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This is just madness
I understand this man has been a part of Penn State football for 61 years and is a legend, but it's like these people don't see the big picture here. What's sad though is I can totally see this happening at OU, if ever such a thing happened, and Stoops was fired.
Joe Paterno, a man who until last week could make a claim to being the greatest coaching institution in the history of college athletics, was terminated Wednesday night with a phone call. Forty-six years as head football coach at Penn State ended when he was informed by university trustees John Surma and Steve Garban that his services were no longer needed. Effective immediately.
It?s the way some employers would treat a middle manager, not a legend. But in the end, maybe that?s heartlessly fitting ? after all, Paterno abdicated his powerful role and played the part of a mid-level employee in passing the buck up the ladder when informed in 2002 that an alleged pedophile had raped a boy in the showers of his football complex. The crucial lack of leadership in a moment of dire crisis led to the end of his leadership at Penn State.
Thus the fifth day of the Jerry Sandusky scandal in Happy Valley began with Paterno bargaining for time and ended in chaos. It ended with an embarrassing press conference that made both the trustees and the media look like clowns. It ended with Surma, the board?s front man, unable or unwilling to specifically define why Joe had to go. It ended with sprawling student protests across campus and downtown.
And it ended with an ever-lengthening list of men who have lost their jobs at Penn State because the school so completely failed to protect innocent children from an alleged predator. We have already seen athletic director Tim Curley take a leave that will undoubtedly lead to a firing. We have already seen vice president Gary Schultz step down. Now president Graham Spanier ? a non-responder during this bleak period ? has resigned. And now we have seen the biggest name in Penn State history, Joseph Vincent Paterno, fired before he could even get a goodbye game in front of the fans who worship him, fired before he could even saddle up for a long-delayed ride into the sunset.
Paterno clearly saw the chips stacked against him this week, which was why he took a pre-emptive shot at saving this season by announcing Wednesday morning that he would retire at its end. But that announcement came from the Paterno family itself, not the university. That was a sign that the school wasn?t ready to sign off on such a plan.
By 10 p.m., it was clear that the trustees wanted no part in perpetuating Paterno?s career even one game longer. In a vote it said was unanimous, they moved to end an unparalleled run in unceremonious fashion. When you consider the grip Paterno had on this university for decades, it took some gumption ? and a national outcry ? to fire the man in such abrupt fashion.
?To allow this to continue, we think, would be damaging to the university,? Surma said.
While a good percentage of the world outside Penn State agrees with this dramatic action, it was greeted with outrage here. There were gasps in the room when the announcement was made, and students quickly mobilized in massive numbers to voice their loud (though disjointed) displeasure.
Among the chants that rang out on Beaver Avenue late Wednesday night:
?Hell, no, Joe won?t go!?
?One more game!?
?F?k Sandusky!?
Later, things became more aggressive. A TV news van was overturned by protestors near the administration building. Rocks were tossed at police.
A few football players came out to see the scene, but declined comment on the sudden loss of their legendary leader. (Longtime defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has been named the interim coach.) The ardor for Paterno was obvious, but you couldn?t help but wonder whether the students might be moved to one day show such united passion for those who suffered child sex abuse ? the true victims here.
(AP)
That is the danger in the cult-of-personality dynamic of college sports. Coaches are elevated to such mythic levels that they become larger than the programs they lead and often larger than the universities that employ them.
Perspective gets warped. Bad endings often ensue.
But the stupefying thing is that nobody ? nobody ? could ever have foreseen a scandalous ending for Joe Paterno. He had done so much right for so many years. He had won so many games, donated so much money to the school, graduated so many players, made so few missteps ? not a single major NCAA violation in a sport rife with corruption.
And then this blew up the perfect little athletic world. Jerry Sandusky in the Garden of Eden, his alleged crimes against children undeterred by those around him. A scandal so shocking that even the most jaded mind could not have dreamed it up.
Not those allegations. And not in this place.
A friend on Twitter called this the saddest sports story of his lifetime Wednesday night. It?s hard not to agree. Joe Paterno, onetime white knight of college athletics, was fired by phone. And despite the sporting tragedy of that, it pales in comparison to the human tragedies that were the catalyst for this stunning fall.
Re: This is just madness
I agree that he should have been fired and I definitely agree that he should have done more.
At the same time - there are about 10 other people that need to be given the pink slip as well. The Graduate student (now assistant coach) that actually saw Sandusky molesting the boy received a job FOR LIFE to stay shut up about it. He should fired, like yesterday.
The welfare of the children really should be number one priority but if people like the graduate student still have a job and Paterno doesn't.....that isn't right. They are ALL guilty and should ALL be fired.
Yes, he should have been fired as soon as it came out that he had witnessed a rape, but didn't report it to the police. Instead he called his dad. From what I had heard their families go way back. This whole story really makes me sick to my stomach. I cannot imagine what that child must have been feeling if he saw that that man had witnessed his attack and then just turn around and walk away.
I agree with everything you've said.
While this absolutely had to happen, it's hard not to be a little sad about that legacy. This is the most scandalous thing to ever happen in sports. It makes me beyond sick. I read the jury report (have you read it? OMG), and it's heart wrenching. Sandusky did the raping, Curly and Moe (whatever the other dudes name was) covered it up, it was reported to police at one point after a mother of one of the victims contacted them and the DA (or judge? can't remember) dismissed (!!!) it stating no criminal activity had happened - and he's missing and has been since 2005. (Holy run-on sentence.) And, all the while, Sandusky has been allowed to have full access of campus (where the remaining rapes/molestations took place).
At first, I was completely Team Paterno. Then I read the jury report and read more about it. He knew that this happened, yet he didn't follow up or he didn't wonder or ask questions as to why Sandusky was still hanging around. Especially when Paterno would see him hanging around the sidelines with these boys. How can you NOT say something or wonder something? I don't get it.
I hate that JoePa's legacy was tarnished like this... but in the same breath, him not speaking up or whatever allowed all of this to continue to happen.
I've seen so many people say exactly what I feel. I can't stand Matt Millen, but he stated it best: "If we can't protect our children, then we, as a society, are pathetic."
I'm sure there are spelling and grammar errors... ignore them.
"Coaches are elevated to such mythic levels that they become larger than the programs they lead and often larger than the universities that employ them. Perspective gets warped. Bad endings often ensue."
I can't tell you how many times I've seen this (not at my current institution but when studying at the homes of Bobby Knight and Jim Tressel.) It happens all of the time in so many small ways, that it was inevitable that it would happen in a giant way, too. It makes you wonder how many more skeletons are in the NCAAs closet.
If you're interested, there's a great book called "Beer and Circus: How Big Time College Sports Has Crippled Undergraduate Education."
Puppy, his name is Ray Gricar. It's a fascinating case.
Everyone last person who knew and didn't make sure it was stopped needs to be fired. From the janitor who witnessed the oral sex to the GA who saw the rape to Joe Paterno, the AD, the President, etc. Every last one of them.
And their reputations DESERVE to be tarnished.
Wow - you are right - that is a fascinating case......
And I agree - ANYONE and EVERYONE that knew something needs to be axed INCLUDING the police from the original case in 1998!!!
Have you seen this? Mark Madden is the guy who wrote an article about this scandal back IN APRIL.
This makes me sick to my stomach.
http://www.businessinsider.com/jerry-sandusky-donors-2011-11
I saw a story on facebook last night that was written this past APRIL about the allegations.....I had not seen this story about them basically pimping out the young boys to rich donors. That is absolutely heart breaking.
It would take a lot for me to be embarrassed of my alma mater..this would probably do it!
What is really creepy is that a couple of weeks ago on SVU it was about a basketball coach who sexually assaulted some of his players. This has the same feel to it.
Fox News is confirming that Mike McQueary (the graduate assistant that actually saw an incident) is staying on staff.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG.
It really is. Have you seen the size of that guy? Seriously, he could have taken Standusky out with one punch.
I have a thousand questions but the first is - who witnesses something like that and does not go to the police and second - who the hell accepts a job at a place like that???????????????
Unexcuseable and illogical given the university's other actions to wash their hands of this as quickly as possible.
DO NOT read the grand jury report. I think I counted about 10 other people that need to be fired/put into jail and ASAP.
That grand jury report is awful. Heartbreaking. It's almost unbearable to even finish.