Penn State Sandusky-Report of the Special Investigative Counsel

[TxJan1971]

I have my own opinion on whether or not they should take down Joe Pa’s statue. Personally, I think they should keep it – exactly as it is – exactly where it is! Absolutely! Without a doubt. I wouldn’t even waste the money altering it in any way. I just think there needs to be “additional” statues “erected”.

I say PSU should agree to create a life size statue of Curley, Shultz and Spanier – but for symbolic purposes – their eyes should all be closed and perhaps a piece of duct tape positioned over each of their mouths – including Joe. (Hear no evil - see no evil - speak no evil)

Next, I think they should create 8 statutes of children – with their faces softened such that no distinguishing facial features can be seen – to symbolize that these children were virtually faceless/voiceless (At the time of the assaults)!

Finally, they need to create a life-size statue of Jerry – but he needs to be naked – with his outstretched hands at hip level containing soap! They can be discrete and not show any “privates” – but the message needs to be clear.

And while they are at it – they need to create a life size statue of McQueary, preferably next to a bronze locker – with McQueary’s mouth open in horror, his face demonstrating shock, and his hand up and extended to indicate he is slamming the locker door!

Next they need to “erect” a bronze wall with shower heads and place the bronze wall directly in front of Joe’s statue – his face to the shower head wall! I believe Joe already has one hand outstretched – sort of up in the air – and to save money – they could just leave the other hand where it is at his side. I think folks would get the message clear enough.

Right next to Joe – they should position the statues of Curley, Shultz and Spanier – all three lined up right next to Joe – all of them “in the shower” with their faces to the shower wall – just like Joe!

Behind the “four leaders” - they need to position the statue of naked Jerry – preferably the artist will be able to show Jerry’s natural smirk

Finally, they should position the statues of the 8 kids – preferably in front of the shower scene – and in front of the four leaders/shower wall scene – to symbolize that THEY are the most important part of this PSU tribute to greatness at Happy Valley.

High above the ENTIRE bronze sculpture display there should be a HUGE sign that is so symbolic of Happy Valley – it should read:

WE ARE - PENN STATE!

Another HUGE sign should be positioned on the ground and in front of ALL of them that should read: VICTIMS

After all is said and done, regardless of who did what or didn’t do what, they were ALL screwed in one way or another by Sandusky so they are equally “VICTIMS”.

I think one final addition would suffice: There should be a large sign made that can be plastered directly across the backsides of all four leaders: ADVOCATE FOR HORSEPLAY - GOT SCREWED BY JERRY

 

[wfgodot]

Penn State could have achieved separation from the child-raper in their employ over a decade ago. But now there is no distance between the crime and the cover-up: PSU inaction allowed Sandusky, a predatory child rapist, to rape and rape again, and provided him access to campus. The action and the allowance are not separate things. They must be seen in the same light.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I'm to the point where I think the statue should be moved.

The campus is big and putting it in a less prominent spot is appropriate.

Maybe it should be near Old Main, where future administrators can look at it out of their windows, just as a reminder.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

So Penn State hired a company to compile and release this Report. Talk about self sabotage.

I don't liken it to self-sabotage as much as to giving oneself a much-needed enema.

 

[luvhockey]

I don't see the NCAA giving Penn State the death penalty. Only once has this been done and it was for a much smaller, much less significant school in SMU.
Penn State, 2 years ago was the 3rd highest revenue producing football program, second to only Texas and Notre Dame. That is a lot of money coming into the BIG10 network, national television and any other trickle down subsidiaries including all the other revenue sharing BIG10 universities.

I just don't see the NCAA giving the death penalty. I think the network, since Penn State was the cash cow would pursue legal action to recoup all the lost revenue.

Sorry if the above is a little disjointed. Just looking at a different perspective.
Would it be appropriate, yes but I just don't think it will happen. I believe they will be given some penalties but not total death.

 

[BigCat]

I still don't follow JJ's point. The Penn State 4 covered up 2001 to avoid bad publicity, that was the conclusion of the Freeh report.

If they could have covered up 98, they would have. It's not like one of them reported JS to university police. It was out of their hands.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

I'm to the point where I think the statue should be moved.

The campus is big and putting it in a less prominent spot is appropriate.

Maybe it should be near Old Main, where future administrators can look at it out of their windows, just as a reminder.

I could live with that. Personally, I prefer it to be moved off the grounds of PSU, where so many fine people have studied and worked. The actions of a handful do not reflect the majority at the University. Also, I feel leaving it there in front of Beaver stadium is like living in the past.

It is a new era in PSU history. The football team has a brand new coach and IMO, it would be disrespectful to the new coach and the survivors to leave it in it's current location.

While Paterno supporters may not understand or accept Joe's cupability in this scandal, and oppose moving it, stop and think for a moment the distaste that may be felt by fans of opposing teams who visit for games.

It is also a 'slap in the face' to the survivors, who are the real heroes here, for bravely testifying in a court of law, about horrific abuse BTW, against a MONSTER and helping to stop further abuse of innocent boys.

Lastly, noone can change the fact that JP was a part of the University. But that bronze doesn't deserve such a prominent place and his name should be removed from the library too. JP is dead, it's time to move forward.

JMO and all that jazz...

wm

 

[Tipstaff]

I'm to the point where I think the statue should be moved.

The campus is big and putting it in a less prominent spot is appropriate.

Maybe it should be near Old Main, where future administrators can look at it out of their windows, just as a reminder.

J.J. has come around!!!:yourock:

 

[cityslick]

I don't know what to think about the statue. On one hand you have it serving as a reminder to what was covered up, what wasn't followed up on. On the other hand you have a guy that basically made Penn State the university it is today. JP's influence goes way beyond football there. By taking the statue down, it does send a message that you are putting a lot of blame on JP for what happened, almost as much as JS and I don't think that's accurate or fair. There are a lot of people to blame, JP is just one part of it.

There still a bust of OJ Simpson in the Football Hall of Fame and I think most people can agree that what he did compared to JP is not in the same realm. I don't know, it's a conflicting argument.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

I don't see the NCAA giving Penn State the death penalty. Only once has this been done and it was for a much smaller, much less significant school in SMU.
Penn State, 2 years ago was the 3rd highest revenue producing football program, second to only Texas and Notre Dame. That is a lot of money coming into the BIG10 network, national television and any other trickle down subsidiaries including all the other revenue sharing BIG10 universities.

I just don't see the NCAA giving the death penalty. I think the network, since Penn State was the cash cow would pursue legal action to recoup all the lost revenue.

Sorry if the above is a little disjointed. Just looking at a different perspective.
Would it be appropriate, yes but I just don't think it will happen. I believe they will be given some penalties but not total death.

No, it's not disjointed at all luvhockey. Mr.wm and I were discussing this NCAA subject last night. I partially agree with you. I think there will be some sanctions but will be surprised if PSU gets the death penalty for the upcoming season. But maybe next season. Has summer practice started yet, I wonder? It would upset scheduled games at this late date for NCAA to issue the death penalty. It's mid July already.

Mr.wm graduated from a B1G 10 university. His opinion is that this PSU scandal will force the NCAA to be more vigilant and tough on college athletics violations. Ncaa has an image to protect also, he said. I respect his opinion as he is a smart man and follows B1g 10 basketball. Time will tell I guess.

moo

wm

 

[costalpilot]

this is a heartfelt reaction from a Penn State alumnus that makes one so very glad this did not happen at your own school but also reveals how it could only have happened at a very few schools. definitely worth a read:

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8160271/joe-paterno-legacy-penn-state-aftermath-freeh-report


Failed Experiment

The scandal at State College infects an entire system in the aftermath of the Freeh Report
By Michael Weinreb on July 12, 2012PRINT

Last November, as the worst month in my alma mater's history unfolded, a Penn State medical-school researcher named Craig Meyers went on the radio to detail a remarkable scientific discovery: He had discovered a potential cure for cancer. It went largely unnoticed, because Craig Meyers is a scientist and because no one associated with Penn State gave a good *advertiser censored* about science in that moment, because they were enveloped by football.

That's what we are left with now that former FBI director Louis Freeh's damning independent report on Penn State has been released: It is everything the lawyers and flacks and message-board apologists assured us it wasn't. It is a football scandal, it is a Penn State scandal, and it is a fundamental violation of the very Grand Experiment — of the balance between academics and athletics, of the notion that football can elevate a university rather than weigh it down, of the idea that men like Craig Meyers benefit from men like Joe Paterno — that the school had espoused since the 1960s. It is a betrayal of every academic advancement Penn State has made since Paterno became its head coach; it is a betrayal of all of us who came of age within Paterno's sphere of influence; and it is a betrayal, most of all, of those abused children who grew up as my neighbors, and who were ignored and then abandoned by their elders in apparent deference to the abuser himself




...........

 

[costalpilot]

the statute should be left where it is but eye patches should be added to it.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

I don't see the NCAA giving Penn State the death penalty. Only once has this been done and it was for a much smaller, much less significant school in SMU.

snipped for focus

However, it could be argued that being dealt the death penalty is one reason SMU is less significant today. At the time, though, it was up and coming.

From wikipedia:

"They posted a record of 55-14-1 and won three Southwest Conference titles. They nearly won their second national title in 1982."

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Methodist_University_football_scandal"]Southern Methodist University football scandal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[elainebenice]

I don't see the NCAA giving Penn State the death penalty. Only once has this been done and it was for a much smaller, much less significant school in SMU.
Penn State, 2 years ago was the 3rd highest revenue producing football program, second to only Texas and Notre Dame. That is a lot of money coming into the BIG10 network, national television and any other trickle down subsidiaries including all the other revenue sharing BIG10 universities.

I just don't see the NCAA giving the death penalty. I think the network, since Penn State was the cash cow would pursue legal action to recoup all the lost revenue.

Sorry if the above is a little disjointed. Just looking at a different perspective.
Would it be appropriate, yes but I just don't think it will happen. I believe they will be given some penalties but not total death.

The NCAA will never give another school the death penalty after what happened with SMU for numerous reasons, including revenue. That being said, I don't believe this situation is one where the death penalty would be an appropriate punishment, even if it was on the table. Obviously, what was allowed to happen here is unfathomable and those responsible should be punished. (yes, I said allowed b/c I believe after PSU was aware of the 1st incident, everything that Sandusky did after that time on PSU's campus could have been prevented) However, I don't believe that this very unusual situation (compared to those the NCAA usually deals with) is one where it would be appropriate for the NCAA to levy the death penalty or really even take any action before the criminal legal process is allowed to run its course regarding all involved parties. The first bite at the apple that is the PSU administrators should and will go to LE. Once that process is completed, that would be the appropriate time for the NCAA to come in and address any compliance issues involving NCAA regs. I'm sure they have already begun their investigation and will be prepared to announce their findings/possible sanctions as soon as the legal process has run its course. I would expect them to address the obvious "lack of institutional control issue," while taking into consideration the changes PSU has already made to address any compliance issues. Since basically all (I hope/assume) parties who had anything substantive to do with this situation are no longer employed by PSU, I think it would be extremely overreaching and unfair to the current students/players/employees for the NCAA to levy the death penalty at this point. That's not meant to be seen as me having a sympathetic molecule in my body for PSU regarding anything that may happen to them as a result of Sandusky, but simply a fair/unbiased (as much as is possible) assessment of the NCAA's appropriate role in this particular situation.

 

[TxJan1971]

Good article, "Good Riddance, Joe Paterno" by Dr. Keith Ablow who has treated victims of sexual abuse:

Mr. Paterno may have known what it took to win on a football field. He may have known something about courage when facing big men running full tilt toward you, intent on stopping you, but he apparently knew exactly nothing about moral courage, nor how to protect those among us who really need protection. It’s time that we made that distinction plain.​

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/07/13/good-riddance-joe-paterno/#ixzz20WMpQa3J

 

[elainebenice]

snipped for focus

However, it could be argued that being dealt the death penalty is one reason SMU is less significant today. At the time, though, it was up and coming.

From wikipedia:

"They posted a record of 55-14-1 and won three Southwest Conference titles. They nearly won their second national title in 1982."

Southern Methodist University football scandal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You just hit the nail on the head. SMU was decimated by the death penalty and most likely will NEVER recover, at least never get back to the place their program was at the time it received the death penalty. When they got the death penalty they were far from a small, insignificant school/football program, they were among the elite. This crushing impact that will most likely never be overcome (at least in our lifetimes) is the reason the NCAA will never again give another school the death penalty.

 

[al66pine]

The Paterno family's statement Thursday “...The idea that any sane, responsible adult would
knowingly cover up for a child predator is impossible to accept....”

http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2012/07/post_198.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Is stmt saying the idea of cover-up is "impossible to accept" meaning
-- it did not happen and could not have happened, or
-- nobody wd hv accepted cover up.

I do not find it impossible to accept that a sane (ostensibly)
responsible (ostensibly) adult, e.g., JerSan, would
knowingly be a child predator, so I can accept the idea of a knowing coverup by...

... a or one sane (ostensibly), responsible (ostensibly) adult, and
... multiple sane (ostensibly), responsible (ostensibly) adults.
Especially when doing so protects or furthers their interests,
whether ---
---solely their own individual interests, such as continued employment or
---a shared or collective interest such as, oh, say, univ. image generally, or football program and/or head coach specifically.

Was JoPa family's (rhetorical?) question asking listeners/readers about cover up by ---
---JoPa,
---other PennSt officials, or
---larger group of people.

Some adroit wordsmithing in the stmt.

JMO.

 

[Reader]

Vicki Triponey definitely had a lot to say, but she brought some baggage with her that may have discredited some of her opinions. I don't have the links at the ready, but there were several articles posted in the PSU student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, when she left that were very critical of the culture she brought to the office. None of the comments seemed to have anything to do with the athletic department, but more about how, for no clear reason, she disbanded several student organizations that gave students a voice in the University, and was responsible for closing the student-operated radio station.

The feeling at the time seemed to be that she was very out-of-touch with student affairs, was hard to work with, and headstrong; no wonder she clashed with Paterno, who was also notoriously stubborn and, as we have seen, very protective of his turf.

IMO, Ms. Triponey is an unsung hero in the background of this football/child abuse scandal at Penn. State. I imagine she had to be tough and confrontational in order to fight the cover up culture that was being nurtured at the school and which is the basis for this scandal, according to the Freeh report. She lost but if she had not and had been able to penetrate the cover up of some of the cases she tried to work on, maybe, just maybe it would have shown a light on other things too. Penn State made a huge mistake in letting her go it is clear to me since she was the ONLY one in the whole school who had the gumption to stand up to Paterno and his cowardly cronies.

BBM - 'very protective of his turf' is such a tame way of describing what he was doing....concealing and lying about child sexual abuse on 'his turf', his kingdom, for 14 years to protect his god almighty football progam, IMO....

 

[IzzyBlanche]

snipped for focus

I think it would be extremely overreaching and unfair to the current students/players/employees for the NCAA to levy the death penalty at this point.

This is the argument made opposing any NCAA punishment for any school. There's no way the NCAA can punish a school for anything without punishing players and others who weren't involved in the infractions.

To use just one of many examples, none of the USC players who have been ineligible for bowl games for the past two years had anything to do with Reggie Bush's parents' housing arrangements.

So by that argument, the NCAA should never punish any school for anything.

Just jumping off your post. I'm not arguing that the NCAA should give PSU the death penalty.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

this is a heartfelt reaction from a Penn State alumnus that makes one so very glad this did not happen at your own school but also reveals how it could only have happened at a very few schools. definitely worth a read:

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8160271/joe-paterno-legacy-penn-state-aftermath-freeh-report


Failed Experiment

The scandal at State College infects an entire system in the aftermath of the Freeh Report
By Michael Weinreb on July 12, 2012PRINT

Last November, as the worst month in my alma mater's history unfolded, a Penn State medical-school researcher named Craig Meyers went on the radio to detail a remarkable scientific discovery: He had discovered a potential cure for cancer. It went largely unnoticed, because Craig Meyers is a scientist and because no one associated with Penn State gave a good *advertiser censored* about science in that moment, because they were enveloped by football.

That's what we are left with now that former FBI director Louis Freeh's damning independent report on Penn State has been released: It is everything the lawyers and flacks and message-board apologists assured us it wasn't. It is a football scandal, it is a Penn State scandal, and it is a fundamental violation of the very Grand Experiment — of the balance between academics and athletics, of the notion that football can elevate a university rather than weigh it down, of the idea that men like Craig Meyers benefit from men like Joe Paterno — that the school had espoused since the 1960s. It is a betrayal of every academic advancement Penn State has made since Paterno became its head coach; it is a betrayal of all of us who came of age within Paterno's sphere of influence; and it is a betrayal, most of all, of those abused children who grew up as my neighbors, and who were ignored and then abandoned by their elders in apparent deference to the abuser himself




...........

((((coastalpilot))))