Joe Paterno Retires: Legendary Coach Issues Statement On Retirement, Scandal

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno released the following statement Wednesday:

"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."

Comments

[retromega]

12:02 AM on 11/13/2011

I'd say that Joe Paterno's attorney did a credible job on Paterno's [sic] statement. I notice he avoided mentioning the almost twenty year time span where, at best, Joe Paterno kept his head firmly buried in the sand.

I notice too that "coach" seems to be unable to stop telling everyone else what to do and how to live. He can't resist telling the trustee's not to waste their time on him when they had already followed his advise right into this cesspool called Penn State Football. This advise came from a man whose moral compass is seriously broken, a man who would have us believe that while he is a football genius he doesn't have the sense God gave a turnip when it comes to understanding what his assistants were doing!

I suppose when you may be looking at spending time in jail for your failure to report the obvious you can delude yourself into thinking that everyone else believes you are as stupid as you pretend. The best that can be said is that attempting to win an Oscar for bad acting ain't gonna help the portrait of a man with no moral center - this was and is not a game! It is real people and real lives and real damages and real crimes. Next to that football means what?

[hoochiepap]

03:18 AM on 11/10/2011

A man has no greater duty in his life than to make sure a child is protected.

Joe Paterno put football and legacy and a win record in front of protecting a 10 year old boy and many more later. Joe should have stepped down 10 years ago when asked . Now, the truth is out. Joe Paterno cared about one thing ---and that would be Joe Paterno.

[hoochiepap]

03:06 AM on 11/10/2011

Joe Paterno did not retire. He was FIRED, and rightly so.

[huffposter07]

11:23 PM on 11/09/2011

Good. I went to a college where competitive sports didn't exist. You could play softball, touch football, tennis, stuff like that. But it was very low key. I couldn't stomach watching a bunch of big- men-on-campus athletes strutting around an academic place, a campus. Pigs like Paterno know that the more their teams win, the bigger their own reputations and salaries get. They'll do whatever it takes to win. They won't let molestation of kids by a coach ruin their day....not to mention their season. Not when the molesting coach does a good job with the team. Good riddance, Paterno. A man who's lived among swearing, whoring, drug-using athletes for 40 years isn't confused about a coach raping boys. It's within his world of knowledge. He knew. He knew very well.

[EarlSJ]

07:56 PM on 11/09/2011

Joe reported the allegations of child abuse to his supervisors (to the athletic director and to a vice-president of the university). However, he should have told the athletic director, "If you don't report it to the police, I will!" My thought is that Joe is culpable, but not as culpable as his supervisors. The over-riding problem is the sports culture of winning is everything, and that "accounts receivable" is the measure of everything at the university. If this culture weren't there, I think Joe would have reported it to the police. I'll bet we're seeing the tip of an iceberg, and cover-ups of these types of crimes are more widespread than anyone can imagine. Joe should not be excused for his lack of action, but prosecuting him would not be getting at the heart of the problem.

[Tricia S]

09:39 PM on 11/09/2011

They should ALL be prosecuted. Personally, if that were my child I would hold those closest (physically and in the timeline) to the situation the most culpable for the lack of attention in regards to ensuring the welfare of a child. Each man started accummulating culpability with EACH SECOND that passed from the moment they had knowledge and failed to 1] ask what EXACTLY was going on/went on, 2] find out if the kid was ok/safe and finally 3] notified Campus Security/Police to ensure a proper investigation took place.

Paterno hasn't lasted this long because he's a puppet to those in Administration nor sports culture. Paterno says it best "You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That's the mark of a true professional."

An Assistant Graduate called him and INSISTED on coming to Paterno's residence first thing Saturday morning to report (according to Paterno) something "DISTURBING" and "INAPPROPRIATE" that happened between a member of his staff and a child in a SHOWER. And he didn't INSIST on specific details given those "vague" facts? Then he waited from Saturday morning until Sunday to pass-the-buck to an Administrator (again not Campus Security)? Sports culture or not, I seriously doubt Paterno would have been so unconcerned and disengaged as a leader had the same report involved one of his 17 grandchildren.

[hoochiepap]

03:10 AM on 11/10/2011

I seriously doubt Paterno would have been so unconcerne­d and disengaged as a leader had the same report involved one of his 17 grandchild­ren.

My thoughts exactly. Joe Paterno put football and an ex employee and life long friend over the molestation of a child. You can get no lower than that.

[jeff15]

09:52 PM on 11/09/2011

Who are you kidding? The most powerful man in happy valley is Joe Paterno. He took a day to ,think? about it, after he was told one of his coaches was naked in the showers sodomizing a young boy? Gee, I guess I will tell my boss and pass it on, Out of my hands, absolved myself, got football to coach. Then he forgets about it for almost a decade? and keeps letting this guy bring boys to the facility? This is more than a mental lapse, this is a cover up or hope it goes away before it upsets my 409 wins.

[FORCETHIS]

04:21 PM on 11/09/2011

Why don't u people wake up. You r talking as if Paterno did this himself. Maybe Joe Pa didn't do everything he could have but what he has done for State College &PSU is unmeasured anywhere in this country. The thousands of students that have excelled because of this mans commitments far exceed the fact that people are blaming him directly for the actions of a assistant coach. I say shame on all of you. what happen to these kids is a crime & there are people who should pay dearly for it but to put this on Joe Pa is an even worser crime. It time for the board of directors to stop collecting a pay check & pay attention to the behind the scenes activities going on.Fire the board of director for not paying attention! GO JOE PA! you are "PENN STATE"

[golfvue3]

05:49 PM on 11/09/2011

His lack of action after being told by a "distraught" McQueary that he witnessed a boy being raped by Sandusky is unbelievable. He put countlessmore kids at risk - and we know more young boys were molested after the 2002 incident.

If you were really a PSU fan, you'd realize everyone associated with this needs to go NOW - and only then can a rebuilding process start. Until then, having an enabler of child abuse continue to coach the team is unfathomable.

[FORCETHIS]

08:29 AM on 11/10/2011

Hey Dick, this morals horseshit should go to the top of the pile. Paterno notified the AD why didn't the AD persue these allegations? Also if your going to fire the man that made PSU what it is what the hell is queer McQueary still on the staff for. Maybe Joe Pa could have done more about this whole situation morally but he did what he was required to do professionally, he should not have been fired just for damage control. I say PSU owes Joe Pa, Give him back everything He Has done for PSU and there will be no PSU. This was a grave injustice with what happened to these kids, but the wrong people-(person) is being burned at the stake.

[Megandale]

07:55 PM on 11/09/2011

He didn't do enough, and that's a fact. He still has a wonderful legacy, but he needs to go...today.

[johnsmith9875]

02:26 PM on 11/09/2011

Paterno should have been escorted off campus flanked by police and holding a paper box with his belongings and his awards.

Sorry JoPa, 100 awards doesn't make up for the fact you ignored a child rapist's activities just to protect your football program.

[wizkid14]

01:50 PM on 11/09/2011

And that's exactly who Joe Paterno did catered to the football program and the students at Penn State University. The 10-yr-old boy had no ties to the university and therefore was not relevant! I continue to be horrified at this story. Ppl support Joe great, good for you but this man has known of the allegations leveled against Jerry Sandusky for 7 years (from 2002 to 2009 when Sandusky retired) and said/did nothing. How can you sit across from this man in the looker room, team meetings, award dinners and not be disgusted? Good-bye Joe you must GO!

[ajinnyc]

01:50 PM on 11/09/2011

Great to be the king - he get's to choose when to abdicate. I think he should be led off the campus in handcuffs right now. He served his program and his ego before he served the welfare of a minor. The man is complicit in this crime for his silence. This statement is a sham. Throw the bum out.

[rltballer]

01:25 PM on 11/09/2011

Joe you are a disgrace to the university and humankind. You should have done more. Nothing you say or do will change that.

[jwk1737]

01:14 PM on 11/09/2011

Too little Way to late. Leave NOW Paterno! You turned your back on children being abused

[golfvue3]

01:08 PM on 11/09/2011

End of the season ? ! ? ! ?

This guy is very selfish. If he wants to to the right thing, and what is now in the best interest of PSU, he resigns effective today. There is no way Paterno or McQueary can coach this weekend. PSU needs a fresh start with people who had no involvement/knowledge of Sandusky's incidents.

His statement today was very self-serving. His contract was up at the end of the season - did anyone think it would be renewed?? heck no.
And then he adds the part about the board has more to worry about than him. Geesh - he's got some brash ones.

If there are any sensible board members, Paterno will be suspended/fired before the week is out.

[wizkid14]

02:07 PM on 11/09/2011

OMG,Mike McQueary needs to be in jail! I am too disgusted to learn that he is the graduate student that actually witnessed the abuse! He graduted and continued to stay around the man he SAW rape a 10-yr-old and the MEN that covered it up? Yes, McQueary needs to be in a cell right next to Sandusky. How could you live with yourself after witnessing such an event and watch him continue to bring little boys to campus as a part of that sham organization he established (in 1977 mind you) The Second Mile Charity!

[IraqOut]

12:57 PM on 11/09/2011

Penn State students get some dignity if Penn fires Paterno today. Nope, they hang their head in shame for the rest of their lives. Where did you go to college? Please don't ask me that. I don't want to talk about Mr. Molestor Protector and how we kept him on for the rest of the season.

[Nilsson57]

12:40 PM on 11/09/2011

"With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more" -- he says.

There are some things in life that you don't need to qualify "with the benefit of hindsight". Child sex abuse is one of them. Paterno and the rest of the Penn State Football Church hierarchy did nothing to stop an animal, his former defensive coordinator.

I hope Joe can explain this when he meets his maker.

[yangcheng]

12:40 PM on 11/09/2011

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