Why is everyone blaming Paterno and NOT the GA who knew about it, didn't tell the police, and his father who told him to tell Paterno?
So because he is the head coach he is held to higher moral standards than everyone else? Ridiculous.
They can't be stupid enough to send him out there Saturday with every news source from Harrisburg, PA to Al-Jazeera flooding the sidelines to cover the game and how Joe Paterno is too big to take a fall in this situation. Firing him would be a mercy gesture just so he won't have to face a press conference after the game and take questions as the football coach at Penn State.
If Penn State and Joe Paterno and family are so stupid, they have to own the circus Saturday and he needs to sit at the podium after the game. He is the man in charge and the softball questions for an 84 year old coach should be put aside.
1) No, because he knew, and knew nothing was done, and he didn't follow up;
2) Likely lobbied the AD to let the guy retire with dignity ("Yes, monsignor...");
3) And let the guy have an office next to his office after all this went down;
4) Likely kept McQueary on staff and gave him a job to buy his silence, and worst of all;
5) Did all this so that he could get the all-time wins record.
Everything points to this. Everything. He let his ego get in the way of doing the right thing.
Hubris.
Can him now.
Same reasons as explained by highwayman, as well as the fight or flight response. 99% of people would've turned tail and run like he did, 1% would've kicked the guy's ass and taken the kid to the local PD or hospital. Being that he was a young (grad assistant), likely not a father, and that Coach Pedobear likely played a role as a father figure to him, there was too much playing against him. He did call his dad, and pops told him to tell Joe Pa and go home. He was likely manipulated into keeping his mouth shut, either with some sort of gift or by threat, and there you go.
That being said, I hope the guy has lost a ton of sleep over this for the past 10 years. Morally skewed.
Seriously, there must be something in the water in State College.
Unbelievable...
This is so sad...but I don't see any way that Joe Pa isn't buried by this...the NY Times got it right...even if Joe Pa did what he was legally required to do...he failed to fulfill his moral obligation to children...how can you know about a person that is molesting children and not do EVERYTHING possible to keep it from happening again. How may children were damaged by the lack of action of these people...all for money and football...effing sick. If it were my kid that got molested after Joe Pa did nothing he'd be dead tomorrow...getting fired - Nope, getting shot, YEP!
As a product of a Catholic high school that harbored several famous pedophiles and physical abusers, I can tell you Joe Paterno knew for years what was happening. It is impossible that others did not know as well. He only went to his superiors because someone else saw the horror. 8 boys is just the tip of the iceberg. There will be more men coming out and telling their horror stories about "coach" Sandusky, the only ones that wont tell will be the ones who killed themselves or are too embarrassed to admit it to the world. I feel sorry for the institution and the great fans that have been mislead by a jerk like Joe Patern and his evil former coach.