Sidewalk Joe
January 13, 2012 at 1:48 pm Tina Hay 31 comments
Some enterprising soul has taken it upon themselves to leave little reminders of our former football coach around campus.
Thanks to my colleague David Stong for calling my attention to these stencils that have suddenly popped up. The one at right is on the sidewalk along the Old Main Mall near the Obelisk, and I saw another one on a concrete post outside Carnegie Building.
How many more are there? Who’s behind this? I don’t know, but—at the risk of appearing to condone graffiti—I think they’re a nice little tribute.
Tina Hay, editor
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Entry filed under: Joe Paterno, University Park campus. Tags: sidewalk art, sidewalk graffiti.
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1. christine | January 13, 2012 at 2:01 pm
love it! And hoping all the outpouring of good wishes brings some comfort to JoePa and his family
2. todd | January 13, 2012 at 2:14 pm
its actually quite awful. football will go on in state college, and soon it will be business as usual, and in time people will forget… not about paterno, but about jerry sandusky and all of the children’s lives he ruined by taking advantage of their youth and raping them.
if anything, there should be photos of sandusky or children with “remember” underneath them.
since this story publicly broke, there has been a lot of outcry and support for paterno and the football team… and NOTHING for the victimized children.
if there’s one thing that ive learned throughout this scandal its that there’s a lot of support for penn state football… and no support for victims of child abuse, molestation, and rape.
3. Floyd | January 13, 2012 at 2:23 pm
Todd: “and NOTHING for the victimized children.”
Todd,
Joe Paterno did not commit or ignore any crimes.
Check out this link. Penn Staters, as a whole, have NOT ignored the alleged crimes.
Here is an example of how much Penn Staters care about the abuse of children.
http://www.rainn.org/ProudPSUforRAINN
4. Anonymous | January 13, 2012 at 2:24 pm
Todd – your comments are slightly offensive considering Penn State has donated $2 million in efforts against child sexual abuse, alumni have raised more than $500k in support of RAINN, candlelit vigils have taken place, etc. I am not sure where you have been through all of that, but maybe you should open your eyes – just a little.
5. Leslie Persin | January 13, 2012 at 2:27 pm
There has never been a moment when the victims have been forgotten. Alumni rallied together and raised quite a bit of money for RAIN plus the University committed $1.5 million from the bowl game for charities that deal with abuse victims. This awareness has also allowed victims that have remained silent to take that step forward, to make that phone call, etc. We hope all victims have this courage….to get the assistance and counseling that they need and deserve.
We have never said let’s forget the victim. We have however, asked that the focus of responsibility be with those that actually did these heinous acts….that would be Sandusky. Maybe there will be changes in the future so that when police, the district attorney and the attorney general have the information, they step forward and prosecute the case.
If this had happened back in 1997, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
6. LMR | January 13, 2012 at 2:29 pm
How could you possible say there’s been no support for the victimized children? Are you aware of the more than $500,000 raised by the Penn State community for RAINN? http://rainn.org/ProudPSUforRAINN
7. Michelle Anne Leonard | January 13, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Well I definitely condone graffitti too because I absolutely LOVE it and hope they start popping up by the thousands.
8. M | January 13, 2012 at 2:35 pm
I hope this is an art major workin’ some Shepard Fairey action!
@Todd – Look at how much Joe has donated and did for the SCHOOL. You should really educate yourself before posting such silly comments.
9. Karen | January 13, 2012 at 2:41 pm
I’m so disheartened to think that folks continue to see this only as a PSU issue. Where’s the outcry for heads of the school admins heard the story with their own ears yet discouraged the mother from pressing charges, what about previous investigations that were knowingly terminated? How about the trustees that were briefed MONTHS ago as to what was going on and no one there went to the cops to reinstate an investigation? What about the witnesses who actually saw with their own eyes what was going on and did not pursue? There are plenty of people who knew what was going on – well before the recent events. This should have been dealt with and put to rest years ago and NEVER should have reached PSU on such a personal level, but money and politics won out.
10. Jack Burton | January 13, 2012 at 2:45 pm
todd, there has actually been quite a bit done to support victims of child abuse. The University has, among other initiatives, donated 1.5 million dollars of the bowl game revenue to the Hershey Children’s Hospital to fund a center for victims of child abuse. Also, the students of Penn State have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for RAINN. I’m quite sure there are dozens of other things that are being and will be done in support of victims. As far as the specific victims of Sandusky (currently alleged until after the trial), we do not know who they are at this time, but they will have their day(s) in court and hopefully that will help bring closure to the things they’ve had to endure. The dead-beat parents of many of the victims who couldn’t or wouldn’t provide a stable home for the children they created need to be taken to task as much as anyone in this case. Everyone seems to forget that. Most of those kids wouldn’t have needed the Second Mile if they would have had parents who had their act together. The buck starts with them.
11. todd | January 13, 2012 at 3:05 pm
i heard quite a bit of outrage last week from football alumni, etc about the current coach and staff. i heard NOTHING from football alumni in november that one of their coaches raped children and has 52 counts of abuse against him.
everyone should be in agreement that child abuse and rape is a more important issue than college football. not once did i hear anyone say, “lets keep our eye on what’s most important here…”
im plenty educated in dollar figures, donation amounts and the causes theyve been sent to.
Silly coments?
I’ll tell you whats silly. Telling people to remember Paterno, with grafitti, and not telling people to remember child rape victims.
12. CK | January 13, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Todd- you have your head in the sand- see Matt Millen on ESPN, LaVar Arrington on WashingtonPost.com and the Lettermen’s club. The victims have the full force of the Pennsylvania State Government to get their justice as it should be. We Penn State alumni have to clean up the crap sandwich our BOT left us with and we will accomplish that task over the next 3 years.
13. todd | January 13, 2012 at 3:23 pm
Lavar Arrington? Are you serious? He’s the biggest outrage!
Lavar and Short’s commentary and outrage has only been visible since the O’Brien hire!
Where were they with the same fire and passion in November?
Why werent these players condemning a child rapist in November with the same ferocity as they are about a coaching change?
This is only reinforcing the fact that wins, losses and coaching staff changes of a college football program is more important that molested children for many (not all) penn state fans.
14. MT | January 13, 2012 at 3:33 pm
@Todd: It’s pretty clear at this stage that anyone at Penn State who turned a blind eye to Sandusky’s crimes is going to “get theirs” in the end. Two administrators have been indicted and depending on McQueary told them (and there are some pretty big questions about that), they may end up serving time. Personally, I’m pretty outraged that the Second Mile executives who knew about these incidents have escaped scrutiny and have (so far) not been indicted. These are the people who were truly in a position to protect these children. But there’s no point in asking President Erickson about that, because Second Mile isn’t under his control. What is under his control (and the BOT’s control) is how the University treats its employees, and the University’s treatment of Coach Paterno was completely cowardly and shameful.
15. Kristen | January 13, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Todd, once again, you are wrong. Lavar Arrington went off twice in November about the entire situation, not just about bringing in O’Brien- see the two links below:
http://tinyurl.com/blruhh5
http://tinyurl.com/6nxklyt
The Penn State community is much more than football and the Paternos. But as a Penn Stater, Paterno was a leader in the community on and off the field. He and his wife have given so much to the campus and continue to do so. After being fired from his position, he still donated $100K to the university in December. Before you start making comments about how Penn State has or hasn’t stood up for victims, why don’t you read and actually get to know the facts? It’s people like you, in their ignorance, that are what’s wrong with society today.
16. todd | January 13, 2012 at 3:51 pm
Your’re right Kristen. It is ignorant people like me, who care about the fact that there were children raped, about the fact that there were children abused, about the fact that there were children molested, and not about whether or not my football team will hang on to recruits, or who its coaches will be, is what is wrong with society today.
Typical response.
17. Shane | January 13, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Todd, you don’t have a single clue what you are talking about. You are not a part of the Penn State community and have no idea what the priorities of said community are. You, along with the rest of society, want to focus on the children and completely ignore everything else. But the reality is that there is an ENTIRE issue. What you all fail to realize is that the children were not the only victims here. Yes, they had it exponentially worse than anyone else. Yes, they are 99% of the issue. And yes, they have ALWAYS been every Penn Staters #1, #2, and #3 priority. But that doesn’t mean we are wrong for making JoePa our #4 priority. We remember a legend and a mentor to us all. Regardless of the slander the media wants to distribute, JoePa was a GREAT man with unwaivering morals and values. The ignorance of the spin doctor infused media doesn’t change that fact. And people like you wouldn’t know it because you’ve never seen the man and the selfless acts he has done, not only for the university’s academic program, but also for random ordinary people that are not affiliated with the university in any way. The only difference is that now only the people who have interacted with him and been a part of JoePa’s world know that. People like you wallow in your cesspool of ignorance and spit words of naive anger while claiming to be informed.
If you go back and read the grand jury report, educate yourself on the administrative system of Penn State and then add a dash of common sense you’ll see that JoePa actually did all the things the media says he never did. But you wouldn’t know that because you hop on the spin doctor band wagon without a single trace of intelligent thought. You chastise a community you have absolutely no experience with. To make an analogy to football, since it’s fitting with your ignorance, you’re like a typical armchair quarterback. You’ll watch these coaches who have been in the sport for 30, 40, or in JoePa’s case, 60 years yet condemn them and yell at the TV while telling them you could do a better job of coaching than they could. You’re a follower. You go with the trend and fail to have an intelligent thought that is all your own. You fail to question the media and the so called “truth” you see on TV. Penn Staters are taught that intelligence, individualism, and integrity are the truest characteristics every person should have. That is why we have followed the issue closer than anyone else, seen the truth, placed blame where it belongs, in the calibur that is appropriate, and stood firm in our beliefs. What happened was attrocious. But that doesn’t mean we burn the university down, throw away our class rings, leave the alumni association, and condemn every person that the media does. We stand by JoePa. We stand by him for a reason that you will never understand. And that is fine. None of us expect you to. But don’t judge and speak on a subject of which you have absolutely ZERO knowledge. Regardless of what you or the media say, think, or do We Are Penn State and We Are a Lion’s Pride. You might as well get used to it.
18. todd | January 13, 2012 at 4:11 pm
@kristen– interesting podcast. ive followed this closely since this story broke, spent many, many hours reading many sites, blogs, newspapers, reports, including the presentment, etc. one thing i was not directed to was lavar’s interview that day on his regional radio show.
im glad you hung on to that link.
i still maintain that there were not enough football alumni, current and former who have a level of celebrity that even the most passing sports fan would know, who could have come out with significant support for the children, and critical disdain for the predator.
19. Jeremy | January 13, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Don’t pay any attention to Todd…he’s just trolling.
20. MT | January 13, 2012 at 4:23 pm
@Todd: Given your great concern for the children who are affected, what have you personally done to help them?
21. DH | January 13, 2012 at 4:33 pm
But Shane…why was Paterno fired then, if he did everything right? I guess the most powerful man on campus who, by his own admission, did not to enough to sound the alarms was just scapegoated. Unwavering morals and values? I am afraid your love for whatever it is you think PSU stands for is clouding your judgment. A man of unwavering morals and values would scream from the rooftops that children were being raped. A man of unwavering morals and values would have run to the police the minute he heard about the allegations instead of saying, “Iam sorry you had to see that.” A man of unwavering morals and values would have done everything in his power to stop the rape and abuse that was (allegedly) taking place on his campus, on his watch and was enabled fully by his inaction.
22. DH | January 13, 2012 at 4:41 pm
And, I should add that the reason the public is being so harsh is exactly because of the head in the sand, kool-aid drinking mentality that people like Shane promote. I didn’t go to PSU, so maybe you’re right. I don’t understand. But I also don’t understand how supposedly smart adults running a major university could allow Jerry Sandusky to do the things he is alleged to have done and not raise their voices any louder than they did. Yes..one person allegedly raped those children. But several men in positions of power either lied to hide the truth, cover their own asses, or did little or nothing to stop the horrific acts from taking place. So, while they didn’t do what Sandusky is alleged to have done, their inaction makes them complicit and deserving of everything coming their way.
23. Aileen MG | January 13, 2012 at 4:42 pm
I want to add my support for the “graffiti” on campus and add my disdain for Todd and his views. Many others are more well spoken than I am. I agree that there has been and will continue to be much support for the victims. Penn State will now be a leader in reaching victims of sexual abuse.
It angers me that so many people see this as about Penn State football. It has nothing to do with football. It has everything to do with one man who happened to be a football coach. The football players have nothing to do with this scandal. This has everything to do with a system that failed long before the events of 2002. Yes Penn State football will go on and it should but any Penn Stater knows that there is so much more to our university than football.
Let’s put the blame where it belongs. There are so many victims in this that are not being talked about. What about all the coaches with families to support that will now lose their jobs?
As far as more support from alumni, etc, no one knows how much support is actually out there. Many do so much behind the scenes and don’t want to get into the media circus. Too much rush to judgement when you don’t know all the facts. As a Penn Stater, I think it is my responsibility to get all the facts before I start talking about any issue. I am still waiting for all the facts in this case.
24. todd | January 13, 2012 at 4:43 pm
@shane– interesting diatribe. my commentary has not been about paterno, his legacy, his philanthropy, his ethics, nor any of his acts of generosity over his decades in state college. not a bit. none of that can be debated.
my commentary has been about the types of reactions of others towards the situation of the molestation, and eventual ouster of paterno.
from a birds eye view looking down, many flocked to the side of paterno and assembled at his home 2 days after learning of the grand jury in support of “their” coach. a commendable act. but looking at the bigger picture, where were the masses at the second mile foundation to support this group who was about to go through the ringer? where were the masses assembling in vigil that night in support of those affected? it wasnt until a week after the presentment that this support was offered.
i will forfeit that over time, support for these victims has increased which is a godsend for victims of abuse all over the country.
if there will be any kind of silver lining to come out of this, its that the level of support that these victims of child abuse have since received will make it easier for other victims nationwide to come forward if theyve been abused.
remember paterno? could anyone forget him?
that would be like going to ucla to remind people to remember wooden, or to alabama to remind people to remember bryant. these individuals are iconic and part of the fabric of their respective college communities, and will be forever.
it will always be the victims who we will need to be reminded of…
25. Aileen MG | January 13, 2012 at 4:47 pm
DH, what about the district attorney and the police who knew about this in 1998? Why is no one blaming them?
And Joe Paterno was fired because the university succumbed to the pressure from the media. He was made the scapegoat so that the pressure would be off them. The trustees, president and the AD are much more to blame than Joe Paterno. Maybe he should have done more but we don’t know what else he did do. We weren’t there. We just know his character that he has exhibited in the past. One mistake does not erase an entire life.
26. todd | January 13, 2012 at 5:00 pm
@aileen mg– i understand that the core of this situation is not a football issue. it is absolutely not a football issue, and ive understood that from day 1. which is why ive never understood why there has been so much support for the football program during this affair. when a problem like this is looming over the program like a cloud (which is how it relates to football) who cares about the incoming recruits, who cares about transfers, who cares about the next recruting class, who cares about who is going to coach. yes, the show must go on as football is the highest money earning sport in the program, but at some point you have to take a step back and say, lets fix the problem before we do anything else.
27. DH | January 13, 2012 at 5:24 pm
@aileen — the DA and Penn State Police Department’s inaction is equally inexcusable as anyone else who knew of the allegations. But their inaction does not absolve others from theirs.
I don’t believe JP was scapegoated. In fact, his ouster is the one of the few correct things the administration did in it’s ham-handed handling of this mess. It was Joe P’s program. The alleged acts took place under his watch, the alleged acts took place on PSU Football property and were carried out by one of his closest confidants. So, Joe should go. That doesn’t mean he was a lousy football coach. And, it doesn’t mean he did an awful lot of good during his tenure. We all demand accountability from our leaders and regardless of the halo that PSU has strung up over Joe P’s head, he should be held accountable. That doesn’t erase the good he did for many, many people. But there are certainly people he failed and that’s every child that was victimized AFTER he was made aware of what was taking place.
So, Joe Paterno helped thousands of young men become better football players and better men. We can all agree to that. However, on the other side of the balance sheet sits many, many vulnerable children whose lives were irrevocably damaged by Jerry Sandusky and every individual who failed to do everything he or she could have done to stop that monster.
28. Anonymous | January 13, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Todd…..you are going to get push back from Penn Staters because for too long, the administrators of Penn State have allowed the media and individuals like you, to paint the university in a negative light. The allegations against Sandusky are mind boggeling repulsive. It’s time for Penn Staters to move forward, address what happened, try to make sure it never happens again at Penn State or anywhere that a Penn Stater lives or works, and hopefully, become the leader in being advocates/researchers for victims of sexual abuse. What more do you want us to do and say? For every report or story that comes out, must we profess how much we care about the victims? It’s really none of your business how we feel about it. I find it ludicrous that people want to accuse people of not caring about the victims simply because they care about the legacy of Joe Paterno and what he has meant to so many people. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, which you don’t seem to understand, nor do I suspect you really want to understand.
29. todd | January 13, 2012 at 6:11 pm
@anonymous– no matter whether you agree with my stance or not, you have to agree with the fact that there are thousands upon thousands of penn state football fans who are more concerned with the future of the football team than with the safety or future of the victims. im not pigeon holing all penn state fans, as i stated earlier, however as ive looked around in my own pennsylvania community, in other penn state message boards, blogs, etc, these people are around and its an astonishingly large population. you have to have noticed this. its all around.
i have not painted the university in a bad light at all. in fact in my previous posts, ive stated that assembling in support of the coach was a commendable act. it is a fantastic school, one which i visited as a potential college choice.
and youre right, it doesnt have to be one or the other, i just know that in the grand scheme of things, i know what should have been supported primarily.
30. Cindy Shingler | January 14, 2012 at 12:07 am
I am sick to death of all of the sanctimonious posts from those who think that all we are interested in is the football program, and have no interest in the safety of the children who were reportedly abused. I was a victim of child sexual abuse, and it is something that remains with me 55 years later. But what Sandusky allegedly did (this is still America where you are innocent until proven guilty) has nothing to do with the mishandling of the whole affair by our governor and the Penn State Board of Trustees! What they did to Joe Paterno was a travesty . . . and many of us will not rest until this wrong is made right! Get off your pedestal and actually go out and help the children, if that is your passion. Our passion is the good name of Joe Paterno, who followed the letter of the law and what he thought was right, and our university. We won’t be thwarted by small minded people who can’t see the forrest for the trees!
31. John Muskrat | January 14, 2012 at 3:42 am
The reason it is all about Joe is the butt plugs all think Joe did something wrong and keep bringing him up. If you all really care about the victims, go to this site: http://www rainn org/ProudPSUforRAINN make a donation and blog about how and why you are great stewards of the victims….and leave Joe in peace