The End of an Era: Paterno is Finished

[Townhallsavoy]

@Jim_Gardner
Jim Gardner
#Paterno is out. #PSUcharges

[Townhallsavoy]

I know everyone's asleep or off the internet, but what do you do if you're Penn State?

I think you have to cut ties from everything and everyone involved with Paterno and Sandusky.  Wipe out everyone in the athletic department and start new. 

Preferably someone with a proven track record for rebuilding programs and preferably someone who talks with his hands. 

And definitely someone who can kick the media's ass if they start to ask questions about issues not pertaining to the task at hand. 

/Dreaming.

[Townhallsavoy]

People started shouting when the BOT officially announced that Paterno was no longer the head coach effective immediately.

[AUJarhead]

I don't think they had a choice, honestly.  They will need to remove everyone associated with Paterno.  From Paterno himself (which they've done) all the way down to the janitor who empties the trash in his office.  I can't see how they can keep one member of that staff around.

Now, who to bring in?  Do you go safe hire, and I'll use the Mike Shula example, someone who can keep the program afloat for a few years, won't get you in trouble with the NCAA, but will keep you around .500, or do you go hire an Urban Meyer?  Throw 5 million at someone, like Bama did Saban.

Would someone worth 5M a year take the job?  Those are some awfully big shoes.

I hope they hire Terry Bowden.

[Townhallsavoy]

I think as long as the trial is going on, Penn State football is put on hiatus. 

No way anyone outside of the state of Pennsylvania is excited about Penn State football when the news is talking about 10 year old boys being raped. 

Not sure who they could hire though.  Who would want to take that job? 

It's good they cut off Paterno now.  They need to accept that Paterno won't be a Bear Bryant.  He's finished.  A forgotten nightmare that spent a long time being a satisfying dream. 

Unfortunately, the students are going to ruin it.  Rioting on campus as we speak.  Pissed that Paterno's fired.  The media was a joke too with a lot of those questions. 

[Tiger Wench]

I know everyone's asleep or off the internet, but what do you do if you're Penn State?

I think you have to cut ties from everything and everyone involved with Paterno and Sandusky.  Wipe out everyone in the athletic department and start new. 

Yep.  All of them.  Starting with that sorry ass assistant that used to be the GA.

Sandusky would be better off in jail, in AdSeg Isolation.  Too many Italians think too much of Paterno.  Sandusky will get vanished like that District Attorney.

What an absolutely horrible way for JoePa to go out.  Horrible.  But it goes to show that you never get in trouble doing the right thing.

[Kaos]

Fired.

I'm sorry, but that really sucks. 

[RWS]

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think we would see a headline that reads "JOE PATERNO FIRED". That is just crazy.

[AUTailgatingRules]

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think we would see a headline that reads "JOE PATERNO FIRED". That is just crazy.

Only because his ego was too big to do the right thing and resign yesterday when he had the chance

[Townhallsavoy]

The Penn State media was completely asinine last night. 

If you missed it:

[AUChizad]

Like Michael Jordan with the Wizards and Brett Favre with the 2006 Packers Jets Vikings, another legacy is ruined by retiring late. If he had retired last year, he could have ended it with dignity, ESPN, etc. would be celebrating an end of an era, etc., and then if/when this hit, the blow would have been much much softened.

So often Sports Legends know when to hold em and when to fold em, it's just that damn walking away they have a problem with.

[Godfather]

He needed to go.  Greatest football coach or not, institution or not. In my mind he allowed this to happen, he knew about it and did nothing, they all did. Those that were involved need to go. The man is a football legend and icon, but this isn't about football. This is about innocent children who were victims of a fucked up individual and people knew about and did nothing.

[Godfather]

Like Michael Jordan with the Wizards and Brett Favre with the 2006 Packers Jets Vikings, another legacy is ruined by retiring late. If he had retired last year, he could have ended it with dignity, ESPN, etc. would be celebrating an end of an era, etc., and then if/when this hit, the blow would have been much much softened.

So often Sports Legends know when to hold em and when to fold em, it's just that damn walking away they have a problem with.

That isn't even an accurate comparison though. Those situations are so far removed from this one.

[Snaggletiger]

All these people, Joe Paterno included, knew about Sandusky's problem back to 1998 when he was investigated the first time.  I can understand them letting things ride at that point because they never actually pressed charges.  Apparently they took a little action because my understanding is Sandusky resigned in 99' to the surprise of a lot of people.  Haven't read that, just heard it stated on a sports show this morning.  Anyway, having that knowledge and doing nothing in 2002 when an eye witness has him raping a child in the shower...nope, no justification whatsoever for Paterno or anyone in that administration who knew. 

[AUTiger1]

He needed to go.  Greatest football coach or not, institution or not. In my mind he allowed this to happen, he knew about it and did nothing, they all did. Those that were involved need to go. The man is a football legend and icon, but this isn't about football. This is about innocent children who were victims of a fucked up individual and people knew about and did nothing.

 

[Townhallsavoy]

That isn't even an accurate comparison though. Those situations are so far removed from this one.

Agreed. 

The closest is Favre sending dick pics to some skanky internet reporter, but even that pales in comparison to the mental, emotional, and physical distress inflicted upon so many children. 

It's obvious that Paterno thought the prestige of Penn State and the important of his own legacy was more important than making sure those kids were protected. 

If you ask me my opinion, I'll tell you that Paterno went to the administration honestly wanting them to take care of the situation and bring charges against Sandusky in a quiet way that protected the football program.  He trusted that whatever they did was enough.

Unfortunately for so many, that wasn't enough.  Paterno is THE authority of Penn State football and should have been the leading man in exposing Sandusky and bringing justice to so many kids while ensuring the protection of any other kids that would possibly encounter the sick freak.

[Kaos]

Agreed. 

The closest is Favre sending dick pics to some skanky internet reporter, but even that pales in comparison to the mental, emotional, and physical distress inflicted upon so many children. 

It's obvious that Paterno thought the prestige of Penn State and the important of his own legacy was more important than making sure those kids were protected. 

If you ask me my opinion, I'll tell you that Paterno went to the administration honestly wanting them to take care of the situation and bring charges against Sandusky in a quiet way that protected the football program.  He trusted that whatever they did was enough.

Unfortunately for so many, that wasn't enough.  Paterno is THE authority of Penn State football and should have been the leading man in exposing Sandusky and bringing justice to so many kids while ensuring the protection of any other kids that would possibly encounter the sick freak.

I won't try too hard to defend him, but he was defending Penn State.  Nobody wants this kind of thing to come out.  Even if he'd run to the media and screamed "PARIAH!" at Jerry there would still be stink on him and on the program. 

I'm sure Paterno was probably afraid that the stupid bastard would ruin everything he'd spent his whole life building. 

I'm still not convinced Paterno knew or understood the totality or the gravity of the situation.  Jerry had a problem.  Jerry's punishment was that he'd never get what he wanted.  Never be coach at Penn State and had to leave the program at the height of his career.  Leave and shut the fuck up or he would be exposed. 

I hate to tell all of you crusaders this, but the same scenario plays out at some school somewhere in the US every single day.  Every day.  Every single day. 

Nobody wants the disgrace, nobody wants the stigma, nobody wants the attention.  So the offender apologizes for the momentary lapse,expresses remorse for the accidental indiscretion, resigns or retires and it all goes away quietly.

My guess is that when it went away in 1999 for Paterno that was the end of it in his mind. 

[JR4AU]

I think as long as the trial is going on, Penn State football is put on hiatus. 

No way anyone outside of the state of Pennsylvania is excited about Penn State football when the news is talking about 10 year old boys being raped. 

Not sure who they could hire though.  Who would want to take that job? 

It's good they cut off Paterno now.  They need to accept that Paterno won't be a Bear Bryant.  He's finished.  A forgotten nightmare that spent a long time being a satisfying dream. 

Unfortunately, the students are going to ruin it.  Rioting on campus as we speak.  Pissed that Paterno's fired.  The media was a joke too with a lot of those questions.

I think just the opposite.  This is/was a nasty situation, that took down an icon to boot.  I think PSU fans will look to a fresh start football program for comfort and distraction. 

This stink isn't on the football program per se, it's on Sandusky, Paterno, McCurley, and others who covered up, but it has nothing to do directly with football.  Clean house, get rid of all that knew and did nothing, and move on if you're PSU.  Oh, and answer every law suit with a big fat check.   

[wesfau2]

I'm still not convinced Paterno knew or understood the totality or the gravity of the situation. 

His own admissions contradict that.

My guess is that when it went away in 1999 for Paterno that was the end of it in his mind.

Until the GA reported to Paterno in 2002 that Sandusky was butt-raping 10 year olds in the showers.

[Kaos]

His own admissions contradict that.

Until the GA reported to Paterno in 2002 that Sandusky was butt-raping 10 year olds in the showers.

I read the report.

Neither of those things are completely correct.

What has he admitted other than "he wishes he'd done more..."   That could mean a thousand things.  Could mean he wishes he'd killed the kids and buried them in the woods.   Could mean anything. 

There's no proof Paterno was specifically told what Sandusky was doing.  Inappropriate behavior has any number of potential meanings. 

What he knew is a gray area.

And as I said, this kind of thing goes on every day.  Somebody is caught in a compromising position. The school, the business, the group wants it to go away.  It does quietly.  People retire. People resign.