UPDATE-Since I'm getting ready to move on to newer posts, I'm going to remove the embed, since it plays automatically and I can't change that, which would be irritating having to scroll down the page to find it to turn off the sound. However, here is the link to the radio interview, and I urge any who read this post to go there and listen to this very compelling interview of radio personality Mark Madden. First of course, read this post in its entirety, as near the end I give the most pertinent points of the interview in the timeline. Although I can't of course vouch for the veracity of all the charges against Jerry Sandusky-or Joe Paterno-it's nevertheless an interview you don't want to miss.
I've also included an update about Saturday's game between Penn State and the visiting Nebraska Cornhuskers.
You know what I'd hate to be this weekend? A Nebraska Cornhusker football player, or for that matter, one of the many Cornhusker fans at the game, which due to fallout over the recent scandal has raised security concerns. Because no matter how the game turns out, its going to be messy. The Nittany Lions might well be so distracted and demoralized by the recent scandal that culminated late yesterday in the firing of legendary Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno, in which case their victory will be a hollow one. Or, the Nittany Lions could be out for blood and satisfaction to such an extent that their last home game, the much vaunted Senior's Day, could result in a romp of the Cornhuskers. Don't be surprised too much if the penalty flags start flying early and often. Hopefully, there won't be any serious injuries for either side. But, don't bet on that.
Penn State fans were so outraged they took to the campus last night in an orgy of protest that could have been much worse than what it ended up being. Thankfully, no one was injured, and the only significant property damage was that of a news van that was overturned, its windows then kicked out.
But this was a situation that could not have been addressed in any other way. When Jerry Sandusky was reported to have sodomized a ten year old boy in a Penn State locker room, the authorities should have been informed immediately. Instead, what transpired over the course of at least the last nine years, and which did involve Paterno, can only be described as a coverup of near epic proportions, assuming all the current reports are to be taken at face value.
But what has been reported so far may be just a very small tip of a very big iceberg. And if what is currently being alleged by some turns out to be true, its not going to be a matter of the other shoe dropping, but several other shoes kicking the Penn State legacy clean in the nuts.
According to Pittsburg talk show host Mark Madden, in fact, Jerry Sandusky, who founded a non-profit agency for young boys, did not merely use The Second Mile as his own private procurement agency for sex with young boys-
HE MAY HAVE PIMPED THEM OUT TO WEALTHY PENN STATE DONORS. Check out the following radio interview.
Watch this at WEEI
Yes, as sickening as it sounds, that is what is being alleged. After what has been reported so far, is it really that hard to believe? I just wonder how many of them are former or even current members of the Penn State Alumni Association. This is going to be really bad, and you have to wonder whether or not Penn State might actually face legal, criminal and civil actions because of this. This could even warrant sanctions by the NCAA.
It's hard to see how Penn State recovers from this in our lifetimes. This could destroy all their athletic programs, including but not limited to football. Think about it. If you were a star high school athlete offered a scholarship, or even a chance to play as a walk-on, at any first class university, would Penn State be your first choice, or even in your top ten, after this?
It makes it somewhat easy to empathize with the kids at Penn State, who are having to come to grips with their whole universe turning upside down practically overnight. And if this is true, its only going to get worse.
Just for them, this Saturday, I'll be rooting for them.
H/T Soylent Green
UPDATE-Since the above radio interview with Mark Madden is fairly long, I thought it might be helpful to provide a timeline of the three most important points relevant to the new information. They are approximations, possibly off by two or three seconds, but are as follows-
7:43-Madden alleges that Sandusky used The Second Mile as a way to procure young boys for sexual puposes.
8:06-It is highly probably that Sandusky was allowed to take an early retirement, at the age of fifty-five, in exchange for a coverup, and that the situation was well known among the highest levels of the Penn State Administration and the football coaching staff. Yet, Sandusky continued to make use of the Penn State facilities and was more or less a permanent fixture at Penn State even after his retirement.
13:43-Joe Paterno didn't just have a vague idea of what was going on. He knew the situation with Sandusky "in great detail", or this was at least the case as pertaining to the one incident in 2002 with the ten year old boy in the locker room showers whom Sandusky is alleged to have sodomized.
In closing I apologize for the radio embed, I typically don't embed players that play automatically, and frankly its getting to be a pain in the ass. But I thought this story was too important not to spread.
Finally, I am frankly worried that this story might be swept under the rug and ignored. This might involve some very wealthy, influential people, and more to the point, known homosexuals and it could be a cause for concern if the homosexual community starts alleging false accusations and "homophobia", or "gay-bashing", etc. Which would be bullshit, but there you have it. I hope I am wrong, as it would be a shame if this were glossed over for the sake of a politically connected special interest group, but I'm very much afraid that's what might happen here.
UPDATE-The fans and the players of Penn State acquitted themselves well yesterday. Unfortunately, Penn State lost, but still played admirably, almost overcoming a 17-0 nothing deficit beginning near the end of the third quarter, only to ultimately lose by a respectable score of 17-14.
Before the game, past and present Penn State players joined on the field with the visiting Nebraska Cornhuskers in a touching prayer for the young victims, which are rumored to be far greater in number than the eight now being alleged.
Other than some turbulence at the tailgating aimed mostly at the media by some boisterously angry fans, the crowd was engaged, yet respectable throughout the game. I was also wrong about the penalties. There were some, but not that many, probably not as many as in a typical game, and nothing that really stands out, other than one bizarre instance in which a Nittany Lion offensive player was called for a face mask violation against a Cornhusker on the defensive squad, which is an exceeding rare penalty.
Otherwise, a good game. A clean game. And surreal.
