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[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Moving forward has required Penn State's new leaders to perform a most difficult maneuver: Distancing the school from a child sexual-abuse scandal that drew worldwide attention and shook Happy Valley, while not appearing to abandon the memory of the coach who many Penn Staters believe gave the university an identity for which they can still be proud.

"I think that is the ultimate challenge here," Penn State coach James Franklin told The Associated Press. "How do you balance the history, the traditions, all the wonderful things that are deep rooted here and have been here forever, (while) also making moves that you need to be progressive and to be moving towards a healthy present and a healthy future."

Franklin is entering his third season at Penn State. For the first time this season, Franklin will have the full allotment of 85 scholarships available when the Nittany Lions open at home against Kent State on Saturday. Penn State has gone 7-6 each of Franklin's first two years.



The latest round of allegations came in May from unsealed court documents, with an alleged Sandusky victim saying he complained to Paterno about Sandusky in 1976 and was rebuffed. University President Eric Barron responded with a carefully worded defense of the school and Paterno.

"None of these allegations about the supposed knowledge of university employees has been substantiated in a court of law or in any other process to test their veracity," Barron said.

But Barron, Barbour and Franklin can only go so far in their recognition of Paterno.

The 50th anniversary of Paterno's first game as Penn State coach is Sept. 17, when the Nittany Lions host Temple. There is a celebration in the works and a dinner being planned for family members, friends and former players in the State College area the night before the game. No event is scheduled yet to acknowledge the anniversary at Beaver Stadium.

"No matter what position as leadership you take on the continuum, there are others that are going to criticize," Barbour said. "Those that think that Penn State's not been stood up for enough. There are those that think Coach Paterno has not been stood up for enough. There are those that think Coach Paterno has been stood up for too much. It's all along the continuum. For leadership, really for anybody, that's a challenge."

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/412a...tries-move-forward-without-abandoning-paterno

Well, let's see here with regards to Joe Paterno's legacy.

Pros: Pretty at coaching football.
Cons: Thought that winning football games was more important than children being not raped.

I think we can figure out the proper balance pretty easily with the facts that football is a game and that children were raped, but Penn State can do Penn State.

 

[Wickerbasket]

They should have shut the whole football program down.

 

[Marvie_3]

They should have shut the whole football program down.

Exactly.

 

[Sephzilla]

They should have shut the whole football program down.

Yep. Penn State should have gotten the death penalty

 

[bigkrev]

Nvm

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

There is no challenge. He covered up child rape. Don't celebrate him. How is that a challenge?

They've learned nothing.

 

[Silver Arrows]

Fuck Penn State for enabling this shitheel's legacy, and fuck the NCAA and the university's heads for not killing the program forever.

 

[Rival]

It's just not a good idea and in poor taste.

 

[StriKeVillain]

I hope Temple squashes them.

 

[OrlanisWorks]

Spoiler

burn it down to da ground

There's nothing to celebrate there. Sure, he let a child rapist go, but he achieved so much!

I don't care if you cured both cancer and AIDS: if you enabled a child rapist, you should pay a hefty price.

 

[WedgeX]

They should have shut the whole football program down.

It's truly awful that Penn State has made itself the poster child for why is it some times okay to throw the book at a person/organization. The culture has proven itself toxic.

 

[cdyhybrid]

Just a disgusting fanbase.

 

[Jombie]

I remember all the apologists when the Sandusky allegations went down: 'poor Joe, they should leave him alone,' it wasn't his fault.' Fuck those people and fuck these people for celebrating this enabling piece of shit.

 

[VeryGooster]

PSU is like super saiyan levels of shit culture

 

[GurgleBot20]

There are those that think Coach Paterno has not been stood up for enough. There are those that think Coach Paterno has been stood up for too much

What? Who the hell could possibly say that?

Edit: Disregard, misread that sentence.

 

[Mudcrab]

Fuck Joe Paterno forever, being remembered as a child rape enabler is the only legacy good enough for him.

 

[Barry Burton]

That's Creepy Valley for ya.

 

[shadowkat]

How about not celebrating him?

Is that really so difficult?

 

[Neuromancer]

"I think that is the ultimate challenge here," Penn State coach James Franklin told The Associated Press. "How do you balance the history, the traditions, all the wonderful things that are deep rooted here and have been here forever, (while) also making moves that you need to be progressive and to be moving towards a healthy present and a healthy future."

Here, I'll make this easy for you. You just stop celebrating a man who enabled the rape of children.

 

[NewFresh]

How is this a "Challenge"? Don't celebrate the child rape enabler. Seems prety easy to do.

 

[peteykirch]

They are a cult.

What makes it worse is they decide to do this against in-state rival Temple.

I hope the Owls whoop 'em

 

[New002]

There is no challenge. He covered up child rape. Don't celebrate him. How is that a challenge?

They've learned nothing.

Probably boils down to money and keeping key donors and alumni happy, which is sad. As others have said the whole Football program should have been shut down.

 

[Gigglepoo]

Is there a worse fanbase in the history of sports than Penn St? Their football program should have been killed the second word got out that they had hidden child rape for decades. Decades! I cannot believe a learning institution is allowed to continue playing football when they have shown such reckless disregard for human life and have proven they have despicable priorities.

It's incredible that this passes with little outrage whereas people have been crying about Kaepernick not standing for the flag for a week.

 

[NCR Redslayer]

They are a cult.

What makes it worse is they decide to do this against in-state rival Temple.

I hope the Owls whoop 'em

Kinda makes hope one of the candle falls and set everything on fire.

 

[Bread]

What? Who the hell could possibly say that?

I think you quoted the wrong sentence there

 

[Randolph Freelander]

I propose a punishment worse than the elimination of the football program.

Make them go by the name University of Central Florida.

 

[echoshifting]

Probably boils down to money and keeping key donors and alumni happy, which is sad. As others have said the whole Football program should have been shut down.

Yep. All of this.

 

[peteykirch]

PSU should've been given the death penalty, but also should UNC with their academic scandals as of late.

 

[Pops Maellard]

They are a cult.

What makes it worse is they decide to do this against in-state rival Temple.

I hope the Owls whoop 'em

Sometimes sports concern me more than organized religion.

 

[GurgleBot20]

I think you quoted the wrong sentence there

Nope, just misread it. Thanks for bringing it up to my attention so it doesn't look like I'm defending him.

 

[GulAtiCa]

Disgusting fanbase....

 

[Future PhaZe]

It's bad but I just pull an old man simpson whenever I see someone rocking something penn state related

I'm sure a lot of students alums have a rationale mindset about the whole thing but the logo makes me sick given the universities reaction to the whole thing so far

 

[Lambtron]

Melt the statue of him. Burn the football stadium to the ground. Salt the earth it stood on.

 

[PsychoSoldier]

Sometimes sports concern me more than organized religion.

Sports is like a religion in some places.

Too many places.

 

[jabuseika]

Numbers are worth more that human lives to them.

 

[SirClinksAlot]

They should have shut the whole football program down.

Yup. The fucking school went out and hired another rape enabling coach in Franklin so fuck that whole program.

 

[Empyrean Heaven]

Yep. Penn State should have gotten the death penalty

Agreed. Fuck the bowling team.

 

[peteykirch]

Then the one time the PSU fanbase could have redeemed themselves, they spit the bit.

Let's raise money for those who were sexually abused....oh wait here's only 22K.

You raised 22K in a stadium with over 100K people.

 

[RipperGrim]

What the fuck is wrong with these people? How in the hell are still allowed to be legit in any way for sports if this is their attitude?

 

[Omegasquash]

Melt the statue of him. Burn the football stadium to the ground. Salt the earth it stood on.

I don't find myself disagreeing with any of this. Penn State shouldn't have a football program any more, full stop.

 

[Funyarinpa]

what in the actual fuck

 

[Gigglepoo]

It's bad but I just pull an old man simpson whenever I see someone rocking something penn state related

I'm sure a lot of students alums have a rationale mindset about the whole thing but the logo makes me sick given the universities reaction to the whole thing so far

Such as....? I can't think of how a rational person could ignore years of child molestation and a systematic cover-up to preserve the football program.

 

[PsychoSoldier]

I wonder what the overlap between people willing to overlook everything Joe Paterno enabled and people outraged over Colin Kaepernick is.

 

[Cyan]

The challenge is between making crazy fans angry by dumping JoePa and making normal people angry by celebrating him.

No surprise they're leaning towards the crazy fans since those are the people buying tickets.

 

[LucidMomentum]

Rape some children and your community will help you cover it up.

Protest murder and people want to remove you from the US.

Fuck the cult of sports fans and the culture that surrounds it. Especially college sports.

Sandusky should be erased from the school's memory.

Fuck, even celebrating the wins is a little too close to celebrating the staff and coaches who allowed the atrocities that occurred just because they wanted some wins.

 

[Greg]

disgusting

 

[Cagey]

I wonder what the overlap between people willing to overlook everything Joe Paterno enabled and people outraged over Colin Kaepernick is.

Despite the implication there, the willingness to overlook Joe Paterno largely comes from the Penn State fan base and alumni (which include plenty in media and former pro athletes) and not so much football fans at large.

 

[cartographer]

Child rape enabling institution to celebrate their favorite child rape enabler.

But you see, football.

 

[Garlador]

Rape some children and your community will help you cover it up.

Protest murder and people want to remove you from the US.

Fuck the cult of sports fans and the culture that surrounds it. Especially college sports.

Sandusky should be erased from the school's memory.

Fuck, even celebrating the wins is a little too close to celebrating the staff and coaches who allowed the atrocities that occurred just because they wanted some wins.

Just make sure you don't sit during the national anthem. The rest is permissible.

 

[Stinkles]

The original Gaf thread was an eye-opener for sure. Reminded me of the Lance Armstrong folks.

Like, zero doubt whatsoever that he'd absolutely knowingly enabled all of this. And folks were defending him and snapping their spines to contort the narrative.