Some people wouldn’t know a tragedy if it walked up and bit ’em on the ass.

This is about as tone deaf as it gets.

https://twitter.com/#!/PeteThamelNYT/status/136496624980606977

The idea that there’s some moral equivalence between JoePa having his name removed from a frickin’ trophy and what happened to Sandusky’s victims is sickening.

There are many who think that Bradley’s elevation into the head coaching job will be made permanent.  That’ll certainly accelerate the healing process.  Gah.

56 Comments

Filed under Big Ten Football, Crime and Punishment

56 responses to “Some people wouldn’t know a tragedy if it walked up and bit ’em on the ass.

    • Puffdawg

      Good catch Turd. That pretty well sums it up. The fact that JoePa didn’t tell those people on his lawn to go home tells you exactly how remorseful he is. He is scum.

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    • AthensHomerDawg

      Although I’ve never been in the “journalistic arena”…. those questions seem over the top and insensitive to the victims.
      “Don’t feel ashamed about it; it’s the natural foil to our obsession with the best of the best. Just as we want to know how high in brilliance art can rise, we also want to know how low it can sink in sheer awfulness. Plus the fact that reviews spewing bile over the many ways something stinks tend to be far more entertaining to read than reviews extolling the virtues of the latest Oscar Bait. “

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  1. Mitch Rhymer

    Are you F*ing kidding me. If I was one of those kids parents, friends, family, etc. and Stewart Mandel asked them one of those questions in front of me I would have beat the ever-loving Sh*t out of him. What a complete and utter retarded, as*-backwards, dumb-f*ing-piece-of-sh*t. I cannot believe that anyone has the audacity to ask these types of questions from men who have been searching for answers to “why did this happen to me? Why was it kept quite all these years?” They want answers and the hope that their souls will be able to recover.

    I am so pissed about his right now…. I kept reading that thinking that at the end it would be a parody. I kept hoping that as I read the last sentence I would understand that it was a ironic twist about the real issue versus what we hear on ESPN. But nope! I found no peace for the empathy that I feel for these kids. I am filled with so much righteous indignation right now. How could Ivan Maisel, Steward Mandel and other writers ask such asinine questions?

    I have cooled down to the point that I want to apologize for the rant above. But I feel that to apologize will give credence to the fact that sports journalists have the complete lack of humanity to care more about a perpetrator of years of agony for these men then the victims themselves. How the hell do you ask a rape victim about a man who help hide the crime? How do you think that this okay? To call Joe Pa a victim or some bystander in this “tragedy” is slanderous, vile, and simply wrong. Yes, I know slander is a legal term blah, blah, blah, but it fits if you think about it.

    It is my hope that everyone else besides those lop-headed bast*rds at EPSN has the same reaction as me.

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    • Vince Dooley's Combover

      The onion is a parody magazine. This did not happen.

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      • AthensHomerDawg

        Hmm… I just clicked and read. OK Turd … you got me. Asshole!

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      • Puffdawg

        This is correct. Although, while he missed the satire part, I think Mitch’s clearly emotional response is how most of us feel.

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        • how most of feel . That is the problem we’re feeling not thinking . If you ever read the Onion,and you should, Thir most famous headline is “World Death rate remains at 100%” Followed by A noted child advocate asking “what about the children”.I’m still wondering what was Joe Pa to do ,he did not see anything and if I understand PA law is not a mandatory reporter. My only unaswered question is did he instruct McCreay(sp) not to go to the police ? If he did I’ve got issues but he reported this up the chain of command and I feel he has the right to assume they would properly investigate and do their jobs which is not

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          • I wanna Red Cup

            You are kidding right?
            Did you forget the incident right before Sandusky “resigned” to devote all his efforts to the Second Mile when he admitted to the campus police after a mother’s complaint that he had been showering with young boys and said he was wrong. You don’t think JoePa knew about that? This is a small town where Joe PA is king. And the very next year the man who was in his prime and is said to be successor suddenly retires? You really think that is pure coincidence and knowing that College football coaches literally live with each other during the season. Really- his shower activities then were unknown to JoePa?
            So this guy gets an office and free access to athletic dept after this incident. Even after 2002 – when Joe Pa knows something- they still let him use their facilities for his camps. Joe Pa would certainly know all of that. And the eye witness to rape of 10 year old now is elevated to coach and recruiting coordinator. Not a cover up? Stop being a lawyer. Not saying Joe Pa committed a crime. But my god, how can you excuse his doing nothing. Of- except tell his boss and then forget about it. What a great guy- we should name trophies after him.

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  2. Spike

    Another sign the apocalypse is upon us.

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  3. Merk

    Eh. It is what it is. Joe Pa was around long enough to know how University politics work. If you tell University officials something like that they aint going to the authorities. If they do, then this is what happens. They know everyone will bash them just for it happening on campus and the school will get a bad rep for it. Thus they will sweep that stuff under the rug, burn the rug, then burn the house down the rug was in. They were never going to talk about that until he got caught. Now they got caught and instead of the university getting a bad rep, they all get bad reps and fired.

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  4. Dog in Fla

    Rodney King thinks the ex-mayor of Los Angeles does know something about tragedy occurrence.

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  5. Bad M

    Sure, Tom Bradley. Its a shame what these victims are doing to the program. Maybe you should get the Sandusky trophy.

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  6. Go Dawgs!

    This quote from the interim head coach really just further shows how far Penn State’s level of give-a-damn about this case goes: about as far as the entrance to campus.

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  7. Normaltown Mike

    this is like crying for the Menendez brothers because they are orphans.

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  8. Hogbody Spradlin

    The schmuck needs to be more careful with his words. You can’t lump everything into the buzzwords and hope it’ll blow over. He’s a thick headed jock who needs a little PR advice.

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    • The Lone Stranger

      He has been an over-loyal underling for SO LONG that the Paterno Way has nearly been fully integrated into his personality. These people are sycophants of the highest order, but I believe they realize that these last three (4?) games are their last collective gasps. And none of them may ever get another chance anywhere else, unless it’s in the lower reaches of FBS or, more likely, the FCS

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      • Go Dawgs!

        Well, you’ve stumbled upon a good point. This guy’s been in that building for so long, a building at the heart of a campus that has been described by those familiar with the school as Paterno’s “fiefdom”, that he probably doesn’t believe any of it’s true. At least, he probably doesn’t believe that Joe Pa did anything wrong when he did what the rest of us would consider “under-reporting” the offenses. This guy probably thinks Paterno’s being railroaded. Clearly, he needs some perspective. He’ll certainly get it when he and the rest of the coaching staff get fired at the end of the season.

        Even still, you’ve got to be pretty damn tone deaf to actually say something like this, no matter what you believe about the charges.

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        • The Lone Stranger

          Shoot, Bradley, has to understand the implications of grand jury findings. I find it nearly incomprehensible that he could discount every one of the nine principals raised as those molested in that presentment. But, then, I’d be comfortable assuming that he is convinced that Paterno was illegitimately forced out.

          Bradley believed he was next-in-line in the dynastic succession whenever Paterno chose to retire his spectacles. Since this was a forced ‘choice,’ Bradley feels cheated, but he now has a 3-game audition. My guess is they tank it, 0-3. I only hope the Dawgs don’t draw them in the bowl game.

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  9. UGAfoo

    Nobody could see this coming after his presser last week? I thought after he kept saying what an “honor” it was to work for Paterno, I was going to throw up. I brushed it off since he has been with Paterno so long and maybe he didn’t really understand the full impact of the charges.

    There are several things that need to happen quickly. At the conclusion of the season (and championship game if they make it)…

    1. Fire everyone on the Penn State football staff and bring in a new bunch.
    2. Take Paterno’s name off the library and give him back his money.
    3. Rip out all facilities associated with this tragedy and rebuild them.
    4. Buy JoePa’s home and level it.

    Please note you will need to hire a new coach in 3-4 years, but that is to be expected.

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  10. paul

    If he is truly repentant and asks for forgiveness, God will forgive Joe Pa. The rest of us will not. What those who are intimately associated with Penn State fail to recognize at this point is that ‘child molester’ IS Paterno’s legacy. The rest of what he spent a lifetime doing has been irreparably destroyed.

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  11. Scott

    Taking his name off the trophy is just a knee-jerk low-rent move. What’s next? Strip him of all his wins? Where does his punishment end? Should Paterno go to prison for life? And nobody will say it, but keep in mind that each of these victims has lawyered up and will be getting multi-million dollar paydays quite soon.

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    • Dog in Fla

      “Taking his name off the trophy”

      It’s okay. Joe won’t notice

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    • W Cobb Dawg

      So Scott, would you trade places with one of those kids in the shower? You’d stand to get a multi-million dollar payday. Take your time and think about it, then give the world your answer.

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    • Bad M

      Can’t tell if your trolling or idiotic. Taking the name off the trophy is more for the trophy than for punishment. How does this lead to jail for life? Are they putting Reggie Bush in jail for life b/c he had to give back his Heisman? The “punishments” haven’t even really started…but will end when everyone turns their back on him the way he did to those kids. Because no one wants to be associated with this. Sometime life is hard. He’s a multi-millionaire who can go enjoy retirement. I don’t feel bad that he might feel bad and that might spoil his golden years. He should.

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  12. I believe it was William S. who opined, basically, tat the good that men doeth is often interred with their bones, but the evil liveth on after..or words to that effect. Now Paterno made a helluva mistake which, like all of us moral men, he will regreat for the short remainder of his life. I recognize that and can throw stones at him for that letdown in his otherwise moral and distinguished life. How much he knew or how much he covered up will sooner or later come out and further judgement will be heaped on him…but as the biblical admonition enjoined us “let he who is without sin throw the first stone”…so many of you are throwing stones willy nilly…pause and reflect on any mistakes you have made. Paterno is in his own living Hell knowing what this oversight..bad oversight..has and will cost him and his family. And, may God ease the burden of the victims and their families.

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    • Puffdawg

      “Paterno is in his own living Hell knowing what this oversight..bad oversight..has and will cost him and his family. ”

      Does this look like a man in his own living hell? Or who is even remorseful for that matter?

      “We Are… Penn St” indeed.

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  13. Puffdawg

    There is something ironic about you calling the penalization of JoePa “low rent,” which can be defined as “of low social status or moral character.” Had JoePa made a knee jerk reaction perhaps there would be less victims.

    As for stripping his wins, I’d support that move, but it won’t happen and so now every time the all time winningest coach is referenced we’ll alway think of child rape. NIce legacy, JoePa. Welcome to college football pergatory.

    WTF does the victim of child rape hiring a lawyer have to do with taking JoePa’s name off a fucking trophy?

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    • Puffdawg

      This is in repsonse to Scott.

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    • Scott

      You guys are so sanctimonious about how you would have behaved in the same circumstance I got news for you. 80% of you would not have intervened at that moment and dragged that kid away. Put yourself in McQueary’s shoes. I cannot blame him for failing to intervene in that moment. McQueary is human. He walked into the place late at night and was suddenly faced with a scene so horrific and so far outside his realm of possibility that it probably took him several seconds to even grasp what he was seeing. When humans are faced with situations like this, most of us will desperately seek to disappear, or to rationalize, or to reconcile what we’re seeing with the reality we’d been living in right up to then. In that moment, we choke.

      Furthermore, I just do not believe that JoePa’s decision to take McQueary to the AD and VP is evidence of a conscious decision to hide the abuse and protect the university as the expense of the children. Its not like JoePa did nothing. He wasn’t the eyewitness with personal knowledge. Did Joe choose the best route to take. No. But that doesn’t mean he should burn in hell. If evidence comes out to the contrary, i will change my opinion.

      And I know I am a cynic, but most of these victims did not come forward to protect future victims. Their motivations in coming forward are more about money and big civil suits. I am not saying they were not horribly abused, but you can bet they had lawyers preparing civil suits before the grand jury convened.

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      • Dog in Fla

        “Its not like JoePa did nothing.”

        The story of when plausible deniability becomes implausible

        http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45283472/ns/sports-college_football/

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      • Puffdawg

        Apparently McQueary is in the 20% you speak of. I personally have more faith in mankind than 20%.

        http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45286426/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/#.TsHk8YD4Hsc

        “I just do not believe that JoePa’s decision to take McQueary to the AD and VP is evidence of a conscious decision to hide the abuse and protect the university as the expense of the children.”

        I think that very decision was his best inpression of Pontius Pilate. He wanted to pass the buck and hoped it went away. After all, he knew the allegations, and he knew nothing came of it. Which is exactly what he wanted: to escape culpability.

        As for the timing of the victims coming forward, you are quick to sympathize with the difficult decision for a witness to report sexual abuse, and yet when it comes to the victim it should be an easy decision driven by greed? Come on, man. You are better than that.

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        • Scott

          “As for the timing of the victims coming forward, you are quick to sympathize with the difficult decision for a witness to report sexual abuse, and yet when it comes to the victim it should be an easy decision driven by greed? Come on, man. You are better than that.” – well, Puffdawg, I will concede that much, and regret and apologize for that part of my comment. You are right, I am better than that.

          I just don’t accept that the course of action Paterno took necessarily points to a finding of greed and of trying to escape culpability. Universities have protocols to follow for the reporting of allegations of crimes, including sex crimes and other sexual allegations like harassment or sleeping with students. The protocols are not there for cover ups and for greed, although you probably would differ.

          I don’t have all the facts. For all I know, Paterno may have been following protocol and for all i know he expected the AD to bring in the University Police who had jurisdiction. By the time Paterno learned of the event, it was the next day, and he was not the eyewitness. The Grand Jury report was not critical of either Paterno nor McQueary. I read it. Its frustrating to see everyone equating the horrible crimes of Sandusky with the bad decision and far less culpable behavior of Paterno or McQueary.

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          • Dog in Fla

            University protocol notwithstanding, a reading of Paterno’s less than stellar work re Victim #2, pages 6-12, certainly could lead one to believe that (a) he enabled a pedophile and (b) his inaction was a colossal failure of leadership and responsibility

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          • UGAfoo

            Yea poor Paterno. Hell he had no power to do anything. A kid got molested at his football facility by a dear old friend, but golly geez his mean old boss wouldn’t do anything about it.

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          • Puffdawg

            To be clear, I don’t think any of the people who shielded Sandusky acted out of greed. I think you misread my comment on that.

            I think DiF nailed my response for me, but I just want to reiterate I don’t see how you possibly read pages 6-12 and not think Paterno knowingly and willingly harbored a pedophile. I’ll let you figure out his motivations.

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  14. Zdawg

    Another part of the tragedy–sort of like the loss of jet fuel and travel plans were all a part of the tragedy of 911. People are just not getting this. Not at all.

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  15. Biggus Rickus

    Wait, who are these people who think anyone on this staff will be retained, let alone a 20+ year assistant who was named the interim head coach? I have some land in Florida they might be interested in.

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  16. Cousin Eddie

    Anyone who condones what went on or supports anyone of those spineless turds who hid the facts should be raped before they are allowed to go on supporting these schoziopaths (sp?), then lets see how they feel about the subject. Those students and supporters on Joe sickos yard included. They should melt the Joe sicko statue and sell the scrap metal. I don’t even want to see that cowards face on TV anymore. All involed starting with Sanduski should wash their mouths out with a 12 gauge shotgun, I’ll buy the shells.

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    • Scott

      You guys are true Hindsight Heroes.

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      • cousin eddie

        call me what you want but I promise I would have done something if I had walked in that shower and i promise sandusky would rememeber it. I don’t tolerate that sh!t. Anyone that knows me knows that mistreating kids, old people, or women will get you in a world of hurt. In these types of cases I side on the side of the kids until the perverted bassturd is found not guilty. If I am wrong for that I WILL and answer to GOD for that but I will take that chance.

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      • Bad M

        No, what Joe Pa did was not even in the same league as what Sandusky did. But losing this job, at his age, with the money he’s made, is not that bad a punishment either. No, he wasn’t the witness, but he was the head of this program. (Not the A.D.) Scott, I understand your understanding of the hesitation to act. That can be a natural response. But the next day, call the police. Or the day after. Or realize when your school is forbidding him from bringing kids on campus…wake up and realize how stupid this is and CALL THE COPS. They had plenty of time for hind sight and still did nothing.

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  17. saying we should withhold judgement ,which is what I think Scott is saying, is a county mile from condoning anything. Judge not lest ye be judged, that’s what Jesus said to his inquistors and that admonition stopped them from stoning an alledged adultress to death. Also we need to be reminded that a Grand Jury will indict a potted plant if the DA asks them to. My quess is that the real evil will be located at the wonderful loving people at Second Mile

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    • cousin eddie

      Ok then let me say, if Sanduski knows what he did (and he should know) then he should wash his mouth out with a shotgun.
      I would not support someone CHARGED with this type of crime unless I know them personally and with out a DOUBT know they did not do it. I wouldn’t chance being on the wrong side of this fence, just not worth it.

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    • UGAfoo

      Well joedrip, that potted plant has a 23 page report with some explicit detail.

      I agreed with your position until I read the facts surrounding this case. It is up to each person to make a determination on how culpable Paterno is/was regarding this matter.

      I feel he was a person of power that at a minimum didn’t do enough (by his own admission by the way) and at a maximum attempted to cover up an embarrassing problem around his program (like the Catholic Church, eh?).

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      • W Cobb Dawg

        Agree. I like to think I keep an open mind, but after learning more of the details it would be a stretch to say people are rushing to an unfair judgement. JoePa may or may not have his day in court, but he was fired for cause, not innuendo or allegations.

        Re-naming the trophy is a mild slap on the wrist. The Big 10+2 has to maintain the appearance of standards.

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  18. Bulldog Joe

    Some people wouldn’t know a tragedy if it walked up and bit ‘em on the ass.”

    …or buggered ’em in the ass, in this case.

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