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November 10, 2011

I swear I will get to Pitt stuff today. But there is no rational way to ignore last night.

This is not over for Penn State. There is still a trial for Sandusky. There is still the matter of perjury charges. There will be the oh so deserved civil lawsuits that can never give back what was taken from the children. The number of molested children continues to grow and there are disturbing rumors of more horrors. The Department of Education is looking into serious issues that can affect student aid. It will be a long time before this long, dark shadow leaves State College.

The school has to hire a new football coach, a new AD and a new president. In what order and how quickly can you move on those things?

Tom Bradley will be the interim coach the rest of the way. He and the entire remaining staff will almost certainly be swept out after the season. Penn State men or not, it is hard to imagine they will be able to stay. Fair or not, they too are tainted by this.

This will also upset many PSU fans — even if they do concede the logic and necessity — as so many of the connections to the Paterno era are abruptly severed. This will create more strain and animosity with the fans and school. Making the job of whomever comes next that much harder.

 

Tom Bradley, Larry Johnson, several others on the staff are considered excellent coaches and recruiters. Normally, they would be in high demand to be assistants and coordinators elsewhere (have to believe Larry Johnson is really kicking himself for not going to Maryland this past year). Under normal circumstances, any incoming coach would at least try to keep some of them on the staff to bridge the change. To smooth over upset fans and alum. To help salvage the present recruiting class. Now that seems highly unlikely.

They will suddenly find it more difficult to find employment elsewhere. There are questions none of them have answered, and no matter what they say will be doubted. Did they not hear anything? Did they suspect? Did they just not want to know? How can they effectively recruit kids with the scandal connected to them at any level? The coaches and ADs at other schools will be reluctant to deal with the fallout and baggage that accompanies any of these hires.

Less than a year ago, I would have been happy enough if Tom Bradley had been hired to be Pitt’s head football coach. During this season, I wondered to myself if Pitt might be able to snag Bradley as DC as Paterno seemed so clearly to be finally on the verge of retiring. Now, I don’t like the idea of Pitt even considering anyone who has been on the PSU staff for more than a few years. I have to imagine plenty of other schools (and their fans) are thinking the same thing.

As I’ve mentioned before, both my parents are Penn State grads. In an awkward coincidence, they are coming out to visit their grandkids. This could be a really awkward weekend.





In all my life of watching football, 53 years to be exact, I never thought I would see JoPA get fired. Many more peels coming off the onion and it is going to be really ugly. The dissapearance of that DA who was avidly working on the Sandusky case and those involved may be a part of it.

Comment by Dan 72 11.10.11 @ 10:32 am

I agree with you that Johnson and Bradley are tainted by this .. but it needs to be stressed that there is no evidence at this time that they had any involvement or knowledge. It could well have been that those in the know (JoePa, McQuery, Curley, Schultz and Spanier) went to great extremes not to let anyone else know what was going on .. and for all we know, part of this strategy was not to ban Sandusky from the campus.

I’m not trying to be pollyanna .. I’m just emphasizing that at this time, there is no real evidence

Comment by wbb 11.10.11 @ 10:46 am

Honestly For this to have gone for so long at least a few of the Trustees would have known. If I’m a PSU Alum, I would be calling for their heads as well since they installed the leadership that attempted to cover this up.

Comment by Brian R. 11.10.11 @ 10:58 am

Truth be told, I never liked the: WE ARE, PENN STATE chant as I though it too egotistical. Having said that, I get no satisfaction about what Jerry Sandusky did to innocent young boys on the Penn State campus and the subsequent cover-up by Penn State officials.

I do like Hail to Pitt though! πŸ™‚

Comment by MariettaMike 11.10.11 @ 11:09 am

If some of the rumors about pimping out young kids is true, there are no words to describe it.

As an aside, I find it irritating that PSU is turning it blue on Saturday. Somehow trying to turn this into an event. If the color for child abuse was red would they be turning it red?

Comment by Jon 11.10.11 @ 11:12 am

I would have to think that Johnson and Bradley at the very very least had heard the rumors. It is almost impossible that this story was completely contained to just a few individuals over the course of 15 years.

I also started to wonder if perhaps McQueary secured his employment forever by keeping his mouth shut ..you know onw of those wink and a nod deals in the back office…

Not saying thats what happened but you have to wonder?

Comment by Coach Ditka 11.10.11 @ 11:14 am

TINO THE MACHINO

GRRRRRRR

Comment by H.LandPitt 11.10.11 @ 11:18 am

Wait till the auditors get in there.

Comment by alcofan 11.10.11 @ 11:25 am

TINO THE MACHINO

GRRRRRRRrrrr

Comment by H.LandPitt 11.10.11 @ 11:35 am

The PSU board is blaming this all on the media. Really.

Comment by alcofan 11.10.11 @ 11:36 am

The new rumor is that Sandusky pimped out these kids to wealthy PSU donors.

Comment by TX Panther 11.10.11 @ 11:47 am

TX Panther — WHAT? Are you serious?

Comment by MariettaMike 11.10.11 @ 12:03 pm

Not that I ever would link to anything by Mark Madden, but since you asked …

link to nesn.com

Comment by Chuck Morris 11.10.11 @ 12:15 pm

Chas, understood. If you do get around to football, wondering how the Missouri being accepted to the SEC this past Sunday is going to effect the Big 12??

Missouri and SEC say they are going to start playing in conference next year.

Doesn’t the Big12 need 10 teams for their tv agreement, inventory as they call it?

So, they really need WVU next year, now more than ever, no???

Comment by Dan 11.10.11 @ 12:16 pm

Ahhh, the voice of reason gets his two cents in…

link to foxnews.com

Comment by Chuck Morris 11.10.11 @ 12:17 pm

I’ve disliked Joe Paterno primarily for his grudge against Pitt, for joining the Big East, and for ending 100 year Pitt-Penn State series. However, I would not have wished this ending on my worst enemy. The Board of Trustees made the right decision in terminating his emplyment, because letting him continue until the end of the season would have continued the circus. They need to hire a new university president, a new athletic director and a new coach. Those things had begin now and not 2 or 3 months down the road. Joe Paterno would liked to have finished the season, but this is not about him, it’s about what’s best for the university. I’m sure Tom Bradley will do as good a job as possible under present circumstances. He’s well regarded I think he will keep things together until the new coach is hired.

Comment by Justinian 11.10.11 @ 12:19 pm

Amusing, somewhat light-hearted side note:

Dion Lewis tweeted last night that now Pitt was going to get all of Penn State’s recruits.

He apologized shortly thereafter. Probably some Eagles/PSU fans complained.

Comment by Jimbo Covert's My Dad 11.10.11 @ 12:39 pm

Mike Shanahan returning punts

Comment by H.LandPitt 11.10.11 @ 12:48 pm

LaQuentin Smith and Ejuan Price are budding stars

Comment by H.LandPitt 11.10.11 @ 12:49 pm

Lucas Nix is a bum

Comment by H.LandPitt 11.10.11 @ 12:50 pm

Ray Graham just completed level 3 on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in his apt, leg up on the coffee table, chips and pizza boxes all over

Comment by H.LandPitt 11.10.11 @ 12:53 pm

Jamie Dixon just slicked his hair back

Comment by H.LandPitt 11.10.11 @ 12:54 pm

Tino just changed his Twitter avatar back to his Tino Sunseri-NCAA ’12 cover

Comment by H.LandPitt 11.10.11 @ 12:55 pm

Chuck: Thanks. I just don’t believe this rumor because it is beyond comprehension. I don’t know Mark Madden, is he a legit sports commentator?

Comment by MariettaMike 11.10.11 @ 12:57 pm

MArk MAdden is a fat washed up sports commentator who used to call WWF wrestling matches, he is perfect in Pittsburgh.

oh yeah, he blows Big Ben at any chance he gets

Comment by H.LandPitt 11.10.11 @ 1:00 pm

Madden’s a sports radio shock jock in Pittsburgh.

He’s famous for loving all things Penguins related, and hating all things Steelers related except Big Ben.

I guess, for once, he was onto something.

Comment by Jimbo Covert's My Dad 11.10.11 @ 1:03 pm

Watched the Bradley press conference on BTN. McQueary will coach this Saturday unless the interim AD says otherwise. McQueary may coach from the press box.

Comment by MariettaMike 11.10.11 @ 1:06 pm

Madden broke the Sandusky news ~6 months ago so he has some cred. But, personally I don’t like the man.

Comment by TX Panther 11.10.11 @ 1:08 pm

I’m all wore out with Penn State news, etc. I’m ready for some Pitt football news.

Pitt is at Louisville and is a three point underdog. I think Pitt will beat the odds and win. Tino will throw three touchdowns with no interceptions. Am I delusional? πŸ™‚

Comment by MariettaMike 11.10.11 @ 1:12 pm

Lets examine the fact that Joe Paterno is Penn State…

Everything goes thru Joe. He owns all the people in that town and the school. The AD, The Pres, The Director of Police, The players, The coaches etc.etc.

He created the culture to keep things “In House”. The people in that town are all acting like blind sheep. Not all, but it appears most. That is the problem with this all. He created his own demise.

Finally some reasonable people have taken him down and exposed what was a dysfunctional program. Not saying their isnt other programs who have problems, but none like this.

Thank God somebody finally was able to step up and take them all down before other innocent childrens lives were ruined.

The only person or persons whom has a right to decide whether firing him was right or wrong ae the victims and their families.

So a message to al students at PSU. Study. Reach out and help others. And wuit trying to blame this on the media and the board of trustees. Thats the Joe Pa way. Find your own new path without having to hang everything on Joe Paterno’s approval. Then. maybe then you will be able to restore your pride.

Comment by Pitt Man 11.10.11 @ 1:19 pm

I am not worn out with the State Penn news. I want to hear about the investigational committee and how they plan to work with local and federal authorities to figure out who did what and who will be held accountable.

Also, does anyone expect the student riots from last night to happen at the game? is McQueary being allowed to coach a catalyst for more rioting?

Comment by pittfan92 11.10.11 @ 1:20 pm

The Post-Gazette editorial “Unhappy Valley” commented:

“The grand jury’s presentment spoke volumns of where the power lay at Penn State. It painted a picture of a flawed orginization where janitors so feared for their jobs that they did not report an assult witnessed by one of them.”

Comment by Justinian 11.10.11 @ 1:34 pm

I’m an occasional poster on this site (but frequent reader). I grew up as a Pitt fan and I have despised that arrogant B***ard Joe Paterno since I was 8 years old (back in 1974). But even I could not imagine that this is how it would have ended up.

If these allegations are true, then Joe Pa let his own ego take precedence over the welfare of children.

I am happy to see him go, but I am angry that the people in charge of a major University let those children suffer. Firing was too good for all of them.

Madden is an idiot, but I give him credit for writing the April article.

Comment by lucbrasi 11.10.11 @ 1:48 pm

Mike: “Shock Jock” is a good description for Mark Madden, so he’s generally not considered a journalist. He even frames this as definitely a rumor, but somehow he was on the mark in April so that’s why anyone is even printing what he said.

Comment by Chuck Morris 11.10.11 @ 2:10 pm

The FBI needs to investigate all this

Comment by 63Team 11.10.11 @ 2:21 pm

Madden is a blustery *sshole, but does have journalistic chops when he decides to use them.

And he’s saying there is more to come. Some have mentioned the pimping out of kids, but the more likely (and arguably equally disturbing) upcoming news will relate to the cover up efforts which will disintegrate whatever rationalizations PSU almuns have at the moment. There will be complete liquidation of all things PSU football and a complete rebuilding from scratch for this program. The “death penalty” the SMU got in the 80s will be a short minimum security sentence in comparison to what is going to happen to PSU. This is that bad.

Comment by PantherP 11.10.11 @ 3:37 pm

Joe Pa needs to realize that his athletic accomplishments dim in comparison to the shortcomings he demonstrated as a human being over this child molestation act.Two things need to happen to Joe Pa before he dies:
1) The B10 needs to strip his name off of the trophy awarded to the team winning the B10 championship;
2) PSU should re-name the library for which his name is affixed, in retrospect it looks like he paid hush money in the event this scandal ever surfaced after he died.

Comment by Spindler's Spirit 11.10.11 @ 4:11 pm

My father is a bit delusional at the moment. He is a Penn State alum and huge football fanatic… I feel sorry for him. Actually, I feel sorry for the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This despicable act has brought humiliation upon the entire state. It’s the university that represents our wonderful state, to those of us that live in PA. And I would say it’s perceived that way by the outside world too, that PSU is PA. I grew up on Penn State football, so, I’m a bit sad as well, but I never had any desire to go to college there. And I’ve since, and slowly over time, turned into a non-fan of PSU football, that started when I attended PITT in the mid to late 90s.

State Penn has a whole new meaning to it, now… sadly πŸ™

Hail to Pitt!

Comment by Digdug(Formerly Dugdog) 11.10.11 @ 4:35 pm

I’m all wore out with Penn State news, etc. I’m ready for some Pitt football news.

Pitt is at Louisville and is a three point underdog. I think Pitt will beat the odds and win. Tino will throw three touchdowns with no interceptions. Am I delusional? πŸ™‚
Comment by MariettaMike 11.10.11 @ 1:12 pm

In one word…..yes ! lol

Comment by EMel 11.10.11 @ 5:03 pm

It didn’t make sense to cover up this in 1998 or 2002 unless this is so big and so dark that they had no choice to cover it up. Meaning the sex slave stuff that Madden was reporting.

Spanier’s comments were so cavalier the other day, who knows what is really going on in Pedophile Valley. They ALL saw Sandusky tooling around everywhere with a boy on his hip, even at bowl games and the team hotel and on and on.

BTW the local big talk radio station down here in Charlotte, played a radio clip from Pittsburgh and that was exactly the clip they played(Madden). And they got plenty of calls from the locals. The 3-6pm host even led off his show by discussing this whole sordid affair at Pedo State.

Comment by EMel 11.10.11 @ 5:12 pm

Does anybody remember when Dan Connor was indefinitely suspended for making harassing phone calls to a retired PSU coach? This was back in 2005 (link to pennstate.scout.com). The calls accused the coach of buttf***ing little kids.

Comment by Pitt_man1979 11.10.11 @ 5:17 pm

Pitt_man1979

Yes, that has come up a bit today. A friend reminded me of it this morning and a BC guy on twitter also mentioned it.

Sandusky was the target, though, never officially confirmed. I cannot confirm what the calls actually said.

It would be nice to get Dan Connor or some of the others to speak on it now. Odds are, though, that he will be deadly silent, because that would put a lie to any claims by coaches of ignorance on the matter.

Comment by Chas 11.10.11 @ 5:36 pm

The people in penn state dont get it they talk abought football abought joe pa not abought the kids are they that dumb just hard them on tv they are clueless. or they dont care.

Comment by FRANKCAN 11.10.11 @ 5:41 pm

I’ll be freezing my butt off at the Tech vs Tech game in Hotlanta tonight. Tech is favored πŸ™‚

Comment by MariettaMike 11.10.11 @ 5:51 pm

Dan Conner was on ESPN radio’s Mike and Mike In The Morning today. Nothing was mentioned of this, either volunteered by himself or either host. In the interview he sounded very, obviously upset and angry, and at a couple points it even seemed like he was biting his tounge.

Comment by Digdug(Formerly Dugdog) 11.10.11 @ 5:51 pm

That’s very interesting Pitt_man1979.

It stands to reason that some people had to know or had a hunch that something was going on besides Paterno, Curly, Schultz & Spanier.

And what did DA Ray Gricar find out to get himself killed?

We need to send Charlie Chan or Jim Rockford or Cannon or Barnaby Jones or Steve McGarrett up to Pedo Valley and do a thorough investigation.

Comment by EMel 11.10.11 @ 5:55 pm

Send in Columbo.

Comment by TX Panther 11.10.11 @ 6:10 pm

Digdug:

Did they ask Connor about the 2005 suspension?

Comment by Pitt_man1979 11.10.11 @ 6:44 pm

The Gricar disappearance is strange EMel. Apparently there is some connection with the Sandusky case (link to myfoxphilly.com)

Comment by Pitt_man1979 11.10.11 @ 6:49 pm

conner denies it was sandusky here:

link to delcotimes.com

Comment by pittfan92 11.10.11 @ 7:43 pm

My late father, who died in 1994, admired Joe Paterno. Penn State had the image that they did things the right way, that they recruited students and graduated them with degrees in something other than recreation or basket weaving.

We lived in OSU country when I was a kid and we had no use for OSU, Michigan or the entire Big 10. Dad thought Woody Hayes was a loudmouth lout and a bully and had no use for him. Compared to what has happened in State College, Hayes was a saint.

Comment by Penguins Fan 11.10.11 @ 8:30 pm

This is an e-mail response to my wife from the wife of an alum. It just shows you the blind faith of some:

“It is sick. If you read up on this a little you will find out that Sandusky was not employed by the college or supervised by Joe Paterno at the time this was reported to Joe he was not an assistant coach at that time. Joe went to his boss (the athletic director) and reported the incident. Several witnesses to these acts did not make a report directly to the police, but rather reported it to their supervisors.
I would say the athletic department led by it’s athletic director made a grave mistake by not taking this to the police authorities. The witnesses who caught Sandusky in the act should have contacted the police and made a report, or at least stopped that sick perv from hurting those boys. I am not saying that Joe Paterno did the right thing at the time, but I’m not sure if given the circumstances that he should be fired. I don’t know if your statement about protecting the Penn State brand is really that fair if you read up on the circumstances.”

Dave D

Comment by DaveD 11.10.11 @ 9:39 pm

I’m a Pitt fan by and large. I live, and grown up, in Greensburg. It’s hard not to be a Pittsburgh ANYTHING fan (well, except MAYBE the Pirates πŸ˜› )..but I’ve always held a little tiny corner of my heart for PSU.

Why?

Because of Joe Paterno.

He’s the only coach I’ve known in my personal PSU history. It’s too hard to name any of them without using google or wikipedia.

That said, he had to go. I was emotional about it for the past couple of days. Today, though I was a little more..clear about it. He had to go.

The only thing I’m honestly upset about is that McQeary wasn’t gone too.

Comment by Lou Gagliardi 11.10.11 @ 9:53 pm

this whole drama is a joke. I’m sure they all knew. guys like bradley had to have known too. areyou kidding? psu should fire every last member of the football staff after they limp to the end of the season. they should also not accept ant bowl bids. this season needs to end asap, then sever all ties with the idunnopa regime

Comment by mike 11.10.11 @ 10:14 pm

I’m not sure its really about protecting the brand at this point – we have no idea how deep this will go or how ugly it will get. If anything, it’s down to preserving the integrity of the entire Univeristy. Tressel lost his job at OSU for a LOT less. Something was CLEARLY wrong and everyone in the program is implicated top to bottom. As I said before, this is what happens when you put one man above everything. The “brand” is already tarnished – its more a matter of mitigating what ever damage you can. To be blunt, they’re probably doing Joe a favor, because it’s not going away and the media and the investigators would have been in his face every step of the way. That’s not the PR you want right now. And it’s not like he’d out of the woods. As the lawyers and committees peel back the layers of this vile onion, its truly hard to say who ends up under the spotlight, and this isn’t even considering the civil issues on the horizon.

I repeat: : if Joe would have walked away when he should have 10-15 years ago, we wouldn’t be having a lot of these conversations.

PS: McQueary’s days are numbered. You don’t shoot the messenger/whistle blower this early in the game.

Comment by thestumper 11.10.11 @ 10:19 pm

It’s been anounced…McQueary won’t coach in Saturday’s game…on account of threats to his safety.

link to espn.go.com

DaveD

Comment by DaveD 11.10.11 @ 11:04 pm

That is sick DaveD.

Most of the morons up there rioting are boys and since ALL of the victims are boys, you’d think these nitwits would put 2 + 2 together.

Sports in America, especially football has gotten way out of sorts with a lot of Americans, especially boys/ both young and old.

This country really needs to take a hard look at itself, about this obsession with sports and also this moronic celebrity worship.

These kids today like to think of themselves as being so intelligent, their worship of the above and their sheep/cattle herd mentality says something totally different. Also the pathetic numbers of people involved in their protests also says a lot as well. Most are too busy watching American Idol, Jersey Shore, Dancing with the Stars and other moronic shows to bother with protests. Unless it’s over a football program and university that condoned and covered up the most devious and evil of crimes. The sexual rape of children.

These PSU kids disgust me.

Comment by EMel 11.11.11 @ 2:17 am

That would be the Occupy Wall Street and various other Occupy protests around the country.

Comment by EMel 11.11.11 @ 2:19 am

What everyone in State College, PA misses in this Paterno firing, except for the Board of Trustees, is this…

A leader will only remain if his superiors have confidence in him. People in power are removed all the time for no other reason then the decision makers above him have “Lack of confidence in him to lead”.

I’ve watch this happen countless time in my professional life – from Admirals on down to Chief Petty Officers – who, for one reason or another, have lost the confidence of their superiors.

And make no mistake, even though Paterno may have thumbed his nose at Spanier and Curley back in the early 2000’s when they wanted him to retire, the Board of Trustees certainly could have fired him then if then chose to. They had the power. They didn’t because it wasn’t worth the negative results it would bring.

But Paterno found out the true power structure in no uncertain terms Wednesday night, regardless of his last final and desperate act of trying to impose his will on that University.

He didn’t have to have committed a crime, he didn’t have to break PSU rules and he didn’t have to have done anything at all. The fact was that the Board felt he was a detriment and no longer could believe he would be anything but.

Comment by Reed 11.11.11 @ 7:42 am

I really think it is time to reach across the isle and help our brethren in Happy Vally. They need an AD, I say we give them Steve P. He’ll hire a great coach for them, after all, he has the experience at Nebraska and Pitt!
Steve for AD at PSU!

Comment by 13-9 11.11.11 @ 9:18 am

Our man, Mark May, goes ballistic. Love it.

link to espn.go.com

Comment by Digdug(Formerly Dugdog) 11.11.11 @ 4:54 pm

Chris Dokish thinks Bradley knew what was going on and that’s why he wouldn’t touch him.
link to panthersprey.blogspot.com

Comment by TonyinHouston 11.11.11 @ 5:24 pm

Comment by Hoobestank 11.12.11 @ 12:13 pm

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