Penn State Sandusky-Report of the Special Investigative Counsel

[Reader]

No offense to you, Reader, but that HuffandPuff article of really full of bs. Except for a tiny stripe on the cuff of the sleeve, Penn State's uniforms have been the same very boring style since 1938 which is way before Paterno. (I did get a big laugh out of them trying to spin the truly retro uniforms as a symbol of purity.)
http://www.gopsusports.com/blog/2011/06/penn-state-football-uniforms-through-the-years.html

HuffandPuff also "spun" Penn State's academic record. Shame on them as usual. They forgot to add this:
-PSU is rated in the top 1 percent of higher education institutions worldwide.
-In 2012, Penn State University was ranked #12 by U.S. News & World Report in its “Top Public Schools” list.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandr...ges/rankings/national-universities/top-public

No worries, Pensfan, I take no offense...I did not write the article but have found Fineman to be reliable in his political articles in the past.

I did not post it because of his comments on the uniforms or rankings but for what it said about Paterno's influence on the school and the JS case as shown by Freeh.

BTW, on the rankings one of the comments said that he was referring to the graduate schools, IDK if that makes a difference and it's no matter to me.

 

[Reader]

From p. 53 of the report:

Cynthia Baldwin, who was then General Counsel, confirmed to the Special Investigative Counsel that Spanier was asked about the 1998 event in the interview before the Grand Jury appearance. 182 According to Baldwin, after the interview, Spanier said the interview "was no big deal" and he was "quite comfortable" going before the Grand Jury.183

I wonder if Spanier will continue to think his interviews with the AG and GJ are no big deal and remain so comfortable as they build their case against him.

 

[BigCat]

No worries, Pensfan, I take no offense...I did not write the article but have found Fineman to be reliable in his political articles in the past.

I did not post it because of his comments on the uniforms or rankings but for what it said about Paterno's influence on the school and the JS case as shown by Freeh.

BTW, on the rankings one of the comments said that he was referring to the graduate schools, IDK if that makes a difference and it's no matter to me.

Amen to that, Reader. I could care less about Penn State's rankings. That's the problem -- they put rankings before the well-bring of children. It's shameful.

 

[back2back19]

From p. 53 of the report:



I wonder if Spanier will continue to think his interviews with the AG and GJ are no big deal and remain so comfortable as they build their case against him.

Of course he will. Spanier doesn't think he did anything wrong. Its all a big misunderstanding.

 

[Reader]

Penn State won national titles in 82 and 86. They went undefeated in 94 but finished 2nd.

Many Penn State football fans insist the 99 team was one of the more disappointing, especially on defense. They were loaded with stars but didn't produce at the expected level.

Thanks for the correction, BigCat..boy, was I off on that!

I'll try again...if the team was so bad that year maybe they asked JS to stay another year to help them out...

Just trying to figure out why they gave him that retirement bonus when nobody had ever gotten one before...there is more to this than meets the eye about 1998 and why they all are still denying they knew about it....

 

[Pensfan]

Amen to that, Reader. I could care less about Penn State's rankings. That's the problem -- they put rankings before the well-bring of children. It's shameful.

"They" are not the 500,000 alumni and the current 94,000 students that make Penn State. "They" were four disgusting self-serving males at Penn State.

 

[ohiogirl]

From p. 53 of the report:



I wonder if Spanier will continue to think his interviews with the AG and GJ are no big deal and remain so comfortable as they build their case against him.

He is shaking in his shoes and ***tting in his pants right about now.:what:

 

[Reader]

Of course he will. Spanier doesn't think he did anything wrong. Its all a big misunderstanding.

He is shaking in his shoes and ***tting in his pants right about now.:what:

LOL, two completely different answers....I'm kind of in between...he is so arrogant that even tho he is worried he probably thinks he can get thru it with flying colors...with more lies of course....

 

[IzzyBlanche]

"They" are not the 500,000 alumni and the current 94,000 students that make Penn State. "They" were four disgusting self-serving males at Penn State.

IMO this is an oversimplifiction. "They" if not literally than figuratively most certainly are some of the alumni and students whom the BOT does not want to offend by taking down JP's statue, and who are out there in cyberland right now still defending him, and "they" are also some of the students who rioted when JP was fired, and "they" are also the trustee quoted below who says the statue is never coming down.

From link below:

The trustees' reluctance to remove the statue is motivated, in part, by a desire not to offend alumni and students who adore the late coach despite the damning findings of his role in the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse cover-up detailed in the Freeh report, the sources said.

...

"It has to stay up," said another trustee. "We have to let a number of months pass, and we'll address it again. But there is no way, no way. It's just not coming down."

ETA: Oops, forgot link: http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8166643/joe-paterno-statue-remain-penn-state-sources-say

 

[IzzyBlanche]

And "they" are people like this commenter posting YESTERDAY. If it is against WS rules for me to post this, mods please delete.

"Paterno was the only one to report Sandusky as he was supposed to do, to his superiors, and they didn't do what they should have done. And now all the blame for the entire mess gets heaped on Paterno. So Freeh's report simply rakes the Trustees over the coals like enery one knew they should be, and then becomes the mechanism to blame the dead guy."


The comment can be found on the pennlive website on page 3 of the comments under Sara Ganim's story titled "Analysis: Freeh report sheds new light on Jerry Sandusky scandal, but needs context."

ETA: Oh, those comments from those who are "they" are so...I'm sorry, adjectives fail me. The Freeh report = the Salem Witch Trials?!? The report was paid for by the trustees to justify their actions, and they got exactly what they wanted? Has this person READ the report? Even read a media story about the criticism it heaped at the BOT?

I would be :floorlaugh: if the whole thing weren't so tragic.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

And "they" are, again most certainly, still sitting on the BOT:

From link below:

Penn State's Board of Trustees announced last week that it was "deeply ashamed" by the findings of the Freeh report, which was unsparing in its criticism of the trustees' and top administrators' bungled handling of the Jerry Sandusky criminal investigation in 2011 and their firing of Joe Paterno.

But behind closed doors, in private committee meetings and during several meals, the trustees expressed fury at the way they were portrayed in the report: as passive, ill-prepared or uninformed bystanders ...

Several alumni groups have called for some or all of the 32 trustees to resign, but they have all steadfastly refused. Instead, the board and university leaders pledged last week to adapt many, if not all, of the 119 recommendations for reform made by the Freeh report. "We failed in our obligation to provide proper oversight," trustee Ken Frazier told reporters. "We are accountable for what's happened here."

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_...stees-pressed-ex-chairman-steve-garban-resign

My own analogy:

Air traffic controller pressed to resign after inattention results in horrific crash wrecking many lives: "Heck no. I was at fault and I admit it, but I'm accountable so I'm going to get right back up in that tower and do a much better job from here on out."

 

[Reader]

I think we all realize this situation was not caused by everyone who has or is attending the school now. Probably a lot of them don't even care about the football program and are/were there just to get an education and train for their field.

But it's some of the individuals who have responded to the case and now the Freeh report with denials and even accusations, who are still so deep in that culture of thrall to Paterno and football, that they refuse to even consider he was not right in all things.

Painting a blue ribbon on Paterno on the mural since he endorsed the child abuse cause? Putting a sign at the statue saying, We don't believe Freeh, we believe you? Refusing to even consider moving the statue?

No, I don't condemn all who have or will attend the school, but I reserve the right to express my opinion about those who refuse to accept the truth.

And the BOT...words fail...

 

[IzzyBlanche]

One last thing (for tonight I mean).

I am not a parent, but this whole situation was brought home to me in personal terms last night at a family event.

I was watching my extremely cute 10-year-old nephew, who has a sense of humor way beyond his years, laughing uproariously and making funny comments to his sibling opponents while playing Wii.

It was such a beautiful thing to see, such uninhibited joy in the moment, which will all too soon be diminished by the stresses of adolescence and adulthood.

Then I imagined even that little window of innocence stolen so prematurely by someone like Jerry Sandusky, whose victims I am sure never again were able to experience that same kind of joy.

Then I imagined people of influence AWARE of JS's actions, and with all the power in the world to stop it, particularly one whose proclaimed philosophy was "success with honor," and I was absolutely, once again,

:furious::furious::furious::furious::furious:

So Joe P graduated more football players than anyone else.

BEE EFF DEE.

Those were late adolescents nearing adulthood who by that age were old enough to make decisions for themselves. However misguided decisions made at that age could be.

But when it came to protecting defenseless children who found themselves in JS's evil clutches...well. We all know the rest.

 

[back2back19]

LOL, two completely different answers....I'm kind of in between...he is so arrogant that even tho he is worried he probably thinks he can get thru it with flying colors...with more lies of course....

Because like JS, its all a misunderstanding. I really doubt he's worried. He smugly called Freeh for interview and lied. This dude thinks he can and will get away with it.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

I think we all realize this situation was not caused by everyone who has or is attending the school now. Probably a lot of them don't even care about the football program and are/were there just to get an education and train for their field.

But it's some of the individuals who have responded to the case and now the Freeh report with denials and even accusations, who are still so deep in that culture of thrall to Paterno and football, that they refuse to even consider he was not right in all things.

Painting a blue ribbon on Paterno on the mural since he endorsed the child abuse cause? Putting a sign at the statue saying, We don't believe Freeh, we believe you? Refusing to even consider moving the statue?

No, I don't condemn all who have or will attend the school, but I reserve the right to express my opinion about those who refuse to accept the truth.

And the BOT...words fail...

Just thanks weren't enough. You articulated what I was trying lamely to say. Thanks again.

And jumping off from your post--as I think some other posters have said here, this painting of the ribbon is the first I've ever heard about JP supporting child abuse victims. One would think this interest would have been splashed all over JP's hagiography during the past decades.

Even if he did, the fact that the painting was altered in such a way, at this time, and as far as has been reported no one in authority at PSU has expressed any opposition, once again demonstrates "their" complete and utter tone deafness to the way the world thinks outside Happy Valley and the cult of Paterno.

 

[back2back19]

LOL, two completely different answers....I'm kind of in between...he is so arrogant that even tho he is worried he probably thinks he can get thru it with flying colors...with more lies of course....

And "they" are, again most certainly, still sitting on the BOT:

From link below:

Penn State's Board of Trustees announced last week that it was "deeply ashamed" by the findings of the Freeh report, which was unsparing in its criticism of the trustees' and top administrators' bungled handling of the Jerry Sandusky criminal investigation in 2011 and their firing of Joe Paterno.

But behind closed doors, in private committee meetings and during several meals, the trustees expressed fury at the way they were portrayed in the report: as passive, ill-prepared or uninformed bystanders ...

Several alumni groups have called for some or all of the 32 trustees to resign, but they have all steadfastly refused. Instead, the board and university leaders pledged last week to adapt many, if not all, of the 119 recommendations for reform made by the Freeh report. "We failed in our obligation to provide proper oversight," trustee Ken Frazier told reporters. "We are accountable for what's happened here."

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_...stees-pressed-ex-chairman-steve-garban-resign

My own analogy:

Air traffic controller pressed to resign after inattention results in horrific crash wrecking many lives: "Heck no. I was at fault and I admit it, but I'm accountable so I'm going to get right back up in that tower and do a much better job from here on out."

I am so not surprised they were pissed at how they came across in the report. They were pissy and defensive during the pressers. They expected Schultz, Curley, Spanier to take the hit. I don't think they thought they'd get called out or that St. JoePa would either. I honestly don't think there is one person involved in this mess at PSU who thinks they did wrong. I think they all think they did right. That its just an overreaction by the media and the public/PSU haters. That eventually it'll die down and they can get back to business as usual.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I am so not surprised they were pissed at how they came across in the report. They were pissy and defensive during the pressers. They expected Schultz, Curley, Spanier to take the hit. I don't think they thought they'd get called out or that St. JoePa would either. I honestly don't think there is one person involved in this mess at PSU who thinks they did wrong. I think they all think they did right. That its just an overreaction by the media and the public/PSU haters. That eventually it'll die down and they can get back to business as usual.

There is the obligation of oversight. It looks like one or two members tried (weakly) and they were stonewalled.

Either the then board chair and Spanier should have responded, or these members should have raised it at a meeting.

 

[Tipstaff]

Interesting Point writer makes about the library....

Cook: Penn State, tear down that Paterno statue
July 16, 2012 12:36 am


By Ron Cook / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
So a member of the Penn State board of trustees has been quoted as saying about the Joe Paterno statue at Beaver Stadium, "The statue represents the good that Joe did. It doesn't represent the bad that he did."

Wrong.

The statue represents the evil that was within Paterno. It was built because of the Penn State football empire that he constructed, an empire that he allowed to careen dangerously out of control as he was being made into an iconic figure and campus deity. "Success With Honor" is how they once described it. "The Paterno Way."

Now, we know better.

Paterno and other Penn State leaders decided it was better to protect the football program than it was to protect the young boys molested by convicted pedophile Jerry Sandusky, his long-time defensive coordinator. For Paterno, it wasn't so much about 324 wins, which broke Bear Bryant's major-college record, or 400 wins, or even his final total of 409 wins, which broke Eddie Robinson's record and made Paterno Division I's all-time winningest coach. It wasn't even about greed, although that can't be said for president Graham Spanier, senior vice president Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley. For Paterno, it was all about ego and power.

EDUCATOR. COACH. HUMANITARIAN.

Those are the words on the wall next to the Paterno statue. If the board of trustees is going to allow the statue to stand, its members need to get out a chisel and make a few revisions.

ENABLER. PEDOPHILE PROTECTOR. LIAR.

Tear the damn thing down.

A trustee, quoted by ESPN.com earlier here, had it wrong. The Paterno Library represents the good that Paterno did. Make no mistake, he had plenty of good inside him. He and his wife, Sue, donated more than $4 million to Penn State, a significant portion going to fund the library. "Without a great library, you can't have a great university," Paterno always said. He made Penn State a great institution by raising millions to endow scholarships and faculty positions.

It should stay the Paterno Library forever.

It's funny, though, not many people seem to be talking about the Penn State library. It's all about football. Too few seem to care about the roles played by Spanier, Schultz and Curley in the Sandusky cover-up. It's all about Paterno.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories...own-that-paterno-statue-644895/#ixzz20mjkpmEF

 

[LRinCA]

New article out by Ganim on the aftermath of the report: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/07/analysis_freeh_report_sheds_ne.html

The last two paragraphs of this section are pretty interesting, imo.

There are a few people mentioned for the first time as key players in the narrative.

One was the unnamed trustee who demanded to know more from Graham Spanier and Cynthia Baldwin about the March 2011 Patriot-News article. He was blown off in many ways, evidence that Spanier was wild with power.

But more intriguing is former Centre County Assistant District Attorney Karen Arnold. We knew she worked on the 1998 police investigation that never led to charges against Sandusky. But her role was minimized until now, and blame for no charges being filed was put on her boss, missing former prosecutor Ray Gricar.

Gricar would have made that call. But Arnold seems to have played a pretty big role in that investigation. She refused to talk to the Freeh group, even though she testified before the grand jury. Why?
​

 

[LRinCA]

Arnold reviewed a 1998 complaint by a woman whose son had showered with Sandusky, but no charges were filed after a police investigation.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Curley-Schultz-call-Freeh-report-one-sided-3703169.php