Thought this was an interesting read

[NitFan89]

Penn State is bringing Joe Paterno back into view and approaching the question it can't avoid

From Matt Campbell's white laces and a revived 'Success With Honor' banner to a new museum exhibit, Penn State's increasingly public embrace of Paterno raises the question of where its gradual restoration of his legacy ultimately leads

www.cbssports.com

 

[BCS PSU]

Penn State is bringing Joe Paterno back into view and approaching the question it can't avoid

From Matt Campbell's white laces and a revived 'Success With Honor' banner to a new museum exhibit, Penn State's increasingly public embrace of Paterno raises the question of where its gradual restoration of his legacy ultimately leads

www.cbssports.com

A restoration of his legacy never should have been needed.

 

[BobPSU92]

Penn State is bringing Joe Paterno back into view and approaching the question it can't avoid

From Matt Campbell's white laces and a revived 'Success With Honor' banner to a new museum exhibit, Penn State's increasingly public embrace of Paterno raises the question of where its gradual restoration of his legacy ultimately leads

www.cbssports.com

“Paterno was fired in 2011 in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal after 62 total seasons coaching at Penn State. An independent investigation in 2012 overseen by a former FBI director found that Paterno knew as early as 1998 that there were concerns about Sandusky's conduct with children and that administrators, as well as Paterno, "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade."“

It’s 2026, yet the same sh|t. Holy f*cking sh|t bags.

And Sandy was a dumb sh|t for the ages for apologizing for the 409 helmet stickers.

 

[PSU Soupy 615]

The investigation did seem to focus on the football team and Athletic Department as opposed to PSU University Administration, Second Mile Charities etc...... almost as if searching for a predetermined answer. Even the quote above "......Paterno knew as early as 1998 that there were concerns about Sandusky's conduct......." Knowing about a concern even if it is an accurate statement is very vague. Someone could have concerns about anything and then if you hear the concerns what are you supposed to do about it? Joe eventually told his boss about things that he had heard and the person whom the University Police report into, yet that was supposedly not enough??

Things that most can agree on, Sandusky did not have great legal counsel, Joe did pass on his information to his boss and University Leadership, McQuery statements seemed like they changed over time. The vetting process for the payments by the University seemed rather thin and could be exploited.

Not sure what happened. Not sure if Sandusky got what he deserved....... does not seem to me with limited knowledge of all of the events that Joe was treated fairly. Perhaps I am not a good judge of this as I greatly respected Joe and what he did and what he stood for prior to these events.

 

[BCS PSU]

The investigation did seem to focus on the football team and Athletic Department as opposed to PSU University Administration, Second Mile Charities etc...... almost as if searching for a predetermined answer. Even the quote above "......Paterno knew as early as 1998 that there were concerns about Sandusky's conduct......." Knowing about a concern even if it is an accurate statement is very vague. Someone could have concerns about anything and then if you hear the concerns what are you supposed to do about it? Joe eventually told his boss about things that he had heard and the person whom the University Police report into, yet that was supposedly not enough??

Things that most can agree on, Sandusky did not have great legal counsel, Joe did pass on his information to his boss and University Leadership, McQuery statements seemed like they changed over time. The vetting process for the payments by the University seemed rather thin and could be exploited.

Not sure what happened. Not sure if Sandusky got what he deserved....... does not seem to me with limited knowledge of all of the events that Joe was treated fairly. Perhaps I am not a good judge of this as I greatly respected Joe and what he did and what he stood for prior to these events.

I believe that Sandusky's last season on the coaching staff was 1999, so maybe Joe forced him out after hearing things. Also, if Joe did report the rumors to the chain of command, then what more was he supposed to have done? Was he expected to put together a posse and make a citizen's arrest?

 

[G3624]

no. Just lynch him on the spot!

 

[Metal Mike]

One fact that I found very interesting was in the Freeh Report. Not in the Executive summary but in the main body of the report. Sandusky was investigated by the police and a representative from the state office responsible for child safety. This was back when Sandusky was employed by PSU as defensive coach. This investigation concluded that Sandusky did not demonstrated the traits of a child molester. The fact that he had been investigated by the authorities and given a clean pass is never brought up. I concluded either he was not a child molester or he was very good at hiding his behavior. Given this investigation of Sandusky sheds light on the behavior of the PSU officals.

 

[Bvillebaron]

A restoration of his legacy never should have been needed.

No truer words were ever spoken.

The investigation did seem to focus on the football team and Athletic Department as opposed to PSU University Administration, Second Mile Charities etc...... almost as if searching for a predetermined answer. Even the quote above "......Paterno knew as early as 1998 that there were concerns about Sandusky's conduct......." Knowing about a concern even if it is an accurate statement is very vague. Someone could have concerns about anything and then if you hear the concerns what are you supposed to do about it? Joe eventually told his boss about things that he had heard and the person whom the University Police report into, yet that was supposedly not enough??

Things that most can agree on, Sandusky did not have great legal counsel, Joe did pass on his information to his boss and University Leadership, McQuery statements seemed like they changed over time. The vetting process for the payments by the University seemed rather thin and could be exploited.

Not sure what happened. Not sure if Sandusky got what he deserved....... does not seem to me with limited knowledge of all of the events that Joe was treated fairly. Perhaps I am not a good judge of this as I greatly respected Joe and what he did and what he stood for prior to these events.

Sandusky was separately investigated by the police and DPW regarding the 1998 incident. The police chose not to prosecute despite an officer eavesdropping on a conversation with the alleged victim’s mother. While Sandusky did not confess to anything, he did say that he feels horrible. DPW had him undergo a psych evaluation which concluded that he fit the classic profile of a groomer. For reasons unknown (largely because no one in the AG’s office, including our current governor who claims he is the protector of children, ever investigated the DPW despite its direct oversight responsibility) had a second eval done (over the written objection of a first assistant in the Centre County DA’s office) which concluded essentially that he was “harmless”. Guess which version DPW reported to Penn State?
Paterno was not involved in the negotiation of Sandusky’s retirement package which gave him emeritus status and access to Penn State’s facilities. Paterno was asked for his comment on the package and he stated, in writing, that he was okay with giving Sandusky access to facilities but not with him bringing Second Mile kids on campus due to liability concerns (a copy of the document is included as an appendix to the Freeh report). Paterno’s comment about not letting him bring Second Mile kids on campus related to the potential for physical injury. Nevertheless, one of the grounds advanced for implicating Paterno was that he was somehow responsible (despite his recommendation that he not be permitted to bring Second Mile kids on campus and that he reported the very next day to his supervisor whatever McQuery told him and then did not participate in any investigation— the precise protocol the NCAA adopted a few months after imposing sanctions on Penn State) because he was allegedly “in charge” of everything that happened at Penn State. Too bad the administration didn’t heed the old man’s recommendation on not letting Sandusky bring Second Mile kids on campus huh?

 

[PSUForever]

I believe that Sandusky's last season on the coaching staff was 1999, so maybe Joe forced him out after hearing things. Also, if Joe did report the rumors to the chain of command, then what more was he supposed to have done? Was he expected to put together a posse and make a citizen's arrest?

The narrative that will never change is because he was Joe Paterno who was all powerful, he could have done more. He said it himself. What does that mean? People think he ran the university and bossed everyone around. Had his hand in many different university affairs and influenced major strategic decisions. He was already 72 in 1998 so an older man, reduced energy, etc. He was not some dictator ruling over everyone or some kind of informal CEO.

I don't know what more he could have done. He didn't even know what was going on. Nobody did. Sandusky didn't work for him. People wanted Joe to get Sandusky arrested. He couldn't do that. He made a bad judgment call by not banning him from the football building or being more aggressive in controlling him but he really didn't know what was happening. People think he enabled it which is a shame. Such a sad story. It is so unfortunate that his career and then life had to end in such an embarrassing way. He has to take some blame for what happened but it is a complicated story.

To me, Joe Paterno will always be the pinnacle of Penn State football. I grew up on Penn State football and Joe was a fixture who was Penn State football for decades.
The man who brought greatness and honor to the university. That huge stadium, 100,000 plus fans, all the loyal fans across the country can all be traced back to Joe. He built it all. We are a blue blood program because of Joe. We are a household name in football because of Joe.

 

[CVLion]

He made a bad judgment call by not banning him from the football building or being more aggressive in controlling him but he really didn't know what was happening.

I’m with you on most of what you said… but how was Joe supposed to have done these particular things? He was no longer Sandusky’s boss, and JS had been granted access to the facilities by the PSU administration as part of his retirement package.

 

[leinbacker]

“Paterno was fired in 2011 in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal after 62 total seasons coaching at Penn State. An independent investigation in 2012 overseen by a former FBI director found that Paterno knew as early as 1998 that there were concerns about Sandusky's conduct with children and that administrators, as well as Paterno, "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade."“

It’s 2026, yet the same sh|t. Holy f*cking sh|t bags.

And Sandy was a dumb sh|t for the ages for apologizing for the 409 helmet stickers.

It can also be said that a District Attorney, State Police, State's Social Services also knew as early as 1998 knew that there were concerns. People who actually had legal power to do something about it. I guess that isn't important because we all know such matters are the jurisdiction of a football coach.

 

[PSUForever]

I’m with you on most of what you said… but how was Joe supposed to have done these particular things? He was no longer Sandusky’s boss, and JS had been granted access to the facilities by the PSU administration as part of his retirement package.

Yeah I think if Joe thought there could be a problem with Sandusky's behavior he could have told the administration to ban him. The problem is what did Joe really know back in '98? He might have been aware of some rumors and that's it but not enough to rising to banning Sandusky.

The fundamental issue here is since Joe was such an icon he gets a ton of unnecessary blame but the reality is he was old, not up to speed on what was happening and he didn't have nearly the clout and power in the university that people think he did. With all that said, I'm not sure what more he could have done. He gave Sandusky the benefit of the doubt and that was obviously the wrong call but so did the administration.

 

[ApexLion]

The media has never understood Penn State. It’s unique. The football coach isn’t treated locally like a southern plantation owner. It’s big time football but it’s not like elsewhere.

 

[Metal Mike]

A couple of posters above have stated that authorities knew or suspected about Sandusky as early as 1998. What I read in the Freeh Report is that the investigation conducted in 1998 concluded that Sandusky did not exhibit the characteristics of a child molester. This investigation gave Sandusky a clean bill. There was no doubt in the police and the folks from DPW (responsible for child welfare) who conducted this investigation. So rather than folks knew as early as 1998, they did not know or suspect. Sandusky was investigated by the proper authorities, people who were the experts in this field.

 

[TiogaLion]

 

[o_PSUALREADYKNOW]

A couple of posters above have stated that authorities knew or suspected about Sandusky as early as 1998. What I read in the Freeh Report is that the investigation conducted in 1998 concluded that Sandusky did not exhibit the characteristics of a child molester. This investigation gave Sandusky a clean bill. There was no doubt in the police and the folks from DPW (responsible for child welfare) who conducted this investigation. So rather than folks knew as early as 1998, they did not know or suspect. Sandusky was investigated by the proper authorities, people who were the experts in this field.

Even to this day ESPN has a “30 for 30” commercial they do where the voice over talks about “truth” and shows Joe.

It’s obviously insinuating Joe lied or covered something up

How disgusting and wrong is that?

If Joe was loved by the right people he would still be considered the coach of all time.

For some reason-Joe had many enemies and it seems like most of them are from the media. Ugh I hate ESPN-they could have really helped the cause, but because they hate PSU-the don’t give a ****. Biggest blame of course goes to PSU and the many anonymous cowards who chose to hide and scapegoat Joe.

I mean am I the only one who thinks it’s one the greatest tragedies and most confounding things that Joe Paterno’s name and records are never mentioned?

Like his name is literally blackballed from football conversation-I watch dozens of entire games a season as a sports better.

The media is not allowed to talk about Joe Paterno-you will not see or hear his name. Ever. Period.

They ignore his legacy and cover up his success because of one man? A man who likely didn’t do the things he was accused of.

The one man who SHOULD be most guilty and I hope rots in hell is Mike McQuery. What a piece of ****.

He is the reason this all happened.

It’s mind blowing that he lives a life unscathed…and got paid millions.

That’s ridiculous.

I’m as mad about the situation today as I was when it happened.

It ruined my whole identity. Loving PSU became a crime. I felt and to this day feel guilt when I wear PSU stuff in public.

The general public remembers and that’s what PSU will be known for to this day. Maybe not everyone but enough still think of us only in those terms. Sorry to tell you.

Imagine living the extraordinary life of Joe and doing all of that good…all of that charity and having it destroyed. It’s mind blowing. And if regular normal people really knew what giving a heroic or Herculean effort-they wouldn’t just let us slide.

I am 41 now and if anyone will point me in the right direction-I want to do more work to share Joe’s story and fight for him.

If I could do one thing in my life-I want to show the world how amazing Joe was.

When they destroyed Joe-they destroyed me.

 

[AvgUser]

It ruined my whole identity. Loving PSU became a crime. I felt and to this day feel guilt when I wear PSU stuff in public.

I’ve never felt guilty and won’t feel guilty.
I will not allow the ignorance of others define me or shape my behavior. I’m proud of Joe and proud to be a PSUer.

 

[Truthtelling]

One fact that I found very interesting was in the Freeh Report. Not in the Executive summary but in the main body of the report. Sandusky was investigated by the police and a representative from the state office responsible for child safety. This was back when Sandusky was employed by PSU as defensive coach. This investigation concluded that Sandusky did not demonstrated the traits of a child molester. The fact that he had been investigated by the authorities and given a clean pass is never brought up. I concluded either he was not a child molester or he was very good at hiding his behavior. Given this investigation of Sandusky sheds light on the behavior of the PSU officals.

A licensed PhD Psychologist named Alicia Chambers did give Penn State a report in 1998 in which she said Sandusky was a likely pedo.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

A licensed PhD Psychologist named Alicia Chambers did give Penn State a report in 1998 in which she said Sandusky was a likely pedo.

You're a moron. Joe brought you out from under your rock.

Tird.

 

[Georgia Peach]

A couple of posters above have stated that authorities knew or suspected about Sandusky as early as 1998. What I read in the Freeh Report is that the investigation conducted in 1998 concluded that Sandusky did not exhibit the characteristics of a child molester. This investigation gave Sandusky a clean bill. There was no doubt in the police and the folks from DPW (responsible for child welfare) who conducted this investigation. So rather than folks knew as early as 1998, they did not know or suspect. Sandusky was investigated by the proper authorities, people who were the experts in this field.

Back in the old Plotit.com days there were a few posts by State College insiders with hints of a Catagory 5 (my words) scandal on campus involving the football program. If memory serves, this was before 1998.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Back in the old Plotit.com days there were a few posts by State College insiders with hints of a Catagory 5 (my words) scandal on campus involving the football program. If memory serves, this was before 1998.

It was a fantasy.

 

[kgilbert78]

I believe that Sandusky's last season on the coaching staff was 1999, so maybe Joe forced him out after hearing things. Also, if Joe did report the rumors to the chain of command, then what more was he supposed to have done? Was he expected to put together a posse and make a citizen's arrest?

According to many in the media and elsewhere, yes--and they point to Joe's own words "I wish I had done more" as proof, often misquoting them as "I should have done more". They also believed that he ran the university and ran State College and had been covering up a lot of other stuff all along. So the logic is that since he ran the town, he was responsible. Not true, of course, though he did have a lot of pull and was AD as well as coach for a while. A lot of that stuff comes from a school admin he clashed with (Tripony as I recall) and people who just couldn't beleve the proogram was run cleanly. We also need to remember that Paterno, like many in his era, due to WW II, had served in the military and understood chain of command. Folks today don't get that, because military service is far more uncommon these days as a percentage of the population.

One other thing never gets mentioned. When Sandusky retired, there was a paper regarding Sandusky's retirement in which Joe explicitly said no children in athletic facilities (and it wasn't because he didn't trust Sandusky--he had that policy all along except for a few rare special events). Had that been followed, the whole incident never happens. And that paper IS in the Freeh report.

 

[kgilbert78]

no. Just lynch him on the spot!

This is the sadly normal response to things today.

 

[kgilbert78]

I’m with you on most of what you said… but how was Joe supposed to have done these particular things? He was no longer Sandusky’s boss, and JS had been granted access to the facilities by the PSU administration as part of his retirement package.

Which Joe, in writing, specifically stated "no kids in athletic facilities". He was overridden by the administration. That paper is in the Freeh report as previously stated.

 

[SkiSkiSki]

According to many in the media and elsewhere, yes--and they point to Joe's own words "I wish I had done more" as proof, often misquoting them as "I should have done more". They also believed that he ran the university and ran State College and had been covering up a lot of other stuff all along. So the logic is that since he ran the town, he was responsible. Not true, of course, though he did have a lot of pull and was AD as well as coach for a while. A lot of that stuff comes from a school admin he clashed with (Tripony as I recall) and people who just couldn't beleve the proogram was run cleanly. We also need to remember that Paterno, like many in his era, due to WW II, had served in the military and understood chain of command. Folks today don't get that, because military service is far more uncommon these days as a percentage of the population.

One other thing never gets mentioned. When Sandusky retired, there was a paper regarding Sandusky's retirement in which Joe explicitly said no children in athletic facilities (and it wasn't because he didn't trust Sandusky--he had that policy all along except for a few rare special events). Had that been followed, the whole incident never happens. And that paper IS in the Freeh report.

Even in his defense, you left off some of Joe's entire quote, "With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

 

[TiogaLion]

According to many in the media and elsewhere, yes--and they point to Joe's own words "I wish I had done more" as proof, often misquoting them as "I should have done more". They also believed that he ran the university and ran State College and had been covering up a lot of other stuff all along. So the logic is that since he ran the town, he was responsible. Not true, of course, though he did have a lot of pull and was AD as well as coach for a while. A lot of that stuff comes from a school admin he clashed with (Tripony as I recall) and people who just couldn't beleve the proogram was run cleanly. We also need to remember that Paterno, like many in his era, due to WW II, had served in the military and understood chain of command. Folks today don't get that, because military service is far more uncommon these days as a percentage of the population.

One other thing never gets mentioned. When Sandusky retired, there was a paper regarding Sandusky's retirement in which Joe explicitly said no children in athletic facilities (and it wasn't because he didn't trust Sandusky--he had that policy all along except for a few rare special events). Had that been followed, the whole incident never happens. And that paper IS in the Freeh report.

The main part they leave out is the preamble "with the benefit of hindsight"...

EDIT: Ski, you beat me to it.

 

[bbrown]

The narrative that will never change is because he was Joe Paterno who was all powerful, he could have done more. He said it himself. What does that mean? People think he ran the university and bossed everyone around. Had his hand in many different university affairs and influenced major strategic decisions. He was already 72 in 1998 so an older man, reduced energy, etc. He was not some dictator ruling over everyone or some kind of informal CEO.

I don't know what more he could have done. He didn't even know what was going on. Nobody did. Sandusky didn't work for him. People wanted Joe to get Sandusky arrested. He couldn't do that. He made a bad judgment call by not banning him from the football building or being more aggressive in controlling him but he really didn't know what was happening. People think he enabled it which is a shame. Such a sad story. It is so unfortunate that his career and then life had to end in such an embarrassing way. He has to take some blame for what happened but it is a complicated story.

To me, Joe Paterno will always be the pinnacle of Penn State football. I grew up on Penn State football and Joe was a fixture who was Penn State football for decades.
The man who brought greatness and honor to the university. That huge stadium, 100,000 plus fans, all the loyal fans across the country can all be traced back to Joe. He built it all. We are a blue blood program because of Joe. We are a household name in football because of Joe.

That was on Rodney Erikson. And I remember reading a lot of opinions on how Joe should have not allowed him on campus. Umm exactly how is anyone supposed to do that? I guess he could have built a wall.

 

[bbrown]

Even to this day ESPN has a “30 for 30” commercial they do where the voice over talks about “truth” and shows Joe.

It’s obviously insinuating Joe lied or covered something up

How disgusting and wrong is that?

If Joe was loved by the right people he would still be considered the coach of all time.

For some reason-Joe had many enemies and it seems like most of them are from the media. Ugh I hate ESPN-they could have really helped the cause, but because they hate PSU-the don’t give a ****. Biggest blame of course goes to PSU and the many anonymous cowards who chose to hide and scapegoat Joe.

I mean am I the only one who thinks it’s one the greatest tragedies and most confounding things that Joe Paterno’s name and records are never mentioned?

Like his name is literally blackballed from football conversation-I watch dozens of entire games a season as a sports better.

The media is not allowed to talk about Joe Paterno-you will not see or hear his name. Ever. Period.

They ignore his legacy and cover up his success because of one man? A man who likely didn’t do the things he was accused of.

The one man who SHOULD be most guilty and I hope rots in hell is Mike McQuery. What a piece of ****.

He is the reason this all happened.

It’s mind blowing that he lives a life unscathed…and got paid millions.

That’s ridiculous.

I’m as mad about the situation today as I was when it happened.

It ruined my whole identity. Loving PSU became a crime. I felt and to this day feel guilt when I wear PSU stuff in public.

The general public remembers and that’s what PSU will be known for to this day. Maybe not everyone but enough still think of us only in those terms. Sorry to tell you.

Imagine living the extraordinary life of Joe and doing all of that good…all of that charity and having it destroyed. It’s mind blowing. And if regular normal people really knew what giving a heroic or Herculean effort-they wouldn’t just let us slide.

I am 41 now and if anyone will point me in the right direction-I want to do more work to share Joe’s story and fight for him.

If I could do one thing in my life-I want to show the world how amazing Joe was.

When they destroyed Joe-they destroyed me.

 

[Truthtelling]

According to many in the media and elsewhere, yes--and they point to Joe's own words "I wish I had done more" as proof, often misquoting them as "I should have done more".

Fair point, it was in hindsight But.......He should have done more.

They also believed that he ran the university and ran State College and had been covering up a lot of other stuff all along.

Penn State was known for secrecy which is not unusual for a large powerful institution isolated in a small community. PSU dominates everything about State College and Joe was the most influential part of that due to his popularity and that of football. This is undeniable.

So the logic is that since he ran the town, he was responsible.

He was in large part responsible but not because he ran the town but because it was a football matter and he did run that.

Not true, of course, though he did have a lot of pull and was AD as well as coach for a while.

A bit of an understatement but I'm glad you don't try to portray him as "just" a football coach.

A lot of that stuff comes from a school admin he clashed with (Tripony as I recall) and people who just couldn't beleve the proogram was run cleanly. We also need to remember that Paterno, like many in his era, due to WW II, had served in the military and understood chain of command. Folks today don't get that, because military service is far more uncommon these days as a percentage of the population.

Yes Joe was correct to report it to Curley but when Curley circled back on February 26, 2001 Joe should have told him to report Sandusky to the proper authorities. Joe failed there. Kids paid.

One other thing never gets mentioned. When Sandusky retired, there was a paper regarding Sandusky's retirement in which Joe explicitly said no children in athletic facilities (and it wasn't because he didn't trust Sandusky--he had that policy all along except for a few rare special events). Had that been followed, the whole incident never happens. And that paper IS in the Freeh report.

Joe was only talking about insurance liability, but yes, particularly after 1998 when PSU got the report that Sandusky was a p3do, they should have banned him and children from campus.

 

[Truthtelling]

That was on Rodney Erikson. And I remember reading a lot of opinions on how Joe should have not allowed him on campus. Umm exactly how is anyone supposed to do that? I guess he could have built a wall.

Tell him in writing not to bring kids to campus. Then tell the staff to watch and see if he does it. PSU had every right to do that. If Sandusky bitched? Show him the report written by Alicia Chambers. He would have shut up and stayed off campus with the kids.

 

[Thorndike2021]

All of this with the Paternos was a financial decision.

 

[kgilbert78]

Tell him in writing not to bring kids to campus. Then tell the staff to watch and see if he does it. PSU had every right to do that. If Sandusky bitched? Show him the report written by Alicia Chambers. He would have shut up and stayed off campus with the kids.

Joe tried to do that. The memo is in the Freeh report. He was overruled by the admins.

 

[SkiSkiSki]

All of this with the Paternos was a financial decision.

It was a diversion by the powers that be on the BoT to divert attention away from the Second Mile that so many of their family members were involved in. The fvckers got away with it. There is a special place in hell for the Surmas.

 

[Truthtelling]

Joe tried to do that. The memo is in the Freeh report. He was overruled by the admins.

Yes, and that, among other things sent the admins to jail. But Joe then participated in the decision not to report Sandusky. And this was after MM told him he saw Sandusky sexually molest a child. Therefore, while Joe was covered legally he failed morally to stop Sandusky which reporting him to the cops in 2001 would have done.

 

[Truthtelling]

It was a diversion by the powers that be on the BoT to divert attention away from the Second Mile that so many of their family members were involved in. The fvckers got away with it. There is a special place in hell for the Surmas.

The Second Mile was investigated by the FBI and there was nothing found. Even strong Joebot supporters acknowledge that today.
https://www.bigtrial.net/2017/07/penn-state-confidential-us-attorney-fbi.html

 

[kgilbert78]

Yes, and that, among other things sent the admins to jail. But Joe then participated in the decision not to report Sandusky. And this was after MM told him he saw Sandusky sexually molest a child. Therefore, while Joe was covered legally he failed morally to stop Sandusky which reporting him to the cops in 2001 would have done.

There are a lot of assumptions there that are not backed up by hard evidence and some of those memories were lost in the mists of time. There's a huge question as to what MM actually said to whom and when.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

Yes, and that, among other things sent the admins to jail. But Joe then participated in the decision not to report Sandusky. And this was after MM told him he saw Sandusky sexually molest a child. Therefore, while Joe was covered legally he failed morally to stop Sandusky which reporting him to the cops in 2001 would have done.

You are so wrong and misinformed. Joe was never told by MM that he saw Sandusky molest a child. In fact, MM only heard slapping sounds. Not even an eyewitness but an earwitness. So Joe's now the third adult to be told about something Mike heard not saw. Mike, his dad, and Dr. Dranov, A MANDATED REPORTER mind you, and those three adults didn't feel it serious enough to go to the police. But you place blame on the fourth guy that was told.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

The Second Mile was investigated by the FBI and there was nothing found. Even strong Joebot supporters acknowledge that today.
https://www.bigtrial.net/2017/07/penn-state-confidential-us-attorney-fbi.html

BS.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Fair point, it was in hindsight But.......He should have done more.

Penn State was known for secrecy which is not unusual for a large powerful institution isolated in a small community. PSU dominates everything about State College and Joe was the most influential part of that due to his popularity and that of football. This is undeniable.

He was in large part responsible but not because he ran the town but because it was a football matter and he did run that.

A bit of an understatement but I'm glad you don't try to portray him as "just" a football coach.

Yes Joe was correct to report it to Curley but when Curley circled back on February 26, 2001 Joe should have told him to report Sandusky to the proper authorities. Joe failed there. Kids paid.

Joe was only talking about insurance liability, but yes, particularly after 1998 when PSU got the report that Sandusky was a p3do, they should have banned him and children from campus.

STFU, you posted this nonsense in the other thread and were beat down. Go away.

 

[SkiSkiSki]

The Second Mile was investigated by the FBI and there was nothing found. Even strong Joebot supporters acknowledge that today.
https://www.bigtrial.net/2017/07/penn-state-confidential-us-attorney-fbi.html

The Second Mile's Involvement & Investigation Findings

The Second Mile, founded by Jerry Sandusky in 1977 as a non-profit to support at-risk youth, was the primary vehicle Sandusky used to identify, access, and groom his victims.

Were They Investigated?

Yes. The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, the state grand jury, and later independent investigators heavily scrutinized the charity. Investigators subpoenaed travel records, expense reports, and rosters of children participating in the programs.

Key Findings & Outcomes:

• Failure to Act on Early Warnings: Longtime CEO Jack Raykovitz and members of The Second Mile board were warned about Sandusky's behavior. In 2001, after Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley told Raykovitz about Mike McQueary’s locker room shower report, the charity’s leadership dismissed it as a "non-incident". Raykovitz merely instructed Sandusky to "wear shorts in the shower in the future".
• Missing Records: Investigators discovered that critical Second Mile records spanning the years 2000 to 2003—the peak of some of the alleged abuse periods—were missing.
• Systemic Failure of Oversight: The charity lacked the safeguards to prevent a founder from operating with unrestricted, unsupervised access to vulnerable children, even after multiple institutions (including Penn State police and local agencies) had flagged him in 1998 .
• Dissolution: In May 2012, facing mounting litigation and a destroyed reputation, The Second Mile petitioned to transfer its remaining programs and assets to Arrow Child & Family Ministries and ultimately dissolved, placing its remaining funds into escrow with the Pennsylvania Attorney General to resolve victims' claims.

The Case for Scapegoating (The Paterno Family & Alumni Trustee Perspective)

Supporters, family members, and several Penn State alumni trustees have strongly argued that the Board of Trustees used Paterno to shield themselves and the university from broader legal and financial destruction.

• The "Rush to Judgment": The Board of Trustees fired Paterno via a phone call on November 9, 2011, amid massive media pressure and campus riots. Critics argue this was a knee-jerk reaction to appease public outrage rather than a fact-based decision.
• A Failing Grade for the Freeh Report: In 2019, a leaked internal review compiled by seven Penn State trustees heavily criticized the Freeh Report as "biased," "rife with flaws," and "fatally compromised" by collusion with the NCAA and the Attorney General’s office. The review concluded there was no definitive evidence proving Paterno actively covered up Sandusky's crimes.
• Institutional Deflection: Supporters point out that Sandusky was actually retired from Penn State during the bulk of the abuse and was operating primarily through The Second Mile. They argue that local police, state child welfare agencies, and the charity itself had far more direct responsibility and detailed files on Sandusky than Paterno ever did, yet Penn State bore the entire brunt of the public fallout.

Board of Trustees & The Second Mile: Conflicts of Interest

The overlap between the Penn State Board of Trustees and The Second Mile is a central pillar of the "cover-up of the cover-up" theory championed by Paterno's defenders and skeptical alumni.

• Shared Leadership and Suite Partners: Several highly influential figures moved in the same social, philanthropic, and professional circles. For example, Trustee Ira Lubert, who chaired the Board committee that oversaw Penn State’s massive settlement negotiations with victims, was a close friend of former Second Mile Board Chair Bob Poole. State records also showed Lubert was a part-owner of a summer camp that Second Mile children visited.
• The Controversial Liability Releases: When Penn State eventually settled with 35+ victims (paying out over $109 million), the settlement agreements contained a highly unusual clause. The agreements required the victims to release not just Penn State, but also The Second Mile and anyone connected to it from future lawsuits.
• The Backlash: Outside legal experts noted that it is incredibly rare for a defending organization (Penn State) to insist on legal immunity for an entirely separate entity (The Second Mile). Dissenting trustees openly alleged this was done specifically to protect powerful board members who had deep ties to the charity. While university mediators claimed this was simply a standard legal maneuver to prevent circular "third-party" lawsuits, it remains one of the most suspicious elements of the financial settlement process for those who believe Paterno was thrown under the bus.