Sorry to have to do this on a Friday morning when you are looking forward to the weekend but it never ends with these guys, does it?
Like the non-believers in the OJ Simpson case and Holocaust deniers, the only people who believe in Paterno’s innocence is a constricting circle whose members may be less in number every year but become more crazy at every issuance of more damning evidence. Sadly today that might not be the most troubling news out of Happy Valley.
The Penn Live newspaper’s website has a ‘bombshell’ (!!) story on the fact that newly released court papers show that Joe Paterno was told, by a young boy in a face to face conversation, that the boy had been abused by Jerry Sandusky… back in 1976. This came to light of day because of an ongoing court battle between the insurance company that covered PSU’s liability issues (We ain’t paying you jack shit!”) and PSU.
“The civil case is, initially filed in November 2013, is still grinding toward trial in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas.
And in preliminary work on that case, Judge Gary Glazer this week filed a ruling that attempted to clear the decks of some of the issues that could be resolved based on the pleadings to date.
What was unexpected Thursday, was Glazer’s reference to four cases between 1976 and 1988 in which PMA Insurance attorneys have presented allegations that “PSU agents allegedly learned of Sandusky’s abusive acts.”
One of the PMA allegations was that “in 1976, a child allegedly reported to PSU’s Head Football Coach Joseph Paterno that he (the child) was sexually molested by Sandusky.”
Well, in Paterno’s defense he was completely occupied in figuring out how to keep Pitt from winning the first national championship between the two schools that year. Too bad! It isn’t like we hadn’t heard these allegations before. I wrote on here back in 2011 that there were running jokes around State College for years was about Sandusky’s proclivities. It was the worst kept secret possible.
The last sentence of the article reads… “Paterno, who died in January 2012, was never charged by state prosecutors.” Of course it does, as if that lessens any of Paterno’s moral, ethical and human sickness in pursuit of his “Grand Experiment”. The only thing that separates him from that German guy back in the day is that Paterno never wrote his memoirs from prison – which by any measure of human decency he should have.
Actually and more troubling to me beat it doesn’t beat a dead horse is this story out of PSU that details the crap the school and the athletic department still visits onto the innocent. Eight female gymnasts just quit the team at PSU because the coaches took a page out of the “The Paterno Approach to Coaching Student/Athletes and How To Win At All Costs” playbook.
Get a load of this:
“Kristin Blades said she’d never thought about suicide, so she couldn’t fathom the question.
Three years ago in a one-on-one meeting with a coach, the Penn State gymnast said she was pressed for details about her boyfriend. According to Blades, associate head coach Rachelle Thompson threatened to pull her scholarship if she didn’t end the relationship.
“Then she looked at me and asked, ‘If you weren’t with him, would you think about killing yourself?'” Blades said in a phone interview with PennLive this week. The question, Blades said, sent a chill through her spine.
The gymnast said she rushed out of Thompson’s office to call her boyfriend and parents. She said Thompson continued to pressure her for weeks. Blades said she began to lose touch with friends, stopped eating regularly and told teammates she felt helpless.
She wasn’t alone.”
This spung from two April 18th articles in the PSU Student Newspaper The Daily Collegian. I have to say that I give all the respect in the world to the authors of those pieces, students Morganne Mallon and Erin McCarthy, for producing something that you just know other students are going to drag them through the wringer for writing.
“Today, there are no seniors listed on the Penn State women’s gymnastics roster. All eight women in the 2012 freshman class, including Farley, quit or were released before their senior year, said Alyssa DiFrancesco. She was a member of that class too, and walked away from the team as a sophomore.
“We were always told, ‘You guys are just pieces in a business deal, you’re replaceable,’ ” DiFrancesco said. “ ‘We can replace you any minute if you don’t give us what we need or what your team needs.’ If you hear that enough, you’re going to think, ‘They don’t need me.’
Farley, now a senior, said she was thrilled to be on the gymnastics team at Penn State, which had been her dream school for 18 years. “I came here with crazy high expectations and hopes, wanting to work hard, be happy and healthy,” Farley said. “I left that gym in December broken and absolutely destroyed.”
Before anyone thinks these are just a bunch of hormonal and entitled wussie girls doing this take a look at this and re-evaluate that thought. The assistant women’s coach, with a full and sterling resume’ of her own, came to PSU, took a good look at the reality of the situation and said this:
Samantha Brown, who was hired as an assistant women’s gymnastics coach in July, was terminated on Jan. 11 for failure to return to work, according to her statement.
“Sadly, this brings an unexpected end to my coaching duties at Penn State University. The reason behind all of this is that the Head and Associate Head Coaches created an environment that made it impossible for me to continue to work, and the university failed to properly address my concerns and the concerns I had for the student athletes,” she wrote in a statement on Jan. 16. “I explained that I was very uncomfortable with returning to the gym, but I was not going to quit.”
Brown has more than 30 years of gymnastics experience, competing, coaching and judging at high levels. Brown competed as a member of the USA National Team as a teenager and became an NCAA All-American and a two-time NCAA national champion at the University of Georgia.”
PSU fanatics can try to rationalize this away, as they do with everything that touches negatively on PSU’s reputation, but really – big and systematically bad things happen with the school’s administration there and both of these stories just proves it more and more.
I can’t remember anything or the sort happening at Pitt in my 60 years of life nor hearing of something like this from my parents and grandparents who were Pitt Alumni. It just doesn’t happen at 99.9% of the universities in the United States.
I’m throwing my personal two cents in again with this as I tend to do. What the girls had to succumb to, complained about and eventually protested in the most stringent manner against is not political correctness run amok or ‘the kids these days need to toughen up’ or that ‘It was better in the old days when coaches could abuse at will to make sure they win during the games’, blah, blah, blah…. That doesn’t fly now and shouldn’t have then.
You can’t look at the Paterno/Sandusky situation and the actions they, and the university’s administration, took and say that it was dead wrong and then turn around and look at these gymnasts’ situation and feel a different way about it. They are both wrong and went over the distinct line of coaches pushing for excellence by the student athletes to demanding that things happen 100% the supposed role model’s way to satisfy the coaches’ outsized and dangerous egos.
It just doesn’t have to be done in that manner to get results… unless the only results the coaches care about are wins and losses. In that case the university administration’s mandate is to insure there is balance in the setting of goals and the striving to meet them that includes the student/athlete’s best interests also.
There is never a situation where the student needs to be told “You guys are just pieces in a business deal, you’re replaceable… We can replace you any minute if you don’t give us what we need or what your team needs.”
There are 100 different ways a good leader gets that same point across – less the totally unneeded reference to being ‘pieces in a business deal‘ – to get the best result and have it come from, and make a lasting positive change to, the student themselves. These coaches, Paterno and the Thompsons, decided to take the easy way out and it came back to bite them in the ass.
Had they really wanted to succeed and do it the right way they would have done the hard things in life. The first of which is looking in the mirror and asking yourself in a truthful as possible manner “Am I doing this for them or for myself?“.
If the answer is the latter and you can live with that then God help you, you are in exactly the wrong business. Being a teacher, counselor, coach and role model isn’t an simple or easy task. It demands subjugating your own ego to do your best to build your charges into being the best they can be – not that you fantasize you can be.
I learned this in a hard and fast way early on in my adulthood and, even though I resented it at first, soon took that hard look at myself and turned my attitude around to do the right thing for the other guy as my first and foremost task as a leader… as long as it served the mission (in this case the team’s competitions) at hand.
It served me well but more importantly I had a chance to watch those others grow into the best they could be also.
Something that the Thompsons and Paterno never really considered in the long run. They got stars in their eyes and, especially in Paterno’s case, in doing so ruined some lives of those around them.
It also seems to me like nothing good ever comes from having husband and wife coaching teams. Maybe it is the close proximity of the two people 24 hours and day living in total immersion in what should be a fun and rewarding exercise for all involved. But it seems to throw a third personality into the mix – that of ‘Mr. and Mrs. Headcoach‘ that just expands the need to satisfy that now triple ego at all costs.
It begins to define who they are in tandem rather than when only one of the pair – who many times would act as a neutral sounding board and realism advisor – would remain removed and act as a counterbalance.
The sad thing about all this is that it will be rationalized, justified falsely and forgotten as soon as a PSU football team wins another game. Ironically, or purposefully actually, the next article in line after the court paper release news was “After Sandusky: Penn State’s Comeback after November 2011″.
Of course…
The reality is that some accusation from 1976 isn’t going to change anything on the Paterno front. It will never be proven. In this day and age, people view Paterno as old news.
Also, remember, most of the student the in 2011-2012 are gone from campus. The new student body is more concerned that Franklin blows as a coach. They could care less about what happened two coaching staffs ago.
When a PR campaign is being run to clear Paterno’s legacy, that is wrong.
Funny how Gricar and all of his evidence disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
Worst of all, as Reed points out, the culture does not appear to have changed.
Paterno’s ego was surely big as all outdoors. His “aw shucks – I’m just a football coach who reads Greek tragedies” act only seemed to fool the media…like Paterno worshiper Ron Cook.
Now Paterno’s life is a Penn State tragedy…
Go Pitt.
@notrocketscience, you got me thinking with the penalties that hurt kids that have nothing to do with recruiting violations, scandals etc. etc. etc.
And this, short of the death penalty, would really kill a school that is found in violation.
Why not put the sanctions, restrictions etc. etc. in the future??
Not even talking about Penn State here.
Say Arkansas Southern, is found guilty, and the NCAA wants to limit scholarships and ban bowl games for Arkansas Southern for 2-3 years, whatever.
So, as of now, Arkansas Southern would be banned for bowls and # of scholarships for say 2017, 18 and 19 if you’re following me.
How about this?? Why not make the bans for
2020, 2021 and 2022???
That way kids on the teams do not get penalized that had nothing to do with it.
And talk about a penalty?? How about trying to recruit with that kind of suspension and ban coming up in the future??
Just a thought I had.
Players being recruited know what’s in store, so that’s their decision if they so choose.
I guess it could become a numbers problem in year 2 and 3 to even play the games??
Normally, I’d say so what, that’s the penalty. But, would again hurt those players that had nothing to do with it.
Never did like that bs, kids getting penalized for what some coach or other players did.
Someone says, “well, it’s a learning lesson”.
That’s total BS. Joe Schmo Coach gives thousands of dollars to some player from who knows where and I have to not be on tv or go to bowl games for the rest of my career.
Nah, that doesn’t fly as a “learning lesson”.
– Pitt OL ranked 1ST in ACC
– Pitt front 7 on def ranked 5th
Not sure what I find more surprising
We all know. Joe Knew !!
I think the NCAA did the exact right thing in allowing the present 2011 roster PSU players to transfer to another school without loss of a year eligibility.
The outside compliant about the kids being cheated out of a bowl game is a load of crap – the bowls are extraneous to the regular season and name team don’t go to a bowl every year and their players aren’t traumatized.
Schools should pay for cheating or egregious conduct and that’s what PSU was supposed to do… the fact that the NCAA pussied out didn’t mean the sanctions weren’t justified.
A team being banned from bowl games for 2 or 3 seasons, and more than likely, no TV games for that same period usually goes along with it,
Why in God’s name should kids that had nothing to do with those transgressions be penalized?
What, some kind of “learning” experience?? C’mon.
You brought up Penn St., saying they did right, by letting kids transfer with no penalty, I totally agree.
I mentioned I wasn’t talking about Penn State, it was a totally different question I was asking.
If Baylor, Alabama or Texas are sanctioned and there are penalties, or past examples if you have some, have the players been allowed to transfer without loss of eligibility???
If the answer is yes, I did not know that, and I have no problem with it.
If that’s the rule, I’m all for it.
It should be the rule.
I don’t care how minor you think bowls are or tv games are, they’re a big deal to college athletes and especially football players.
You think these kids don’t want to be on tv and go to big bowl games?????
I think the load of crap is kids getting penalized for absolutely, totally absolutely nothing they did, then someone tells them the answer is “hey, life’s not fair”.
Again, if letting kids transfer without loss of eligibility is the norm in these situations, then no need for discussion. Sounds right.
Coaches can leave on a whim, and the kids get stuck. Absolutely ridiculous.
Just to show I’m not a schlep for the kids either. Totally against college athletes getting paid.
They are getting paid, college tuition, room and board, books, food, athletic facilities, health and tutors.
But coaches and administrators effing up shouldn’t come down on the kids.
I’m in favor of returning paturdno’s statue – but with one little caveat: etched on the front in letters big enough to read from a distance: “JOE KNEW”. Lest they never forget, doncha know!
I really was talking about sanctions in general. Ohio St. a few years ago.
Baylor probably gonna get whacked hard.
Ole Miss if what that kid said is true.
Now if those kids get to transfer with no eligibility restraints, then I think we’re good. I sincerely do not know if that’s the case.
Along with the no bowls and no tv, the program is pretty much dead. Not allowed in any conference championship games, no Top 25 polls, ESPN doesn’t give any coverage at all to teams on probation other than to maybe give the score. Not because they’re showing their toughness, because the team now becomes a dead team and not relevant and no use to ESPN.
I know the kids go to Power 5 conference teams to get to the NFL, but another big part is being part of the scene, and being seen.
Seems like a lot of the kids stayed, that’s cool if that’s what they wanted to do.
They should have been allowed to transfer without penalty if they wanted though.
Maybe that was an option? Maybe some kids did transer, I really don’t know that.
Should of had the choice though, for crap their coach and administration pulled.
Apparently, everybody!
Tom Bradley?
Just as easily as the pedos’ FB wins were restore, they should be taken away again. Where is the accountability? The “creeps” in the valley of mid-state PA will fight hard to keep them W’s. And they have deeeep pockets.
Wait, they are digging into my pockets – aren’t all the pedo state fundings coming from the tax payer? I know ticket revenues are “technically” not from the tax payer – but their other sources of funding are donations and government, I believe…
Even if these most recent allegations are completely false and baseless, the immediate knee jerk reaction by some psu cult figure heads such as John Ziegler, who is an opinion columnist, would actually be comical if it didn’t involve such a heinously evil act as child sexual molestation.
This guy Ziegler was interviewed by a hardcore penn state cult radio show that had him reiterating multiple times that this latest set of accusations are actually nothing more than a fabricated “fairy tale” and is “total bull crap” that is being exposed now solely as an attempted money grab by this false accuser.
After listening to this entire 15 minute interview with Ziegler, all of the individuals involved in the radio discussion actually come to the mutual agreement that such an unfortunate exposure of unfounded allegations against Sandusky, psu and most importantly Joe Paterno, has unfairly victimized psu once again just when the cult was close to burying the past.
I just find it incomprehensible how otherwise rational human beings can morph into mental zombies that must defend the cult when it comes to these crimes committed by Jerry Sandusky. Unbelievable.
The big shame is the other co-conspirators may never be prosecuted, and the fact that many feel their football program is more important than the children whose lives were ruined.
There should be a shrine for those kids rather than a statue or bridge for JoePA.
Disgusting treatment of a victim. Probable smoking gun, but wouldn’t stand up in a court of law.
Kuku: When do we start picking the bones?
Jim H: Let PSU get a few more recruits. Do the leg work. Then we shall pounce once again.
Kuku: Pretty clear any parent or player considering PSU will want to think twice about jumping on this sinking ship that is sinking from rot.
Jim H. Yeah, right. Ok, you start up the Rats Be Fleeing campaign that worked so well last year and I will just hold fire and in June start the cleaning of the bones.
Kuku: Love what you do Jim. Until PSU self imposes sanctions to repent, we must do the Lords work.
Jim H: Amen Kuku. You know? If they self impose sanctions, I will back off. But, they are covering up there in Happy Valley much like the Catholic Church. Sick of it and I need to step in.
Kuku: Jim, just got off the phone with Urban. He wants to make a deal. You go after offense, he will pick the bones of the defense. He is pretty disgusted by all the Holy JoePa talk – then to find out what we all really knew.
Jim: Not sure I want to share the spoils with Urban
Urban: Jim, talking to Kukku, You Know, and lets not go to war when the real enemy here are the folks who cover up boys getting fudged.
Jim: Yeah, you are right. Deal.
Matt R: Hey, Ruhle here. I’m the coach of Temple who kicked Fraudklins butt good last year. Will you allow me to go after special teams? Jim, you picked the kicker last year. My turn. We all need to kick some butt as this Ped State thing just got stinkier.
Kuku: Wow, Rats will be Fleeing if you three jump in. Just don’t let Narduzzi in as I am really afraid Pitt is rising at the time Ped State keeps sinking. Rats B Fleeing….you will see…..mark my words
More taxpayer money will be needed, to pay for Sandusky’s crimes as sanctioned by JoePa. Maybe JoePa’s estate should pay. Nice that Sandusky gets to keep his pension.
Also, never made sense when Jerry up and retired, especially when Maryland was courting him to be head coach.
But those most troubling aspect is the fervent support for Joe.
JVP and 409 stickers all over PA. And the rest of us simply stare in disbelief
penn state $u€k$
HTP!
Pathetic. And the PSU veil continues today.
It is like sealing the documents in the PA email porno scandal, or the DC Madam scandal, where some court has decided to protect the guilty. The cover ups continue.
Usually a settlement requires the victim to keep their mouth shut in the future. They are buying their silence, so once again they can deny the truth. 100 million dollars worth of silence so far.
Long article, but worth reading. Explains the culture that has not changed.