Sandusky.  There was another reporting in 1998 that got swept under the rug.  The story will probably get even worse in the coming weeks/months as victims continue to come forward.
 
The board did the right think both from an ethics standpoint and a monetary one.  Penn State is going to be hit with a multitude of civil suits.  The PSU leadership needs to show they are doing everything they can to make sure this can never happen again.  Cleaning house with everyone that played a part in the cover-up is an important step in rebuilding and putting the pieces back together.
 

 

[Uncle Erik]

I think there's more to the PSU story to come. Some pretty awful - though unconfirmed - rumors are out there.

I get the feeling that there was some kind of coverup. Sandusky was first accused in '98 and he retired the next year. At 55, which is still young, and it's strange that he was never considered for a head coaching position at another school or became a NFL assistant. He just dropped off the map.

My guess is that there was some back room dealing to get him out and smooth things over so the program wouldn't get a black eye.

That bothers me.

The correct response is to turn everything over to the police and fully cooperate with an investigation and prosecution. It would not have looked good for a bit, bu it could have been spun as the crime of an individual where everyone else did the right thing. This smells like a coverup to protect a predator to avoid bad press. I don't know if that's what happened. But if it is, cleaning house is the best way to handle it.

I'm a mandatory reporter and have had to report a few times. If the people I reported to did nothing, I'd escalate. For one, I want to make sure there's an investigation and prosecution, if warranted. Second, I'm going to cover my back end by any means necessary. Fortunately, when I reported, it was responded to appropriately. If it hadn't been, I would have raised hell. Morally, that's what you have to do. If you've ever dealt with a victim of sexual abuse, you won't want that to happen to anyone else.

 

[Skylab]

There is no doubt that if there was any kind of cover up, then anyone and everyone involved should pay a very, very heavy price for that.  
 
Anyway, its now for the courts and law enforcement to deal with that horrible tragedy.  
 
Back to CFB elsewhere, the biggest game this week features two teams I have barely seen play this year in Stanford and Oregon.  We rarely get their games on TV here, in spite of the astounding number of televised games there are.  So I really can't pick one or the other, but I WANT Stanford to win.  I just have this feeling that OK State is going to lose yet this year, at least in Bedlam, and maybe twice, and I would love to see an LSU - Stanford NCG.  
 
I will be in Evanston at the Northwestern - Rice game, which will feature two top 5 teams...in football player graduation rates

 

[grokit]

It's for all the marbles today in the MWC, these two have split the last 4 games but I don't see the Broncos having any problems here.
 
I think Stanford has a better chance than usual and it's a great opportunity for a feather in Shaw's cap but would bet on the Ducks just the same.

 

[wuwhere]

Boise State just lost.

 

[Skylab]

Yup, huge loss for them, crazy gutsy call by Gary Paterson to go for two, but he made it pay off.  Good for TCU.  That eliminates that issue.  Now we just have to see what Stanford does.  Title picture just got a little clearer.
 
LSU better wake up...

 

[grokit]

Done in by a kicker once again 

 

[_Stooge_]

Nobody believed me when I said TCU/Boise was gonna be a good game...