It's official, Joe Paterno has been fired

**BlitzburghRockCity** · 11-09-2011, 10:37 PM

Just watched the press conference on ESPNEWS and they announced his termination effective immediately. They didn't even have the decency to fire him in person, they called him on the phone!

**Dee Mca** · 11-09-2011, 10:46 PM

It is sad what happened to those little boys. However, it looks like the board decided to make Joe Pa their scapegoat in this mess. Hell Joe Pa already announced that this would be his final season, because of this tragedy. So why do they decide to fire him? So they can look good in the eyes of the press. This is sad. They should have let the man coach his last 3 games and the bowl game. Not throw him under the bus to look good in the eyes of the press. I'm sorry IMO this was the wrong decision to be made.

**Black@Gold Forever32** · 11-09-2011, 10:47 PM

I don't think he deserves any decency.....Joe Pa should have did more and I really have no respect for him at all......

**floodcitygirl** · 11-09-2011, 10:59 PM

The whole ugly thing is sad beyond words. I was so hoping that some kind of reasonable explanation would come to explain Paterno's inaction. But it hasn't been presented as of yet and doesn't seem to be coming. I wish, at this point, that he would have stepped down immediately on his own.

**Dee Mca** · 11-09-2011, 10:57 PM

We won't ever know what the full story is in this mess. However what we do know is Joe did tell the University what was going on. Joe Pa is big but he still works for the University. What if he couldn't do anything else? What if the board flat out told him "Keep your mouth shut. We are handling this."? I am in no way condoning what happened. Just not ready to say Joe was as guilty in this mess as the rest were. He reported what he was "told" what was going on. I haven't seen anything yet that states Joe Pa saw for his own eyes what was going on. I have not seen Mike McQuearys' name mentioned yet for not reporting these crimes to the police. He saw the crimes himself and failed to report them to the Police!

**Thisoneguy555** · 11-10-2011, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by Dee Mca

We won't ever know what the full story is in this mess. However what we do know is Joe did tell the University what was going on. Joe Pa is big but he still works for the University. What if he couldn't do anything else? What if the board flat out told him "Keep your mouth shut. We are handling this."? I am in no way condoning what happened. Just not ready to say Joe was as guilty in this mess as the rest were. He reported what he was "told" what was going on. I haven't seen anything yet that states Joe Pa saw for his own eyes what was going on. I have not seen Mike McQuearys' name mentioned yet for not reporting these crimes to the police. He saw the crimes himself and failed to report them to the Police!

Joe is the scapegoat because of his popularity, as soon as this aired, the media attacked him, you're lucky to find something about the trustees or Mike McQueary, and if you do, the story is instantly directed back to Joe... People will always blame Joe because he was the head coach and they just take in what the media says.

Joe could have been blackmailed, or maybe like most people in Americe, he just didn't want to report it, maybe because he was protecting the college or himself, who knows. Selfish reasons or not, Joe isn't the main problem, the trustees knew, other people in the college knew, Joe will take the fall and everyone will forget anyone else who was at fault. I'm not defending Joe, but it's really sad how he'll take the fall.

**Root4Stlrs** · 11-10-2011, 01:36 AM

All of these people, as educators, had an obligation to report to Child Protective Services. They are trying to get out of it by saying that the molested children were not students of Penn State so that means they weren't legally obligated. Maybe not. But, if the grand jury report is even 10% accurate, all those involved should be out. It doesn't matter if people were told to keep their mouths shut. That's no excuse. Anyway, Penn State should get their checkbook out now because they are going to be paying out millions of dollars in settlement money.

**jpele** · 11-10-2011, 08:02 AM

For anyone condemning Joe Paterno please come forward and share your information with the rest of the world and explain exactly what Joe knew.

An assistant told Joe of the abuse ( he didn't witness the act ) He took the info. he was given to the admin. Now if they told him to mind his own business and walked away then Joe got what he deserved but if he was told we're going to investigate and report the incident , what else do you expect him to do ?

As I've stated, if Joe knew the situation was being covered up he's as guilty as the rest of them , to assume he knew something and condemn him for it is a serious mistake.

One question still lingers, the big red headed guy on the sidelines that calls in the plays, he's the one that witnessed the abuse yet his name hasn't been mentioned in any of this, why is that ? will be interesting to see if he's on the sidelines this weekend

**SteelDad** · 11-10-2011, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by jpele

For anyone condemning Joe Paterno please come forward and share your information with the rest of the world and explain exactly what Joe knew.

An assistant told Joe of the abuse ( he didn't witness the act ) He took the info. he was given to the admin. Now if they told him to mind his own business and walked away then Joe got what he deserved but if he was told we're going to investigate and report the incident , what else do you expect him to do ?

As I've stated, if Joe knew the situation was being covered up he's as guilty as the rest of them , to assume he knew something and condemn him for it is a serious mistake.

One question still lingers, the big red headed guy on the sidelines that calls in the plays, he's the one that witnessed the abuse yet his name hasn't been mentioned in any of this, why is that ? will be interesting to see if he's on the sidelines this weekend

I see no way the McQueary is on the field Saturday. Just can't happen.

I completely understand what you're saying about what Joe knew, but I always come back to this.... He hears his longtime friend and assistant Jerry Sandusky is raping a child in the showers and then Sandusky just shows up to practice for the next several years and JoePa just goes on with life as if Sandusky were caught taking a roll of tape from the training room? How in the hell do you not pursue this??? Think of the kids that could have been saved!!