Paterno was literally telling his players that they couldn't cooperate with judicial affairs or

[Are_grits_groceries]

or they would get kicked off the team
(This is another story about Paterno, and parts of it made my mouth drop open)

At Penn State, Joe Paterno was larger than life, even cast in bronze. His power and influence was so great, no one dared to confront, and certainly not defy, the legend, according to a former university official.

During her four years as the vice president for student affairs, Vicky Triponey challenged that power and lost. Triponey held direct oversight of the Office of Judicial Affairs, the disciplinary arm of the university. When football players ran afoul of school policy, Triponey said Paterno interfered with the discipline process.
<snip>
In April 2007 as many two dozen football players forced their way into a party at an off-campus apartment and assaulted several students at the party, including Britt's son, Jack, who was severely beaten. Six players faced criminal charges as a result of the brawl. In the end, many of the charges against the players were dismissed and two players pleaded guilty to misdemeanor offenses

.In the middle of the school's internal investigation, Triponey said Spanier ordered her to meet with Paterno. Triponey said she had repeatedly refused to discuss cases with Paterno because she didn't want to compromise her impartiality. "The coach was not happy with that," Triponey said, in a telephone interview with USA TODAY. "Many times he tried to insist upon a meeting with me, asked others to have meetings with me. Sent his wife (Sue) one time. In the middle of cases. This became a bone of contention."

"The coach was literally telling his players that they couldn't cooperate with judicial affairs or they would get kicked off the team. So we were going nowhere in getting to the bottom of things," Triponey said. "I said to the coach, 'This would be so much easier if you would tell your players just to tell the truth.' He was livid and the message to me was 'I can't do that. They have to play for me and I can't ask them to rat on each other.' The president also chimed in and said, 'Vicky, the coach is right. We can't expect the players to tell the truth.' So that's the environment that was underlying this whole debate about who's in charge."
<snip>
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/bigten/story/2011-11-22/11-22-11-Paterno-Discipline/51346682/1?csp=34sports

I knew he controlled a lot of things, but he was OUT OF CONTROL.
Nobody should have the power to tell football players that without consequences.

They need to shut down the program and really scour it. He still will wield a lot of power because he is in the area. Those who played for him will listen to him. That covers a lot of people in the FB program if not the university.

There are people at other schools who have too much influence. T. Boone Pickens at Oklahoma State is one. Bobby Lowder at Auburn is another.

This is insane.

[Tansy_Gold]

1. So much for the "innocence" of the often-defended

football players.



TG

[Tatiana]

2. It looked like JoPa controlled everything.

What was the need for Chancellors and Provosts and Presidents and Vice-Presidents when you had JoePa?

I'm sure a lot of corruption is going to be uncovered by the time everyone gets to the bottom of things.

And I think it will be journalists that uncover Penn State's secrets, not Louis Freeh (what a joke).

[Patiod]

6. He also backed up the miserable Rene Portland's bad behavior

The Lady Lions basketball coach told her girls she'd kick them off the team if they were lesbian or associated with lesbians, and then took away scholarships from several girls she suspected of being gay. When people began fighting back against her, the university had a gay softball coach run diversity training, and required all coaches to attend. Good little Catholic Rene went running to Papa Joe for support, and he backed her up - the two of them showed up together 10 minutes before the training session ended.

Oddly, Hulu randomly lined this up for me one evening in early November when I was watching documentaries, and I remember thinking "wow, Joe is really a dick" (and I'm a Penn State alum who loved her 4 years in Happy Valley, and this thought had never entered my head). A few days later, everything exploded.

Watch the documentary "Training Rules" for free on Hulu.

How is Friend of Opus Day Louis Freeh is going to deal, mentally, with the task of finishing the demolition of a Prominent Super-Catholic like Paterno? Should be interesting.

[joeybee12]

11. Well, Freeh is incompetent but good at never getting to the bottom of things...

Should be interesting.

[Tatiana]

12. WOW... thanks for the info. I am going to check the video out. n/t

[Patiod]

18. It's actually really well done

I'm straight and I HATE basketball (too much exposure as a kid), but I still found it very interesting.

[jmg257]

3. But...but...'Paterno is a great man!' Sounds more & more like he was a

good football coach, but 'a great man'? Not so much...

[get the red out]

8. Oh, but he did it the "right way"

:sarcasm:

[Historic NY]

4. Obstruction of justice......

[exboyfil]

5. He is not the only college coach who overlooked serious

transgressions by his players. Everyone still idolizes Norm Osborne, but after he let Lawrence Phillips play even though he dragged his girlfriend violently by the hair down three flights of stairs, beat her, and threatened to shoot her.

He said at the time he did not want to hurt Phillips' opportunity for going to the pros. Phillips of course continued his abusive ways and got into significant trouble with the law later.

Osborne a "saint" - hardly.

[Are_grits_groceries]

7. I know Tom Osborne did that and it was shameful.

However, the scope of Paterno's Influence is astounding.

If somebody else is shown to have or have had this kind of power, they need to be smacked too.
I wonder how much power Bear Bryant and Adolph Rupp had. It was a lot, but was it this far?

In addition, I don't care what somebody else did or does in regards to Paterno, that is flat out no excuse! As I said, I would want ANY program or coach shut down.

[exboyfil]

9. I am not justifying Paterno

Actually I would like to get big time college sports out of the colleges. They package up $3 to $5 M a year for the sports program at our local university. I would like to see the tuition reduced with those dollars for all students.

[deaniac21]

20. My guess was that the power of The Bear and Rupp was absolute.

[progressoid]

17. Then he got elected to the House of Representatives!

And now is back as NE's Athletic Director. He's a HERO!


:sarcasm:

[Logical]

32. I had a small town Nebraska cop tell me Osborne would get him fired if he arrested a NU player!

[treestar]

10. It is amazing how much winning these football games

seems to mean to some people. It trumps all of their other values.

[Divernan]

31. Rabid fans/alumni feel no self worth other than identifying with a bunch of jocks.

What always amazes me is how quickly they turn on their own teams, coaches and players if the teams lose - like rabid dogs.

A lot of people should really get a life.

[Skittles]

36. YES

it is EXTREMELY disturbing

[RobinA]

13. It Amazes Me

that a lot of people seem surprised that Joe Paterno acted like a big time football coach. I mean, that's what he was, correct? And it was probably not unknown to his higher ups that he acted like...a big time football coach. You don't get to be a big time football coach without acting like a big time football coach.

Of course, people ALWAYS seem surprised me when people who are very successful in a competitive field turn out not to be Mother Theresa. Hell, I doubt even Mother Theresa was Mother Theresa. You don't get known in your field without throwing a few punches and burying a few bodies, no matter how much people would like to believe otherwise.

[druidity33]

25. So, you're saying...

it's impossible to be a "big time football coach" without having broken the law and condoned unconscionable acts?

:shrug:

And, btw, i don't think anyone was expecting him to be Mother Teresa..'

:eyes:

[Raster]

35. ....i don't think anyone was expecting him to be Mother Teresa..'

Did she enable child rapists and pedaphiles also?

[druidity33]

42. not that I'm aware of. nt.

[spanone]

27. a big time football coach who allowed child rape....mother theresa? wow

[waddirum]

33. Mother Theresa ain't no Mother Theresa

nt

[Blecht]

40. It amazes me

when people equate the actions of monsters like Paterno with "success".

[KamaAina]

14. Can you say "obstruction of justice"?

Mr. KamaAina can!

[Archae]

15. Paterno reminds me of the coach in "Revenge of the Nerds."

Let his "boys" get away with nearly anything and even encouraged them to be destructive.

[deaniac21]

23. Don't go bad mouthing John Goodman!

[closeupready]

16. What a role model.

:eyes:

[Octafish]

19. 'Vicky, the coach is right. We can't expect the players to tell the truth.'

Says it all. Says a lot about our society, as well.

[neverforget]

21. I think that bronz statue of JoPa needs to be melted down.

[Blue_In_AK]

26. My first thought, too.

What a disgrace...

[Ilsa]

34. Agreed. He's brought so much shame upon the

program that I can't imagine why anyone would want to continue honoring him.

[PM Martin]

22. What a wonderful "role model" Joe Paterno is!

Ass! :argh:

[RainDog]

24. I wouldn't be surprised if Joe was the one who allowed Sandusky to abuse children

for decades - with his knowledge. and Curley, as in this email exchange, accepted that Paterno could do just that.

here's an email exchange from that time that's telling. (from the article, above)

Triponey said she was pressured by Spanier and athletics director Tim Curley to lessen the sanctions on football players. After meeting with Paterno and other officials in August 2005 to discuss Paterno's concerns, Triponey summarized Paterno's attitude toward student discipline in an e-mail to Curley and others.

Triponey kept records of all such correspondence. She wrote that Paterno wanted discipline to be left to the coach; that he believed the school's code of conduct should not apply to any events that take place off campus and that those incidents should be handled by the police and not affect a student's status; that the program should be closer to the bottom of the Big Ten in addressing discipline matters; and that the school should not inform the public when football players are found responsible for committing serious acts of violence.

Curley's response to her, via e-mail: "I think your summary is accurate." Curley, through a spokesperson, declined an interview request.

Triponey said she also received enormous pressure in a 2005 case involving standout linebacker Dan Connor, who was accused of making harassing calls to retired assistant coach Joe Sarra. One night after a football game, Triponey said Spanier and Curley came to her house because Paterno told Spanier that he had to make a choice between his vice president of student affairs and his football coach. According to Triponey, Spanier said that if he ever had to make that decision, he would side with his vice president.

except, that's not what happened. Triponey was forced to resign.

[RagAss]

28. He went out in disgrace...like a big loser.

[JoeyT]

29. Surely not.

Why, on this very board we had people claiming he wasn't important and was really the victim in this whole ordeal.

Perhaps a few more people can make posts about how awesome playing football was in high school to set us straight.

[ellisonz]

30. NCAA needs to levy sanctions.

[RainDog]

38. The Penn State football program should be shut down

because it is a seriously deranged sort of organization that allows a pedophile to continue to target children in order to shield their reputations.

[ellisonz]

39. I'd settle for a year of death penalty...

...and an additional 4 year bowl-ban.

[rhett o rick]

37. In the USofA football is the second most powerful religion. nm

[RZM]

41. The child molestation coverup aspect of the Penn State story is certainly unusual

But this shit is classic dog bites man.

It's common knowledge that coaches and boosters turn a blind eye to players running wild off the field and sometimes even try to shield them from consequences when they break the law. The fact that nobody gave a shit about this four year old story until now is evidence of that.

After the initial flap over the Jena Six died down, subsequent reporting on it showed that many people in Jena had made excuses for Mychel Bell's violent behavior because he was such a talented athlete.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/01/the-truth-about-jena/6580/#