Joe Paterno's Family Releases It's Own Report critical of Freeh Report

[costalpilot]

joe paterno was a liar. and not a very good one at that.

http://espn.go.com/espnw/commentary/7476452/former-penn-state-coach-joe-paterno-naïve-not-credible

 

[nittanylioness234]

A trustee explains his reasons for signing onto the Paterno family lawsuit:

http://www.centredaily.com/2013/05/30/3635130/penn-state-trustee-mccombie-ncaa.html

 

[J. J. in Phila]

The experts weigh in: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/in...no_family_suit_takes_a_mo.html#incart_m-rpt-1

I think the comments echo many here.

 

[Reader]

The experts weigh in: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/in...no_family_suit_takes_a_mo.html#incart_m-rpt-1

I think the comments echo many here.

Uh oh, now they are shooting themselves in the foot again....accusing Louis Freeh of conspiracy....they will live to regret that I believe....

The suit also alleges Emmert and senior NCAA leaders effectively conspired with university-hired investigator Louis Freeh to use the Sandusky scandal "to deflect attention from mounting criticisms, to shore up the NCAA's faltering reputation, to broaden the NCAA's authority beyond its defined limits."

***

Lawsuit won't reclaim Joe Paterno's reputation; Happy Valley divide is real, and more

http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2013/05/lawsuit_joe_paterno_reputation_ncaa.html

Yahoo! Sports' Dan Wetzel responded to the news noting that the Happy Valley divide which PennLive's David Jones discussed in his 'JoeBots' column is real. The Daily Times added that no lawsuit will restore Joe Paterno's reputation.

There is a list of articles including Wetzel's that I want to read...

 

[Reader]

Five takeaways from the "Costas Tonight" hour for Joe Paterno

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/in...ays_from_the_costas.html#incart_most-comments

This excerpt seemed telling.

Late in the show, Bob Costas asked McGinn if he would be pleased if the consensus public opinion on Paterno shifts to something like: “Paterno was a good man who lived his life the right way, but became negligent at the end of his career and… should have been more pro-active role against Sandusky.”

McGinn’s response? “No.”

He then painted this hoped-for narrative that is one of almost complete exoneration of the old coach.

Are they going to destroy the school trying to exonerate Paterno? The school that he dedicated his life to building up?

 

[Reader]

Penn State's 'Joebots' in danger of driving out Bill O'Brien: David Jones

http://blog.pennlive.com/davidjones/2013/05/penn_state_bill_obrien_joebots.html

 

[Reader]

Sorry to be posting so much but thought this article has a good analysis and it explained some things to me:

How the Joe Paterno lawsuit against the NCAA is cynical, but tactical

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/5/31/4381644/joe-paterno-lawsuit-penn-state-ncaa

..........But the lawsuit has a glaring flaw -- it was filed against the wrong party........

If parties within Penn State are angry about the contract, then their cause of action is not against the NCAA, or else it would discourage contracts and other commercial activity. Rather, the cause of action is against the parties at Penn State itself for entering into the contract, because these plaintiffs do have relationships (contractual and non-contractual) with the college........

The Paterno plaintiffs include some current members of Penn State's board of trustees. If the board members think that Erickson acted improperly -- and their complaint makes a compelling case that he did -- then they should be suing him, not the NCAA. A board member can sue a CEO for acting outside the scope of his duties, so there's nothing wrong with a lawsuit against Erickson. The only issue is when the Paterno plaintiffs will finally get around to suing him.

In a few months the NCAA will file a motion to dismiss the Paterno lawsuit. The judge will most likely grant that motion and dismiss the lawsuit unless the Paterno plaintiffs amend the complaint to include Erickson and Penn State as plaintiffs. So, after a few months of litigation delays, Paterno would eventually sue Penn State anyway. On its face, this initial lawsuit seems like a waste of time...........

So what's the strategy here? I've come up with a couple of possibilities.

*Dragging the NCAA into this makes the Paterno plaintiffs look better. .......

*This is a warning shot to Penn State. The rogue Penn State board members who joined the Paterno lawsuit would prefer not to sue the colleagues that they have worked with over the years. This is a last-ditch attempt to get Penn State to resolve this internally before civil war erupts..........

But if Sandusky victims can prove that Paterno was involved in a cover-up, then their civil suits will eat into that estate pretty quickly. If you look at Catholic church abuse cases and factor in some light inflation, the back-of-the-envelope math comes out to about $1 million per victim. So expect the Paterno estate to defend itself in this case vigorously, and don't expect it to give any quarter until it disproves the Freeh Report or exhausts all of its appeals.

This is the beginning of what's going to be a nasty, drawn-out lawsuit. Just don't count on it to bring down the NCAA.

 

[Rlaub44]

I'm not involved personally but looking from the outside, all these efforts to turn back to the past seem misguided and futile, by the Paternos and his legacy supporters. To me, it just never lets the Sandusky matter get resolved, which AFAIC was accomplished with his trial and conviction. I'm waiting for the other 3 to go to trial then I am finished with this case, unless more charges are made.

The school needs to move forward, not backward, the past is never going to return. As shown in a post I made recently, most of the faculty and students are going on with their work and this stuff is on the sideline and immaterial to them.

These actions by the Paternos and certain BOT members just drag the school down and keeps them from being very proud of getting through the trial, making needed changes in staff and procedures and getting the football team back to winning. And what is sad, all these efforts I don't think are going to change anything, just cause more bad feelings.

I'll say this for Bowden at FSU (and I don't like FSU; my son went to Auburn, a big rival)....he took his medicine when it came and did not run around protesting and trying to get his records back and I have respected him for that. I have a feeling that if Paterno had lived, he would have done the same. Other people's agendas are hurting his reputation more than they are helping.

All IMO.

The section I bolded is exactly what I have been thinking since this lawsuit was announced.

I can understand the family feeling the need to "clear" his name, but I believe Paterno would have dissuaded them from continuing their public efforts had he lived; not because he felt complicit, but just because that is the kind of person I believe him to be, not wanting the attention drawn to himself.

 

[Tipstaff]

The experts weigh in: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/in...no_family_suit_takes_a_mo.html#incart_m-rpt-1

I think the comments echo many here.

Two words in regard to Joe Paterno explain JP's family's problem

"commercial disparagement" :floorlaugh::floorlaugh:

couched among concern for Penn State being coerced. If a major university doesn't know what they are doing when accepting the NCAA punishment how does anyone have confidence they can hire professors, plan and educate students, prepare a budget etc.

JP's family isn't being helpful to the University.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Two words in regard to Joe Paterno explain JP's family's problem

"commercial disparagement" :floorlaugh::floorlaugh:

couched among concern for Penn State being coerced. If a major university doesn't know what they are doing when accepting the NCAA punishment how does anyone have confidence they can hire professors, plan and educate students, prepare a budget etc.

JP's family isn't being helpful to the University.

The coercion argument doesn't hold water for two reasons:

1. The NCAA is permitted to go to a university and say, "Accept this, or we'll put you on trial." under the rules they adopted.

2. Emmert does not have the authority to personally impose any sanctions.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

PSU hopes the NCAA might lessen the sanctions: http://www.centredaily.com/2013/06/05/3642151/penn-state-trustees-hope-sanctions.html

The Paterno family does not like it:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/in...ily_takes_objection.html#incart_river_default

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Thornburgh will not be arguing the case: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/06/former_gov_dick_thornburgh_hel.html

 

[nittanylioness234]

More from the BOT:

http://www.statecollege.com/news/co...s-editorial-defending-boards-actions-1319208/


and a rebuttal:

http://www.statecollege.com/news/columns/penn-state-trustees-respond-to-fellow-board-member-1321545/

 

[J. J. in Phila]

More from the BOT:

http://www.statecollege.com/news/co...s-editorial-defending-boards-actions-1319208/


and a rebuttal:

http://www.statecollege.com/news/columns/penn-state-trustees-respond-to-fellow-board-member-1321545/

Five people that have not a clue about how the NCAA rules actually work.

 

[costalpilot]

Five takeaways from the "Costas Tonight" hour for Joe Paterno

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/in...ays_from_the_costas.html#incart_most-comments




Are they going to destroy the school trying to exonerate Paterno? The school that he dedicated his life to building up?

they care much less about the university than they do his (their) name.

the university fired joe.

dam the U.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

A group of former football players and coaches support the Paterno lawsuit: http://www.centredaily.com/2013/06/17/3656424/former-penn-state-players-coaches.html

Among the coaches is Booker Brooks, who testified as a character witness for Sandusky.

A notable absence is Fran Ganter.

 

[nittanylioness234]

The players also have a website and have made a film, in tribute to Paterno:

http://www.grandexperiment.org/

 

[time]

The players also have a website and have made a film, in tribute to Paterno:

http://www.grandexperiment.org/

All I can say is UGH! Why don't they just let it lie. I think this is very hurtful to the abuse victims but about par for the course.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

This will not make me popular here, but I have a mixed view of Paterno.

At least when I was there, he did emphasize education over athletics. He did, especially after I left, raise money for academic facilities. Even to a non-sports fan, those things were admirable.

His lack of handling the case in 2001, and possibly a greater involvement in 1998 were appalling.

I don't think he deserves a halo, nor does he deserve horns and a tail. He was a human who had great achievements, and made mistakes. I would argue that his mistakes, at least as known so far, were not as grave as the mistakes of others.

 

[Reader]

This will not make me popular here, but I have a mixed view of Paterno.

At least when I was there, he did emphasize education over athletics. He did, especially after I left, raise money for academic facilities. Even to a non-sports fan, those things were admirable.

His lack of handling the case in 2001, and possibly a greater involvement in 1998 were appalling.

I don't think he deserves a halo, nor does he deserve horns and a tail. He was a human who had great achievements, and made mistakes. I would argue that his mistakes, at least as known so far, were not as grave as the mistakes of others.

No flame from me, I agree with you.

I think he should have reported in 2001 but the final fault goes to Spanier on that to me; at the GJ he told the truth about 2001, but IMO fudged it a bit about 1998...still he did not commit a crime.

No man is perfect but it's galling that these supporters seem to be trying to prove JP was after he had already admitted he 'should have done more'.

From what we've had posted here previously it seems most of these people have their own agendas for using the Paterno legend:

Football fans....the wins/sanctions

Some BOT members....power and influence

Family.....money and to avoid law suits from victims

Governor and new AG.....votes

Senators....money for the state