Everybody was wondering what Jerry Sandusky would say as he stared down sentencing on 45 counts of sexual abuse against 10 young boys.
He could have apologized and begged for mercy.
He could have claimed the foster children who testified against him did not know right from wrong, and gave misleading testimony because they themselves had troubled pasts.
Instead, he lashed out.
"I've wondered what they really want," Sandusky said in a three-minute statement broadcasted by Penn State's campus radio station . "Attention, financial gain, prestige will all be temporary."
Not exactly a plea of forgiveness.
While HuffPost Crime national crime reporter David Lohr was just a few feet from Sandusky inside the courthouse, I was in the audience for True Crime Tuesday with Anderson Cooper's, "Anderson Live."
Cooper played the clip for his viewers, and it was clear that like most of America, this crowd wasn't disappointed with Sandusky's conviction.
"In my heart, I know that I did not do these alleged disgusting acts," Sandusky said in the recording, a statement he would echo today during his remarks to the judge.
That's a far cry from what one of his victims told a packed courtroom this morning.
"It's time to stop coming up with excuses for your behavior," the victim said. "If you remain in denial... You won't be able to receive the forgiveness that only he [God] offers."
LISTEN to the Sandusky statement:
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Now, a member of a university community once revered for his charity work and mentoring of raw football talent will almost certainly live out the rest of his days behind bars.
The sentence of 30 to 60 years will undoubtedly face appeal, but legal experts agree that the likelihood of Sandusky finding his way out is a long shot. Instead, as Cooper's guest host Deborah Norville pointed out, Sandusky will go to prison in a state with facilities that do not separate the child molesters from the murderers.
In his heart of hearts, Sandusky may still believe he's innocent. He may actually think he was helping troubled youth. Still, at what was likely his last opportunity to address the public, he showed little regret or remorse. Perhaps he should have considered more closely the words Judge Cleland left him with.
"You abused the trust of those who trusted you," the judge told Sandusky. "The crime is not only what you did to their bodies, but the assault to their psyches and souls."
Special thanks to Anderson Cooper and the entire Anderson Live team. Check out more from Anderson Live by clicking here. You can also watch videos from today's Anderson Live show by clicking here.