Sandusky Expected to Speak at Hearing

Jerry Sandusky has been working on a statement that he plans to read before his sentencing hearing tomorrow. This, according to his attorney, Joe Amendola.

Back in June, jurors determined that Sandusky used his access to university facilities and a foundation he founded for under-privileged youth to sexually abuse ten boys over a 15-year period. He faces life in prison.

From CNN:

The statement is expected to be a reassertion of his proclaimed innocence, according to co-counsel Karl Rominger. He has been advised against speaking freely.

“Contrition without admission is always my advice,” Rominger said.

At least of three of Sandusky’s victims are expected to be in attendance on Tuesday, according to their attorneys. Two of them plan to address the former coach directly, while the third is expected to have a statement read by prosecutors.

Former Penn State Coach Joe Paterno Dies

As announced by his family this morning, former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno, died early Sunday morning at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College after losing his fight with lung cancer. Paterno was 85.

I think I’ll have to agree with ESPN analyst Matt Millen (for the first time). I truly believe that although it was lung cancer which took Paterno’s life…it stands to reason that after the past few months, his death was in part due to a broken heart. The man was a legend for half a century at the University and in college football as a whole. Accumulating more wins than any other college coach in history.

But November, 2011 seems to have been the beginning of the end for Paterno. His lung cancer was disclosed by his family back on November 18, just nine days after he was fired by the Penn State’s board of trustees in the wake of the child sexual-abuse scandal that was revealed following the indictment on November 5 of Sandusky.

It’s safe to say that his all-time wins record will probably never be broken. In today’s game, coaches don’t last 50 years anymore. Yes…there has been a major recent scandal involving the school and it’s coaching staff. But today, I’m going to try to remember the coach that I remember idolizing as a kid growing up…wanting to go to Penn State. Wanting to play football for the great Joe Paterno.

From CBS News:

Paterno’s son Scott announced Nov. 18 that his father was being treated for lung cancer, which was diagnosed in mid-November during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness.

The storied career of “JoePa” included 409 wins in 46 seasons and two national championships.

But his reputation for success with honor was shattered when a former assistant was charged with molesting 10 boys during a 15-year span, including some in the Penn State athletic complex.

Is It Time for Joe Paterno to Go?

It has been a very interesting time in college football this week. Not because of the “Game of the Century” between Alabama and LSU. Not because of the BCS controversies with who should be #3, #4, #5 etc… Not because of the great Heisman Trophy debate between Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson (among others).

No, the talk of college football this week is the sudden and saddening turn of events in Happy Valley with Penn State University. As most of you know, the University has  had its football program turned upside down this week with allegations of sexual abuse taking place over a number of years, with a member of the coaching staff involved and others knowing about it.

Joe Paterno

Former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is at the center of the scandal. Penn State senior vice president Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley have already surrendered on charges that they failed to alert police to the complaint about Sandusky. Pennsylvania attorney general Linda Kelly has stated that Joe Paterno is not a target of their investigation into how the school handled the accusations but she didn’t say the same for university president Graham Spanier.

The question remains: how much was known and who else should take the fall? A lot of people are calling for Paterno’s resignation. So…is it time for Paterno to go? I’ve been a fan of Penn State football since I was probably 6 or 7 years old. I always looked up to Paterno as one of the greatest coaches of all time. Now his legacy is in question and in my eyes, he holds at least some of the responsibility.

Paterno’s weekly news conference, which was to take place today, has been canceled. It had been scheduled for noon (ET) where he would meet with members of the media, as he does every week. No reason has been given for the cancellation, but one can only speculate that the session would have been dominated about questions surrounding the sex scandal.

Did Paterno do all that he could? Should he be held legally responsible…or morally responsible?

From the Associated Press:

The Pennsylvania state police commissioner said Paterno fulfilled his legal requirement when he relayed to university administrators that a graduate assistant had seen Sandusky attacking a young boy in the team’s locker-room shower in 2002. But the commissioner also questioned whether Paterno had a moral responsibility to do more.

Jerry Sandusky: Credit AP

I’m sure that more will come out in the coming weeks but for now the question remains: Is it time for Joe to go? He’s 84 years old and has coached the team for 46 years. Until last week, his legacy would have been that he could arguably be the greatest college football coach who ever lived. Now…who knows?

Thoughts?

USC Topples Penn State in Rose Bowl

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez passed for 413 yards and four touchdowns, USC dominated on defense and the No. 5 Trojans beat up No. 6 Penn State 38-24 yesterday in the Rose Bowl.

After this performance, the Pac 10 is now 5-0 in bowl games this year. I’d have to say that they had the best postseason of any conference!

From the Associated Press:

Penn State coach Joe Paterno watched from the press box, where he’s been for most of the season because of hip problems. He couldn’t have liked what he saw— at one point in the first half, the TV camera caught him shaking his head as USC (12-1) rolled to a 31-7 lead.

But even before the game, the 82-year-old coach said several times he thought USC was at least as good as any team in the country, perhaps better.

It doesn’t matter.

Out of the BCS championship mix, the Trojans can only wonder what might have been had they not lost at Oregon State 27-21 on Sept. 25.

What was thought to be a weak Pac-10 hurt the Trojans’ chances to reach the national championship game in Miami—where Florida and Oklahoma will play next week. But the Pac-10 finished the postseason 5-0.

“With all due respect, those are two great programs, I don’t think anybody can beat the Trojans,” USC coach Pete Carroll said. “I just think we can beat anyone we played. That’s happened a lot to us late in the season. This is a terrific finishing program. There are so many things we can do. We’re just hard to beat right now.

“I just wish we could keep playing. Unfortunately, we don’t get to. Maybe someday there will be a chance, but not now.”

And not soon, either. There’s no playoff in sight for major college football.

USC scored four touchdowns and a field goal on five consecutive first-half possessions for a 24-point halftime lead against a team that allowed only 12.4 points per game during the regular season.

With the No. 1 defense in the nation, there was no way the Trojans would blow that kind of lead.

The Nittany Lions (11-2) scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to make the final score respectable, yet fell far short of their 40.2-point average.

Paterno, who has won 383 games, including 23 bowls—both records—thought the Trojans were every bit as good as advertised. USC won 10 straight after losing to Oregon State, outscoring the opposition 380-80.

Joe Paterno Signs Three Year Extension with Penn State

The 82 year old coaching legend will never retire!

Penn State coach Joe Paterno has a new three-year contract extension to go along with his new hip.

From the Associated Press:

The Hall of Famer and winningest coach in major college football history has agreed to a new deal with the university, the athletic department said Tuesday in a statement.

The agreement will provide “for the opportunity of Coach Joe Paterno leading the football program through the 2011 season,” the statement said. JoePa turns 82 on Sunday.

“It was also agreed that the parties might reevaluate their circumstances and alter the arrangement by either shortening or extending its length as necessary,” the statement said.

The agreement ends months of speculation about Paterno’s future since his current deal had expired following this season. University president Graham Spanier and Paterno had announced in the spring that Paterno didn’t need something in writing to stay on a job he’s had a record 43 years.

Yet contract questions still dogged both sides until Nov. 22, when Paterno said after the Big Ten title-clinching win over Michigan State that he planned to return in 2009.