This time it's for real - RIP JoePa

TheWanderer · Jan 29, 2012

Ray D said:

TheWanderer said:

Ray D":ugoofj3c][quote=TheWanderer]probably not the best thread for this but it IS about joepa and i found it kind of funny/intriguing/amazing/odd/?! . . . i was at nike headquarters last week in beaverton said: ↑

http://www.blueoregon.com/2011/11/press ... nt-center/[/url]
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KnoxVegasSteel · Jan 30, 2012

TheWanderer said:

Ray D said:

TheWanderer said:

Ray D":1j8gksb6][quote=TheWanderer]probably not the best thread for this but it IS about joepa and i found it kind of funny/intriguing/amazing/odd/?! . . . i was at nike headquarters last week in beaverton said: ↑

http://www.blueoregon.com/2011/11/press ... nt-center/[/url][/quote:1j8gksb6]
First of all, your inference that "the university ... killed him" is unfounded by anything that has been written to this point. It is a purely emotional comment. Paterno's cause of death was not listed as "killed by Penn State University", he was in poor health, let's be realistic on that point. I get what you are saying and it is an incredibly sad thing that happened to Paterno and his family but to say the University killed Paterno is pure hyperbole.

I really just wanted to make a point about the accusation/incident involving Sandusky and your supposition that Paterno did all that he should have done or was expected to do. Let me first qualify this by saying that I obviously don't know the level of Paterno's involvement in this incident and susequent investigation and I'm guessing that you don't either. I have a different opinion and my opinion is based on my professional experience in the military and corporate world in various leadership roles and levels. And to again qualify, I have never been an athletic coach of any big-time collegiate sports program, but I think I can draw some parallels at least within the context of leadership and a leader's role. If an incident of this nature were reported to me at my place of work by one of my direct reports, then I have an obligation to ensure that the incident is properly investigated and dealt with. I have more skin in the game, than to merely hand it off to my superior and walk away from it. And I'm just a regional director in a regional office for a corporation, a far cry from being the most influential man at a major university largely responsible for making it what it is today (or was). Even for something much less heinous than what McQueary witnessed Sandusky doing, something comparatively minor like a sexual harrassment claim or an employee drinking at work, my obligation is to protect the company and the employee(s) by taking ownership of the problem and driving it to resolution. Even if the University did a half-assed investigation, Paterno, Sandusky, McQueary, Paterno's higher-ups, university police, and many others would have spent hours and hours involved in discussions and interviews as part of an investigation trying to get to the bottom of what has happened. Just to take the (relatively) minor example I mentioned above about an employee accused of sexual harrassment by another employee, there are going to be discovery sessions that I would be personally involved in, along with HR, the witnesses, the accuser, the employee, my boss. Then, once all the information was collected, I would be personally involved in analyzing the information gathered, identifying and discussing potential next steps, weighing pros and cons, and then helping to inform and make the decision on what needed to happen next. It may not be a decision that I solely make, but I would certainly have input into the decision. And this is for something relatively minor compared to what McQueary claimed to have seen Sandusky doing in that shower. And the more serious the issue, the more I would be involved. So, to me, if Joe Paterno just handed this to his superiors and said that I've done all I can do and everything that is expected of me, now you deal with it, that would be an stunning example of what not to do in a position of leadership and a strong demonstration of lack of ownership. But based on Paterno's reputation, the stellar leadership he is known for, the investment and ownership in the university that he had, and the incredible amount of influence that he wielded at PSU, it is difficult for me to fathom that Paterno would merely hand the hot potato off to someone else to deal with. And if that is indeed what he did, then Joe Paterno failed as the leader that many hold him up to have been. The other alternative, which is even more difficult to fathom, was that he knew about Sandusky's sickness and chose to be involved in some sort of cover-up. Either way, Joe failed as the leader of that football program and that university relating to the Sandusky scandal. Like it or not, I realize that is a hard pill to swallow. So, to your original comment that the University killed Paterno, maybe in reality, Paterno's guilt and shame is what really killed him. I don't pretend to know what really happened and what Joe Paterno did or didn't do, but as a student of leadership (which I understand is part of what you do for a living), I cannot find a good example of Paterno's leadership around the Sandusky scandal.
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This time it's for real - RIP JoePa

TheWanderer Well-Known Member

KnoxVegasSteel Well-Known Member

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