Penn State president orders Paterno statue removal

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Penn State University will remove the famed statue of Joe Paterno outside its football stadium, eliminating a key piece of the iconography surrounding the once-sainted football coach accused of burying child sex abuse allegations against a retired assistant.

The university said Sundaythat it will take down the larger-than-life monument in the face of an investigative report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh that found the late coach, along with three top Penn State administrators, concealed the abuse claims against Jerry Sandusky more than a decade ago in order to shield the university and its football program from negative publicity.

Construction vehicles and police arrived shortly after dawn Sunday, barricading the street and sidewalks near the statue, erecting a chain-link fence then concealing the statue with a blue tarp.

The bronze sculpture outside Beaver Stadium has been a rallying point for students and alumni outraged over Paterno's firing four days after Sandusky's Nov. 5 arrest - and grief-stricken over the Hall of Fame coach's Jan. 22 death at age 85.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20120722/DA05U4O00.html

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The statue of former Penn State University head football coach Joe Paterno stands outside Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., in this July 13, 2012 file photo. Police and construction workers have barricaded both sides of street and the sidewalks near the Joe Paterno statue at Penn State University Sunday July 22, 2012. A chain-link fence has been erected around the perimeter surrounding the statue.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

[LynneSin]

1. It's scary - some of the comments from those who support the pedophile enabler

I read a comment where someone said they would chain themselves to the statue to prevent it's removal.

I know better than anyone what Joe Paterno has done for Penn State and their fans - I grew up in that area.

But 50 years of great football can go easily down the drain when you let a child predator go free.

To think Paterno's legacy could have been more than just a great football coach but a man who stopped a sick person from abusing anymore kids.

Shame on him and shame on those people who feel the school should keep honoring him.

[Cooley Hurd]

2. Maybe they could get the US Army and a few Iraqis?

[47of74]

9. That would've been the way to do it

[barbtries]

3. i'll be curious to see the reaction.

it will tell whether the university has been learning. i'm nearly done reading the Freeh report and it is shocking how the insular nature of the culture led to such cavalier disregard for innocent victims, and such terrible judgement as well. if the people in the position to know had pursued the charges when they first arose, not only would so many victims be spared, but so would the university. because it would have done the right thing. sandusky's crimes would have been all his. now they hang on the heads of so many others and the university itself. it boggles my mind.

[Joe Bacon]

19. There will be a major backlash over this.

I'm SHOCKED that they actually did this. I see the comments denouncing this are flowing like the dam is broke. I'm not surprised, since I was raised in Pennsylvania where football is the state religion and Paterno still is the Pope. No doubt in my mind that there will be a major backlash over this. Football is everything in that part of the country.

[Posteritatis]

36. Yeah, about half the CBC article I read was people upset about the statue going

Really hyperbolic claptrap too - "if you punish Joe Paterno you're going to kill our town" levels of silliness.

[Marrah_G]

4. I think they made the right choice

[Va Lefty]

5. Live streaming link

Can't really see much because of fence/tarp


http://www.ustream.tv/channel/beaver-stadium

[Cooley Hurd]

6. They're using a fork lift w/ a heavy yellow strap wrapped around what appears to be...

...the neck of the statue (although the statue is covered in tarp - I think it's around its neck).

edit: Now the statue's at an angle - looks to be almost worked free from its base...

edit: still struggling w/ it - looks like JoePa doesn't want to go easily..

[Cooley Hurd]

13. It's gone...

The statue is now prone.

[Berlum]

15. Castles made of sand, slip into the sea. Eventually.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. Thanks for posting the stream

Watched them just haul it away out of the stream picture about 5 minutes ago.

[Botany]

7. Coach Paterno's failure to do anything when told of Jerry Sandusky's raping a little boy ....

.... in the team's showers allowed for many more children to become victims. Even
after some of Sandusky's actions were brought to light he took along young boys
with him on bowl trips and the Penn State football staff and administration did
nothing to stop him outside of telling him that he would never be head coach @
PSU. Penn State should shut down football for at least this season just out of respect
for the victims and they statue should be melted down as scrap.

[Cooley Hurd]

11. According to the breaking news blurb on CNN, it's to be put into storage.

...which begs the question, are they planning on re-erecting it in the future???

[obamanut2012]

26. I know -- it should be scrapped

[Frank Cannon]

30. They should store it in Sandusky's cell...

So he'll have someone to talk to.

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. Statue goes, library stays

"I now believe that, contrary to its original intention, Coach Paterno’s statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to healing in our University and beyond. For that reason, I have decided that it is in the best interest of our university and public safety to remove the statue and store it in a secure location. I believe that, were it to remain, the statue will be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse.

On the other hand, the Paterno Library symbolizes the substantial and lasting contributions to the academic life and educational excellence that the Paterno family has made to Penn State University. The library remains a tribute to Joe and Sue Paterno’s commitment to Penn State’s student body and academic success, and it highlights the positive impacts Coach Paterno had on the University. Thus I feel strongly that the library’s name should remain unchanged."

----SNIP----

From Erickson's statement: http://onwardstate.com/2012/07/22/rodney-erickson-issues-statement-regarding-statue-library/

[Beowulf]

37. The Paterno Library houses the University's collection of over 100,000 children's books

There are rumors of discussions to locate the statue eventually in front of the library.

Tells you everything you need to know about the sincerity of this move.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. too little. too late.

[Cooley Hurd]

14. The statue is gone - they just pulled it out of place...

...and dragged it away. So ends the cult of JoePa.

[Berlum]

16. The lone and level sands stretch far away

[yellowcanine]

17. Yep it is gone but the stench remains.

That may fade a bit with time but will always be there. Hopefully this will also be the beginning of the end of college coach dynasties. Power corrupts and that is what happened to Paterno. Coaches should be limited to two 5 year terms as are many university deans, department heads and presidents anymore.

[lunatica]

20. The highest paid person at UC Berkeley is the football coach

Higher than the Chancellor or any other official. The Athletic Department gets many times more alumni and corporate donations than any other department on campus. I learned that when I was taking a training session for how to accept and process donations to the University and to the department I work in.

I work in UC Berkeley in Administration.

[yellowcanine]

22. That is true in many universities. In addition to ending coaching dynasties I believe the NCAA

should set coaching salary caps as well. They cap scholarships so why can't they cap coaching salaries?

[Iggy]

25. right.. see my post downstream

college sports has attained wayyyy to high a position/priority in this whole mess

[roguevalley]

39. we need to stop pretending and make college ball minor league

Pro ball divorced fromcollege.

[RKP5637]

29. We have twisted priorities and hero worship in this country, well, as in many IMO. n/t

[yellowcanine]

24. "So ends the cult of JoePa." Not that easy unfortunately.

The cult will not be ended until the football program is shut down and restructured, imo. Starting with coaching term limits and having coaches strictly adhering to the same rules other faculty members adhere to in terms of reporting, outside contracts, etc.

[Trillo]

18. Less expensive to put an inexpensive sign up that says, Our Now Infamous Sex Offender.

Soon, if someone in casual conversation asks the school folks what happened to Joe Paterno, those employees can say, "Who? Never heard of him." If it's a student asking the question, it can be followed with, "Now, let's move on to history lessons."

[dkhbrit]

21. And still they protest

Apparently according to some alumni, it's still just rumor and hearsay. How can they be so lblind to this. Shut them down.

[Iggy]

23. This is GOOD News

I really didn't think Penn St would follow thru and do the right thing.

watch the enablers/sports is God crowd howl their lame protest now.

this is totally the fault of JoePa and upper management at Penn St. they were callous, stupid enough to allow long range
criminal activity to continue, ON the premises of a major state university. this is astonishingly immoral.

now the NCAA must come in and suspend Penn Sts football program for at least three years to send a strong
message to the remaining "sports is God" crowd. college sports has assumed a wayyy too prominent position at
universities, with coaches getting lucrative multi million dollar contracts

yes, this stinks for the football players.. sorry, sometimes life is rough.. and Penn st is not the only Big Ten
team out there

[obamanut2012]

27. NCAA is making an announcement tomorrow about Penn State

[Iggy]

31. Good, thanks for info

the NCAA better be announcing at least a three year suspension.

anything less sends the wrong message to other large $$ college football programs.

[Atypical Liberal]

28. Good. Football should not trump enabling pedophiles.

[dynasaw]

32. Next, Remove the President of Penn State

[may3rd]

33. The alumni intere$t$ will shrink for $ure...

but that won't be talked about for another two years .
I wonder how high the tuition will spike in the fall of 2014

[MadrasT]

34. ????

They already did that.

[riderinthestorm]

35. Good. Its the right thing to do. Shows the world that the university understands

how wrong it is to continue to idolize Joe Paterno in light of the investigations.

[4th law of robotics]

38. Overdue. n/t

[zorro1]

40. Man loses legacy...good!

It really takes a lot for a legend to fall from sports fan graces. OJ Simpson is one, the other is Joe Paterno. Killing your ex in a fit of rage is wrong, very wrong; covering up the rape of young boys is horrendous. May his soul never know the peace of eternal rest, may his family carry the weight of the fathers sins forever. May they all die with shame and humiliation for the name Paterno now will forever be synonymous with child molestation cover up.

[GReedDiamond]

41. This would make for a great ebay item...

...I wonder if Penn State has ebay/paypal accounts?

If I won it, after my bid of 666 USD, I'd put it out on my front lawn to keep all of y'all off my fuckin lawn.

[boppers]

42. And yet, their "sport" of groping remains.

Let me know when that stops.

[On the Road]

43. Well, This is a Change

I heard the original plans were not so much to remove it as turn it around so it would look the other way.,