College Football 2011 Discussion

[Dorian Thompson]

Good thing for him. It would be intolerable. Seriously, people are harsh enough with referees and opposing players. True, if PSU had balls, it would fire him. Their lawyers probably advised them that it would "appear that they're admitting wrongdoing" or some such legalese.

McQueary will be on the sideline and he's easy as all get out to pick out of the crowd with that bright red hair of his. He'll have a swell time.

 

[Timby]

The Sporting News, and other outlets, are reporting that PSU President Graham Spanier has been asked for his resignation, or else he will be fired by the end of business today.

EDIT: Associated Press reporting that Spanier has resigned.

 

[Neroon]

I posted this link on facebook, but I think it's a pretty good editorial so it's worth reposting here. Certainly, it captures the conflicted emotions that every Penn State fan has to be feeling.

I listened to the author's interview on Mike & Mike today, and as well spoken as he was you could tell this whole matter has him stunned

 

[Starbreaker]

I hate Pennsylvania...

 

[mimic]

True, if PSU had balls, it would fire him.

If Penn State had any balls whatsoever, it would fire him immediately.

He should be done right now.

For what? He didn't break any laws, but because The Court Of Public Opinion demands a high(er) profile scapegoat Penn State should just forget the decades of support he's given PSU to appease those people? No. I am glad they are letting him finish the season.

 

[Starbreaker]

Decent people report stuff to the police when they find out about it. If someone tells you "hey, your coach is doing something inappropriate with a kid in the show", you do something about it.

 

[Hound of UIster]

True, if PSU had balls, it would fire him.

If Penn State had any balls whatsoever, it would fire him immediately.

He should be done right now.

For what? He didn't break any laws, but because The Court Of Public Opinion demands a high(er) profile scapegoat Penn State should just forget the decades of support he's given PSU to appease those people? No. I am glad they are letting him finish the season.

He continued to let a guy who was caught red handed raping a child use the University's facilities to entice more children. He said nothing while the same man continued using a non-profit that he himself was associated with use it as cover to find and rape kids. He failed absolutely in his moral responsibilities.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

One thing I'll say. Normally you're entitled to presume that others will do what they're supposed to as well. He told the person he was required to tell and that person was supposed to tell someone else. If he assumed that person told the police and nothing came of it, maybe he thought the matter had been resolved in some way.

However, given the full scale of this, if he knew anything close to what we know now, it would have been unreasonable to think this had been resolved. He should have followed up. But I do think we're assuming in hindsight that he knew more than he did. I'm sure even Paterno wishes he did more and, knowing what he knows now, might have. But I can't say we can assume that, at the time, it was unreasonable to do what he did (which was to follow the procedures and report this to the person he was supposed to report it to).

 

[RAMA]

True, if PSU had balls, it would fire him.

He should be done right now.

For what? He didn't break any laws, but because The Court Of Public Opinion demands a high(er) profile scapegoat Penn State should just forget the decades of support he's given PSU to appease those people? No. I am glad they are letting him finish the season.

He continued to let a guy who was caught red handed raping a child use the University's facilities to entice more children. He said nothing while the same man continued using a non-profit that he himself was associated with use it as cover to find and rape kids. He failed absolutely in his moral responsibilities.

I couldnt put it an better myself.

Sports heroes are on another plane altogether, even coaches, and nothing should save this sports demi-god if he was in fact negligible.

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

Is this a death penalty offense from the NCAA? If you want to talk about lack of institutional control, you've got a pretty good candidate.

I've had to turn sports talk off during the day. The more I hear about it, the more disgusted I get.

 

[Starbreaker]

Penn St Board Of Trustees announces Joe Paterno out immediately. So is President Graham Spanier.

 

[Neroon]

Penn St Board Of Trustees announces Joe Paterno out immediately. So is President Graham Spanier.

Here is an article from SI, that Paterno is fired

 

[Kira's Mom]

Penn St Board Of Trustees announces Joe Paterno out immediately. So is President Graham Spanier.

GOOD.

The students protesting make me SICK. What if their little brothers had been molested, would they still be cheering for the coach who could have turned the molester in but didn't? HE SHOULD HAVE CALLED THE COPS. Not the campus police- state police.

 

[Skywalker]

Most of those students who are protesting probably don't actually give a damn about Paterno or the scandal, they're just there just so they can say they were there.

It's unfortunate to see such a long and successful career come to an end in such an ugly way, but it had to be done. Keeping him around for the rest of the season would have been a distraction and an unfair burden on the players, the coaching staff, and everyone else at the university who didn't have anything to do with this mess.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

The students protesting make me SICK. What if their little brothers had been molested, would they still be cheering for the coach who could have turned the molester in but didn't? HE SHOULD HAVE CALLED THE COPS. Not the campus police- state police.

EXACTLY. I wanted to shove a mike in every one of their faces and ask, "What if it had been your little brother? Your son? Your friend's son?"

For what? He didn't break any laws, but because The Court Of Public Opinion demands a high(er) profile scapegoat Penn State should just forget the decades of support he's given PSU to appease those people?

Yes. Yes they should, and yes they did. The court of Public Opinion is right on occasion. This is one of those occasions. How much information do you need? Did your read the grand jury's report? Happy Valley is a town the size of Stillwater, Oklahoma, if that big. JoePa ran everything in that program. He had the power. If he wanted someone to stay, they stayed. If he wanted them gone, they were gone. The police (and God only knows why they failed to charge him those incompetent imbeciles) investigated Sandusky back in '98 and got him on tape admitting to showering with the 2 young boys and that it was wrong.

Of course Paterno knew what happened in '98. It's absurd to even suggest he didn't. Why did the heir apparent of the Penn State program suddenly retire from coaching altogether in 1999? Everyone thought it strange. He retired because they knew what he was capable of. The words, "Sandusky," "shower," "10 year old boy" and "naked" should have prompted Paterno to take that weak kneed McQueary to the police himself immediately. The trustees have a university that's going to get sued into the ground. They have to rehabilitate their image and that includes cleaning house from top to bottom. When you are in charge, as Paterno was of the football program, part of your responsibilities are falling on your sword if disaster strikes. He's not a scapegoat. A scapegoat is powerless. Joe had all the power. He failed to act. Don't give me "poor Joe." He is not exonerated because he was a legendary football coach.

That doesn't matter.

 

[Kira's Mom]

He's not a scapegoat. A scapegoat is powerless. Joe had all the power. He failed to act. Don't give me "poor Joe." He is not exonerated because he was a legendary football coach.

That doesn't matter

That's what I've been trying to tell some people for the past hour. It's falling on deaf ears. And it makes me sick. I would be so ashamed if this had happened at my university. As much fun as college football can be, it's not important in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Starbreaker]

Penn State students turning over TV trucks and throwing rocks and beer bottles at police.

Some of these idiots asking "what about the library he built?"

 

[Kira's Mom]

Oh, for fuck's sake. I hope no one gets hurt.

I heard the football players are going to sit out this week's game in protest of the firing, but haven't seen an official source for the story yet. If it's true, screw them.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Nebraska plays at Penn this weekend. There's concern for the safety of visiting players and fans. Linky

 

[Sheep]

Penn State students turning over TV trucks and throwing rocks and beer bottles at police.

Some of these idiots asking "what about the library he built?"

What's a little forced sodomy when you consider the coach's 60 year legacy and the hundreds of millions of dollars he's brought into the university?

As for those protesting, I'll be kind and blame it on the naivete of youth who don't realize the magnitude of the crimes committed. Anyone who gives it a second of thought would not be protesting.