The eagerly-awaited results of the eight-month investigation, which was commissioned by the Penn State University trustees and headed up by former FBI director Louis Freeh, were released Thursday. There had been some selective leaks to the media, including reports that in February 2001, top school officials changed plans to report Sandusky after an incident with a boy in a shower because Paterno talked them out of it.

On June 22, Sandusky, the Nittany Lions’ former defensive coordinator, was convicted of 45 counts involved with sexually assaulting 10 boys.

Will Penn State tell all ...al report?

“Joe Paterno did not cover up for Jerry Sandusky,’’ a Paterno family spokesman said in a statement released Tuesday night. “Joe Paterno did not know that Jerry Sandusky was a pedophile. Joe Paterno did not act in any way to prevent a proper investigation of Jerry Sandusky. To claim otherwise is a distortion of the truth.’’

- Like alot of people , I am not totally wrapped up into this but I have a unique perspective on this - having lived in PA and ... been around crazy PA STATE fans .. lol .

To put this in perspective - I have never been a huge PA STATE FAN and i remember - when I was in college back in 1985-88 - people saying that Joe was losing it ... didn't know his players names ... only knew the top stars names and usually just called out numbers... I remember being critical of him whenever he was on radio talk shows cus he would say the same things over and over "the team we are playing is a good team, we got to be prepared " even when he was facing Temple ... lol

When i was at PA STATE one time , I believe it was 1987 , I remember meeting a football player (he was not a starter - kinda like a backup tight end i think ) and he was making fun of Joe - as far as NOT knowing players etc . At that time , it was largely speculated that Joe was just a figurehead ... and assistant coaches were running the show ...

But I do respect him for putting academics over athletics ... he would bench people who had bad grades or did something wrong ...

He did come out and say he wishes he would have done more - before he passed away .

My thoughts don't really matter - but I personally think the guy had so many things on his mind - including getting PA STATE back to a ROSE BOWL etc .... he lived football ... so if someone said to him that a former coach was doing something in the showers ... I certainly can see that he didnt do as much as everyone thinks he should have done ! Monday morning quarterbacks aside - the guy was a football coach - and he was old ...and probably had no interest whether Jerry was having anal sex or anything regarding details ...

I think it is a shame to take an email - from someone who is covering their butt - and saying "joe said to do this" .... I think that is just dangerous and wrong - especially when the guy is dead .

Joe made a phone all - after he heard about it . He thought it was "taken care of" . He said he was sorry that he didn't do more .

Does he have fault . Sure . Do people that might have seen Jeffrey Dahmer's apartment years before Jeffrey Dahmer was caught have some faulth ?

I remember seeing Jerry Sandusky on a local show , when he was in my town doing charity work . I remember thinking "damn that guy looks creepy" .

I cannot believe - that someone didnt jump up and down when they saw him in a shower ... with a boy . That is creepy .

And then to know he was in charge of a charity for kids ? Creepy .

Ok . Enough. Have at me . I am sure there are people that will damn Joe , but I wish they would not .

After listening to Louis Freeh's press conference, I don't want to hear shit from any of the Joe Pa apologists. Fuck them. This went on for 14 years - like the report said, these bastards were more concerned about protecting the Penn State brand than protecting children. A failure of leadership - shameful.

PSU needs to end its football program for a good decade.

uPtoWnNY said:

After listening to Louis Freeh's press conference, I don't want to hear shit from any of the Joe Pa apologists. Fuck them. This went on for 14 years - like the report said, these bastards were more concerned about protecting the Penn State brand than protecting children. A failure of leadership - shameful.

I think this goes well beyond PSU this involves the whole college football league. How the hell when Sandusky retired that no other college offered him a job when he was in the prime of his career. Everyone knew what was going down at PSU.

I'm listening to Michael Kay & Stephen A. Smith. They think Penn State should get the death penalty.

The dude I can't understand in all this is McCreary. How the fuck do you walk in on a child being attacked in the shower and not tear Sandusky apart? He walks out, goes home and asks his dad what to do. I don't get it.

Why should Penn State get the death penalty? This isn't a football-related cheating matter. It was criminal behavior on the part of a coach, and perhaps other non-football-playing adults.

As an alum of the one college that DID get the death penalty, I feel especially empowered to remark upon the death penalty's application thereof.

At this moment all I can really do is My heart aches for the victims in all of this. I foresee criminal charges coming up on those that conspired to conceal what was happening, and rightfully so.

Selfish and irresponsible assholes, all of them.

Paterno comes from a time in which child abuse was not talked about. In fact, it was best swept under the rug. He also comes from a time in which in many instances the abuse was blamed on the child, the perp would say "s/he came on to me" and everyone would accept that. It wasn't until the mid to late 80s, early 90s, that the idea of it not being the child's fault and it being the fault of the adult began to take hold. However, older people still have that "don't ask, don't tell" mentality. Back in the 90s, I became suicidal from the abuse I had went through, my grandmother's first statement to me was, "You don't have to tell them anything" when she found out I was in a stress unit. I knew she was telling me to not say anything about the abuse I had went through. While it doesn't excuse Paterno in any way, I understand his unwillingness to get more involved in the beginning than what he did based on the time period in which he grew up.

However, if I had been Joe Pa, when Sandusky wasn't immediately arrested, or charged, I would have questioned whether it had been reported, but Joe Pa didn't because of the "don't ask, don't tell" mentality. He wanted to assume it had been taken care of and his responsibility had come to an end. I don't know why anyone didn't question why Sandusky was still walking around if McCleary reported what he said he reported. The fact that no one questioned it, everyone assumed it had been taken care of (and had to have been taken care of in house, otherwise the police would have been there questioning and arresting Sandusky), makes me feel it is a football-related issue. Everyone swept it under the rug hoping someone else would take care of it, and no one did.

As a mandated reporter, which the coaching staff, the heads of the university, are all mandatory reporters, they are legally obligated to report suspicion of abuse to the real authorities, or to the Division of Social Services that handles child abuse. I have always been told that as a mandatory reporter, if I don't report abuse, I could lose my license to practice in my field. And I think everyone involved in this case should lose their right to practice in their field.

He should've went to the police the moment he heard of the first incident. Simple as that.

If you don't do everything in your power to stop abuse when you see it, or at the very least investigate any allegations...then you're just as guilty.

Shame on the entire staff of Penn State for hiding this monster from justice. Shame on them ALL.

I knew I was gonna get a shitload of criticism on this one ... but i liken this to a celebrity who walks by a homeless person and doesnt give him a few dollars ...

hate to say it ...

but Paterno did what he had to ... I just wonder how much of this kinda stuff happens ... not child abuse but all the crap that a coach is supposed to "worry about " .. look at the tattos the ohio state guys got and got dismissed ... the coach too ??? for a bunch of college kids that got tattos comp'ed???

football player smokes maryjane at a party . oh coach didnt do the right thing (with discipline) etc ...

all i am saying .... with all the horseplay in showers ... and this crap - I think an 81 yr old or however old he was .... sheesh ... the guy reported it ..... should he have done more ? goes without sayin (AND HE SAID IT TOO ) but ... to tarnish all his accomplishments and make him out to be a child molester ... is just wrong in my book .

I do have some questions as to the 98 and 99 allegations ... and why Paterno did not say something back then ... but I also say that hey when you work with someone ... day in ... day out .... and people sometimes LOVE THEIR COACH ... and i am sure some of the players hated their coach so I am sure rumours get started all the time ...

ColAngus said:

I knew I was gonna get a shitload of criticism on this one ... but i liken this to a celebrity who walks by a homeless person and doesnt give him a few dollars ...

hate to say it ...

but Paterno did what he had to ... I just wonder how much of this kinda stuff happens ... not child abuse but all the crap that a coach is supposed to "worry about " .. look at the tattos the ohio state guys got and got dismissed ... the coach too ??? for a bunch of college kids that got tattos comp'ed???

football player smokes maryjane at a party . oh coach didnt do the right thing (with discipline) etc ...

all i am saying .... with all the horseplay in showers ... and this crap - I think an 81 yr old or however old he was .... sheesh ... the guy reported it ..... should he have done more ? goes without sayin (AND HE SAID IT TOO ) but ... to tarnish all his accomplishments and make him out to be a child molester ... is just wrong in my book .

I do have some questions as to the 98 and 99 allegations ... and why Paterno did not say something back then ... but I also say that hey when you work with someone ... day in ... day out .... and people sometimes LOVE THEIR COACH ... and i am sure some of the players hated their coach so I am sure rumours get started all the time ...

I didn't see anyone criticizing you at all. I have seen people disagreeing that Paterno did all that he could. I do not think he did all that he could. He should have reported it to the proper authorities. When they had decided to tell the appropriate authorities, an email was sent out stating someone had changed their mind, in agreement with Joe, about not reporting it to the authorities. Therefore, they knew they should report it, and chose to not do so, and was afraid of the fallout if it was found out they did not report it. That says to me, they knew they were not following the proper protocol, and they knew Sandusky was abusing the kids. They chose instead to cover the football programs ass, rather than protecting the children from a pedophile.

Excellent post, pritty - you nailed it. There are NO grey areas here, especially at Penn State. For years, Joe Pa described PSU as a moral beacon, a place where "we do things the right way". We now know that was a farce. They wanted to preserve that image over child safety. The fact that Sandusky was allowed to bring kids on campus shows you what was up. I'll bet the Gang of Four would have done something if Sandusky was in the shower with a child they were related to.

Paterno did many wonderful things. But for me, his legacy is tainted because of one bad decision that ruined those boys' lives. He failed to live up to his image. Had he done the right thing in 1998, he would have been a bigger hero.

To Jay Paterno and all the excuse-makers who played for his father(like Matt Millen), I don't want to hear their bullshit.

uPtoWnNY said:

I'm listening to Michael Kay & Stephen A. Smith. They think Penn State should get the death penalty.

The dude I can't understand in all this is McCreary. How the fuck do you walk in on a child being attacked in the shower and not tear Sandusky apart? He walks out, goes home and asks his dad what to do. I don't get it.

And I agree with Kay & Smith....give Penn State the death penalty. While we're at it.....the Catholic church gotta go too. Sick of all the cover up and willful denial. What kind of species are we and what kind of nation are we when we can't protect our kids and when we let filth like Sandusky get away with violating kids year after year after year? Over what? Some damn football? GTFOHWTBS!

prittypriss said:

ColAngus said:

I knew I was gonna get a shitload of criticism on this one ... but i liken this to a celebrity who walks by a homeless person and doesnt give him a few dollars ...

hate to say it ...

but Paterno did what he had to ... I just wonder how much of this kinda stuff happens ... not child abuse but all the crap that a coach is supposed to "worry about " .. look at the tattos the ohio state guys got and got dismissed ... the coach too ??? for a bunch of college kids that got tattos comp'ed???

football player smokes maryjane at a party . oh coach didnt do the right thing (with discipline) etc ...

all i am saying .... with all the horseplay in showers ... and this crap - I think an 81 yr old or however old he was .... sheesh ... the guy reported it ..... should he have done more ? goes without sayin (AND HE SAID IT TOO ) but ... to tarnish all his accomplishments and make him out to be a child molester ... is just wrong in my book .

I do have some questions as to the 98 and 99 allegations ... and why Paterno did not say something back then ... but I also say that hey when you work with someone ... day in ... day out .... and people sometimes LOVE THEIR COACH ... and i am sure some of the players hated their coach so I am sure rumours get started all the time ...

I didn't see anyone criticizing you at all. I have seen people disagreeing that Paterno did all that he could. I do not think he did all that he could. He should have reported it to the proper authorities. When they had decided to tell the appropriate authorities, an email was sent out stating someone had changed their mind, in agreement with Joe, about not reporting it to the authorities. Therefore, they knew they should report it, and chose to not do so, and was afraid of the fallout if it was found out they did not report it. That says to me, they knew they were not following the proper protocol, and they knew Sandusky was abusing the kids. They chose instead to cover the football programs ass, rather than protecting the children from a pedophile.

Absolute truth!!!!! And that's why I'm glad Sandusky will never leave prison, don't give a fuck about Jo Pa being dead and hope Penn State's football program goes down the toilet.

i appreciate your thoughts ... all of them .

like i said i am not a huge JoePa fan .

The email thing really bugs me ... I mean - just because someone types an email and says ColANgus said JoePa is god , doesnt mean that COlANgus really said it ...

I really think Joe thought Sandusky was creepy back in 98/99 (therefore did let him retire etc) but I also think Joe had more on his mind than worry about what Jerry was doing in the showers etc ...

Its like saying the President knew all about some guns the government were giving away in Mexico ...

ColAngus said:

i appreciate your thoughts ... all of them .

like i said i am not a huge JoePa fan .

The email thing really bugs me ... I mean - just because someone types an email and says ColANgus said JoePa is god , doesnt mean that COlANgus really said it ...

I really think Joe thought Sandusky was creepy back in 98/99 (therefore did let him retire etc) but I also think Joe had more on his mind than worry about what Jerry was doing in the showers etc ...

Its like saying the President knew all about some guns the government were giving away in Mexico ...

Some of the most damning evidence against Paterno consists of handwritten notes and emails that portray him as having been involved in that decision.

According to the report, Spanier, Schultz and Curley drew up an "action plan" that called for reporting Sandusky to the state Department of Public Welfare. But Curley later said in an email that he changed his mind about the plan "after giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe." Instead, Curley proposed to offer Sandusky "professional help."

In an email, Spanier agreed with that course of action but noted "the only downside for us is if the message isn't (heard) and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it."

Freeh suggested it was Paterno's intervention that kept administrators from going to authorities. "Based on the evidence, the only known intervening factor ... was Mr. Paterno's Feb. 26 conversation with Mr. Curley," Freeh said.

Handwritten notes and emails. I'm sure this exFBI agent reviewed everything in order to get to the truth, as close as he could. I'm sure the email in question, had probably CC'd Joe Pa, so that he would be aware of the situation as it was ongoing, the idea to not report it. I know at work, when there is a decision made and I send out an email, I send it out to everyone involved, including whoever I might have spoken with previously. And the fact is, the exFBI agent also has the date of the conversation that took place between Paterno and Curley. That means that conversation was referenced with the date of the conversation. Paterno wanted to protect his football program. He knew an allegation of this nature, the fact that it was happening at Penn state, in the locker rooms, would be bad PR for the club. Paterno was about protecting his football players, bringing out the best in them, encouraging them to strive for all they could, not just on the field, but off. This would undermine everything he had worked for with the football program. And he wasn't going to let anything undermine what he had spent his life building, no matter the cost.

but I also think Joe had more on his mind than worry about what Jerry was doing in the showers etc ...

But he should have been worried about what Sandusky was doing in the showers. He was building a football empire and EVERYTHING that happens within that football program has the potential to knock it down like a set of dominos, especially what Sandusky was doing in the showers with those children. Most especially that. Building such a huge program, a program that had gained a lot of respect required a lot of work, yes, but protecting that program required even more. And the actions of Sandusky was the equivalent of playing Russian Roulette with that football program. Joe Pa should have been VERY worried about what Sandusky was doing in the showers. Paterno knew what this could do to his program. He knew what this meant for his legacy if it were ever discovered. And do you honestly think that he would worry about other things more than that? I'm sure this played heavily on his mind, at least until they felt they had effectively covered it up. Once it was covered up, it was out of sight, out of mind. I don't think he thought anyone would ever talk against his program, would ever bring out these allegations against Sandusky, and therefore his football legacy was safe. He died within a couple of months of Sandusky being arrested. Prior to that, there was no indication that he was sick (at least that I am aware of), and he went down pretty quick. I'm sure it was the guilt and his conscience that brought him down that fast. He knew he had screwed up. He knew what he had done. And he knew the truth would come out. All of it. I'm beginning to wonder if he really did die of cancer, or if that is the story the family is telling because they can't bare to reveal anything else that might indicate guilt on the part of Joe Pa. Though this last part is most definitely speculation.

I read Sandusky started his Second Mile charity for underpriviliged kids in 1977. Shit, how many boys did he molest before the 1998 incident? That needs to be investigated. Dude even molested his adopted son.

i was on the soccer team , and the swim team . We took showers all the time (and with gym) etc.

My point is - all the horse play that went on in the showers - do you think that a head coach of a football system like Ohio State , Penn State, Michigan , etc ... KNOWS WHAT SHIT GOES ON .... ???

I am sorry ... all the trivial things these guys get told daily .... I really don't think that Joe wanted to hear it ... he was worried about the next game .. the Wing T he was facing next week ... and such .... thats just my .02 cents ....

I have a "friend" from high school ... he and I were better friends when we were in middle school but- when he was like 35 or so he got caught for CHILD PORNOGRAPHY .... front page of the papers around here .... he apparently was sending files to someone in CALIFORNIA so he got whisked away to CA and wasnt even tried around here ...

My point was ... my first reaction was .... "NO" ... no way ... not him ....

He was this shy ... guy in school ... nice guy .. always had this blond girlfriend since like age 17 or so ... no kids .... she still stayed with him i think ...

So i can relate somewhat to someone saying they saw something strange ... and someone who he worked with ... so closely ... etc ... saying "no way " .. and then moving on .... somewhat ...

I know it doesnt change that he didnt do enough ... but ... I am just sayin ...

According to today's NY Times, when Paterno found out prosecutors were moving against Sandusky(January 2011), he went to Penn State officials and wanted amendments to his contract. Basically, he'd retire in 2011 and get a $5.5 million parachute package. He knew what was coming and wanted out before the shit hit the fan.

again - horrible thing that happend.

Paterno came out and said , he should have done more .

I just do NOT think that you can crucify a man , who ... did call his higher up after being told by McQuery - - - again ... the guy was old but also I do not think he cared about Sandusky at all at that point ... (they had some falling out , which is evident .... ) .

I do realize that he could have done more ... but I also would say that almost EVERYONE can do more for some moral issues of our times .... I could spend more time fighting global warming ... I could help feed more homeless tomorrow ...

Enabling a child predator for 14 years - Paterno and his gang deserve to be crucified. Age is no excuse. Paterno's actions once he found out the heat was coming on Sandusky shows you he knew the deal.

uPtoWnNY said:

Enabling a child predator for 14 years - Paterno and his gang deserve to be crucified. Age is no excuse. Paterno's actions once he found out the heat was coming on Sandusky shows you he knew the deal.

Pretty much.

Reading through the report it seems pretty well documented (emails, etc.) that he knew what was going on and actively sought to cover it up.

As for having "better things to worry about," I can't imagine brushing aside any kind of allegation that serious. Period. Child molestation and rape? No way. At that point you want to do everything by the book and as above ground as ever. If you're a person of honor, integrity and even a shred of a hint of morals anyway.

I don't think the school should get the death penalty but maybe the school should

shut down the program for a year and clean house with all the assistant coaches

associated with Paterno and start new which they should have done this year.

ColAngus - your statements seem to be saying that Paterno just did not care about the children and what they were going through. Your implication is that Paterno cared more for the football program than he did for the children that were being raped. Think about it. You are saying that Paterno had other things to worry about, besides some children being abused. You actually compare what Paterno has to worry about to some football team and tattoos and getting kicked off the team. No one is making Paterno out to be a child molester, however, what everyone is saying is that he covered up what Sandusky was up to, in order to protect his football program. The football program was more important than some kids that were being abused. So in essence, everyone is saying the same thing. Paterno's main concern was the football program, not the children that were being abused. It's just that everyone else is disgusted that Paterno put the football program first, over these children, and you seem to think him putting the football program first, was ok. That is where the difference comes into play with what we are all saying.

Now 3 more victims have come forward. These men state their abuse occured in the 70s, which was not long after Sandusky began working with Penn state. The implication of this is that there were even more victims, and hopefully they will continue to come forward. There is 20 years between these 3 and the ones Sandusky was found guilty for. If we think 10 boys per year, we are looking at over 200 victims. Statistically a pedophile abuses 150 children before they are caught with one child. This story will only continue to grow more detailed and extensive.

And yes, Paterno covered Sandusky's ass, but only because in doing so, he was protecting the "name" and "integrity" of the Penn State Football Program. In doing so, he is complicit in the abuse of the boys that were victimized after 2001.

Penn State has decided to take down Joe Paterno's statue.

I have not read the report . I am not a big JoePa fan , never was . But I kinda think this is a "rush to judgement" on a dead man - who cant speak .

He did say he wished he could do things different . Before he died .

This article kinda sums up what I have heard /read / feel :

http://www.johnziegler.com/editorials_details.asp?editorial=219

The basics :

Editorial by John Ziegler Contrary to What You Have Heard, the Freeh Report has Big Problems 7/12/2012 As someone who has been critical of what I have perceived as the media’s rush to judgment against Joe Paterno in the Jerry Sandusky scandal, I was very eager to hear the results of the report by former FBI director Louis Freeh. My primary concern through all of this is that the case against Paterno for knowingly protecting a pedophile had not yet been truly proven. If it was, then I would be the first to admit that Paterno’s legacy would be rightly shattered and that his statue at Penn State should be uprooted. Now that the report has come out and I (unlike the media at Freeh’s press conference) have actually had time to read it, I will acknowledge that the report raises some very serious questions about Paterno’s role. I now think that it is “probable” that Paterno deserves some level of condemnation for how he handled the Sandusky situation. However, despite what you have heard in the news media, there are also some very significant problems with the report itself and, at least at this point, there is still a whole lot more speculative smoke than actual evidentiary fire in its findings. The most glaring omission in the report is that Freeh did speak to any of the primary witnesses in the case. Not Paterno. Not Tim Curley. Not Mike McQueary (whom he referred to as “McQuade” in the press conference). Not Jerry Sandusky. How can any investigation possibly be considered remotely complete or come to any legitimate conclusions without even speaking to any of the most important witnesses? How can we possibly fully evaluate Paterno’s actions if we don’t know exactly what Mike McQueary (who, it must be pointed out, misremembered the year he witnessed the episode in the shower, an incident for which there is still no actual victim) told him? How can we possibly understand fairly vague emails without even hearing from the guy who wrote them? Secondly, Freeh seems to promise far more in his press release/conclusions than he actually delivers in real evidence. Most of the media of course, at best, only read the summary and not the actual report. Thanks to that, it appears that most people have no idea that the real evidence backing up Freeh’s conclusions is, given the strong language he uses, remarkably thin. The key pieces of new evidence (and frankly, maybe the only significant ones) against Paterno are two emails cited on pages 48 and 49 of the report which Freeh concludes are “clear" proof that Paterno was fully in the loop on the 1998 investigation of Sandusky which resulted in no criminal charges. There is no doubt that if Paterno really knew about the 1998 investigation then any strong defense of him falls apart like a house of cards. This is because if he knew about 1998 then he had no reason to give Sandusky any benefit of the doubt in 2001 and he actually had a significant incentive to cover up the McQueary episode because there would have been a history of inaction. His credibility would also be shot because he essentially testified to the Grand Jury that he had no knowledge of the investigation. However, Freeh is grotesquely overstating his evidence. A close examination of these two emails raises significant questions as to what they actually mean. The first email is from athletic director Curley to the university president with the subject line “Joe Paterno.” As far as we know, the key content of the email was “I have touched base with the coach. Keep us posted. Thanks.” Based on this, Freeh concludes that because the email was sent after Curley knew of the investigation into Sandusky that Sandusky had to be the subject of their “touching base.” Even if this wasn’t a bit of an evidentiary leap (which it is), we have no idea what “touching base” really means and, again, Freeh has never even spoken to Curley to find out. The president didn’t even remember this email, which he referred to as a “vague reference with no individual named.” The second email is just as problematic. In it Curley writes to the head of campus police, “anything new in this department? Coach is anxious to know where it stands.” Freeh writes, without any actual evidence that, “the reference to Coach is believed to be Paterno.” We are to assume that “is believed” really means “believed by Louis Freeh.” Could “coach” be Paterno? Absolutely. But given the tremendous significance of this email, it is a detail that must be nailed down by something more reliable that someone else mind reading Curley fourteen years later. One plausible alternative scenario which has not even been considered by the mainstream media is that Curley, much like he may have done in 2001 in the "after speaking with Joe" email, could have easily had a habit of invoking Paterno's name to bolster the case for what he wanted. Interestingly, in the two most troubling Curley emails which appear to reference Paterno, he is clearly using Paterno's name to add weight to his request. What if he was essentially name dropping? If this simple explanation were to be true, this would dramatically change many of the presumptions on which the report bases its conclusions. Another very plausible scenario (not even discussed in the media), is that when Curley wrote "coach," that he really meant "Sandusky." After all, Sandusky did know about the investigation at the time, was still a coach, and the email is titled "Jerry." But I am sure that Freeh's mindreading powers are flawless. It must also be pointed out (again it never is in the media), that all of the critical emails come from Curley. This is incredibly important because at the time of Paterno's death Curley released a statement praising Paterno's "honor and integrity." How in the world does it make any sense that someone whom we are now led to believe was led into a horrific cover by Paterno would needlessly praise him like that at his death? This is even more inexplicable when you consider that Curley is facing criminal charges where such a statement could significantly curtail his easiest defense, which would be to blame Paterno. One of the many elements of the report which the media is completely missing (because they obviously haven’t bothered to actually read it) is that Freeh essentially exonerates Paterno on a very important point which has bothered many Paterno defenders since the beginning of this story. The report seems to prove (much more conclusively than it does other elements) that Sandusky being told that he would never be the head coach at Penn State had nothing to do with any allegations of sexual abuse. In fact, Paterno told him this before the 1998 investigation even began and his own hand written notes make it clear that the reason was because Sandusky, ironically, refused to give up his position as the head of the Second Mile charity, which was the source of his victims. Unfortunately, it is being routinely reported today that the report indicates the Sandusky’s resignation was proof Paterno knew of the problem in 1998. In actuality, the exact opposite is true. Similarly, much has been made of the previously leaked email from February 27th 2001 in which Curley seems to indicate a change in plans to not report Sandusky to higher authorities after having spoken to Paterno. Not yet mentioned in any media coverage that I have seen is that the report divulges (on page 63) the existence of a February 12th 2001 note in which Curley discusses with the head of campus police coming to the very same conclusion, well before any evidence of influence from Paterno. Why does this not at least bring into question the real role Paterno had in that decision, especially when the "evidence” is based almost entirely on mind reading through vague emails? Perhaps the strangest argument Freeh attempts to make is that Paterno’s response to McQueary (to whom Freeh has never spoken) is proof that Paterno was immediately in some sort of cover up mode because the head coach told McQueary, “It's my job now to figure out what we want to do.” What is amazing about what a huge deal Freeh made about this in the report and at his press conference is that he acts as if there is a recording of that conversation and we have Paterno’s actual words (which are obviously incredibly important is a situation like this). But that is just not the case. All we have is the testimony of McQueary TEN years after the conversation took place and Paterno's description of it to Sally Jenkins just before he died! How in the world can you possibly conclude anything significant based on such a tenuous recollection? One of the most blatant errors in the report with regard to both facts as well as their interpretation comes with regard to the two Penn State janitors about whom Freeh spoke so glowingly at his press conference. Here Freeh exposes himself and his report to very credible charges of malpractice. Freeh claims that two janitors saw something “horrific” in the Penn State locker room in 2000. He says that they didn’t report the episode because they were terrified of speaking of what they saw to Paterno because going up against the football program was like taking on the “President of the United States” and they feared being fired. Freeh then concludes that this fear proved that there was a “chilling effect” within the football program, which was, in it self, is evidence of a culture of corruption. These assertions by Freeh are simply as laughable as they are inaccurate. First of all, whether Freeh realizes it or not, his team has never spoken to the actual witness in the 2000 episode because the lone witness now has dementia. The other janitor who testifi... exception and only told of what the other janitor told him. Secondly, neither janitor would have been reporting to Paterno. Thirdly, Sandusky was a rather harmless former football coach at that time. Fourthly, Freeh seems to completely disregard the obvious reality that these janitors desperately need an explanation for why they didn’t report the episode and that their claiming “fear” of a now dead man (without a shred of evidence) should be looked at with great suspicion. Finally, it seems totally lost on Freeh that these janitors who didn’t report the episode at all are being treated by him as heroes while Paterno, who did at least report allegations which he didn’t even witness, is seen as a pedophile protector. I want to make it clear that it is quite possible that Joe Paterno did indeed know more than he let on and enough to justify him doing more than he did to stop the monster that was Jerry Sandusky. It is even possible that he actively helped cover it up. But the truth is that the evidence that any of this happened is just not nearly as strong as the media or Louis Freeh are portraying it to be. All I want is for the truth to come out. We may never get the full truth, but it is important that people understand that, while there may have been some important progress, we didn’t get nearly as much of it from the Freeh report as everyone seems to want to believe. Return to Editorials >> Search JohnZiegler.com Red State's Erick Erickson Vigorously Defends John Ziegler

The contents of this website are copyright © 2012 • The John Ziegler Show • All Rights Reserved

And yes, Paterno covered Sandusky's ass, but only because in doing so, he was protecting the "name" and "integrity" of the Penn State Football Program. In doing so, he is complicit in the abuse of the boys that were victimized after 2001.

I do not agree with that . Again , I am not a professional atty but I think most of this against Paterno is somewhat trampling on a dead mans legacy .

I do know this . Sandusky was greatly admired by defensive coaches and built Pa State up to become Linebacker U .

Sandusky thought he would take over when JOEPA retired .

Something happened around 1998-99 and Sandusky was "told " that he would never replace JOe ... and he retired or was allowed to retire .

Did Joe know then , that he was a abuser of children ? I am not convinced he did . He may have heard things ... or comments ... and just said "ok this guy is creepy , I do not want him around anymore " ...

I had a high school buddy .... who was caught with child porn ... I knew the kid when i was like in 6th grade . He was caught when i was like college age or older ... I never had any clue - but I really never cared about it ... i read stuff in the paper ... but ... still cant believe that - he did something like that .... my analogy there is that I really do not think Paterno "knew" .... I think he may have heard , like he did in 2001 - and he reported it to the police .... what else was he supposed to do ... run over to Jerrys house and ask him ? or punch him ? I mean - I still think this is all monday morning quarterback crap ...

Its just like this Aurora Co shooter ... i mean .... noone had too many clues this guy was a horrible freak , but are we going to blame some of them now ??? like the guy from the gun sale or gun club or whatever ?

we have statues of Patton for cripes sakes ... guys who said some pretty horrible things about war and killing people ..... I think a statue of Paterno should be allowed to stay ....

[Edited 7/24/12 13:42pm]

For starters, Curley wasn't interviewed, as well as others, due to their attornies advising them to not be involved in this investigation.

For a complete copy of the report:

http://www.thefreehreportonpsu.com/REPORT_FINAL_071212.pdf