I would liken McQueary's shocking encounter, to you or I coming upon a live Bengal tiger in the lockeroom showers. Except this tiger could also cost you your job, not just eat you.
Your sense of what you just saw, would probably melt your circuits in a way that renders logical thinking almost impossible.
Furthermore, would you know if Sandusky had a weapon on him, or near him? What if you swing and miss, and he gets the upper hand on you and then harms the child?
Howard Bryant, writing for ESPN.com, recalls a Boston Red Sox sexual abuse scandal that I surely never heard about. One that reminds you how absolute power corrupts absolutely, especially when it comes to dark, hideous acts, that the powerful never want to confront.
Sports might not be as important as law enforcement or religion, but the betrayal of trust is just as deep. For three decades, the Boston Red Sox employed a sexual predator who solicited sex from the young boys he would hire to work the clubhouse during spring training. It would become common knowledge that Donald Fitzpatrick was dangerous around children. One of his victims alleged that Red Sox players such as Jim Rice and Sammy Stewart would warn the clubhouse kids to avoid Fitzpatrick. When one of the kids confronted Red Sox management in 1971 with the charge that Fitzpatrick had engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with them -- some as young as 4 years old -- in the Red Sox clubhouse and at the Holiday Inn where the team was housed during spring training, the Red Sox followed the Penn State template and more. Not only did the team fail to alert authorities or disassociate from Fitzpatrick but the Red Sox fired the victims who came forward.
Only in 1991, when another victim, a young aide Fitzpatrick was suspected of recruiting, held up a sign during a nationally televised Red Sox-Angels game that read "Don Fitzpatrick sexually assaulted me" did the Red Sox act, paying out a $100,000 settlement. After more than 30 years, in 2003, the Red Sox settled a $3.15 million lawsuit with the seven Florida victims. In 2002, Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty in Florida to four counts of sexual battery on a child.Look, hindsight of 9 years, and with all we know now, makes it easy to say "I would have cold cocked that old man!" But in the moment, who knows.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteThe grand jury shows us that some of these boys traveled with Sandusky for bowl games. The children were alone in hotel rooms with this man. The boys ate at the table with coaches and their wives. The university has a huge liability here -- what did these adults think they were witnessing? Everyone in Joe Pa's inner circle witnessed wrong. From the person who cleared bowl tickets for children unaccompanied by their parent to anyone who knew these boys were staying in his hotel room. The sickness goes deeper than McQueary and the janitors who saw something in the showers. This happened directly under the watch of the coaches, their wives, their adult children, and other athletic personnel. Joe Pa's is rotten to the core.
I'm amazed how Jo Pa is being vilified more than anyone else involved. Joe followed the chain of command just like we are all supposed to do.
ReplyDeleteYour statements make no sense Czabe - Mcquery is a big dude, former football player, and could easily overpower some old man. There's also no way he could have a gun with him when he's in the SHOWER. Bottom line, Mcquery and Sandusky and the school president are the worst people involved here.
"Cold-cocked?" Really?
ReplyDeleteAnd Joe Pa SHOULD be more villified as he was the man in Happy Valley, a paragon of virtue, leader and molder of young men, etc., and yet he let things slide by. And his statement that this incident is just ONE of his great sorrows in life? ONE? What other horrendous experience has Joe Pa had that ranks up there with this scandal where a member of his inner circle and friend turns out to be a pederast rapist?
You don't need to knock a naked man out to stop him from raping a 10 year old boy. I'm a teacher, and I've physically stopped plenty of fights where either kid could have kicked my ass up and down the hallway without half trying. Get in the way, get in their face, yank the kid away by the arm.
ReplyDeleteWe can call a moratorium on hearing about college athletics building character. If anyone's character was built, it should have been McQueary, the quarterback, the golden boy, the team leader. When his character was tested, by seeing a 10 year old boy being raped, he showed the character of a craven little bitch, first running away and then, as a 28 year old man, running to his Daddy. He could have gone to the Great God Paterno himself, as a former QB and a member of the staff.
But I don't know if McCreary should be the focus here. In the moment, he failed. But after the moment, he tried to do the right thing. He went to Paterno. He spoke to AD Curley and VP Shulz. He TRIED. No one else gave a good cold crap.
Just throwing this out there--did Sandusky have dirt on Paterno?
Given the riot last nigh, does the new regime at Penn State need to stop playing football for a while, or forever, to get some priorities back in order?
Boss Hogg: Bullfeathers. At Penn State, aka Joe Pa U, Paterno WAS the chain of command. Last night, after everything that has been made public, when the board of trustees finally fired Paterno, the students RIOTED.
What i can't understand is this. Even before this incident, cops actually listened into a call between sandusky and a mom about their kid being touched inappropriately. Sandusky even admits to it. For some reason, no criminal charges were filed
ReplyDeleteSrini: the "cops" were university police.
ReplyDeleteFrom Boswell's article in the WaPo:
"Sandusky, assumed to be Paterno's successor, retired from coaching the very next year. Why quit when you're only 55? Sandusky's explanation: To stay around State College helping young kids at risk in the Second Mile foundation he started in 1977. That's where the grand jury said he combed the child population to find his victims"
Most coaches/politicians/athletes/whatever quit to "spend more time with their families." Sandusky quit to have more time to molest kids.
Hey Penn State, David Khoresh called, said your program is starting to look like a cult.
They did nothing because they liked their little fantasy bubble land of college sports make-believe where they were very comfortable, stable, employed indefinitely, and didn't want to disturb their relatively calm existence. And they are cowards.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. McQueary witnesses a vile crime involving a powerful individual. He takes it to Paterno who effectively buries the scandal and McQueary receives a sweet ass assistant coaching job at Penn State. Why isn't McQueery gone with the rest of them?
ReplyDeleteRegardless of what he did or did not do in the moment, he continued to see Sandusky around campus. He had to look that man in the eye and treat him with the respect that is given to a retired coach- and he was able to do it. He was able to go to work and rub elbows with a man he knew for a fact liked to rape young boys.
ReplyDeleteHe was also able to see Sandusky parade another 11 year old around in 2007 and know in his heart that he was looking at another victim. He didn't quit. He didn't float his resume. He continued to work for the program.
You know why he was able to do all that? Because he worked in a place that said it was okay to work with child molesters. McQueary sees an honored ex-coach rape a child, and then he sees the same coach keep an office, pension, parking place, tickets to games, access, hosting of camps, etc. So maybe the Penn State indoctrination goes that deep, that a man could internalize that message and think it's the right one.
Mcqueary isn't gone cuz the administration needs to control him now more than ever. When the lawsuits start rolling in, he is what you call an eye witness. It's always about the money.
ReplyDeleteBehold, a culture that has successfully emasculated males.
ReplyDeleteBetween McQueary's run to daddy and the Penn State administrators firing Paterno over the phone, we have seen seen every form of pussy behavior on parade. Wouldn't it be refreshing to hear just one man act like he had a pair? If the law couldn't act, somebody should have arranged for Sandusky to turn up dead with his testicles stuffed into his mouth.
Hell, just yelling at Sandusky the shower would have sent him scuttling into the shadows. Who's prepared for confrontation in a furtive situation like that?
Man, vigilantism is going to make a big comeback with all the BS we let go by these days as long as it's wrapped in legalities and "feelings."
Lori L is right. There is no defense for the behavior of any of these bastards. Including McQueary. This is some serious, Catholic Church level shit. Horrible.
ReplyDeletein my opinion, McQueary is the worst of all of them, because he actually SAW it. Anyone else can always say they were unclear about exactly what was witnessed in that shower. However, McQueary KNOWS what HE saw.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is that reporting it to a coworker is simply not enough. In any universe, it's just not enough. How could you control the urge to vomit every time you saw Sandusky after that ...... if you didn't beat the hell from him first.
I cannot comprehend the lack of action displayed by so many in this matter.
Steve, You have it completely wrong. "Who knows?" What the hell do you mean who knows? I know. And if you are honest with yourself, you know too.
ReplyDeleteI thought you passed Psychology 101 when we were Freshman! Fight or Flight response? Am I ringing any bells here? Guess which one McQueary went with.
Even when you are talking about McQueary specifically, you bring up the almighty and powerful Penn State Machine. But guess what? This isn't about the corruption of the powerful in sports. The powerful are never the ones who make the difference in a crisis. You know that. It's always the little man. Remember? The man in the arena? Roosevelt? I know that you passed history.
The powerful people you speak of were not there when McQueary witnessed that nightmare. The powerful Penn State Brass were not watching that child being violated in the shower. So, it's not about some big almighty college sports machine. Not at all.
What this IS about is McQueary's personal character. It's only about McQueary's character. What kind of man is he? I'm not sure I'd call him a man at all.
Only one person was there who could have stopped it. McQueary could have made a difference that day and saved that child. An innocent kid was being tortured, so his safety was already in jeopardy Steve. Who gives a shit if Sandusky may have had a weapon. McQueary faced a moment that will define him forever, what did he do? NOTHING.
Do you really think that, even for a second, he stood there and worried about his job? Are you kidding me? And if he did, what kind of empathy do you expect anyone to have for him?
So yeah, I sure as hell DO know what he should have done, what I would have done, and even though it's been twenty years since I've seen you, there is not a doubt in my mind what you would have done either. You would not be worried about your job or your own safety.
When push came to shove, when McQueary faced a moment that will define him forever, what did he do? NOTHING. He threw that child under the bus. And he can't take it back.
He was worse than a coward. He may have been stunned, but he knew right from wrong. He wasn't confused about what he saw. It is way, way worse than that Steve. What McQueary did that day was become an ACCOMPLICE.
Oh wait......he did tell his supervisor, and reported it to the campus cops....let's throw him a goddamed parade because, hey.....the guy told someone. And well, maybe the Penn State campus police had a first aid kit. And maybe McQueary's supervisors might have had a little talk with Sandusky about it. "Who knows?". Really? That's what you've got to say about it?
He should have pulled that predator off of that child. He should have called 911. He should have gone with that little boy to the hospital and held his hand. He should have stood on the side of the innocent. Wouldn't you? Of course you would. You know that you would.
There really isn't any other perspective to take here. And hindsight is bullshit. You can't rationalize this away to make people find some sort of common ground with McQueary on this.
So in response to your hypothetical question, "Who knows?", The answer is , WE ALL KNOW.
Still your friend, but I'm totally calling you out Czaban.
Rhonda
Well my thought on this is that a lot of people say they would do the right thing immediately and step in and bust that whole thing up but in reality there are many, many studies that show that this isn't the case. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect), while called the Bystander effect, I've witnessed it happening personally. I was giving CPR to a man who went into cardiac arrest and was yelling at this other stranger who had a cell phone to call 911. He wouldn't, just stared. So I called and left the phone on speaker while giving CPR. So yeah, it's just him and a man assaulting a child. Shock sets in and while there may not be others around, the effect set in.
ReplyDeleteWhere I do think Paterno, McQueary, and everyone else notified on the way up failed is on the follow-up. If I'm any of those and I report this kind of heinous shit happened and two weeks go by and I don't see a phone call from the actual police in a week or two, I would be calling them myself. At that point, you're out of the shock of what you saw and can make that kind of judgement. That's the point where moral responsibility and character come into play. Every one along this chain who knew and failed may not go to jail, but they failed this test.
Wow. Well said, Rhonda!
ReplyDeleteRhonda nailed it. Couldn't have said it better myself. McQueary is a coward and just as accountable as Paterno, Curley, Shultz and everyone else with knowledge of these heinous acts. Steve, you missed on this one buddy.
ReplyDeleteYes, thank you Rhonda. Czaban has been too busy peddling conspiracy theories (e.g. McQueary hasn't been fired because he's also one of Sandusky's victims) to focus on the key issue. McQueary had a chance to show what kind of character he had, and he failed that test miserably. He didn't have to get into a physical confrontation, he just had to say something.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Both Paterno and McQueary did wrong here, but there's a key difference. If Paterno had acted more assertively to follow up on McQueary's report, it's very possible that many of the victims in the Grand Jury report would have been spared a lifetime of hurt. If McQueary had acted more assertively when he saw a young boy being raped, it is a definite fact that that at least one victim would have been helped, because at the very least that boy would have known that someone cared enough to try.
Its all about the "Coach is right" theory at Penn State. Paterno stayed to long. McQueary was not capable of making a decision without Paterno teling him.
ReplyDeleteRemember "Coach" is only for the field, rink or court, never for off the field. It is Mr. or his first name.
I will never in my life understand why Mike McQueary didn't save this boy's soul. When I was 23, I was a kindergarten teacher and by law I was mandated to report child abuse. Luckily I never had to do that, but I would have in a minute because the children mattered more to me than my job. We can sugar coat this whole thing in every which way possible, but the fact is that as an adult, we should all be doing the very best we can to protect children, no matter what the situation is. I could never live with myself, look in the mirror or sleep at night if I had just walked away from seeing a young boy being raped. It wouldn't matter to me if I got fired, ridiculed, subjected to whatever kind of treatment that would come my way - I WOULD STAND UP AND PROTECT A CHILD NO MATTER WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES WERE FOR ME! BECAUSE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT YOUNG BOY WERE FAR GREATER, MORE PAINFUL AND THE SUFFERING WILL LAST A LIFETIME. It's time we stop making excuses for McQueary and anyone else that doesn't do everything in their power to stop pedophilia - it exists in every corner of our society.
ReplyDeleteEducate yourself - educate your children. Pedophiles are very smart, charasmatic people who are very skilled in what they do. And trust me, they work in your schools, they live in your neighborhood, they coach your kids - they need access and they're very good at getting it. Oh, sweet Jerry could never do such a thing - he started a children's charity to save poor, at-risk kids. Well he started that to simply groom these kids to be his victims. And they were the perfect victims for him - it all fits the profile of an outstanding, evil beyond belief predator. And the fact that the judge, who volunteered for Second Mile, let sweet Jerry out on no bail and no anklet, just speaks to how naive our society is. We were all taught as kids to beware of "stranger danger" - it's hardly EVER a stranger that abuses kids - it's men like good ole' Jerry, that are trusted and loved by everyone.
It sickens me to my very soul that there are a handful of young men out there that are living a hellish life b/c of this - all because there were "more important" matters at hand. It's time to call a spade a spade. Rip the bandaid off already!