Penn State Sandusky scandal: AD arrested, Paterno, Spanier fired; coverup charged #7

[BigCat]

According to ESPN, Penn State has selected its next head football coach.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien has agreed to become the coach at Penn State, according to sources.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...ch-sources-say

[J. J. in Phila]

The cover of the Penn Stater, the alumni magazine, is black.

[Tipstaff]

From this morning's Post-Gazette - A new coach for Penn State (maybe)



Penn State hiring Patriots assistant
Friday, January 06, 2012
By Ron Musselman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Bill O'Brien
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The coach who recently had a heated sideline spat with New England quarterback Tom Brady is the same guy who will become Penn State University's new head football coach.

Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien -- a hard-nosed, old-school coach -- interviewed for the Nittany Lions' vacancy Thursday and later accepted the job, a source told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Terms of the deal are not known, but Mr. O'Brien is expected to remain with the Patriots for the NFL playoffs.

Penn State fired Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno Nov. 9 in the wake of a child sexual abuse scandal involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

Mr. Paterno was replaced by interim coach Tom Bradley, who guided the Lions to a 1-3 finish. As of late Thursday night, no Penn State coaches or players had been informed of the hiring.

"Coach O'Brien is very intense," said Cleveland Browns third-string quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who started as a freshman at Duke in 2006 in Mr. O'Brien's second and final season as offensive coordinator there. "He demands the heck out of you, but he's going to give you everything he has. He loves the game of football.

"There was tough love, tough coaching, but it actually helped me out, helped me to get to where I am today."



Read more: http://postgazette.com/pg/12006/1201...#ixzz1igQdgbAB

[wfgodot]

Well, they might have a new coach:

sganim Sara Ganim
Source just told me that as of 4pm #PSU told current coaching staff that no decision has been made.
2 minutes ago

But they probably do have one hired. It's just PSU administrators lying again.

#comesnaturally

[Tipstaff]

Even the potential hire at Penn State if filled with problems. Wonder if this will actually come to a signed contract with O'Brien.

Joyner as referred to in the article is the acting Athletic Director.

What a mess IMO.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...ch-sources-say

"Former Penn State All-American linebacker Brandon Short told ESPN.com senior writer
Don Van Natta Jr. that members of the influential Lettermen's Club have a meeting scheduled with Joyner for 1 p.m. ET Friday.

"It's unfortunate that Coach O'Brien ... has not been made aware of the implications of him being in this position," said Short, an investment banker. "I don't envy him at all. He doesn't have support of the vast majority of former Penn State players and the vast majority of the student body and the faculty won't support him. I feel sorry for him."

Short said some members of the group were considering a range of options to express their displeasure, including asking current players to transfer and recruits to de-commit.

Short told USA Today they were mulling a lawsuit in an effort to bar Penn State from using their likenesses or images for marketing purposes.

"It appears as if it is Dave Joyner's intent to disassociate himself with everything related Penn State," Short told ESPN.com. "Then a group of former players will now disassociate ourselves from everything related to Penn State."

Former Penn State running back D.J. Dozier also said he was upset to hear about O'Brien's hiring, but also tempered his comments because of the high praise coming from Brady.

"I don't know much about O'Brien -- when you read quotes like the one from Tom Brady about what kind of coach he is, that's a pretty strong endorsement from one of the best quarterbacks in football, or the best quarterback in football," Dozier told ESPN.com's Van Natta Jr.

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson also interviewed with Penn State. Two people with knowledge of the search confirmed earlier reports that Paterno's son, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, interviewed as well. The two requested anonymity because no one was authorized to speak about the search.

The Patriots are third in the NFL overall in scoring (32.1 points per game), and second in total offense (428 yards) and passing (317.8 yards).

Penn State finished a 9-4 campaign with a 30-14 loss in the TicketCity Bowl to Houston on Jan. 2. The Nittany Lions relied on defense much of the year after the offense struggled with a two-quarterback system."

Information from ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, ESPN.com senior writer Don Van Natta Jr. and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Link above.

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by wfgodot

Well, they might have a new coach:

But they probably do have one hired. It's just PSU administrators lying again.

#comesnaturally

Here's a short clip of Jay Paterno leaving the meeting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDi9lE5CW5o&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDi9lE5CW5o&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sounds like he's about to cry.

[Tipstaff]

wfgodot - what meeting?

Sorry I mean BigCat.

[wfgodot]

sganim Sara Ganim
O'Brien and family arrive in State College http://yfrog.com/nxuivznj
5 minutes ago

Would appear they've hired a coach.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by wfgodot

Would appear they've hired a coach.

He goes from one disgraced team to another.

[Tipstaff]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

He goes from one disgraced team to another.

I beg for a LAUGH OUT LOUD button!!!

[Ada]

Originally Posted by wfgodot

"We Are Taking Control Of The Narrative," Said PSU President In Stupidly Triumphant Sandusky Memo (Deadspin)

the rest at link above

Jeesh. These people.

...

Well I was trying to post a reply but I can't even think of a response to this. Unbelievable. Seriously wtf is wrong with people.

[Reader]

Originally Posted by Tipstaff

Even the potential hire at Penn State if filled with problems. Wonder if this will actually come to a signed contract with O'Brien.

Joyner as referred to in the article is the acting Athletic Director.

What a mess IMO.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...ch-sources-say

"Former Penn State All-American linebacker Brandon Short told ESPN.com senior writer
Don Van Natta Jr. that members of the influential Lettermen's Club have a meeting scheduled with Joyner for 1 p.m. ET Friday.

"It's unfortunate that Coach O'Brien ... has not been made aware of the implications of him being in this position," said Short, an investment banker. "I don't envy him at all. He doesn't have support of the vast majority of former Penn State players and the vast majority of the student body and the faculty won't support him. I feel sorry for him."

Short said some members of the group were considering a range of options to express their displeasure, including asking current players to transfer and recruits to de-commit.

Short told USA Today they were mulling a lawsuit in an effort to bar Penn State from using their likenesses or images for marketing purposes.

"It appears as if it is Dave Joyner's intent to disassociate himself with everything related Penn State," Short told ESPN.com. "Then a group of former players will now disassociate ourselves from everything related to Penn State."

Former Penn State running back D.J. Dozier also said he was upset to hear about O'Brien's hiring, but also tempered his comments because of the high praise coming from Brady.

"I don't know much about O'Brien -- when you read quotes like the one from Tom Brady about what kind of coach he is, that's a pretty strong endorsement from one of the best quarterbacks in football, or the best quarterback in football," Dozier told ESPN.com's Van Natta Jr.

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson also interviewed with Penn State. Two people with knowledge of the search confirmed earlier reports that Paterno's son, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, interviewed as well. The two requested anonymity because no one was authorized to speak about the search.

The Patriots are third in the NFL overall in scoring (32.1 points per game), and second in total offense (428 yards) and passing (317.8 yards).

Penn State finished a 9-4 campaign with a 30-14 loss in the TicketCity Bowl to Houston on Jan. 2. The Nittany Lions relied on defense much of the year after the offense struggled with a two-quarterback system."

Information from ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, ESPN.com senior writer Don Van Natta Jr. and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Link above.

It appears that these players don't understand yet that the football program doesn't run Penn St. anymore....what a childish, selfish reaction on their part...contrary to what they are saying their (threatened) actions say they really only support themselves, not what is best for the school's future as a whole....I'm glad they picked a coach from the outside who won't be part of the old football leadership circle and should be smart enough not to start another one....

[Reader]

Was Ron Jaworski The Puppetmaster Behind Penn State’s Odd Coaching Hire?

http://deadspin.com/5873774/was-ron-...-coaching-hire

Excerpts:

Several football insiders insist Penn State could have hired a proven college coach. For reasons which have not been publicly articulated, the search instead veered toward largely anonymous NFL assistants. Word from some is that "Monday Night Football" analyst Ron Jaworski is a friend of one of the search committee members and became involved in the search, helping steer it that way.
------

His connection—his "friend" on the search committee—is Ira Lubert, a venture capitalist in Philly and a Penn State alum. He is an investor in many of Jaworski's businesses, including his golf courses and a Holiday Inn in Philadelphia. ........ They make a nice pair: Jaworski's the respected ex-jock with the high-profile ESPN gig, and Lubert's the ex-Penn State wrestler with all the money.

The Patriot-News wrote in November that Lubert was the only member of the search committee who mattered, the only one with any wealth. Two years ago, Lubert handpicked a new wrestling coach from Iowa State and paid some of his salary. The Patriot-News suggests that Lubert might do the same for the head coaching gig:
-------

Bear with my conspiracy theory for a moment: Lubert sees an opening—he can seize control of Penn State's football program because, without his money, they can't hire anyone worthwhile. But presumably he wants someone who will kowtow even more than usual. .......
------

Or maybe Ron Jaworski just knows football and wants Penn State to succeed. Who knows?

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by Tipstaff

wfgodot - what meeting?

Sorry I mean BigCat.

The athletic director met with the football staff to notify them that O'Brien has been hired.

[BigCat]

Joe Paterno issues statement:

“I understand Bill O’Brien has been named head coach and I want to congratulate him on his appointment,” Paterno said in a statement to the AP provided by his family. “I don’t know Bill, but I respect his coaching record, and I am particularly pleased we share a connection to my alma mater, Brown.”

“Despite recent commentary to the contrary, Penn State football has always been about more than winning,” Paterno added, citing what he said was the program’s commitment to education and community service. “I am hopeful this tradition will continue.”

http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnews...atement_o.html

[Quiche]

Penn State’s Choice of Coach Displeases Former Players

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The news that Bill O’Brien would become Penn State’s first new football coach in almost a half century upset some former Nittany Lions players, left some observers wondering why the search took nearly eight weeks, and moved fans here and afar to ask: “Who?”

much more at link

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/07/sp...imes&seid=auto

[StellarsJay]

Sandusky says McQueary got the year and month wrong, his shower was February 2001 and of course totally innocent.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/06/416...mcquearys.html

[Concerned Papa]

Originally Posted by StellarsJay

Sandusky says McQueary got the year and month wrong, his shower was February 2001 and of course totally innocent.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/06/416...mcquearys.html

They're gonna write books about this lawyer's statements to the media:

Jerry Sandusky’s attorney is insisting that the shower incident that Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary testified he witnessed in 2002 actually happened in 2001.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/06/416...#storylink=cpy

Soooo.....What Mike McQueary said he witnessed, actually happened, eh?

[ThoughtFox]

Originally Posted by StellarsJay

Sandusky says McQueary got the year and month wrong, his shower was February 2001 and of course totally innocent.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/06/416...mcquearys.html

OMG - that's just incredible.

[al66pine]

Football Fan Sleuthers. Atty Tries to Bolster JerSan’s Credibility à FAIL?

Does atty’s stmt ring true to you, in light of McCreary’s grand jury testimony about
JerSan & boy’s shower room incident which McC said happened in March 2002?

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/06/4167287/sanduskys-lawyer-questions-mcquearys.html
Atty said JerSan “is adamant that the time frame involved was really 2001...probably February of 2001.” [emph added]
Atty supports this month and date by saying:
“Most importantly he said he had just interviewed for the Virginia head coaching job.” [emph added]

Virginia Cavaliers football - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Virginia Cavaliers football - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Virginia Cavaliers football - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wikipedia on “Virginia Cavaliers Football” states, re head coaches:
“…Welsh announced his retirement… December 11, 2000...”
“…On December 30, 2000, Virginia hired New York Jets … Al Groh. …”
“…The 2009 team ended 3 -9 …and Groh was fired following the last game of the season…”
“…Mike London was named head coach of the Cavaliers on December 7, 2009...” [all, BBM]

I don’t see any Dec. 2001 period, as logical for head coach interviews.

Did U of Va conduct any head coach interviews in December 2001, the month of JerSan‘s purported interview?

Wiki could bave bungled the dates or could have omitted head coaches
Or did JerSan misspeak to atty re interview date?
Or did atty misspeak to reporter re interview date?
If none of the above, I wonder if U/Va interviewed JerSan for less-than-head coach position, but JerSan would not admit to that?

If U of Va had no head coach opening in Dec 2001, looks like -
---JerSan’s stmt re Dec 2001 interview & shower timeframe is flimsy if not bogus, and
---Atty’s attempt to bolster client’s credibility built on that premise also fails.

So whatdya think? What am I missing or misintepreting? Thanks in advance.

[Quiche]

Originally Posted by al66pine

Football Fan Sleuthers. Atty Tries to Bolster JerSan’s Credibility à FAIL?

Does atty’s stmt ring true to you, in light of McCreary’s grand jury testimony about
JerSan & boy’s shower room incident which McC said happened in March 2002?

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/06/4167287/sanduskys-lawyer-questions-mcquearys.html
Atty said JerSan “is adamant that the time frame involved was really 2001...probably February of 2001.” [emph added]
Atty supports this month and date by saying:
“Most importantly he said he had just interviewed for the Virginia head coaching job.” [emph added]

Virginia Cavaliers football - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wikipedia on “Virginia Cavaliers Football” states, re head coaches:
“…Welsh announced his retirement… December 11, 2000...”
“…On December 30, 2000, Virginia hired New York Jets … Al Groh. …”
“…The 2009 team ended 3 -9 …and Groh was fired following the last game of the season…”
“…Mike London was named head coach of the Cavaliers on December 7, 2009...” [all, BBM]

I don’t see any Dec. 2001 period, as logical for head coach interviews.

Did U of Va conduct any head coach interviews in December 2001, the month of JerSan‘s purported interview?

Wiki could bave bungled the dates or could have omitted head coaches
Or did JerSan misspeak to atty re interview date?
Or did atty misspeak to reporter re interview date?
If none of the above, I wonder if U/Va interviewed JerSan for less-than-head coach position, but JerSan would not admit to that?

If U of Va had no head coach opening in Dec 2001, looks like -
---JerSan’s stmt re Dec 2001 interview & shower timeframe is flimsy if not bogus, and
---Atty’s attempt to bolster client’s credibility built on that premise also fails.

So whatdya think? What am I missing or misintepreting? Thanks in advance.

Fail!!!

WTH are they doing, making these kinds of statements without doing their own investigations? The only thing I take away from Amendola's assertion that Jerry is "adamant" about the dates being inaccurate is that Jerry had so many different kids in that shower he can't keep it all straight!

I hope the Prosecutors are pouncing on this with both feet and are able to identify who was the victim d'jour at the close of 2000/early months of 2001! I think the waving of the preliminary trial is going to come back and bite them ITA and HARD! It's obvious, to me, the defense doesn't know who's who in Jerry's own victims. (Jerry may pride himself on remembering all of them, because he "loved them," but I think there are quite a few surprise witnesses in store for him.

This is beyond crazy!

MOO

[Concerned Papa]

Sandusky, apparently did interview for the VA job in December, 2000 as confirmed by the Centre Times Daily:

Centre Daily Times archives show that Sandusky interviewed for the job on Dec. 20, 2000.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/06/416...#storylink=cpy

Welsh announced his retirement on December 11, 2000 and interviews were conducted until hiring Al Groh on December 30, 2000.

As the post from al66pine points out, Sandusky could not, and did not interview in January, 2001 as stated by his attorney unless it was for some type of assistant position. The head coach's job was already filled.

Amendola said Sandusky said he interviewed for the football job at the University of Virginia in January 2001.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/06/416...#storylink=cpy

It's gonna be kinda hard for Jer and mr. lawyer to make this fairy tale fly.

[StellarsJay]

Originally Posted by concerned papa

they're gonna write books about this lawyer's statements to the media:

Soooo.....what mike mcqueary said he witnessed, actually happened, eh?

Funny!

[Reader]

Originally Posted by Concerned Papa

Sandusky, apparently did interview for the VA job in December, 2000 as confirmed by the Centre Times Daily:



Welsh announced his retirement on December 11, 2000 and interviews were conducted until hiring Al Groh on December 30, 2000.

As the post from al66pine points out, Sandusky could not, and did not interview in January, 2001 as stated by his attorney unless it was for some type of assistant position. The head coach's job was already filled.



It's gonna be kinda hard for Jer and mr. lawyer to make this fairy tale fly.

Well they all say JS is like a 'boy'....maybe he thinks he's Peter Pan!

If they can't get their stories together any better than this, Amendola better be saying a few 'amens' before trial...

[Reader]

Once again, Penn St. shows it's clueless
Bill Reiter

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefoot...a-thing-010612

What we know now — as emotions run hot in Happy Valley and among those still stuck in its sphere of influence and absurd thinking — is sad, stupid and all too familiar.

The same forces are at it again: Nittany Lions apologists, sports fanatics and otherwise right-thinking fans who have lost track of themselves and those things that matter in the clutter and cloud of misplaced loyalty when the Jerry Sandusky scandal first broke.
-----

Note that Arrington and those like him didn’t decide to be done with Penn State when the Sandusky child sexual-abuse scandal first broke. Notice he and those like him — as detailed allegations of evil and horror spread, made possible in part because of football and Penn State — did not suddenly decide it was time to take their loyalties elsewhere.

But now — now that a longtime Paterno assistant, Penn State insider and one-time Sandusky friend gets passed over — now’s the time for moral self-righteousness, threats of separation and “change-or-I’m-going” hand wringing?

Are these guys serious?
------


More at link....