Comments on: It Can’t Happen Here? Think Again

By: phil_bonanno

phil_bonanno — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 01:36:51 +0000

[0] thanks for the great write up on this. Like the rest of the posters, I am absolutely sickened by the testimony and feel so much for the victims

I will disagree on the “sports doesn’t build character” argument. They can and for many they do. They can teach/develop cooperation, resolve, teamwork, mental and physical strength, leadership and many other important life skills. Regardless, great post, much appreciated

By: rbj

rbj — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:34:16 +0000

[39] I separate the scandal, and inexcusable inactions of a few, from the institution. What matters for PSU now is how they deal with things going forward.

By: Will Weiss

Will Weiss — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:26:44 +0000

[40] I spent some time there this year, too. Enjoyed it very much. I feel terribly for the victims, obviously, but the negativity trickled down to the good people I’ve met who work so hard to make that place great hurts me. They’re left holding the bag.

By: thelarmis

thelarmis — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:30:57 +0000

well, i just finished dinner. drank my root beer out of a penn state glass and am now drinking water out of my penn state cup, as always. tomorrow night, after work, i will proudly raise my penn state pint glass to imbibe my ale.

i’m sure most people will look at the name ‘penn state’ or our logo and think of this unthinkable scandal, but PSU has a completely different – and very positive – meaning for me. even today, is the 17th anniversary of my Senior Recital, which was the most important day of my life, at 20 years old.

this tars and scars, but doesn’t define the school, the teachers, the students and us alumni. it shouldn’t happen anywhere. i hope sandusky suffers to the absolute fullest of karmic realignment. and then some…

By: Will Weiss

Will Weiss — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:21:45 +0000

[37] Don’t know about the YES Network’s programming acquisition stuff. The only parallel I can draw — and I know it’s not even close to the scale of Penn State and the embarrassment you feel — is when the Steve Phillips sex scandal broke out a few years ago, and it was an Ithaca College alum who sought her 15 minutes of fame and contributed to ruining Phillips’ career. There were many alumni, myself included, who told student reps calling us for donations that we weren’t donating due to the shame brought on the school by that young woman.

There is an extreme lack of understanding of just how far-reaching the consequences of these actions spread.

By: thelarmis

thelarmis — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:04:38 +0000

i wonder if the YES network will continue to air a lot of Penn State sports…

this whole thing is really really hard for me. i don’t understand how this can happen; anywhere, let alone my beloved alma mater…

By: cult of basebaal

cult of basebaal — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:57:51 +0000

Well, in Pos’ defense, I don’t think it was just the money, or even significantly about the money. I think he just got far too close to the situation, he did all of this research, spent a couple of years learning everything thing he could about Paterno, hell, he moved to Penn State for this season so he could finish it and he just watched everything he had been working on go up in flames in the span of a week.

It’s pretty clear that he came to believe that Paterno has lived his life as a fundamentally decent man, it’s clear that he *liked* and respected Paterno and I think that being as close as he is to situation, he just can’t process what all of this means to everything he’s come to believe about JoePa and what he stood for.

It’s disappointing, but also somewhat understandable.

That said, I’d be a lot stronger in my sympathy for JoPo, if he hadn’t broken his commitment to not talk about the situation until he had had time to work everything through and review all the evidence.

As noted above, calling Paterno a “scapegoat” shows neither an understanding of situation, or what the word even means.

By: Mr OK Jazz Tokyo

Mr OK Jazz Tokyo — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:42:25 +0000

[34] Supposedly $750,000 advance to write the book. That’s a lot of bullion..money makes people do strange things, no?

By: Bruce Markusen

Bruce Markusen — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:36:27 +0000

Man, what is wrong with Posnanski? To me, this “controversy” is pretty cut and dried. Sandusky is a monster, and Paterno and his assistant coach are enablers. I really don’t see how one could reach a logical conclusion that is vastly different than that.

Any reaction that did not involve a) direct intervention and/or b) reporting these crimes to the police is absolutely horrendous.

By: rbj

rbj — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:05:47 +0000

[28] Thanks for doing it. I wouldn’t be able to keep my opinion out of such a piece. When I worked as a child care worker, nothing sketchy would have gone uninvestigated.

By: Mr OK Jazz Tokyo

Mr OK Jazz Tokyo — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:39:22 +0000

[28] Just catching up on this news. Holy fucking shit..
Really great write-up, thank you. And Buzz Bissenger wasn’t fooling around..I enjoy Joe Posnanksi’s columns too but can’t see how he can take that position now.

This is just an awful awful situation. And as a parent, my emotions hope Sandusky (if found guilty in a court of law) faces a serious round of prison justice..sick bastard.

By: cult of basebaal

cult of basebaal — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:38:49 +0000

[30] Well, McQueary did say that what drew his attention to the shower was something like rhythmic, slapping sounds, which sounds a lot more likely to be intercourse than a bear hug.

I dunno, I suppose all the awful details will come out in the various court cases.

By: The Hawk

The Hawk — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:13:40 +0000

I don’t know if it’s really important or not but I suspect that what McQueary saw was not anal rape. In the grand jury report, it’s the only instance of that happening cited, and the boy in question is not on record one way or the other. More than one victim described this weird bear hug move he would do on them though, at least one I recall happening in the Penn State shower.

I’m not saying it makes it “better”, it’s just a thought I had. Obviously even without that incident the whole thing is so diabolical it defies reason.

By: Matt Blankman

Matt Blankman — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:56:16 +0000

[26] Yeah, I had friends in Grad School there in the mid 90s. Always had a good time when I visited and it is indeed a beautiful area, especially this time of year.

By: Will Weiss

Will Weiss — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:48:31 +0000

[1] [17] thanks. This was a difficult piece to write without injecting my own opinions on the matter into it. Situations like this, people’s opinions aren’t important; the story and people’s ensuing actions are. There are so many things to analyze here, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface on this.

By: Ara Just Fair

Ara Just Fair — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:09:09 +0000

As a teacher it sickens me that someone saw that shower scene and didn’t intervene immediately. This whole ordeal is sickening.
[14] Wow. I had no idea about Mickey Mantle’s childhood abuse. What the fuck is wrong with people?

By: thelarmis

thelarmis — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:03:05 +0000

[23] yeah, i’ll be forever nonplussed that mcqueary didn’t call the cops. and notify any and every possible law enforcement agency until this was immediately put to an end.

i hung my head in shame when i learned that sandusky was still allowed access on campus and given his own office, etc.

[24] i’m thrilled you enjoyed university park/state college. it’s my very favorite place in the world (outside of sitting behind my drumkit!). the campus is breathtakingly beautiful and the downtown area is indeed lovely. the surrounding towns are sublime. central PA is a wonderful place.

By: thelarmis

thelarmis — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:58:43 +0000

i started school there in Fall ’91 and graduated May ’95. moved back beginning of 1996 and left state college, as a resident, in July of that year. i’ve been back a ton of times since and the town just gets better and better and better. i still have many close friends, teachers, mentors and fellow musicians who live in the area. i can imagine how broken it is there and that leaves my heart heavy…

By: Matt Blankman

Matt Blankman — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:56:09 +0000

[22] I didn’t attend PSU, but I have visited there a couple times and been to a couple football games as well. Always had a lovely time and thoroughly enjoyed State College and the people therein. It’s incredibly depressing.

By: Matt Blankman

Matt Blankman — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:54:46 +0000

[20] Right – I can forgive not decking Sandusky right then and there, I mean, it’s easy to say you’d do it, but… That said, how do you NOT call the cops? If the reason was that he was worried about how PSU would react to him calling the cops, that’s all the more shameful.