Also gone are the reliefs of the football players and all of the plaques.
Stripped bare.
Photo credit to Mike Misciagno.
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Showing posts with label Joe Paterno. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Paterno. Show all posts
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Freeh Report Press Release and Full Report (alternate links inside)
Louis Freeh has released his report detailing the results of his probe into the Sandusky scandal at Penn State. The servers at www.thefreehreportonpsu.com were instantly slammed with traffic.
Fortunately, I got through and was able to download a copy of the press release and appurtenant comments.
UPDATE: Full report is available (PDF) here.
The findings are damning:
II. Findings
Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State. The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized. Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley never demonstrated, through actions or words, any concern for the safety and well-being of Sandusky’s victims until after Sandusky’s arrest.In critical written correspondence that we uncovered on March 20th of this year, we see evidence of their proposed plan of action in February 2001 that included reporting allegations about Sandusky to the authorities. After Mr. Curley consulted with Mr. Paterno, however, they changed the plan and decided not to make a report to the authorities. Their failure to protect the February 9, 2001 child victim, or make attempts to identify him, created a dangerous situation for other unknown, unsuspecting young boys who were lured to the Penn State campus and football games by Sandusky and victimized repeatedly by him.
Further, they exposed this child to additional harm by alerting Sandusky, who was the only one who knew the child’s identity, about what McQueary saw in the shower on the night of February 9, 2001.
The stated reasons by Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley for not taking action to identify the victim and for not reporting Sandusky to the police or Child Welfare are:
(1) Through counsel, Messrs. Curley and Schultz have stated that the “humane” thing to do in 2001 was to carefully and responsibly assess the best way to handle vague but troubling allegations.
(2) Mr. Paterno said that “I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was. So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.”
(3) Mr. Spanier told the Special Investigative Counsel that he was never told by anyone that the February 2001 incident in the shower involved the sexual abuse of a child but only “horsing around.” He further stated that he never asked what “horsing around” by Sandusky entailed.
Taking into account the available witness statements and evidence, it is more reasonable to conclude that, in order to avoid the consequences of bad publicity, the most powerful leaders at Penn State University – Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley – repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky’s child abuse from the authorities, the Board of Trustees, Penn State community, and the public at large. Although concern to treat the child abuser humanely was expressly stated, no such sentiments were ever expressed by them for Sandusky’s victims.
NCAA Statement:
NCAA statement on Penn State
Statement by Bob Williams, Vice President of Communications
“Like everyone else, we are reviewing the final report for the first time today. As President Emmert wrote in his November 17th letter to Penn State President Rodney Erickson and reiterated this week, the university has four key questions, concerning compliance with institutional control and ethics policies, to which it now needs to respond. Penn State’s response to the letter will inform our next steps, including whether or not to take further action. We expect Penn State’s continued cooperation in our examination of these issues.”
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012
NCAA doesn’t need Sandusky scandal to punish Penn State
Since CNN reported on a series of emails that showed Penn State coach Joe Paterno steered decisions on whether to report knowledge of Jerry Sandusky’s monstrous child molestation behavior, a debate has raged: Should the NCAA use its power as the collegiate athletics governing body to investigate and if necessary, punish the university?CNN upped the ante with another story, this one reminding us of a Wall Street Journal report exploring Paterno’s preference for handling problems outside of the school’s discipline policy and the pressure he applied to school officials who disagreed with him.
Those arguing that the NCAA has no business wading into the Sandusky case over how school officials handled knowledge of his crimes are correct. Sandusky is already convicted and will die in prison. His enablers likely face criminal and civil liability as well. The people who committed and enabled this criminal behavior will be served justice, but the NCAA is not the body that will—or even should—administer it.
However, the NCAA doesn’t need to go near the Sandusky case to find cause for action.
From the November Wall Street Journal story:
In an Aug. 12, 2005, email to Pennsylvania State University President Graham Spanier and others, Vicky Triponey, the university's standards and conduct officer, complained that Mr. Paterno believed she should have "no interest, (or business) holding our football players accountable to our community standards. The Coach is insistent he knows best how to discipline his players…and their status as a student when they commit violations of our standards should NOT be our concern…and I think he was saying we should treat football players different from other students in this regard."
The confrontations came to a head in 2007, according to one former school official, when six football players were charged by police for forcing their way into a campus apartment that April and beating up several students, one of them severely. That September, following a tense meeting with Mr. Paterno over the case, she resigned her post, saying at the time she left because of "philosophical differences."
In a statement Monday, Dr. Triponey said: "There were numerous meetings and discussions about specific and pending student discipline cases that involved football players," which she said included "demands" to adjust the judicial process for football players. The end result, she said, was that football players were treated "more favorably than other students accused of violating the community standards as defined by the student code of conduct."
What this means is that football student-athletes were given preferential treatment, a practice that has led to sanctions for many schools. Protecting football players from a code of conduct and discipline that all other students are subjected to is clearly contrary to NCAA by-laws.
What this also means is that school administrators had a system of institutional control over athletics in place—meaning that the President and his leadership were ostensibly in charge of how the football program conducted itself—and Paterno actively sought to circumvent that system and had Dr. Triponey forced out for not going along with him.
Rather than forcing Paterno to adhere to institutional policy regarding student-athlete discipline matters, Spanier, Curley et al let him run his own show. That is a clear violation of NCAA institutional control policy.
In comments to CBS’ Bruce Feldman, David Ridpath, Assistant Professor of Sports Administration at Ohio University, explained:
“This could definitely be perceived as an extra benefit and yes, it could bootstrap into LOIC (Lack of Institutional Control) without even having to address Sandusky. It would set a precedent, but that is normal for the NCAA. I told a reporter it would have to be something other that Jerry Sandusky -- this is it for the NCAA if they want to do something and it does give them a bit of cover.
“I think the more it is not Jerry Sandusky, the better and they can certainly go this route. The Freeh report will be the tipping point.”
Keep in mind, this wouldn't be the first time the NCAA created a precedent tied to a high-profile case. It did that with both the Reggie Bush and Cam Newton investigations. As I wrote a few weeks back, the NCAA's lists of acts that demonstrate a lack of institutional control are tied to violation of NCAA rules, not real-world crimes -- but the NCAA brass is on record as saying it would be keeping an eye on how things unfolded with the Penn State investigation. Well, now we're getting into the investigation of the culture at Penn State.
Hypothetically speaking, the NCAA would find Penn State officials lacked proper institutional control over the football program. That failure to control led to numerous incidents of student-athletes receiving improper benefits in the form of more favorable disciplinary actions. This in turn created a competitive advantage because players would should be suspended under school policy are allowed to play under those special rules.
The fact that the same lack of institutional control over the athletics program also caused school officials to enable Sandusky’s atrocities is a tragic development, but it is completely coincidental to the NCAA’s case. The judicial system will address the Sandusky scandal. But the Committee on Infractions could—and should—determine whether the school deserves sanctions for how it allowed Paterno to call the shots on almost all things Penn State University, not just football.
Exit Question: Will they? My bet is that ultimately, they do. Failing to conduct a full review and not having the school appear before the Committee would likely cause a public backlash like no other. Most of the public and even some members of the media are incapable of separating the lack of institutional control issue from enabling and protection of Sandusky.
As far as they’re concerned, any and every case arising from Paterno’s last decade or so as coach will always be about Sandusky. To a large segment of these folks, the NCAA has to be seen as having “done something” as the governing body. Triponey’s account of Paterno’s behavior in disciplinary matters unrelated to the Sandusky scandal gives them the route they need and I believe they’ll take it.
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Monday, July 2, 2012
Paterno family accuses CNN of “smear” campaign
Here is the statement, emphasis mine:
From the moment the Jerry Sandusky crisis erupted, Joe Paterno patiently and persistently called for a thorough and professional investigation. He abhorred the rush to judgment that occurred last November and he spoke out forcefully for a comprehensive review that protected no one while preserving due process for everyone. Coach Paterno emphasized that the best way to serve the victims and protect the reputation of Penn State was by a total commitment to uncovering the full truth.
With the leaking of selective emails over the last few days, it is clear that someone in a position of authority is not interested in a fair or thorough investigation. To be clear, the Paterno family does not know the source or sources of these leaks. The question that needs to be asked is why this breach of confidentiality, which seeks to preempt the Freeh report and undermine the courts, is not being objected to or otherwise addressed by those in a position of authority. It should not be the responsibility of the Paterno family to call for an honest, independent investigation. Given the seriousness and complexity of this case, everyone should be demanding the full truth, not just carefully selected excerpts of certain emails.
Releasing these emails in this way is not intended to inform the discussion but to smear former Penn State officials, including Joe Paterno. The truth is Joe Paterno reported the 2001 incident promptly and fully. He was interviewed by the Grand Jury for a total of 8 minutes and told the truth to the best of his recollection. He was never interviewed by the University. He was not afforded due process and his story was never fully told. And he was never allowed to see the files and records that are now in question. In spite of these facts, however, numerous pundits and critics are exploiting these disconnected and distorted records to attack Joe Paterno.
Accordingly, the Paterno family today is calling on the Freeh Group and the Attorney General's office to immediately release all emails and records they have related to this case. The public should not have to try and piece together a story from a few records that have been selected in a calculated way to manipulate public opinion. Joe Paterno didn't fear the truth, he sought the truth. His guidance to his family and his advisors was to pursue the full truth. This is the course we have followed for 9 months. It is the course we will follow to the end.
Again, I point to the well researched post from LivingCrimson last November, which indicated that Joe Paterno not only knew what was going on, but did nothing to stop it and only began calling for the truth once everyone knew what he did.
That said, never, ever EVER put it past the media to cherry-pick confidentially sourced information to drive a narrative they’re interested in. To put it mildly, CNN is struggling mightily as a going news organization. What was once one of the most trusted sources in news has become a watered down TMZ.
The Paterno family is still in mourning, as is much of the Penn State family of students, boosters and alumni. The Sandusky trial reopened a lot of wounds and while the emails CNN says they’ve reviewed show a massive coverup, remember that CNN is the only entity to have reviewed the material.
Paterno’s family is well justified in calling for the release of all correspondence, and CNN and/or their source should comply.
Monday, February 6, 2012
One wonders if Bill O’Brien knows what he’s walking into
Anyone who thinks following Joe Paterno is comparable to winning Super Bowls doesn’t understand how little winning Super Bowls means.
Following a legend is difficult enough. Just ask Jimbo Fisher, who took over the Florida State program and followed legendary coach Bobby Bowden after the latter was gently forced to retire a couple of years ago.
Going even farther back, ask Ray Perkins, who took over the Alabama Crimson Tide following the retirement and untimely death of Paul Bryant nearly a generation ago.
Perkins bolted after only a few years. Fisher is struggling somewhat, but the pressure on both has to be measured in the hundreds of pounds per square inch.
I don’t have the sense that O’Brien really “gets it.”
Both of the previous examples followed coaches who had recently won national championships. Perkins had the much harder task—he followed a man revered by an entire state who, like Nittany Lions fans and alumni, won’t have the benefit of his predecessor offering quotes and quips about how well his successor is handling the pressure.
Instead, O’Brien’s every movement will be second guessed. From allowing facial hair and hats inside the building to calling timeouts; from practice regimens to playcalling. He’ll face unwithering criticism and no one will be able to get that reassuring pat on the back from JoePa, letting everyone know that it’ll be Ok.
Perkins had one advantage over both O’Brien and Fisher. He had bona fide connections with the program he was taking over. People sorta trusted him because he was one of “Bear’s Boys.” O’Brien doesn’t have any such leg-up and neither did Fisher (despite being named the “coach in waiting” by the Seminoles).
That makes the second guessing issue even more acute. When Penn State loses its first football game, the people who questioned his hiring—i.e., the football alumni—are coming out of the woodwork and openly wondering if a change should be made before the first season is even complete.
Don’t believe me? Just watch.
Happy Valley is a special place in college football. It’s as big as South Bend, as big as Tuscaloosa, as big as Austin and as big as Ann Arbor. It’s not just special because those places are used to winning. It’s special because the fans had a unique connection to their coaches and their football program. Take that environment likely and the riots that followed Paterno’s firing in November will seem like an afternoon couch burning.
O’Brien has massive shoes to fill and horrific wounds to heal. Judging by his comments and his actions to date, I’m not sure he understands that.
But he will.
Just ask Ray Perkins or Jimbo Fisher.
Friday, January 27, 2012
CBS Sports blogger fired after Paterno story mistake
“I had an awesome 17 months with CBSSports.com. I'm sorry to everyone, most importantly the Paterno family, for how it ended. In the end, CBS had to let me go for the Paterno story going out the way it did, and I understand completely. Thanks, everyone, for reading.”
On the evening of Saturday January 21, Jacobi, citing the Penn State student newspaper Onward State, reported that the coach had passed away. Jacobi’s report identified the source of the report as a tweet from the publication. However, that publication later issued a retraction, apologized for the error and the managing editor resigned.
That led to CBS issuing its own retraction and pulling the original story from its website.
The blowback against the news organization was intense (and this blogger threw plenty of flammables their way during that affair), but the vitriol was rightly aimed at the news organization. It was not aimed at the blogger who did what bloggers do—cite a reliable source in reporting what he thought to be an accurate story.
If CBSSports.com wants to be “blog forward,” then the organization needs to accept the accountability that comes with participating in such a fast-moving environment. Ironically, as blogs are striving to become more like professional news organizations, those organizations are striving to become more like blogs. What was CBSSports.com thinking when it hired several widely read bloggers from different sports and fansites? Did they think they’d be able to speed up news delivery and not increase the risk that in the zeal to get it first, someone might get a big one wrong?
Meanwhile, “senior writers” like Dennis Dodd, Gregg Doyel and Brett McMurphy are free to make stuff up as they go along. Need a quote to provide background and texture to a hit piece on Les Miles? Make one up and stick it in there, crediting an anonymous source. Need to twist a fact or two to drive home a point or further an agenda? No problem—jump to a bogus conclusion without any factual basis and get it in there.
If I tried to pull crap like that here, my colleagues in the blogosphere would rip me to shreds. Dodd, Doyel, McMurphy? They all pat each other on the back, retweet links to each other’s stories and offer patronizing condolences to the Adam Jacobi’s who do a better job of news reporting than they do. Oh, and let’s not forget how important it is to chum it up and get schmoozy with sports information directors at schools under NCAA scrutiny.
“Am I sick? Are we all sick?”
Yes sir, you are. Jacobi made a mistake and got a story wrong. Your sins with the truth are premeditated and intentional.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Jerry Sandusky still woven into Nittany fabric a week before arrest
So well connected was the alleged monster that he pal’ed around in former president Grant Spanier’s luxury box during the last home game before being cuffed and hauled away.
From the Patriot News story:
A week before his arrest on charges of child sex abuse, sources say Jerry Sandusky watched Joe Paterno notch his 409th victory from the president’s box at Beaver Stadium, sources said Wednesday.
A source close to the Penn State board of trustees told The Patriot-News that Sandusky was seen in the president’s box that day and later went to the Nitttany Lion Club.
Earlier Wednesday, former Nittany Lions linebacker Brandon Short said he had been told by two independent sources, whom he did not identify, that Sandusky was in the president’s box for the Penn State-Illinois game on Oct. 29.
That he had this type of access should be shocking, but nothing about this case is shocking anymore. Despite ample evidence that everyone from Grant Spanier to the graduate assistants knew (or should have known) about Sandusky’s horrifying dark side, he was still chumming it up and celebrating with Penn State high muckity-mucks.
What in the world could the others watching from that box have been thinking? Were they just blocking everything out? Were they whispering among themselves about what they obviously knew was coming? Why didn’t someone like Spanier, or athletic director Tim Curley, or vice president Gary Schultz, or anyone, just call the retired defensive coordinator and tell him not to bother showing up?
Moreover, this highlights the bigger question: Why, given the knowledge they had (or should have had), why wasn’t this man stopped years ago? Had anyone stood up and decided to do the right thing, Sandusky would likely already be serving his sentence in a state penitentiary, Spanier, Curley and Schultz would still have jobs, and Joe Paterno would still be the head coach.
Friday, January 6, 2012
“We might as well be in the SEC…”
Nate Bauer of BlueWhiteIllustrated.com has a report with comments from a number of former stars, including All Americans LaVarr Arrington, Brandon Short and D.J. Dozier. "I will put my Butkus (Award) in storage. I will put my Alamo Bowl MVP trophy in storage," Arrington said. "Jerseys, anything Penn State, in storage. Wherever Tom Bradley goes, that's the school I will start to put memorabilia up in my home. I'm done. I'm done with Penn State. If they're done with us, I'm done with them."
Short: "I don't want to be affiliated with the university if they don't choose a Penn State guy because of our standards, our graduation, all the things that have been important... it's no longer Penn State, so we might as well be in the SEC. They are intent on turning it into a booster culture.”
Ouch.
The football alumni also say that no one involved in the search for Paterno’s successor has reached out to or consulted with them at any part of the process. There is perhaps no tighter community than the Penn State alumni, and the failure of the administration to even keep them in the loop looks like a decision that’s going to have a lot of very hot blowback.
The ESPN report cites “sources” and says that the terms of the deal are not yet known, which means that the deal isn’t done yet. Defensive coordinator Tom “Scrap” Bradley has served as the interim head coach since Paterno’s dismissal and remains the favorite of the alumni and prominent boosters.
We'll see if interim athletic director David Joyner and interim President Rodney Erickson stick to their guns and go through with hiring an unpopular O’Brien over the apparent fan, alumni and booster favorite Bradley.
The decision needs to be wrapped up quickly, as national signing day is now less than four weeks away and the new coach has a lot of ground to recover on the recruiting trail.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Mike London’s success story at Virginia leading him to Penn State?
London is a Virginia native and after graduating from Richmond, London went professional in something other than sports and became a Richmond Police Officer. Seven years later, he entered the college coaching world and now uses his passion and straight-talk nature to form a cohesive football squad that believes in him.
London’s name was one of the first to pop up in connection with the Penn State job when the school fired Joe Paterno in November.
Woodbery explains how London has used his non-athletics contacts in the Commonwealth to stress academic performance and community service.
But what stands out about London is the fire he has and the way the players feel about their relationship with their coach. What London has accomplished at Virginia is similar to what James Franklin is attempting to do at Vanderbilt—take an academically challenging school and make it into a football power. They’re both doing it with passion, intensity and a no-excuses attitude that players respond to. When big name coaching jobs come open in the future, the Mike London’s and James Franklin’s of the coaching fraternity are going to come up.
"He's passionate. He'll tell you how he feels," said offensive lineman Luke Bowanko. "He cares about us 100 percent. If he's worried about us, he'll bring us into his office and sit us down. He'll fight to the end for us."
London inherited an ACC doormat that had won just three games the year before he was hired. He went 4-8 in 2010, then flipped that record into an 8-4 campaign in 2011, earning him ACC Coach of the Year honors. He and his players view the upcoming Chick Fil-A matchup against Auburn as a major milestone the program’s development. They may just want to win that one more than Auburn does, even if Auburn probably has the more talented team.
Where’s the Penn State connection? Why would the Nittany Lions reach out to someone with no connections to the school? A strong possibility is that they were sent in that direction by the very first individual PSU headhunters reached out to -- Penn State alum and current Miami head coach Al Golden. Golden decided not to pursue the opening after one year on the job at Coral Gables and reports surfaced that London was next on the list.
Golden and London were colleagues at Virginia in the 1990’s.
Both London and Virginia moved quickly to deny rumors of a pending move and speculation then moved onto other names. But one has to wonder what might happen after the two programs finish their bowl games this weekend.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Two new reports paint ugly picture of Penn State culture
The Times has a story from Richard Perez-Pena explaining how former university President Graham Spanier enjoyed both success and secrecy, despite being one of the highest profile presidents in the NCAA.
Spanier, according to the report, had a policy of shoring up defenses when his institution’s actions came into question:
In his 16 years as president, Spanier and his administration had a history of circling the wagons in the face of criticism or scrutiny, fitting into what many say was an insular Penn State culture that preceded his tenure. It occurred when high-profile Penn State employees came under fire, when student actions threatened to embarrass the university, and when people sought to obtain information that almost any other public institution would be required to release.
That instinct might have accelerated Spanier’s downfall. On Nov. 5, when Gary Schultz, a senior vice president, and Tim Curley, the athletic director, were charged with perjury, Spanier released a statement saying he had “complete confidence” in their handling of the accusations against Sandusky — a statement that incensed university trustees, according to people briefed on their deliberations.
Also today is a detailed report from the Journal’s Reed Albergotti, who describes how Joe Paterno often bitterly fought school officials over disciplinary issues facing his players. Time and time again, and with increasing frequency in later years, football players would be caught or accused of serious wrongdoing, only to have the coach attempt to prevent school officials from imposing the same discipline it would on ordinary students.
Paterno’s insistence and an ultimatum delivered to Spanier forced the school official responsible for student judicial affairs system to back off, and eventually resign over “philosophical differences.”
Taken together, these and other stories—such as those outlined in this piece by LivingCrimson—show that the school’s carefully crafted image as a model institution of compliance and success was a fraud. It’s this revelation that probably has so many college football fans reeling over the news of the last few weeks.
Until news of the Jerry Sandusky indictments on child sexual abuse charges, Penn State University and the Penn State Nittany Lions were universally revered as what was right and good about major college athletics. Penn State was held up by the school itself and many mainstream media figures as the kind of program all should strive to be.
But as more of these news stories peel back the layers, the more this case feels like learning that the parish convent was running a brothel.
Monday, November 21, 2011
US Senate schedules first hearing in wake of Penn State scandal
The Associated Press is reporting that the US Senate has scheduled a congressional hearing in the wake of Penn State child sex abuse scandal:
WASHINGTON -- The Senate has scheduled the first congressional hearing in the wake of the Penn State child abuse scandal.Three senators announced Monday that a Dec. 13 hearing will examine how well the nation is protecting children from abuse and neglect.
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey requested the hearing by a panel of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski says she hopes it will shed light on prevention and deterrence of child sexual abuse.
Two things of note, here. The first is that the hearing called by the Senate isn't specific to the Penn State case. That is, it's not likely that the same details from the state grand jury indictment and ensuing media coverage will be trotted out all over again. At least not to the detail we've seen crawling over our screens during the weekend's sporting events.
The second is that while this hearing isn't directly connected to the Penn State case, the hearing will almost certainly include officials from the school.
Last of all, the hearing comes just three days before Penn State is to deliver its answers to the questions posed by NCAA President Mark Emmert in a letter last week. That letter informed the school president that the league was launching its own investigation into potential abuses of NCAA principles covering ethics and institutional control. And, the FBI appears poised to make a federal criminal case out of the allegations surrounding child abuse and an alleged coverup at the school.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
NCAA abandons policy and precedent with letter to Penn State
Long-standing NCAA policy dictates the procedure. Credible allegations are received and reviewed. Information is collected. A Notice of Inquiry is transmitted from the VP of Enforcement to the school president. The NCAA staff conducts its investigation and if it finds violations of applicable by-laws, transmits a Notice of Allegations. The school appears before the Committee on Infractions and later hears what penance it must suffer as a result of its transgressions.
In the Penn State case, policy and procedure are gone. In his three-page letter to interim President Rodney Erickson, Emmert sternly warns the school that the league’s bedrock principles of ethical conduct, honesty, dignity are at stake as a result of potential inaction surrounding the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal.
The Emmert letter is unprecedented on two different levels. First is the fact that the letter informing Penn State of the pending probe comes from the NCAA president himself. In the modern era of NCAA investigations, never before has the president of the league written such a missive as this. The official communication from the NCAA notifying a member school of a pending investigation has always come from the Vice President for Enforcement, the office currently held by Julie Roe Lach.
Also unprecedented is the fact that the NCAA has publicized the letter and publicly announced that it plans to launch an investigation. Having the letter originate from the office of the President is a big deal. Publicizing the matter is even bigger. The NCAA has vigorously guarded information regarding even the existence of investigations, steadfastly refusing to even acknowledge investigations that everyone knows are in progress.
So why make this one public? Emmert has said in interviews that this matter is not a traditional “enforcement” investigation and that ordinary rules aren’t in play here. He’s said that since the league doesn’t plan to send investigators to campus to interview coaches, officials or players, the policy governing enforcement procedure don’t fit in this case. But Emmert nonetheless cited specific by-laws that may have been violated, and violations of those by-laws in previous cases have brought harsh sanctions at the end of enforcement investigations.
There’s no doubt that the Sandusky scandal at Penn State is the worst, most-sickening stain on college athletics. Nothing even comes close. In an unprecedented case, Emmert is taking unprecedented steps. Some may cynically call it a PR ploy; accusing the league of trying to show that it is out in front of the story. There might be a mote of truth to that, but it’s much more likely that Emmert is finally getting the NCAA to do the right thing in the right way. If that means abandoning policy and breaking precedent, then so be it, says he.
But beware the law of unintended consequences. Abandoning precedent invites charges of arbitrary and capricious action, and provide the only good reason for judicial intervention.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Video: Disturbing interview with Jerry Sandusky
Via the Today Show and MSNBC.com.
“I enjoy being around children. I enjoy their enthusiasm. I just have a good time with them.”
It’s a chilling segment.
Reports from the Patriot-News’ Sara Ganim indicate that there were clues as early as 1995 that Sandusky’s evil was already underway. @LivingCrimson has an excellent rundown of how Penn State and law enforcement either knew or should have known what was going on throughout the 1990’s.
Here’s another data point on the timeline. If he was abusing children as far back as 1987, and given his target age of 10-14 years old, there may be people born in 1974 to 1977 still carrying the pain of abuse he is alleged to have inflicted.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
NCAA may wade into Penn State scandal
NCAA President Mark Emmert released the following statement today regarding the Penn State scandal:
Regarding the ongoing Penn State criminal investigation, the NCAA is actively monitoring developments and assessing appropriate steps moving forward. The NCAA will defer in the immediate term to law enforcement officials since this situation involved alleged crimes. As the facts are established through the justice system, we will determine whether Association bylaws have been violated and act accordingly. To be clear, civil and criminal law will always take precedence over Association rules.
Mark Emmert
President, NCAA
So, which NCAA by-laws might apply here? One suggestion is by-law 2.4:
2.4 THE PRINCIPLE OF SPORTSMANSHIP AND ETHICAL CONDUCT [*]
For intercollegiate athletics to promote the character development of participants, to enhance the integrity of higher education and to promote civility in society, student-athletes, coaches, and all others associated with these athletics programs and events should adhere to such fundamental values as respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. These values should be manifest not only in athletics participation, but also in the broad spectrum of activities affecting the athletics program. It is the responsibility of each institution to: (Revised: 1/9/96)
(a) Establish policies for sportsmanship and ethical conduct in intercollegiate athletics consistent with the educational mission and goals of the institution; and (Adopted: 1/9/96)
(b) Educate, on a continuing basis, all constituencies about the policies in Constitution 2.4-(a). (Adopted: 1/9/96)
It’s hard to imagine that the NCAA could do any more damage to the image of Penn State right now. It’s equally hard to imagine how any sanctions could punish the institution more severely than its being punished now in the court of public opinion.
Exit Question: Is this College Football’s “Watergate?” The one event in the history of something uniquely American that everyone points to as the day everything changed?
It’s Ok to still love what Joe Paterno did for Penn State and College Football
In a hastily called, somewhat raucous news conference last night, the Penn State University Board of Trustees announced that it had voted unanimously to terminate iconic football coach Joe Paterno. Also dismissed was president Graham Spanier, who shamelessly hid under his desk for nearly a week after formal indictments were handed down by a Pennsylvania grand jury.
In less than a week’s time a storied college football career came to an ugly and humiliating end and the octogenarian icon has no one to blame but himself.
Paterno came under absolutely withering public criticism over his failure to notify law enforcement that there were credible allegations of child sexual abuse regarding his long term defensive coordinator and one-time heir apparent, Jerry Sandusky. Prosecutors in the case have said that Paterno is not a target of their ongoing investigation, meaning that at least for now, they believe he fulfilled his legal obligation under state law to report the allegations to his superiors.
Paterno’s mistake was his failure to fulfill his moral obligation. As the most important figure in the history of a great university and storied football program, the iconic coach had all of the necessary gravitas to make sure that the institution’s handling of an alleged monster’s sexual predation was done right. Instead, he looked the other way while university vice president Gary Shultz and athletic director Tim Curley covered it up.
It was a monumental failure to exercise good moral judgment and do the right thing. As a result, other children likely suffered at the hands of a sicko for years. For that, Coach Paterno deserved to lose his job. He didn’t deserve to coach another game as soon as the facts established that he failed in his moral obligation. Once those facts were established—and they most certainly have been—the Board of Trustees had no choice.
No one will ever convince me that Paterno knowingly turned his back and allowed children to be irreparably harmed for the sole purpose of allowing him to remain at Penn State and exit the stage gracefully. The logical conclusion of that chain of thought is that Joe Paterno doesn’t care about kids and his entire life and legacy belies that. Look at the body of work. Call me naive. Call me foolish. But to these eyes that conclusion doesn’t make any sense.
It’s important to keep one very important fact in mind—Paterno made a mistake. It was a costly one in terms of the toll of human suffering it likely led to, but I choose to believe it was a decision made in grievous error rather than callous indifference or worse, outright malice. Paterno has always been one of the good guys. His football teams embodied his spirit of clean competition, fair play and good sportsmanship. Nittany Lion football persevered through difficult times; celebrated great times; stood on the highest pinnacle in the sport and while they usually did it with class, the program’s reputation took serious dents in its image in the later years (See LivingCrimson’s post for details).
Penn State University is a world class institution, and Penn State football is a top drawer program. Without Paterno, would the university or its athletics program be where it is today? While board vice chairman John Surma is absolutely correct in his assertion that Penn State University is bigger than its athletics program (and one man), Paterno’s influence on the school and college athletics is going to be felt for many generations to come.
It’s Ok to resolve that you will never forgive him for such a colossal failure of judgment. It’s Ok to believe—as I do—that last night’s decision by the Board of Trustees was the right thing to do. In fact, it’s Ok to argue that his dismissal or forced retirement should have come years ago. You’ll get no debate from me. If further investigation and findings of fact show that Paterno also bears legal responsibility for his inactions, then I’ll join you in the metaphorical torch and pitchfork parade. Paterno is neither a victim nor a martyr in this.
But on the field and with his football program, Paterno usually did the right thing and his teams usually did it the right way. Not always, but usually. College football and Penn State football are better for his tenure and his influence and it’s Ok to be Ok with that, Ok?
I am. For now, anyway.
Paterno knew in 1990s about multiple Sandusky child molestations, may face new state and federal investigations
By: @LivingCrimson
As ESPN reported, effective Wednesday night the Penn State Board of Trustees fired Joe Paterno. President Graham Spanier resigned. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has been appointed acting interim head coach. Two other administrators, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, have lost their jobs and been indicted for perjury. All in the wake of a scandal to cover up long-term child sexual abuse which took place in the Penn State football complex, perpetrated by defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
The basis for this article is the Grand Jury Report, 23 pages of absolutely horrific reading, as published by the Washington Post. Background on the culture of “blindness” by Joe Paterno and the Penn State administration is taken from an opinion piece in The Baltimore Sun by Chris Korman, alumnus and former correspondent for the student newspaper The Daily Collegian.
Author’s note: All descriptions used in this article from the Grand Jury Report are “alleged” and have not yet been proven in a court of law. Sandusky maintains his innocence, and in this country that takes precedence until proven otherwise.
In terms of sports scandals, it certainly ranks up there with
OJ Simpson, the Black Sox [and] Pete Rose
– NBC Philadelphia
The winningest coach in college football, surpassing Coach Eddie Robinson. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. On the sidelines at Penn State since 1950. Joe Paterno’s accomplishments were universally respected. How we reached this sad day can best be attributed to the overriding desire by one powerful man to retain his position and influence. And belief in his own omnipotence. I don’t enjoy exposing the ugly truth about a revered coach, especially one who has played such a pivotal role in Alabama football history, but the grand jury testimonies are too damning to ignore. And the irrevocable harm perpetrated on an untold number of defenseless children gives us a MORAL IMPERATIVE to not let Paterno off the hook just because of his iconic stature.
NPR has compiled a summary of the Penn State employees involved in the scandal as well as a timeline. ESPN has also provided a a summary of employees and timeline of key events in the case.
New state and federal investigations
may focus on Paterno
After reviewing the testimony, it seems Joe Paterno should at the very least be indicted for lying to the Grand Jury alongside the other former Penn State administrators already indicted for perjury. Paterno’s testimony about the 2001 rape of a 10 year old boy -- reported directly to him by graduate assistant coach Mike McQueary – contradicts McQueary’s testimony. The Grand Jury found McQueary to be the credible witness. However, at this time the Pennsylvania Attorney General does not plan to pursue perjury charges against Paterno.
Yahoo! Sports reports the Pennsylvania Attorney General may further investigate Paterno for “heightened legal responsibility to report seeing Sandusky and a child together at their team’s practice” in 2007, years after Paterno had clear and direct knowledge of Sandusky’s child molestation.
ESPN reports the U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into whether Penn State “violated federal law requiring the disclosure of criminal offenses on campus and warnings of crimes posing a threat to the community in its handling of the allegations” pursuant to the Clery Act. The Secretary of Education was petitioned by U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Penn.
Paterno “retired” Sandusky in July 1999 after
an investigation of two child sex abuse cases in 1998
An excellent article by the Milwaukee Bucks blog lays out the evidence that Joe Paterno was informed of the 1998 incidents and investigative findings of the University Police, and subsequently forced Sandusky to retire. That’s a full THREE YEARS before the 2001 incident.
Paterno was universally acknowledged as holding all the power in the Penn State athletics department and probably the University administration as well. Nothing happened anywhere near Penn State football that didn’t have Paterno’s knowledge or seal of approval. The former Athletic Director Tim Curley, now indicted for lying to the Grand Jury, was a quarterback under Paterno. Senior Vice President Gary Schultz, also indicted for perjury and who oversaw the University Police, went to Paterno’s house for meetings instead of requiring Paterno to come to his office.
According to the indictment, Penn State football employees witnessed Sandusky raping a boy, showering naked with boys, and other acts of sexual assault on at least three occasions in 1998, 2000 and 2001. University Police in 1998 prepared a lengthy report about two of the victims, then subsequently closed its investigation at the direction of Penn State administrators.
Despite logic and evidence that Paterno knew of Sandusky’s illicit actions as early as 1998, Paterno inexplicably kept Sandusky on staff with emeritus status and full access and privileges in the football program. The indictment's finding of facts allege that Sandusky continued to bring unchaperoned 7-13 year old boys to the football complex, games and events for another EIGHT YEARS that we know about.
As a result of Joe Paterno’s indifference and enablement,
Sandusky was allowed to victimize more boys after 1998
MOST OF THE BOYS WERE MOLESTED AT THE PENN STATE FOOTBALL FACILITIES, in addition to the hotel/resort where the football team stayed the night before home games and out-of-state hotels where the football team stayed for bowl games. Victims testified specifically that Sandusky began to bring the boys to the newly constructed Lasch Football Building in 1999 because areas were more “secluded” for his purposes. AFTER Paterno already knew about Sandusky.
Sandusky has been charged with 40 criminal counts of molesting eight young boys between 1994 and 2009 through his charity for at-risk youths, The Second Mile. Since his Nov. 5th arrest and arraignment, SEVENTEEN more victims have come forward to investigators. We don’t yet know how many of the newly discovered cases took place on the Penn State campus, under the noses of Paterno and the administration that turned a blind eye.
Even after directly receiving an eyewitness report
about the horrifying crime in 2001,
Paterno never attempted to prevent
Sandusky’s access to children
Paterno was a fundraiser and Honorary Board Member for The Second Mile. As the Grand Jury testimony indicates, Wendell Courtney, the attorney for both Penn State and The Second Mile, oversaw the 1998 cases investigated by University Police. Paterno and Courtney also were well aware of the 2001 atrocity. At no time did either man, despite their knowledge of the child abuse, make any attempt to prevent Sandusky’s access to children through the charity. Sandusky continued his unchaperoned contact and travel with children for another TEN YEARS. (The charity’s website disputes it had any knowledge of Sandusky’s sexual abuse until the end of 2008, contrary to Grand Jury testimony.)
Paterno also began to turn a blind eye to outbreaks of crime
and violence committed by his football players
In 1999, Paterno defended linebacker LaVar Arrington after he assaulted a defenseless Pitt punter in the middle of a game. Then in 2000 he allowed quarterback Rashard Casey to start every game despite being charged with assaulting a cop.
In subsequent years according to Chris Korman, “Players were constantly getting into violent altercations with other students…. There were fights at the ice skating rink, the union building at the center of campus, frats, apartments, houses.” Former Ravens cornerback Anwar Phillips was accused of sexual assault, yet was allowed to “play in a bowl game before serving his two-semester suspension”. Korman looked into “probably a half-dozen others [sexual assault cases] that never went to trial. Women were fearful they'd never get a fair trial in State College. Victims of beatings knew the scales of justice were already tilted against them. ESPN actually compiled numbers to show just how rambunctious it got in Happy Valley, reporting that from 2002 to 2008 there were 46 players charged with 163 counts.”
In 2006, LaVon Chisley, a defensive end who spent three years in the program, killed a fellow student by stabbing him 93 times. This was after he took loans from sports agents and became academically ineligible to play football. However, he was allowed to participate in Penn State’s Pro Day.
Paterno even went so far as to say Tony Johnson, a wide receiver arrested for DUI "didn't do anything to anyone."
Sports Illustrated in 2011 declared Penn State as one of the worst schools in college football for players with police records with 16 players charged.
Despite a culture gone seriously awry, Paterno and Penn State maintained a false reputation of high character
Up until last weekend, nobody in the national media seriously questioned Joe Paterno or his methods. Why did the local media not see the downward spiral at Penn State?
Why is Penn State paying the legal fees of Curley, Shultz and Spanier? And issuing statements that it stands behind them?
How can so many serious crimes in such a small town go unreported, unprosecuted and unchecked? Why did Mike McQueary not rescue a 10 year old boy when he had the chance?
What happened to the missing district attorney from the 1998 child abuse cases, and why take his hard drive?
How could Paterno continue to raise money for a charity founded and run by an alleged serial child abuser? And convince other celebrities and well-known sports figures to join in the cause? This charity raised MILLIONS of dollars and exercised a frightening amount of control over these children and their families. The CEO and his wife drew six-figure salaries, all while failing to stop what grand jury testimony indicts as a predator.
Sandusky formed his charity in 1977. He had a tried-and-true routine to escalate inappropriate sexual contact with boys, as documented in the Grand Jury Report. Does any reasonable person believe he never engaged in this behavior from 1977 to 1994? How much more does Paterno know and will not reveal?
Why did Joe Paterno not care about these little boys? He has children and grandchildren.
Why does the NCAA care about $10 meals and sharing sleep couches, but is utterly and completely useless in the face of a football program’s failure at the most fundamental level?
Don’t be fooled by “sorrow” coming out of Paterno now –
as late as last week Sandusky continued his
normal routine in the football complex
Victims’ mothers aren’t buying it either. Said one mother, “If they would have done something about it in 1998, and then again in 2002 … two chances they dropped the ball and I think they should all be held accountable.”
Students placed some of the words from the Penn State alma mater on Paterno’s statue: “May no act of ours bring shame.”
Turns out Joe Paterno failed to surpass Eddie Robinson after all. As Coach Robinson’s motto says:
“To be accountable all the time, even when no one was looking.”
You can follow me on Twitter @LivingCrimson.
Video: Press conference announcing the dismissal of Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier
Who let the fans into the press conference?
Watch as John Surma, Penn State University Board of Trustees Vice Chairman, announces first that President Graham Spanier, then Coach Joe Paterno, had been dismissed. As the announcement is made, a very audible collective expression of shock comes from the floor.
Given the gravity and of the occasion it’s understanding, but note that as the press conference goes on it’s difficult to tell the press from the fans. This is a 22 minute-long video, but if you’ve got the time and a fresh cup, watch the whole thing.
It does get quite testy in the last three to four minutes, and it’s clear that the questions are coming from fans.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist schedule protest for Penn State – Nebraska game
The same disgusting group that pickets the funerals of fallen soldiers has decided that the Penn State Sandusky scandal is an opportunity for attention whoring that’s too big to pass up.
And let’s be honest—there’s not a bigger attention whore on the planet that the “reverend” Fred Phelps.
I’m not linking to the vile site. So here’s the text of their statement on the “event.”
WBC will picket the Penn State vs. Nebraska "Senior Day Clash." Now there are two doomed states if ever there were. On the one side you have Nebraska who arrested one of the servants of God for allowing her son to stand on this nations idol. On the other side you have the state that started the mischief of putting the church of the Lord Jesus Christ on trial for preaching!
Now, Penn State has the wrath of God raining down on them in righteous judgement! They have taken from the playbook of the Catholics. Let's diddle the little kiddies and hide it from top to bottom! Fitting that the head cover-up artist is called the Pope of Happy Valley. How sick is that! Not surprising, but sick! College in this country is nothing more than a giant party, with a few classes set to instruct in sin thrown in for good measure. What you have turned out of those classes are raping priests, raping coaches, raping marines, along with various other violent dangerous brutes that are poised to be tomorrows "heroes" in this vile land. Wake up! You have angered your God beyond recovery. More and worse is coming! America is doomed!
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 6:15 & 8:12
You may recall that a group of innovative patriots decided to take measures into their own hands when the Westboro bigots tried to picket a funeral in Weston, Missouri just one year ago. There’s no love lost here for the school leadership, but Saturday’s contest between Nebraska and Penn State should be about football, not about attention whoring.
I hope Penn State fans can channel some of their anger and direct it at people for whom hate knows bounds we cannot comprehend. I also hope they come up with a new and innovative way of keeping the attention whores of Westboro Baptists from making the scene they so desperately need.
Joe Paterno’s full statement, announcing his retirement at the end of the 2011 football season
STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Nov. 9, 2011 -- I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.
I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.
That's why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can.
This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.
My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.
JoePa is right about one thing. The Board of Trustees does indeed have far more important issues to address, and the first item on that agenda should be the immediate dismissal of University President Graham Spanier.
Spanier cannot be allowed to have Joe Paterno be the only high profile head to roll in this crisis. His leadership failures, his neglect of his moral obligations and his absolute cowardice in the midst of this crisis are unforgivable. Spanier must go, too.
Where the HELL is Graham Spanier?
All of the parties involved in the case have either appeared in public or had their attorneys or spokespersons provide comments to the media. In perhaps the darkest moments of his storied college football coaching career, even the iconic Joe Paterno has appeared in public and briefly answered questions.
But where the hell has Penn State University Graham Spanier been?
On Sunday, he released the following statement:
The allegations about a former coach are troubling, and it is appropriate that they be investigated thoroughly. Protecting children requires the utmost vigilance.
With regard to the other presentments, I wish to say that Tim Curley and Gary Schultz have my unconditional support. I have known and worked daily with Tim and Gary for more than 16 years. I have complete confidence in how they have handled the allegations about a former University employee.
Tim Curley and Gary Schultz operate at the highest levels of honesty, integrity and compassion. I am confident the record will show that these charges are groundless and that they conducted themselves professionally and appropriately.
The two men to whom Spanier pledged his unconditional support have since stepped aside. The indictment charges them with perjury in their testimony to the grand jury and failure to report sexual abuse of minors. His denouncement of the charges against them thus rings hollow.
The only opportunity the media had to interact with Penn State administrative and athletics staff and coaches was a regularly scheduled press conference for Tuesday afternoon. Less than an hour before mics went hot, Spanier abruptly canceled it.
In the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s press conference on Monday, AG Linda Kelly said Paterno was not a target of the investigation, but stopped short of clearing Spanier.
“All I can say is, again, I’m limited to what’s contained in the presentment, and that this is an ongoing investigation,” Kelly said.
Let’s be clear. Spanier knew what was going on in 1998 when the allegations first came to light and were investigated by university police. Spanier learned that it hadn’t stopped in 2002 when then graduate assistant Mike McQueary reported that he’d witnessed Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy in a shower. Spanier knew that law enforcement was investigating Sandusky in 2009, and was reminded of the ongoing nature of the investigation again in March of this year. He knew. They all knew. They did nothing.
That means Spanier almost assuredly is a target of the investigation, but that is no reason to hide under a desk. Penn State University is in the middle of a crisis never before seen and the school’s president is nowhere to be seen. The school’s Board of Trustees is set to meet this week, and its statement pledges “swift and decisive action” by a committee it will appoint.
A committee? Swift and decisive action? Committees take weeks to decide what refreshments will be served during the morning break. Expecting anything meaningful—much less swift—is akin to expecting NCAA President Mark Emmert’s Presidential Retreat to develop meaningful reform.
Oh and by the way, Graham Spanier attended that event. In fact, Spanier never met an NCAA committee he didn’t like. He was even mentioned in some circles as the man who could succeed Myles Brand as President of the NCAA. His visibility when things are cheeky makes his inaccessibility during this crisis all the more appalling. Leadership isn’t manifested when things go well. Crises are where leaders are separated from cowards. I’ll let you make the call on Spanier’s performance since Sunday.
Going forward, a lot of ink and bandwidth will be consumed over JoePa’s future and whether his body of work should outweigh poor decision-making in failing to report Sandusky to the police. Spanier’s failures are much more tangible. His do-nothings on reporting the allegations to authorities are now intensified by his utter failure to even show his face in the midst of this crisis. He sure didn’t mind showing up in Indianapolis. Where the hell is he now?
UPDATE: Lehigh Valley Live is reporting that Spanier is likely to be forced out today. To those asking: No, I’m not happy now. And no one should be in a situation like this.
