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Franco Harris criticizes Penn State for firing Paterno

Discussion in 'College Football Talk' started by bigsteelerfaninky, Nov 11, 2011.

  1. Coastal Steeler

    Coastal Steeler

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    I at first said Shoot Joe Pa. Then I watched outside the lines or one of those shows. Seems Joe did tell his boss, that boss told his and so on. What I only saw reported ONE TIME is the DA for Pennsylvania did investigate and decided no charges were to be filed. If the state said no charges then Joe Pa did not do anything wrong. You guys think otherwise?
    I thought he told his boss and nothing happened but it was investigated
     
  2. Coastal Steeler

    Coastal Steeler

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    I do that too. When I do a long one, I write it in word, then copy and paste. Don't delete word till it is posted
     
  3. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    You are referring to a 1998 investigation into allegations that Sandusky had inappropriate contact with a boy. Paterno wasn't involved in that. It was the 2002 incident that McQueary witnessed Sandusky raping a boy in the shower. That incident was never reported to the police.

    *an interesting note, the DA investigating Sandusky disappeared in 2005. His laptop was found in a river, to damaged to retrieve any files.
     
  4. TerribleTowelFlying

    TerribleTowelFlying Staff Member Site Admin Mod Team

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    I read that article the other day. That was strange.
    NY Daily News
     
  5. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    Yeah, makes you wonder how deep the cover up was or maybe Sandusky had something to do with it. Or just a big coincidence. All sorts of things coming out about Sandusky now which haven't been verified, like he was selling kids as well. I just hope when all this is said and done that they put Sandusky in general population :butcher:
     
  6. rutan74

    rutan74 Well-Known Member

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    One of the issues here is the fact that Sandusky was NOT an employee of PSU in 2002 when this abuse happened in the GA report. One can say that since he did not work for Joe, Joe did what he needed to do and that was REPORT it to the AD.

    Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Monday morning QB'ing is easy.

    Now, back to 1998 and the report that went to the head of the campus POLICE. The GA report did not indicate that the incident was brought to Joe's attention as was the incident in 2002. The head of POLICE at PSU decided there was nothing to it. No report was made. Now, was Joe involved? We don't know at this time. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. At this time, it is all speculation. How could he not know etc. Well I can tell you, my son is addicted to cocaine and we did not know a thing until he told us and he was using for 4 years! Ohh, he WAS living in our house too. So, it is possible, I say possible that Joe did not know.

    I am not an apologist for Joe either. If he knew, then let it go from there, but at this point in time, all it is is speculation.

    I'm glad Franco spoke up. Clearly he loves the guy and believes what he knows from his perspective. Until we hear more evidence, I will with hold any judgement condemning Joe. He dropped the ball on the 2002 incident, but then again, he was not an employee of PSU. And we still do NOT know exactly what McQueary told Joe. The grand jury report was not clear.

    rutan
     
  7. JackAttack 5958

    JackAttack 5958 Well-Known Member

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    And I absolutely could not disagree more with what he's saying. Here is an interesting quote by Franco from the article:

    "I feel that the board made a bad decision in letting Joe Paterno go," Harris told the Tribune-Review's Kevin Gorman. "I'm very disappointed in their decision. I thought they showed no courage, not to back someone who really needed it at the time."


    What???!!! The BOT showed no courage? How about the lack of courage shown by Paterno all of those years ago when he was given an eye-witness account of one his long-time assistant coaches raping a little boy in the shower room of Paterno State University???!!! How about that Franco?! How many times after that did Paterno see Sandusky wandering around the PSU campus, possibly with other children in tow. Reports indicate that he did go back on the campus with children after the incident in 2002. How many times did Joe Pa send HIS players out to do charity work with Sandusky's organization, The Second Mile, which afforded Sandusky the opportunity to continue to come in contact with the children that he victimized?! Franco, do you think the little boys that Sandusky mercilessly raped, sodomized, molested and violated needed him at the time??!! SURE THEY DID!!! Did he come to their defense as you are suggesting that the BOT do for Paterno??!! NO HE DIDN'T! The fact is that Paterno laid his content head on his pillow every night for at least a decade knowing that a child sexual predator was still walking the streets and still had access to all of those children. Paterno obviously didn't care. As long as his legacy was preserved. As long as the hallowed grounds of PSU was not damaged in any way. As long as he got to continue coaching and being revered and admired by countless numbers of people at PSU and across the country. This entire situation is pathetic and you Franco, can say with a straight face that the Board of Trustees should have come to the defense of someone "who really needed it at the time"?! I loved you as a football player, Franco, but the respect I have for you as a human being now has taken a hit, right along with the respect I had for Paterno!

    http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... s-trustees
     
  8. Ray D

    Ray D Staff Member Mod Team

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    I wouldn't be too hard on Franco. I, thought Joe had to go over this, much as it pained me to say it. Franco is looking at this emotionally. For that matter, everyone is.
     
  9. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    I get where you are coming from Ray D but the more time that goes by that people have had the opportunity to digest this the more trouble I have respecting peoples opinion like Francos. How can people still absolve Paterno and anyone else that knew what Sandusky was? They all knew as did other Universities for that matter. How does Sandusky, a top defensive coordinator, not get so much as a offer to coach again? How does Paterno and especially McQueary who actually saw it, stomach seeing that vile piece of **** for years and years after? That image would be seared into my brain had I saw that. :shock:
     
  10. Ray D

    Ray D Staff Member Mod Team

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    I get where you are coming from Ray D but the more time that goes by that people have had the opportunity to digest this the more trouble I have respecting peoples opinion like Francos. How can people still absolve Paterno and anyone else that knew what Sandusky was? They all knew as did other Universities for that matter. How does Sandusky, a top defensive coordinator, not get so much as a offer to coach again? How does Paterno and especially McQueary who actually saw it, stomach seeing that vile piece of s**t for years and years after? That image would be seared into my brain had I saw that. :shock:[/quote:1s502j40]

    I get it. I do. But I'm somewhat able to disconnect myself emotionally from it now. The day the news broke? Denial, denial, denial. Franco said this a few days ago. We all accept truth at our own pace. This has to be tearing him up, and at the time he said this, he was obviously still mostly in denial.

    Even saying that, the urge to protect Joe is strong. It's damned hard to see it clearly when the emotional bond is so entrenched.
     
  11. Ray D

    Ray D Staff Member Mod Team

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