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12 Nov 2011 17:14

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U.S.: Some quick numbers from Saturday’s Penn State football game

  • 107,903 the number of people that paid to see the game, the largest crowd at Beaver Stadium this year
  • $22,000 the amount raised during the game by charity groups that support the prevention of child abuse source
  • » “Therapy” for a battered school: Why did the game, the team’s first in 46 years without Joe Paterno, draw such huge crowds? Simply put, it was a bit of a release after a trying week, despite the discomfort around the game. “It’s therapy,” said one fan, Dave Young. “I love Penn State football, always will love Penn State football. Tough week, cried in my office a couple times when I had moments to myself. But now it’s time to release and watch the football game and enjoy it.” Penn State lost to Nebraska, 17-14, which, despite a late rally, was not to be.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Nov 2011 10:51

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U.S.: Mother of alleged Jerry Sandusky victim speaks out about incident

  • In an exclusive television interview with ABC News, the mother of “Victim 1,” one of eight victims named in the indictment that led to Jerry Sandusky‘s arrest, spoke about how she learned about what was happening. The son started by asking his mother how to look up information on sex offenders. “[I] proceeded to ask him if there was something he needed to tell me, if there was something going on … it wasn’t ’til a month later when he indicated he was uncomfortable with leaving the school with him, and [Sandusky] pulling him out of classes at school,” she said. The mother, whose name was withheld, said that her son had difficulty bringing up the incidents, and even after he did, the full thrust of what Sandusky did wasn’t made clear until the recent indictment was released. “I had said, ‘You know, maybe we should have come to this conclusion earlier — you should have told me,'” the mother said she told her son. “He was like, ‘Well, I didn’t know what to do … you just can’t tell Jerry no.'” Unbelievable. (Edit: As noted in comments below, the Patriot-News had an interview with this mother, and a second one, in print a couple of days ago. ABC News does call their interview “exclusive,” but it’s likely an exclusive TELEVISION interview.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2011 23:14

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U.S.: Pennsylvania governor “disappointed” in Penn State officials

  • We need to protect children. We need to act. I’ve seen many instances where people have power and assume they are above the law.
  • Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett • Discussing the Penn State situation, which led to the forced exits of legendary football coach Joe Paterno and school president Graham Spanier. He said he was “disappointed” by the school officials. “Their actions caused me not to have confidence in their ability to lead,” said Corbett, who (as the state’s Attorney General) launched the investigation into suspected child molester Jerry Sandusky and the Penn State program back in 2009. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Nov 2011 10:44

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U.S.: Joe Paterno to retire from Penn State at the end of the season

  • what Joe Paterno, the 86-year-old football coach at Penn State, will retire at the end of the season, after a long career with many successes and a scandal which threatened to overshadow his many victories.
  • why Eroding support after a major sex-abuse scandal involving one of his former coaches. While Paterno’s people said the decision was his alone, his support from the board was fading fast. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Nov 2011 20:18

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U.S.: Penn State sex abuse case: Joe Paterno responds to allegations

  • I understand that people are upset and angry, but let’s be fair and let the legal process unfold.
  • Penn State coach Joe Paterno • Making a statement on the situation with Jerry Sandusky, his former defensive coordinator who is facing charges over some pretty awful sexual abuse allegations. How much did Paterno know? Here’s what he claims: “I was informed in 2002 by an assistant coach that he had witnessed an incident in the shower of our locker room facility,” Paterno noted. “It was obvious that the witness was distraught over what he saw, but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the Grand Jury report.” But ultimately, the extent of the allegations was far beyond what Paterno even imagined: “If this is true we were all fooled,” he claimed, “along with scores of professionals trained in such things.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Nov 2011 09:45

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Culture: Penn State sex abuse allegations could damage Joe Paterno’s legacy

  • Sandusky, Curley and Schultz are innocent until proven guilty. Regardless, the last two days are the worst in the history of what was once a proud Penn State football program.
  • (Harrisburg, Pa.) Patriot-News columnist Bob Flounders • Discussing the major scandal revolving around Penn State’s football team this weekend — the arrest of Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State defensive coordinator charged with allegedly sexually abusing numerous young boys over the years, and the reported cover-up by the Penn State athletic program. “Perception can be a program killer, whatever the truth turns out to be,” Flounders notes. “And now Penn State football might have a horrific perception problem. It might affect recruiting classes. It might affect [head coach Joe] Paterno’s legacy. We tend to focus on what happens last with legends.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Nov 2011 14:47

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U.S.: Former Penn State football coach arrested in sex-abuse case

  • The architect of Joe Paterno’s defense: Jerry Sandusky, center, was once one of the great icons of the Penn State football team, a defensive coordinator who helped define the school’s reputation as a defensive powerhouse before he retired in 1999. Now, his association with the team seems like a giant black mark. Sandusky was arrested Sunday, facing dozens of charges in a sexual abuse case involving eight different boys over 15 years. He wasn’t the only person on the hook: Athletic director Tim Curley and the school’s vice president for finance and business, Gary Schultz, are also expected to be arrested for an alleged cover-up. Paterno himself won’t be charged — when made aware of a case of abuse, he reportedly went to Curley and informed him about it. A tough day for Penn State fans. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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