I just don't understand why anyone can still have a shred of respect for Joe Paterno.
As soon as the allegations came out about Jerry Sandusky months ago, we all knew he had to have a hand in what was going on.
And it wasn't like he heard something in passing -- as head coach, Paterno was notified of all of the complaints about his staff. Now, thanks to the release of the emails, we can confirm that Jo.Pa., or whatever his nickname is, was definitely helping cover up the abuse of at least one child at the time, which we now know was at least 10, and statistics show if a man is molesting that "low" of a number, there are probably over 100 more.
I don't want to mince words here -- this is completely out of my realm of what I usually comment on on HuffPost. As a comic just a few weeks ago, I wrote about how I should have a holiday because I don't have children of my own. As a human being, I'm asking how anyone can continue to support someone who openly supported child molestation, someone who was willing to cover it up in order to keep a football program going.
It disgusted me when I saw the streets flood with people in State College to support Paterno when he lost his job, and it disgusts me that there continues to be a statue of the man on campus.
You can win every football game in the history of football games and still be a despicable person -- and if you support or worship someone who turned a blind eye to the ruining of at least 10, if not hundreds of human beings' lives, you should be ashamed of yourself.
If you support what he did, and his legacy, you support child molestation. They are inseparable.
Sure, support a program that has cleaned up its act and are looking to rid the world of this type of evil, and wear your colors proudly, but be ashamed of yourselves for supporting any member of that organization that allowed what happened to go on, and pray for all those who were affected.
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Rob Asghar: Is Joe Paterno 'in Heaven'?
Joe knew and DID NOTHING. Why? Will we ever know? Evil only triumphs if good men do nothing...and if a good man does nothing, how can he be called "good?"
Tim, thanks for writing this. Hopefully all the "good" men who did nothing will come to justice along with Spanier.
It's very obvious why JoePa made that kid invisable, abandoned, and ignored. His entire focus was on Sandusky. Had that adult in Shower 2001 been a stranger, you and I wouldn't be writing these posts.
Paterno knew what was going on, and did nothing to stop it. He knew in 1998, and that is why the "tickle monster" was put on ice in 1999. In 2001, he found out that his little "problem" was still rearing its disgusting head, and very simply covered it up. He ran the school, people. Very easy to see and understand that when it came right down to reporting the abuse, Joe Paterno stepped in and said "no" it might hurt the football program. Disgusting. NCAA???? DEATH PENALTY!
Bobby Bowden, Michael Jordan, Tim Tebow, Nick Saban, Wayne Gretzky,Magic Johnson, Karl Malone, and Tiger Woods to name a few.
To be clear, I'm not defending Paterno or saying that it's right, I'm just saying that it's not uncommon for statues to be made for sports icons while they are still alive.
Whether his statue should stay is a different discussion.
What happened at PED STATE is indefensible and inexcusable beyond comparison, but the culprits and their cohorts who jumped into their PSU-Banner-draped SUVs are right now, in their offices, in front of their Big-Screen TVs and picking up their PSU sweatshirts from the cleaners in nervous anticipation for the next big game...believe it.
The jock-strap culture that condoned, cover-up and coalesced to the pressure of "doin' it for duh team" is still VERY alive and VERY well...they're just a bit quite right now.
The big schools make a fortune from their football programs, and to think some of that money either wouldn't or shouldn't float down to the players is ridiculous. After all, is a free college education *REALLY* worth the potential of crippling head trauma or paralysis on any given play, any given Saturday? My scholarship asked me to maintain a 3.5; it didn't ask me to run the 40 in 4.3 seconds and dodge 250-pound linebackers. My college also didn't turn a profit from my work, so yeah, the numbers just don't compare.
But, if getting agents and limo rides like Reggie Bush is bad, and selling a jersey like Cam Newton is bad, then I'm guessing the systematic rape of children should be worth more than the loss of a couple of scholarships and a bowl game, right? Right, NCAA?