'Paterno' Book Tour Cancelled

Book publisher Simon & Schuster was set to launch a book tour around a new biography written by Joe Posnanski on legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. But after the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal and looming punishment that is expected to be heavy-handed on the part of the NCAA, the publishing giant decided to put the tour on ice:

"They're holding off on the tour," Andy Kahan, the director of author events for the Free Library, said on Friday, adding that the publisher, Simon & Schuster, had said Mr. Posnanski's work obligations prevented his appearance.

The cancellation of the tour is just a cap on what has already been a number of changes for the Paterno book:

Simon & Schuster moved up the release date of the Paterno book from Father's Day 2013 to August 2012. The title was changed from "The Grand Experiment: The Life and Meaning of Joe Paterno," to the more neutral "Paterno." A report released on July 12 by Louis J. Freeh, a former director of the F.B.I., revealed that Mr. Paterno, who had failed to report accusations of child sexual abuse by his longtime assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, to the police, renegotiated his contract in 2011 as the scandal was playing out, winning himself and his family more money and perks.

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Penn State Players React To Looming NCAA Sanctions

With the impending sanctions against Penn State being announced on Monday, many associated with the football program took to Twitter to react to the situation.

StateCollege.com has compiled a list of these reactions, ranging from recruits and current players, to former players under Joe Paterno, and even Jay Paterno himself.

Many current players assured fans that they aren't going anywhere despite the looming penalties, including redshirt freshman offensive tackle Donovan Smith.

"Stop asking if I'm transferring. I'm staying at PSU no matter what. I love my school."

Former wide receiver Graham Zug pleaded for the current team to stick together.

"Really hoping the team sticks together and realizes the opportunity they have. They will remember helping PSU for the rest of their lives. They have a huge opportunity to help the community and the school stay the way it should be. The reason they came to PSU will remain."

As for Jay Paterno, he took a quote from John F. Kennedy to describe his feelings about his father's statue being removed.

" ‘A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.' - John F. Kennedy"

The fate of Penn State will be decided Monday morning at 9 a.m. ET when NCAA president Mark Emmert will announce the penalties for the program.

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Joe Paterno's Family Upset About Removal Of Statue

The family of deceased Penn State head coach Joe Paterno is unsurprisingly unhappy about Penn State's decision to remove a statue in his honor.

"Tearing down the statue of Joe Paterno does not serve the victims of Jerry Sandusky's horrible crimes or help heal the Penn State Community. We believe the only way to help the victims is to uncover the full truth. The Freeh report, though it has been accepted by the media as the definitive conclusion on the Sandusky scandal, is the equivalent of an indictment — a charging document written by a prosecutor — and an incomplete and unofficial one at that.

"To those who truly want to know the truth about Sandusky, it should matter that Joe Paterno has never had a hearing; that his legal counsel has never been able to interview key witnesses, all of whom are represented by lawyers and therefore unavailable; that there has never been an opportunity to review critical evidence which has not been made public; that selective evidence and the opinion of Mr Freeh is treated as the equivalent of a fair trial. Despite this obviously flawed and one-sided presentation, the University believes it must acquiesce and accept that Joe Paterno has been given a fair and complete hearing. We think the better course would have been for the University to take a strong stand in support of due process so that the complete truth can be uncovered.

"It is not the University's responsibility to defend or protect Joe Paterno. But they at least should have acknowledged that important legal cases are still pending and that the record on Joe Paterno, the Board and other key players is far from complete."

Yes, well. Paterno might well have ended up being tried, had he survived. The decisions currently being made about him aren't of a legal nature, though; they're questions of whether the university ought to continue to celebrate Paterno when nearly all available evidence suggests that, at the bare minimum, he didn't do nearly enough to stop Sandusky from using the Penn State football program to abuse children. Having a statue of yourself on display is not a legal right.

The Paterno family's recent statements to the press have taken on an increasingly sad, desperate quality. That's understandable, since Paterno's remarkable fall from grace has to hurt his family more than anyone.

Joe Paterno Statue Removed

The fate of the Joe Paterno statue was up in the air over the weekend, but Penn State president Rodney Erickson decided on Sunday morning that the statue would be removed from Beaver Stadium. Erickson released a statement on Sunday morning explaining the reasoning for tearing down the statue.

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.

The Paterno statue was originally unveiled in November of 2001 and was supposed to be a symbol doing things correctly and avoiding NCAA violations, the "Grand Experiment" aspect of the Penn State program.

The base of the statue was removed as it was taken away under a tarp and moved inside Beaver Stadium.

UPDATED STORY — Jackhammers chip away at base of #Paterno statue, scene calm as dozens look on: bit.ly/NUKlOq twitter.com/centredailycom…

— Centre Daily Times (@centredailycom) July 22, 2012

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Ex-Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr: 'Not the Joe Paterno I Knew'

Former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, who led the program to five Big Ten titles and a national championship over 13 years, was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in South Bend, Ind. And in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the release of the Freeh report, which details Penn State's response to allegations surrounding Sandusky, Carr was asked about the turmoil in State College. The news has evidently been tough to hear for the former Wolverines' headman.

"It's really a hard issue for people who knew [Joe Paterno] from this standpoint: Nobody, nobody defends what happened to those kids," Carr told the Associated Press. "And the jury spoke to that. But you know the environment is such that a lot of people find that very difficult to say anything positive, you know. And that was not the Joe Paterno I knew."

Later, Carr emphasized victims' healing.

"We can all hope that those kids who are now men that they receive some justice, as much as they can because what they endured was beyond comprehension," he added.

Carr spent all 13 seasons coaching against Paterno in the Big Ten.

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Penn State Fans Rally Around Joe Paterno Statue

Fans are visiting the now-infamous Joe Paterno statue on the campus at Penn State in fear that it will be taken down.

The Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal will not only mar the legacy of the Penn State football program forever, but the legacy of college football coaching legend Joe Paterno and the university as well.

Sandusky, a former coach under Paterno, was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts of child sex-abuse in June. Last week, on July 12th, former FBI director Louis Freeh revealed his findings into what really went on behind the scenes during the scandal after an eight-month inquiry.

Freeh outlined the failings of Paterno and other members of the administration in his scathing report.

As a result, Penn State President Rodney Erickson is now deciding what to do with the statue honoring Joe Paterno that sits on the campus of the university. According to a PennLive.com report, fans are flocking to the statue in droves for fear that it'll be taken down and never seen again:

Visitors came in a steady stream, some placing flowers, flags and signs at Paterno's bronzed feet. All snapped pictures with the likeness of a now-controversial coach who some blame for keeping quiet while a pedophile preyed upon boys inside the football locker room.

This pilgrimage for Paterno has been virtually nonstop since last week when speculation mounted and rumors swirled that the university would take down the 900-pound tribute, perhaps in the dead of night.

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Franco Harris Continues To Defend Joe Paterno, Says Statue Should Remain

Former Penn State running back and Steelers legend Franco Harris continues to express his opinion on Joe Paterno and the Jerry Sandusky scandal in no uncertain terms. Harris has been one of the most ardent defenders of his former coach, ripping the Board of Trustees after they fired Paterno last fall. More recently, he doubted the some of the claims and conclusions in the Freeh Report.

He's now weighing in on the question of what to do with the statue of Paterno, which seems to be the newest fiery debate and controversy on this messy timeline. As you'd imagine, Harris does not give much consideration to the movement to remove the statue. Via WPXI.com:

"All of the focus has been on Joe. People blame him more than anybody else and he played such a minor part in all of this," Harris said.

Harris went on to scoff at any suggestion to take down the Paterno statue that stands outside Beaver Stadium.

"Until we finish with this, with this next trial and even more investigation into this, they really shouldn't even consider this," Harris said.

He went on to continue to rip the Board, indicating that they have "made every bad decision along the way." He said that their every decision has hurt the University.

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Penn State President Rodney Erickson To Make Final Decision On Joe Paterno Statue, According To Report

The murky picture regarding a decision over the fate of the Joe Paterno statue outside of Beaver Stadium was made a bit clearer by a report by Bill Schakner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who reports that Penn State president Rodney Erickson will have the final say on whether it will remain standing in its current spot or be removed.

A member of the Penn State Board of Trustees told Schakner about a conference call on Thursday night that was mistaken for a vote about the statue's fate.

Anthony Lubrano said a number of trustees including him participated in a conference call Thursday night and were asked by the school's president to offer their opinions by email, over the phone or in person.

He said Mr. Erickson, rather than the board, will make the ultimate call regarding the statute.

On Monday, Penn State announced that they were giving a 7-10 day window for making a final decision on the statue, a period that is rapidly approaching.

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No Vote Held On Joe Paterno Statue, Penn State Board Member Claims

Contrary to prior reports that Penn State University has decided to take down the statue of deceased head coach Joe Paterno, a member of the Penn State board claims that no vote has been held by the board in regards to the removal of the statue, according to Laura Nichols of StateCollege.com.

Penn State Board member Capt. Ryan McCombie said "We did no such thing," re: voting to take down Joe Paterno statue, made no more comment.

— Laura Nichols (@LC_Nichols) July 20, 2012

Ever since the Freeh Report had been released, the biggest question has been whether or not the report is damning enough to Paterno's reputation that it would warrant the removal of the statue in his honor outside Beaver Stadium. The biggest hope here is that whatever the decision is, it will be a peaceful decision.

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Penn State To Take Down Joe Paterno Statue This Weekend, According To Report

In the wake of the Freeh Report's release, the single most hot button debate about the report is whether or not it revealed enough about Joe Paterno's involvement in the case to warrant a removal of a statue of the former Penn State head coach.

While the Freeh Report placed plenty of blame on the shoulders of Paterno for keeping quiet the sex abuse committed by Jerry Sandusky, many felt that he proved himself to be a good man during his 40+ years as coach of the Nittany Lions. Amid pressures from many to remove the statue, the university has reportedly decided to do so:

Am told that Penn State plans to take down the Paterno statue this weekend.

— Kimberly Jones (@KimJonesSports) July 20, 2012

Kim Jones, a reporter for NFL Network, is a Penn State alumni and made regular appearances on a Penn State radio program in the past.

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Penn State Board Of Trustees Member Steve Garban Steps Down, According To Report

Penn State Board of Trustees member Steve Garban has resigned his position, according to a report in the Centre Daily Times. Garban was the Chairman of the Board who was first informed by high-ranking school officials about the Sandusky investigation last fall. After learning of the grand jury investigation, however, he did not inform the rest of the board about the scandal, instead choosing to make Vice Chairman John Surma and member Jim Broadhurst aware of it.

Now, amid widespread criticism after the release of the Freeh Report, Garban has reportedly resigned his lofty post. Via Anne Danahy of the Centre Daily Times:

Penn State trustee Steve Garban, who was chairman of the board when the Jerry Sandusky scandal unfolded, has stepped down, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

The embattled former chairman was the target of criticism and calls to resign for his handling of the situation.

As Danahy notes, Garban had opted not to run for his Chairman position again in January.

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Jim Delany Wants Power To Fire School Employees In Wake Of Penn State Scandal

When the Penn State University board of directors learned about Joe Paterno's involvement in the failure to report sexual abuse of children by Jerry Sandusky on campus, they acted quickly to fire him. Just in case other universities don't act so swiftly in the case of potential future controversies, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany would like the power to fire coaches himself.

The Big Ten is considering a plan that would give Delany the power to fire coaches, as well as levy all kinds of other sanctions on athletic programs. This seems like a step too far without any context regarding what would have to happen for Delany to have the power to terminate school employees. He'll probably have a lot of work to do to convince university presidents that this is a good idea.

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Big Ten Hasn't Ruled Out Expulsion Of Penn State, According To Report

NCAA president Mark Emmert has said that no punishment is off the table for Penn State following a sex abuse scandal that resulted in 45 guilty verdicts for former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Now the Big Ten conference is apparently taking the same approach and isn't ruling out anything for the Nittany Lions.

According to a report from the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Big Ten has prepared an 18-page plan of proposals in reaction to the recent scandal. Among the ideas would be to expel the Nittany Lions from the conference altogether, although that is considered "unlikely." A vote to expel Penn State would reportedly require a 70 percent vote from the conference's Council of Presidents and Chancellors.

Other ideas include giving commissioner Jim Delany the authority to fire individual athletic directors or coaches if their actions merit termination.

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Taiwanese Animation Video Takes On Penn State Death Penalty Issue

Penn State Scandal: NCAA President Mark Emmert Declines To Rule Out Death Penalty

In an interview with PBS's Tavis Smiley on Monday, NCAA President Mark Emmert declined to rule out the death penalty when asked about possible repercussions for Penn State in the wake of the Freeh Report. The investigation, led by former FBI director Louis Freeh was released last week and outlined the school's response to child sexual abuse allegations surrounding defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

"I've never seen anything as egregious as this in terms of overall conduct and behavior inside of a university," Emmert said. "I hope never to see it again. What the appropriate penalties are, if there are determinations of violations, we'll have to decide ...

"I don't want to take anything off the table. The fact is, this is completely different than an impermissible benefits scandal that happened at SMU or anything else we've dealt with. This is as systemic a cultural problem as it is a football problem.

"There have been people who've said this wasn't a football scandal. Well, it was more than a football scandal. Much more than a football scandal. It was that, and much more. We'll have to figure out exactly what the right penalties are. I don't know that past precedent makes particularly good sense in this case because it's really an unprecedented problem."

(h/t SI.com)

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Penn State To Discuss Fate Of Joe Paterno Statue

A decision on whether to take down the Joe Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., will come within the next 7-10 days, Penn State spokesman Dave la Torre said late Tuesday.

In the wake of last week's release of the Freeh Report, which details the university's initial response to child sexual abuse allegations surrounding former Nittany Lions' defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, many members of the public and commentators have insisted the bronze statue be taken down. As outlined by the 267-page report conducted by Freeh, the former FBI director, Paterno and three top Penn State officials buried allegations against Sandusky more than a decade ago in order to protect the university's image.

Earlier Tuesday, according to StateCollege.com, a small commercial plane flew over the Penn State campus carrying a message that read: "Take the statue down or we will."

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Joe Paterno's Alma Mater Cuts Ties With Coach

After playing cornerback and quarterback for Brown University, Joe Paterno received several honors from the university. Among those honors was induction into the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame, his name on a student award and his name on the university head coaching chair.

The latter two honors will be revoked, the Providence Journal reports, as Brown University is "distancing itself" from the long-time Penn State head coach. Brown is the latest of many people and organizations to try to distance itself from Paterno following the release of the Freeh Report that revealed the coach had not done enough to prevent Jerry Sandusky from sexually abusing boys at Penn State University.

Paterno played for Brown University from 1946-1949 before graduating from the university in 1950. He then joined Penn State in 1950 as an assistant coach before taking over as the head coach in 1966.

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Penn State Scandal Fallout Will Benefit Pitt, Others

A sad off-the-field story will have repercussions on the field as well. Pitt and other local schools will likely benefit from Penn State's problems.

Penn State Student Group Paternoville Changes Name To Nittanyville; Internet Goes Nuts

Penn State Student Group Renames 'Paternoville' To 'Nittanyville'

The Penn State student group which manages the camping outside Beaver Stadium has renamed their organization from "Paternoville" to "Nittanyville." The group stated that they made the decision on their own and without consultation from the university and Student Affairs, but they had notified school officials about the decision. The change was put up to a vote and that resulted in the switch to Nittanyville. The group announced the name change in a press release:

"This is a decision undertaken by and made solely by the Penn State student officers," said president Troy Weller, a Penn State senior. "Our four major officers, plus our six organizational officers, met via conference call and after careful deliberation decided, by a vote, that moving forward the group will be named Nittanyville."

The Vice President of the group, Jeff Lowe, also spoke to StateCollege.com and provided further background on the reasoning for removing Paterno's name from their group and the encampment. Lowe indicated that they had talked about changing the name once the long-time head coach retired:

"We always have discussed the idea of changing the name once Joe was no longer the head coach," Paternoville Vice President Jeff Lowe said Monday.

[...]

"The idea of being in the middle of a political war over the name, due to our association with Joe Paterno, has to lead to threats, hate mail and efforts from people outside of Penn State to try and ruin our ability to run an effective organization," Lowe said.

It's a decision that will certainly make waves on campus, and continue the heated debate around the statue of Paterno outside Beaver Stadium.

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Joe Paterno's Family Issues Statement, Will Review Freeh Report

The family of late Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno released a statement on Monday morning as the fallout over the Freeh Report continues. In the statement, the family expressed their disagreement with the report's findings and revealed that their attorneys will review the independent investigation.

Further investigations of Penn State are in the works as well, including one by the Department of Education.

The Paterno family statement read:

Following the release of the Grand Jury findings last fall, Joe Paterno called for a thorough, fair and transparent investigation. Like everyone else, Joe was stunned at the charges that were filed against Jerry Sandusky. At the same time, Joe cautioned against a rush to judgment on Penn State and its senior officials and reminded everyone that we owed it to the victims to uncover the full truth.

The announcement of the findings by the Freeh Group is yet another shocking turn of events in this crisis. We are dismayed by, and vehemently disagree with, some of the conclusions and assertions and the process by which they were developed. Mr. Freeh presented his opinions and interpretations as if they were absolute facts. We believe numerous issues in the report, and his commentary, bear further review.

Our interest has been and remains the uncovering of the truth. We have never tried to run from this crisis or shift all responsibility to others. To help prevent this sort of tragedy from happening again at Penn State or any other institution, it is imperative that the full story be told.

After the report was released, we instructed our attorneys and their experts to conduct a comprehensive review of the materials released by the Freeh Group as well as Mr Freeh's presentation and press conference. We have also asked them to go beyond the report and identify additional information that should be analyzed. And we have asked the Freeh Group to preserve all records, notes and other materials related to the investigation and the presentation of their findings as we expect they will be the subject of great interest in the future.

To those who are convinced that the Freeh report is the last word on this matter, that is absolutely not the case. Since various investigations and legal cases are still pending, it is highly likely that additional critical information will emerge. With that said, we want to take this opportunity to reiterate that Joe Paterno did not shield Jerry Sandusky from any investigation or review. The 1998 incident was fully and independently investigated by law enforcement officials. The Freeh report confirms this. It is also a matter of record that Joe Paterno promptly and fully reported the 2001 incident to his superiors. It can certainly be asserted that Joe Paterno could have done more. He acknowledged this himself last fall. But to claim that he knowingly, intentionally protected a pedophile is false.

The process of reviewing the report and other relevant information is going to be a complicated and time consuming exercise. It took the The Freeh Group roughly seven months to conduct more than 400 interviews and review three million documents. We do not expect or intend to duplicate this effort but we are going to be as thorough as reasonably possible. In the meantime, our attorneys have asked that we not make any further comment on this matter until they are ready to provide an update on their progress.

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Penn State Board Of Trustees Did Not Vote On Joe Paterno Statue

Contrary to a report Saturday that the Penn State Board of Trustees took a vote to keep the Joe Paterno statue on Saturday, a statement from a member of the board said that they did no such thing.

Here is the statement given by PSU spokesman David La Torre (via Ron Musselman.)

"Contrary to various reports, neither the Board of Trustees nor University Administration has taken a vote or made a decision regarding the Joe Paterno statue at Beaver Stadium."

The statue has been a polarizing symbol of Penn State football in the recent weeks. Those who want to remain up feel the statue serves as a symbol of the good Paterno did for the university, in spite of his shortcomings. Those who want it taken down feel it has become a symbol of the whole Jerry Sandusky Scandall at Penn State. Either way they decided, it will cause a split among those involved at Penn State.

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Freeh Report Analysis: Sara Ganim Offers Insight On Findings

While the findings of the Freeh Report may have answered many questions about the roles that numerous Penn State administrators, including head football coach Joe Paterno, played in the alleged cover-up of the acts of sexual abuse committed on campus by former coach Jerry Sandusky, there are still many other conclusions to be drawn.

Sara Ganim, who won a Pulitzer Prize for breaking the Sandusky story and her coverage of the victims, put the report into context along with the findings of the Sandusky Trial and state investigations to find new conclusions.

One of the biggest conclusions she draws comes from the role that current Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett's role in the firings of Penn State Presiden Graham Spanier and Paterno. Different trustees have had different stories about the role he played.

One board member remembers him giving an ultimatum: Take decisive action, or there will be a "loss of support for Penn State." Others remember him being quiet during the meeting where the firings were decided.

She also goes on about what questions were not answered by the report including whether or not there was abuse of power besides the abuse case, and the omission of one person's testimony claiming that Paterno had a habit of wanting to keep discipline of football players in-house.

The report focuses solely on the Sandusky case, but we know that former vice president for student affairs, Vicky Triponey, was interviewed and talked about Paterno wanting to handle problems internally.

Were her claims deemed not credible, or were they just kept from the report?

All in all, the article she wrote sheds new light on the case from a variety of perspectives.

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Freeh Report: Graham Spanier Was Aggressive In Prosecuting Sports Agent Jeff Nalley, According To Report

A report by Donald Gilliland of The Patriot-News on Sunday unveiled that while prominent Penn State administrators knew of an investigation of Jerry Sandusky in 1998 according to the Freeh report, Penn State president Graham Spanier was very involved in the prosecution of sports agent Jeff Nalley during the same year.

Nalley was convicted for taking former Penn State running back Curtis Enis on a $1,000 shopping spree to Harrisburg malls, as there is a law in Pennsylvania against such behavior from sports agents.

A great deal of irony comes from Spanier's comments regarding Nalley's behavior, and the damaged it could have caused to the university's name.

The man "fooled around with the integrity of the university," Spanier said, "and I won't stand for that."

What Nalley did was certainly wrong, the problem with the comment is that Spanier was doing the same exact thing for his handling of Sandusky's crimes, which were far more grave than taking a player on a shopping spree.

Nalley was sentenced to 100 hours of community service after being convicted, and was named "persona non grata," banning him from the Penn State campus, while the Freeh Report found that there was no discussion of doing the same to Sandusky in 1998.

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Associated Press Columnist: 'Gut' Penn State's Football Program

So what's next for Penn State? In the wake of the Freeh Report's release this week, that's the question many commentators and members of the public have asked. According to Associated Press sports columnist Tim Dahlberg, the answer is simple: "gut the football program."

"NCAA - here's a suggestion for punishment: Give Penn State a year's probation and bowl ban for every year Sandusky ran amok at State College since 1998, until he was arrested last year," Dahlberg writes. "That's a staggering 13 years, a penalty that would gut the football program much as Sandusky gutted the lives of those young boys."

But how the NCAA would going about doing so, remains nuanced and complicated. From Tim Rohan of the New York Times:

The crimes Sandusky was convicted of - sexually attacking 10 young boys over a number of years, some of them in campus athletic facilities - are also far beyond anything the N.C.A.A. has ever become involved with from the standpoint of punishment. Still, those crimes are considered so heinous that there is a widespread view that the N.C.A.A. must do something.

"There are really no bylaws that cover this," said David Ridpath, an associate professor of sports administration at Ohio University. "The N.C.A.A. is notorious for applying things arbitrarily and inconsistently, and it would not be beyond imagination for them to conjure something up within the current bylaws."

Only one college football program has ever received the infamous "death penalty," SMU in 1987.

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Report: Joe Paterno Statue Outside Beaver Stadium To Stand For Now

The statue of Joe Paterno outside Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., isn't going anywhere -- at least not for now -- according to a recent report from Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN The Magazine. Members of Penn State's Board of Trustees remain reluctant to remove the statue in fear of offending alumni and students, who continue to support the school's former head coach who holds the most victories in college football with 409.

"You can't let people stampede you into making a rash decision," one trustee told Van Natta. "The statue represents the good that Joe did. It doesn't represent the bad that he did."

Trustees met in Scranton, Pa., on Thursday and Friday for a regularly scheduled meeting, where they reached a consensus that the statue should remain for at least the coming weeks and months. Some contended it should remain outside the stadium forever.

"It has to stay up," another trustee said. "We have to let a number of months pass, and we'll address it again. But there is no way, no way. It's just not coming down."

Since the release of the Freeh Report on Thursday, which outlined Paterno's role in a cover-up of child sexual abuse allegations surrounding defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky for 14 years, many have insisted the statue be taken down.

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Jerry Sandusky Scandal: Franco Harris Not Sold On Freeh Report

Franco Harris, the former Steeler and Penn State football star who played for the late Joe Paterno from 1969-1971, may have the information needed to change his opinion of Paterno based on the Freeh Report, according to Brandon Boyd of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Harris only has bits of info from the Freeh Report as of now but plans to dig deeper into the information at some point.

"Oh, oh, sure. Yeah. As I said, we just want the truth," Harris said about changing his opinion on Paterno. "I don't think it's complete yet."

Harris does have his doubts about the report since it followed emails leaking information that it would contain, including an indication that Paterno played a role in a decision not to notify authorities of a report that Sandusky assaulted a young boy in a locker room shower.

"I mean, they really lost me on the importance of it once they started doing things like that," Harris said. "They lost me as far as the integrity of it. What are they really trying to accomplish here?"

Harris will be open minded as the case continues to unfold but as of now, the Freeh Report won't be enough on its own to completely turn him against his former coach.

"The truth is the truth and I'm willing to accept the truth, there's no doubt about it," Harris said. "When that day comes, based on a number of events, then I'm fine with that. The Freeh Report doesn't do it for me."

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Jerry Sandusky Scandal: Joe Paterno Agreed To New Contract During Early Stages Of Investigation

Somehow amid the early stages of what would turn into the Jerry Sandusky scandal, Joe Paterno and Penn State were able to come to an agreement on a new contract, according to a recent story in the New York Times by Jo Becker.

In January 2011, Paterno learned about the investigation into Sandusky with Paterno testifying in front of a grand jury soon after. During the same month, Paterno negotiated a deal that would pay him $3 million at the end of the 2011 season if he agreed it would be his last. The retirement package included various other perks like usage of the university's private plane over the next 25 years.

The university's board of trustees didn't know about this until 11 months later. After Paterno's passing, his family fought and won the right to receive everything agreed upon and more, eventually receiving a package worth around $5.5 million.

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Freeh Report: Joe Paterno's Former Players Support Coach

Members of the Penn State football team wrapped up another tumultuous week in Happy Valley on Friday by participating in the 10th annual Lift for Life competition to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association and making their first public comments since the Freeh report was released on Thursday morning.

Some prominent players were supportive of their former coach, Joe Paterno, who the report found failed to protect children from convicted child abuser Jerry Sandusky as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Scott Brown reports.

"I feel he did a lot more good than bad for this university," said [running back Silas] Redd, who is entering his junior season.

...

"Coach Paterno gave me the opportunity to play here, gave me an opportunity a lot of coaches didn’t, so to that I owe my career to him," [quarterback Matt] McGloin said.

In the event, the offense defeated the defense 176-136 in a series of weight lifting competitions at the Multisport Complex on campus. The event is expected to raise over $100,000 for the second straight year and bring the all-time total to over $700,000.

Check out video from the event below.

For the latest on Penn State football and the fallout from the Freeh Report, be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Freeh Report: Joe Paterno Could Have Faced Criminal Charges, According To Reports

The release of the Freeh Report on Thursday answered many questions as to what role former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno may had played in Jerry Sandusky's reign of terror over the past 15 years in which he sexually abused many young children.

The report was very critical of Paterno, saying that he may have enabled Sandusky to victimize many more children through the inactions of him and other Penn State officials to report Sandusky's actions. A report by Sports Illustratedthat talks with many different legal experts finds that Paterno could have faced legal consequences for his inactions.

"[W]ere he alive, he would probably be scrutinized right now, as we speak, by a grand jury,'' said Jeff Anderson, a lawyer who represents a young man suing Sandusky, Penn State and Sandusky's charity over claims of sexual abuse. "When he did give testimony, now revealed to have been dubious at best and false on its face, that is illegal perjury because it was given under oath. So he is exposed.''

When Paterno passed away in January of 2012, many felt that he had fulfilled his legal duty to report the suspicious activity to higher authorities, however the recent report suggests otherwise. With it impossible to bring charges on a deceased person, we will never know his true story of what he knew.

For more on Penn State athletics, head over to Black Shoe Diaries. For more on everything surrounding the Penn State scandal, stick with our StoryStream.

Bill James Defends Joe Paterno

Graham Spanier Responds To Allegations Of Concealment In Freeh Report

During the press conference of Louis Freeh on Thursday, former Penn State University President Graham Spanier was one of four Penn State officials repeatedly cited as a member of the key senior leaders who failed to effectively handle the abuse perpetrated by Jerry Sandusky. Freeh did not mince words during his press conference, stating that Spanier, along with Joe Paterno, Tim Curley, and Gary Schultz, actively worked to conceal the facts when they were made aware of abuse allegations towards Sandusky.

Spanier's representation responded to the comments made and report filed by Freeh on Thursday. Timothy K. Lewis and Peter F. Vaira issued a statement in which they took particular exception to the charges of concealment. Via the Harrisburg Patriot-News:

Not only did Dr. Spanier never conceal anything from law enforcement authorities, but prior to 2011 he was never contacted by law enforcement officials, or any other officials, about any criminal activities now attributed to Sandusky. And as he told Judge Freeh himself last Friday and has steadfastly maintained, at no time in his 16 years as President of Penn State was Dr. Spanier told of any incident involving Jerry Sandusky that described child abuse, sexual misconduct, or criminality of any nature.

Spanier has not been charged with a crime stemming from the Sandusky scandal, while both Schultz and Curley are currently facing perjury charges.

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Jay Paterno Dismisses Freeh Report As 'Basically An Opinion'

Jay Paterno, former Penn State offensive coordinator and son of Joe Paterno, gave an interview on ESPN on Thursday afternoon, where he discussed the Freeh Report and his father's legacy. SB Nation's Jason Kirk transcribed part of that interview, in which Jay Paterno dismissed the report as 'basically an opinion'.

Paterno called the report "basically an opinion" and "not a legal document," finding that Freeh came to "reasonable conclusions" in the absence of facts and used the "same facts we've had" to come to a "different interpretation." The apparently damning emails "were conversations [investigators] were not party to, that they subscribed meaning to."

Paterno continued on and said that, when his father was first presented with allegations that Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted children on the Penn State campus, Sandusky had not yet been charged with a crime. The implication is that, because he had no reason to believe that Sandusky was a serial rapist, he did not do anything immoral or criminal when he passed on the information to his superiors.

It's fair to say that Jay Paterno's beliefs regarding his father's conduct and the Freeh Report don't follow along with popular opinion, but it shouldn't be entirely surprising that he looks at evidence suggesting wrongdoing on the part of his father in a different way than the general public.

For more on Penn State athletics, head over to Black Shoe Diaries. For more on everything surrounding the Penn State scandal, stick with our StoryStream.

Mike McQueary No Longer Employed By Penn State

Mike McQueary's contract with Penn State has expired, and he is no longer employed by the university.

Penn State Scandal: Freeh Report, Joe Paterno Statements Conflict

The Associated Press has isolated the lengthy Freeh Report's specific conflicts with previous and current statements from Joe Paterno and his family, which stand as the centerpiece of Thursday's media narrative, and will likely shape the future of a possible NCAA investigation and countless potential civil suits from Jerry Sandusky's victims.

The most damming conflict for the Paterno legacy is obviously the earliest possible date he might have known about Sandusky's crimes and elected not to act. His quote regarding a shower incident in 1998 to the Washington Post before his death:

"It wasn't like it was something everybody in the building knew about. Nobody knew about it."

That's disputed by the Freeh Report, and boldly so:

Tim Curley and Gary Schultz exchanged emails in May 1998. One, with the subject line "Joe Paterno," read: "I have touched base with the coach. Keep us posted." Another read: "Anything new in this department? Coach is anxious to know where it stands."

Read the entire comparison by the AP here.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check outBlack Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Nike To Remove Joe Paterno's Name From Its Childcare Center

The first of what could be many actions by corporations and partner institutions to distance themselves from the legacy of Joe Paterno has occurred, as CNBC's Darren Rovel reports that Nike will remove Paterno's name from its childcare center:

BREAKING: Nike is taking Joe Paterno’s name off its childcare center on the Nike campus.

— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) July 12, 2012

Nike founder and chairman Phil Knight spoke at Paterno's funeral in support of the coach and his family, which at the time was a bold public act of support. On Thursday Nike CEO Mike Parker issued a statement regarding the removal of the Paterno name:

"I have been deeply saddened by the news coming out of this investigation at Penn State. It is a terrible tragedy that children were unprotected from such abhorrent crimes. With the findings released today, I have decided to change the name of our child care center at our World Headquarters. My thoughts are with the victims and the Penn State community."

The Joe Paterno Child Development Center was a day care facilities on the campus Nike's world headquarters in Oregon. When the scandal involving Jerry Sandusky originally broke, Nike stated publicly that it would not change the name of the center.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: NCAA Sanctions Could Follow Freeh Report, Sandusky Conviction

Now that the complete report from the Freeh Investigative Group has been made public and Jerry Sandusky has been convicted by a criminal court, the next likely event in the timeline of the Penn State scandal are the almost certain civil trials against the university from Sandusky's victims, but also action from the NCAA:

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a detailed, thorough look at exactly what the NCAA might do, if anything, as there's little precedent for such a major criminal event as Sandusky. The Post-Gazette report is a thorough breakdown of both the possibilities of action and also the shortcomings of the institution to deal -- transparently -- with issues such as these, but there's a particularly foreboding quote from expert:

"They are both prosecutor and judge and jury," Milstein said. "They make a determination and they mete out any punishment they want from fine to suspension to death penalty. They could do whatever they wanted to do."

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Joe Paterno 'Should've Gone To Jail,' Writer Says

Jason Kirk of SBNation.com writes that late former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno "should've gone to jail" for his role in the coverup of child sexual abuse by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

Joe Paterno intentionally covered up multiple instances of child sex abuse, years apart, and then allowed a serial child rapist to keep bringing children to campus facilities. According to Freeh, Paterno knew about the 1998 investigation when he was told by Mike McQueary in 2001 that Sandusky had molested another child on Penn State property. Paterno all but sent it up the chain of command again, like it was regular paperwork, then apparently advised against taking it to the authorities and left it at that as Sandusky continued to feed.

The Freeh report alleges that Paterno didn't do nearly enough to stop Sandusky, and it goes beyond merely reporting the 2001 incident to his superiors and hoping they would do the right thing with it. According to Freeh, a conversation with Paterno stopped top Penn State brass from taking serious action against Sandusky. The report concludes that Paterno was part of a cover-up that prevented the 2001 shower incident from seeing the light of day.

Penn State Freeh Report: Joe Paterno, Tim Curley Worked To Cover Up Sandusky's Crimes

The crux of the just-released report from The Freeh Investigative Group, commissioned by Penn State University, is that on more than one occasion, the chance to bring accusations and evidence of child molestation and sexual assault against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was blocked by decisions made by Joe Paterno, former A.D. Tim Curley and others (excerpt courtesy of StateCollege.com)

According to the Freeh Report, the only known intervening factor between reporting the incident to authorities and then agreeing not to is a conversation between Curley and Paterno.

"The reasonable conclusion that we make is that all four individuals made a decision to actively conceal the knowledge of the events of Feb. 2001.

The other two individuals are former President Graham Spanier and former Vice President Gary Schultz, which is a collection that, essentially, represents all of the most powerful people in the Penn State network, an assessment from the Freeh Group that's likely to loom large in the expected civil trials surely to come from the Sandusky victims.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check outBlack Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Paterno Family Issues Statement Following Release Of Freeh Report

In the Freeh report released on Thursday morning, former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno was vilified for his lack of action taken in regards to allegations that former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky used his position with the institution to act in inappropriate manners with children. The Paterno family has now released a statement in response to the Freeh report:

"We are in the process of reviewing the Freeh report and will need some time before we can comment in depth on its findings and conclusions. From the moment this crisis broke, Joe Paterno supported a comprehensive, fair investigation. He always believed, as we do, that the full truth should be uncovered.

"From what we have been able to assess at this time, it appears that after reviewing 3 million documents and conducting more than 400 interviews, the underlying facts as summarized in the report are almost entirely consistent with what we understood them to be. The 1998 incident was reported to law enforcement and investigated. Joe Paterno reported what he was told about the 2001 incident to Penn State authorities and he believed it would be fully investigated. The investigation also confirmed that Sandusky's retirement in 1999 was unrelated to these events.

"One great risk in this situation is a replaying of events from the last 15 years or so in a way that makes it look obvious what everyone must have known and should have done. The idea that any sane, responsible adult would knowingly cover up for a child predator is impossible to accept. The far more realistic conclusion is that many people didn't fully understand what was happening and underestimated or misinterpreted events. Sandusky was a great deceiver. He fooled everyone - law enforcement, his family, coaches, players, neighbors, University officials, and everyone at Second Mile.

"Joe Paterno wasn't perfect. He made mistakes and he regretted them. He is still the only leader to step forward and say that with the benefit of hindsight he wished he had done more. To think, however, that he would have protected Jerry Sandusky to avoid bad publicity is simply not realistic. If Joe Paterno had understood what Sandusky was, a fear of bad publicity would not have factored into his actions.

"We appreciate the effort that was put into this investigation. The issue we have with some of the conclusions is that they represent a judgment on motives and intentions and we think this is impossible. We have said from the beginning that Joe Paterno did not know Jerry Sandusky was a child predator. Moreover, Joe Paterno never interfered with any investigation. He immediately and accurately reported the incident he was told about in 2001.

"It can be argued that Joe Paterno should have gone further. He should have pushed his superiors to see that they were doing their jobs. We accept this criticism. At the same time, Joe Paterno and everyone else knew that Sandusky had been repeatedly investigated by authorities who approved his multiple adoptions and foster children. Joe Paterno mistakenly believed that investigators, law enforcement officials, University leaders and others would properly and fully investigate any issue and proceed as the facts dictated.

"This didn't happen and everyone shares the responsibility."

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Matt Millen Defends Joe Paterno Following Release Of Freeh Report

In the wake of the release of the Freeh report on Thursday morning, there is very little evidence with which one can defend former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno. Assuming the evidence layed out in the investigative report are true, Paterno knew about a 1998 incident involving Jerry Sandusky in a shower and later lied about his knowledge of the information, was made aware of another incident in 2001 but did nothing about.

One of the only people still trying to defend the long-time coach is ESPN's Matt Millen. In a segment on SportsCenter on Thursday morning, the former NFL executive and player and former Penn State player asked, "He made a mistake. Does that discount all the positives he did over 50 years?"

Millen also said on the program, "In terms of the program itself, this was a very pristine program." SB Nation's Alfie Crow says that having Millen on the show is "well beyond 'conflict of interest.'"

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Graham Spanier Wasn't 'Forthright' With Penn State Board Of Trustees

In the aftermath of a sex abuse scandal that ended with former defensive coordinator of the Penn State convicted in 45 criminal counts, the Penn State Board of Trustees has been called in to question for their lack of action in the situation. That questioning was validated by the release of the Freeh report on Thursday morning that spoke of the Board and their relationship with former Penn State President Graham Spanier and General Counsel Cynthia Baldwin.

At the May 2011 Board meeting, Spanier and Baldwin briefed the Board about the investigation, but minimized its seriousness by not fully describing the nature of the allegations or raising the issue of possible negative impact to the University.

From March 31 - November 4, 2011, the Board did not make reasonable inquiry of Spanier or Baldwin about the Sandusky investigation or potential risks to the University.

Later in the report, Freeh continues about the relationship between officials and the Board:

Spanier and senior University officials did not make thorough and forthright reports to the Board, which itself equally failed in its continuing obligation to require information or answers on any University matter with which it is concerned.

For the entire Freeh report, visit TheFreehReportonPSU.com

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Joe Paterno Knew Of 1998 Incident Despite His Claims, According To Freeh Report

Both former athletic director Tim Curley and former head coach Joe Paterno at Penn State said in statements following the charges against Jerry Sandusky that they did not know about the original 1998 incident that sparked a police investigation. However, the Freeh report released Thursday morning contradicts those claims and says that both Curley and Paterno not only knew about the incident, but were following the situation closely.

#Freeh said top Penn State officials were paying attention to reports of #Sandusky's actions. "Anything contradictory is wrong."

— Laura Nichols (@LC_Nichols) July 12, 2012

Freeh also said in his press conference that while the Board of Trustees at Penn State mishandled the firing of Paterno, they were justified to do so.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Board Of Trustees Release Statement Regarding Freeh Report

Following the release of the Freeh report on Thursday morning regarding the handling of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal, the Penn State Board of Trustees have released a statement:

Today with the report released by Judge Louis Freeh, the Penn State Board of Trustees delivered on the commitment we made last November when we engaged Judge Freeh to conduct an independent investigation into the University's actions regarding former Penn State employee, Jerry Sandusky, and the handling of allegations of the child abuse crimes of which he has since been found guilty.

Judge Freeh and his team conducted a rigorous, eight-month investigation into all aspects of the University's actions to determine where breakdowns occurred and what changes should be made for the future. We like many others have eagerly anticipated Judge Freeh's Report of the findings of his investigation.

His report has just been released at http://thefreehreportonpsu.com/ and we currently are reviewing his findings and recommendations. We expect a comprehensive analysis of our policies, procedures and controls related to identifying and reporting crimes and misconduct, including failures or gaps that may have allowed alleged misconduct to go undetected or unreported. We will provide our initial response later today.

We want to ensure we are giving the report careful scrutiny and consideration before making any announcements or recommendations. We are convening an internal team comprising the Board of Trustees, University administration and our legal counsel to begin analyzing the report and digesting Judge Freeh's findings.

As we anticipate the review and approval process will take some time, our initial response and immediate next steps will be presented at 3:30 at the Dayton/Taylor Conference Room at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center.

These top-line reactions will provide an overview of our process for developing and implementing a plan once we have studied the report and have a better understanding of what it means and how we can implement findings to strengthen Penn State's role as a leading academic institution and ensure that what occurred will never be allowed to happen again.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check outBlack Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Requested Opportunity To Work With 'Middle School Youth'

Among the findings in the Freeh report released on Thursday morning are a list of requests made by Jerry Sandusky upon his retirement in 1999. The majority of these requests were centered around Sandusky having the opportunity to continue to have access to "middle school youth" and "young people" through Penn State.

Sandusky explored taking an early retirement and requested several benefits from Penn State (i.e., a $20,000 yearly annuity in addition to his pension; to run a middle school youth football camp; "active involvement in developing an outreach program featuring Penn State athletics;" and finding "ways for [Sandusky] to continue to work with young people through Penn State."

It's important to note that these requests were granted to the coach and he was never denied access to youth in the community despite a 1998 investigation by police into allegations of Sandusky showering with kids in May 1998.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Freeh Report Shows Paterno Was Aware Of Investigation, Failed To Take Action

With the release of the Freeh report on Thursday morning, the final piece of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal puzzle has been put in place and it doesn't look like a very favorable report for anyone, including former head coach Joe Paterno. In a press release prior to the release of the full report, Louis Freeh said that evidence shows that Paterno was made aware of the 1998 investigation of Sandusky and took no action to solve the issue.

Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State. The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized. Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley never demonstrated, through actions or words, any concern for the safety and well-being ofSandusky's victims until after Sandusky's arrest.

The full press release can be found here and the full Freeh report can be found on TheFreehReportOnPSU.com.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check outBlack Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Joe Paterno Family Says He Was Not Involved In Cover-Up

Joe Paterno's role, or lack there of, in the Jerry Sandusky scandal is still widely unknown but more is expected to come to light with the release of the Freeh report on Thursday July 12. CNN released some shocking e-mails that were leaked recently that seemed to indicate Paterno knew about what Sandusky was doing, but Joe Paterno's family claims that he was not involved in any kind of cover-up.

In a letter released by the Paterno family, which first appeared on Fight On State, the family contends that Sandusky was a "deceiver" who tricked everyone at Penn State.

Joe Paterno did not cover up for Jerry Sandusky. Joe Paterno did not know that Jerry Sandusky was a pedophile. Joe Paterno did not act in any way to prevent a proper investigation of Jerry Sandusky. To claim otherwise is a distortion of the truth.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.