Fans thoughts on Joe Paterno coaching on Saturday...

[spartyfan1718]

Given the severe nature of the charges there's absolutely no doubt that JoePa's last game should have come against Illinois. As I mentioned in another post if this were any other coach they would have been long gone by now. I also feel that it would also be the best thing for JoePa to avoid all the scrutiny that will come with him completing the rest of the season, can you imagine the controversy that will continue to swirl around JoePa as they wait for weeks in preparation for the team's bowl game? I like JoePa as he has done so much for Penn St and college football and I'm sure it was hard for him to hear such charges brought against his friend, but we all have to live with our decisions and this is one JoePa must now live with unfortunately.

 

[epocSoN]

I hope we are beating them so badly Brion Carnes actually gets to play.

Joe Pa doesn't deserve to walk on that field again.

 

[darkhorse85]

Does McQueary get crucified too? Yeah, he told Joe, but then did he ever tell anyone after there was no action? That's just as bad as what Joe did I suppose. I haven't read every single article about what's going on at PSU but does he have any heat on him or am I missing something?

 

[ShawnWatson]

He received second hand information, and did the legal requirement of reporting it to university officials. Legally speaking he did nothing wrong. Morally speaking however, he could have done a lot more and should have.

Legally speaking he is a mandatory reporter. He didn't inform the Department of Public Welfare as he is required, he informed his boss. Failure to Report is a misdemeanor. So no, he didn't do what he was supposed to do, legally.

Morally, he failed as well. This is his worst error, the unforgivable error. He was informed by a witness that a boy was being raped by Sandusky. Morally, he had an obligation to do every single thing in his power to make sure this was not true, and beyond that, he had a moral obligation to assure the players on his team, their families, and future recruits that he was not allowing a predator to have access to the team in any way. We know he failed in that because Sandusky was present, in the team's weight room, as recently as last week, and has had similar access since the day of the report in 2002.

I did not know that. You are a wise man knapp. Like a miniature buddha all covered in hair. :thumbs

 

[idontknow]

Why is all the blame going on Joe? Does anybody think that the grad assistant that actually saw these acts could have done something more? Why aren't people calling for his head just as they are to Joe? What about the people Joe told? Nobody did anything there and would be just as 'morally' wrong as Joe.

Joe just did what everybody else did, which I think is what most people would have done if they were in his shoes...

It's a sick situation but there are a lot more people than just Joe Paterno to point fingers at.

 

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

Yes I think that if we are going to ridicule Joe we should also be pointing fingers at Mcqueary. However, I can understand his logic of not going directly to the police a little (emphasis on little) bit more than Joe. Simply for the fact that I could see even the police shying away from the report of a little grad assistant.

 

[Hoosker]

He should not be coaching anymore.

I can't understand how the students or anyone else can rally behind this man, knowing what we all know at this point.

I believe that this is the worst thing to ever occur at any University football program. It not only throws out anything Sandusky did, but it also tarnishes everything Joe Paterno did and all the warm, loving feelings everyone had for him (or at least it should).

JoePa has been the face of Penn State since 1966. So everything that has occurred in Nittany Lion football since 1966 has been damaged by this terrible tragedy (AKA: Both national titles and all 3 B1G titles)

There isn't 1 Penn State university student that knows anything about football that doesn't involve Joe Paterno. This is all they know and I guess they're doing what they can for the man they believe in. (Even though they shouldn't)

To put this in perspective, it would be like if Charlie McBride were doing what Sandusky did and Osborne found out and never did a single thing about it. Let that sink in for a second. All that success, integrity, and both men as people would be gone by the wayside. It's really hard to imagine what that University is going through, but the fact that they still support Paterno is mind boggling to me.

He shouldn't coach another game and he should have to personally apologize to those kids and their parents for letting this horrific act go on.

 

[darkhorse85]

Yes I think that if we are going to ridicule Joe we should also be pointing fingers at Mcqueary. However, I can understand his logic of not going directly to the police a little (emphasis on little) bit more than Joe. Simply for the fact that I could see even the police shying away from the report of a little grad assistant.

Even if the police had got a report from McQueary then they would have had an obligation to investigate something like that. Also, if for some reason the police hadn't taken action on a report from a lowly GA that still doesn't change that fact that he didn't tell anyone besides Joe.

 

[Hoosker]

Why is all the blame going on Joe? Does anybody think that the grad assistant that actually saw these acts could have done something more? Why aren't people calling for his head just as they are to Joe? What about the people Joe told? Nobody did anything there and would be just as 'morally' wrong as Joe.

Joe just did what everybody else did, which I think is what most people would have done if they were in his shoes...

That's the problem. He just did what everybody else (on the staff) did. While I agree that he isn't the only one to be pointing the finger at, he was the head coach and just about the most important man in that University's history, he needed to do the right thing.

I disagree. Most people have morals and would have reported something so horrible to the authorities instead of letting it continue to happen. Joe was trying to maintain his and PSU's image by sweeping it under the rug. Everything he has done is overshadowed by this.

 

[scarletNcream]

He received second hand information, and did the legal requirement of reporting it to university officials. Legally speaking he did nothing wrong. Morally speaking however, he could have done a lot more and should have.

Legally speaking he is a mandatory reporter. He didn't inform the Department of Public Welfare as he is required, he informed his boss. Failure to Report is a misdemeanor. So no, he didn't do what he was supposed to do, legally.

Morally, he failed as well. This is his worst error, the unforgivable error. He was informed by a witness that a boy was being raped by Sandusky. Morally, he had an obligation to do every single thing in his power to make sure this was not true, and beyond that, he had a moral obligation to assure the players on his team, their families, and future recruits that he was not allowing a predator to have access to the team in any way. We know he failed in that because Sandusky was present, in the team's weight room, as recently as last week, and has had similar access since the day of the report in 2002.

I did not know that. You are a wise man knapp. Like a miniature buddha all covered in hair. :thumbs

Knapplc, this is truly a hideous crime by Sandusky, but, Mandatory Reporting was not a law until 2009, when was this reported to JoePa? If this was a cover up by everybody than they should all burn however, the biggest crime was a 28 year old man, ex-quarterback (bodes to leadership) saw this act and did nothing to stop it. We do not know what he said to JP in that discussion the next day. I agree with 99% of what you say, but lets not burn the house down until we find out all the facts

 

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

Yes I think that if we are going to ridicule Joe we should also be pointing fingers at Mcqueary. However, I can understand his logic of not going directly to the police a little (emphasis on little) bit more than Joe. Simply for the fact that I could see even the police shying away from the report of a little grad assistant.

Even if the police had got a report from McQueary then they would have had an obligation to investigate something like that. Also, if for some reason the police hadn't taken action on a report from a lowly GA that still doesn't change that fact that he didn't tell anyone besides Joe.

I realize this. I am just trying to say that I could understand his possible logic better than Joe's. Now the real kicker is after the fact that neither of them revisited the incident or informed someone while he was knowingly on campus for another 10 or so years. I believe that anyone even remotely associated with this should be gone. That University and Athletic Department needs house cleaned.

 

[darkhorse85]

Yes I think that if we are going to ridicule Joe we should also be pointing fingers at Mcqueary. However, I can understand his logic of not going directly to the police a little (emphasis on little) bit more than Joe. Simply for the fact that I could see even the police shying away from the report of a little grad assistant.

Even if the police had got a report from McQueary then they would have had an obligation to investigate something like that. Also, if for some reason the police hadn't taken action on a report from a lowly GA that still doesn't change that fact that he didn't tell anyone besides Joe.

I realize this. I am just trying to say that I could understand his possible logic better than Joe's. Now the real kicker is after the fact that neither of them revisited the incident or informed someone while he was knowingly on campus for another 10 or so years. I believe that anyone even remotely associated with this should be gone. That University and Athletic Department needs house cleaned.

Oops. I should have read rather than skimmed. Sorry dude. I concur.

 

[Bowfin]

Based on what has appeared in the open media

That's our standard benchmark now?

 

[caveman99]

Yes I think that if we are going to ridicule Joe we should also be pointing fingers at Mcqueary. However, I can understand his logic of not going directly to the police a little (emphasis on little) bit more than Joe. Simply for the fact that I could see even the police shying away from the report of a little grad assistant.

Even if the police had got a report from McQueary then they would have had an obligation to investigate something like that. Also, if for some reason the police hadn't taken action on a report from a lowly GA that still doesn't change that fact that he didn't tell anyone besides Joe.

What bothers me the most is why didn't the GA try and get the boy out of there? I mean I get that he was shocked, but he left that poor boy with Chester the Molester while he ran off to tell Daddy.

 

[knapplc]

He received second hand information, and did the legal requirement of reporting it to university officials. Legally speaking he did nothing wrong. Morally speaking however, he could have done a lot more and should have.

Legally speaking he is a mandatory reporter. He didn't inform the Department of Public Welfare as he is required, he informed his boss. Failure to Report is a misdemeanor. So no, he didn't do what he was supposed to do, legally.

Morally, he failed as well. This is his worst error, the unforgivable error. He was informed by a witness that a boy was being raped by Sandusky. Morally, he had an obligation to do every single thing in his power to make sure this was not true, and beyond that, he had a moral obligation to assure the players on his team, their families, and future recruits that he was not allowing a predator to have access to the team in any way. We know he failed in that because Sandusky was present, in the team's weight room, as recently as last week, and has had similar access since the day of the report in 2002.

I did not know that. You are a wise man knapp. Like a miniature buddha all covered in hair. :thumbs

Knapplc, this is truly a hideous crime by Sandusky, but, Mandatory Reporting was not a laws until 2009, when was this reported to JoePa? If this was a cover up by everybody than they should all burn however, the biggest crime was a 28 year old man, ex-quarterback (bodes to leadership) saw this act and did nothing to stop it. We do not know what he said to JP in that discussion the next day. I agree with 99% of what you say, but lets not burn the house down until we find out all the facts

You are correct, the mandatory reporting law was changed in 2009. So legally, he did the absolute bare minimum of what he was supposed to do.

I believe that doing the absolute bare minimum was horrifically insufficient in this situation. You, obviously, disagree. To each their own.