The Sex Abuse Scandal at PSU

[Duvall]

The Penn State board of trustees is about to hold a press conference. Presumably, details of Joe Paterno's immediate future will be revealed. Stay tuned...

Just announced: Spanier out, Paterno out. Effective immediately.

[SCMatt33]

Joe Paterno and President Grant Spanier have both been fired, effective immediately. This from the board of trustees press conference.

[SMO]

Joe Paterno and President Grant Spanier have both been fired, effective immediately. This from the board of trustees press conference.

The board spokesperson continues to say there's a lot they don't know...great way to sound like you're making a sound decision. Is anyone at PSU competent?

Any word on McQueary?

[OldPhiKap]

Act first to protect the money, find out the facts later.

[hurleyfor3]

Just announced: Spanier out, Paterno out. Effective immediately.

Linky just for the record. Live presser on cnn right now.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...ier-penn-state

[OldPhiKap]

Nice change of title of thread. unfortunately.

[BobbyFan]

The right decision. I just can't see how the board had any other choice. Having Paterno out there just days later coaching against Nebraska would be a disaster.

[SMO]

Act first to protect the money, find out the facts later.

Precisely. Surma sounds like a fool repeating again and again that they don't know the facts but had to "move forward". Whether you agree that they made a good decision or not, you can't argue that he is representing the board well.

[Duvall]

This press conference really shows why no state should ever have just one major state university.

[SCMatt33]

I'm quite disappointed in the local media right now. One, they can't understand, or don't at least don't want to understand the difference between the legal facts and the threshold for firing. The board says they don't have all the facts about the case, and that's true, but it's pretty clear that letting him coach any further would be a disaster. Despite the vast amount of negative press they have already received, they couldn't move on without cleaning house. The local media are making fools of themselves attacking the board for this move. I mentioned earlier that I give the students a pass on this. They are young, and feel attacked, and don't know how to respond other than to get defensive. The media on the other hand are professionals and should act like it.

[cspan37421]

I fear more than a few PSU students and alumni will hold McQueary up to obloquy for this unceremonious departure, this precipitous fall from grace of the most successful college coach of our nation's most popular spectator sport.

It would be wrong to do so, but there are going to be those looking for a scapegoat.

[SMO]

This press conference really shows why no state should ever have just one major state university.

Surma is almost in tears answering these questions. Pathetic.

[SCMatt33]

This press conference really shows why no state should ever have just one major state university.

You wouldn't describe that school in Pittsburgh that's about to join the ACC as a "major" university? A quick note that both Pitt and Penn State are "state related" universities. They are run independently, but receive much of their funding from the state, so they are still public schools. Temple also fits into this group. The only true state schools in PA are a group of DII schools that most people outside of PA don't know much about.

[Duvall]

You wouldn't describe that school in Pittsburgh that's about to join the ACC as a "major" university? A quick note that both Pitt and Penn State are "state related" universities. They are run independently, but receive much of their funding from the state, so they are still public schools. Temple also fits into this group. The only true state schools in PA are a group of DII schools that most people outside of PA don't know much about.

Sure, but Penn State has more students than Temple and Pitt put together - almost 50% more. I'm just not sure it's healthy for one school to dominate the state's culture in that way.

[ForkFondler]

The right decision. I just can't see how the board had any other choice. Having Paterno out there just days later coaching against Nebraska would be a disaster.

That sounds like the reasoning that got a lacrosse season canceled. Seriously, should PSU play football at all this weekend? Paterno is more icon than coach; behind him is the institution with many (hundreds, thousands?) of individuals who could have done more. Oh right, TV contracts. Firing Paterno now, as opposed to the end of the season, doesn't really solve any problems.

[cspan37421]

Sure, but Penn State has more students than Temple and Pitt put together - almost 50% more. I'm just not sure it's healthy for one school to dominate the state's culture in that way.

Another way to look at it is that perhaps one person shouldn't dominate a university to such a degree.

[SCMatt33]

Sure, but Penn State has more students than Temple and Pitt put together - almost 50% more. I'm just not sure it's healthy for one school to dominate the state's culture in that way.

I don't know that Penn State dominates the state's culture. Certainly in central PA they are dominant, as there isn't much there, but as a native of the Philadelphia area, I can assure you that Penn State is a minor blip on the culture radar there. There are certainly plenty of Penn State alumni in the area, but Philadelphia has it's own culture and I would imagine that a similar thing is true for Pittsburgh.

EDIT: I can see your point, though, from a national point of view, as evidenced by the fact that the Temple football game on right now got bumped off of ESPN to ESPNU in order to cover Paterno.

[OldPhiKap]

I keep thinking back to the show Paterno did with K about a month ago. The guy has always been seen as a paradigm of integrity. And he is taken down for over-loyalty to someone who i am sure was a friend and colleague.


Extremely sad.

[killerleft]

Another way to look at it is that perhaps one person shouldn't dominate a university to such a degree.

LOL, you mean like Coach K dominates Duke? What exactly DO you mean by this? How has Paterno dominated Penn State?

Let's hope that Penn State moving forward by firing JoePa is right in more ways than when Mike Pressler was forced out at Duke. The reasons given are eerily similar. I love it when educators educate during a crisis.

[Duvall]

I don't know that Penn State dominates the state's culture. Certainly in central PA they are dominant, as there isn't much there, but as a native of the Philadelphia area, I can assure you that Penn State is a minor blip on the culture radar there. There are certainly plenty of Penn State alumni in the area, but Philadelphia has it's own culture and I would imagine that a similar thing is true for Pittsburgh.

Fair point. That press conference was surreal, though.