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.
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