ADVERTISEMENT

FC OT Troy Aikman on Fox hiring Skip Bayless- wow- must read...

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/09/06/troy-aikman-rips-fox-sports-for-hiring-skip-bayless/


Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman is the No. 1 NFL analyst on FOX, but he’s not afraid to criticize his own employer.

Aikman ripped FOX for hiring Skip Bayless away from ESPN and giving Bayless his own First Take knockoff show on FOX Sports 1. Aikman has disliked Bayless since the 1990s, when Bayless wrote a book about the Cowboys that included unsubstantiated rumors that Aikman is gay.

“To say I’m disappointed in the hiring of Skip Bayless would be an enormous understatement,” Aikman told Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated. “Clearly, [Fox Sports president of national networks] Jamie Horowitz and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to building a successful organization. I believe success is achieved by acquiring and developing talented, respected and credible individuals, none of which applies to Skip Bayless.”

Aikman has long maintained that Bayless is an irresponsible, unethical journalist and shouldn’t have a platform at any media outlet. Aikman will continue to say that now, even though Bayless is now a FOX Sports colleague

Sandusky Asks Court to Open Victim Therapy Records, Toss Charges

An interesting story in the Legal Intelligencer on Sandusky's latest PCRA filings concerning two of the key issues still open in Sandusky's PCRA. The issues are the Grand Jury leaks and the use of repressed memory therapy. Sandusky would like to see dismissal of all charges related to eight accusers who came forward after the initial Grand Jury Leaks to Sara Ganim on or before March 2011 as well as an in camera review of therapy notes for accusers who used repressed memory therapy. Here is the article by Max Mitchell of the Legal Intelligencer.
-------------

More than a week after the conclusion of his post-conviction hearing, convicted serial child molester Jerry Sandusky is asking the court to allow him to review the mental health records of several victims who claimed their memories of being abused by Sandusky were repressed and later recovered through therapy.

Sandusky filed two motions made public Thursday afternoon, one of which asked the court for an in camera review of therapy records from several accusers, including Sandusky’s adopted son, Matt Sandusky. The other motion asked the court to dismiss all charges related to the claims of eight accusers who came forward after news of an investigation into Sandusky became public through what the defendant has characterized as a potential breach of grand jury secrecy.

Sandusky, a former Penn State football coach, was convicted in 2012 on 45 of 48 counts related to sexually abusing numerous children. In August, the Centre County Court of Common Pleas held a three-day hearing regarding Sandusky’s claims that his trial counsel had been ineffective and that he had been the subject of prosecutorial misconduct. The post-conviction proceedings are part of Sandusky’s effort to win a new trial on the charges.

Much of the questioning during that hearing focused on the source of that alleged grand jury leak, with Sandusky’s attorney, Al Lindsay, questioning former prosecutors about the source of the information.

One of the briefs filed Thursday said tossing all claims that arose after the leak would be the best remedy for the alleged prosecutorial misconduct. The brief cited a review of the prosecution conducted by H. Geoffrey Moulton on behalf of the state Attorney General’s Office as evidence of the leak.

“In light of the Moulton report’s indication that the leak of the grand jury material is what drove the case from being a flawed case with a single unreliable victim to the litany of alleged victims with stories of abuse, it is beyond cavil that Mr. Sandusky was prejudiced by the leaking of grand jury material,” the brief said. “Dismissal of the charges against Mr. Sandusky is the appropriate remedy, as it is evidence that the commonwealth would not have identified victims 3-10 without the grand jury leak to the media.”

Both Lindsay and the attorney general’s press office did not immediately return calls for comment.

http://www.thelegalintelligencer.co...e Legal Intelligencer&slreturn=20160802140455

Ray Blehar: Conspiracy of Silence' the PA Corruption Network

Thank you again Ray,
Didymus
Link: http://notpsu.blogspot.com/2016_08_01_archive.html
Tuesday, August 30


PA: State of Deflection (Part 1: Kane)
The Kathleen Kane and the Conspiracy of Silence cases show that the PA Corruption Network uses a deflection strategy to get rid of its opposition

By
Ray Blehar


The recent conviction of former Pennsylvania (PA) Attorney General (AG) Kathleen Kane will go down in history as another instance of the PA Corruption Network (PACORN) using a prosecution to deflect attention away from its own wrong-doing.

Kane was alleged to have leaked grand jury information regarding the case of J. Whyatt Mondesire.

Unlike the previous cases in PA where the media was "all in" for writing stories from leaked information -- her alleged grand jury leaks were treated as the crime of the century.

There were numerous leaks (to the Philadelphia Inquirer) from the Montgomery County grand jury that investigated the Kane case, but neither the PACORN's media arm nor prosecutor Kevin Steele nor former prosecutor Lisa Vetri Ferman seem the least bit concerned over the Montco leaks/leakers.

The Patriot News won journalism awards for its coverage of Bonusgate and the Sandusky cases -- both of which were plagued by grand jury leaks. Interestingly, both cases were prosecuted by Frank Fina -- but he is never mentioned in association with leaks.

How about that?

Fina grand jury cases leak -- no problem.
Montco grand jury leaks - no problem.
Kane's alleged leaks -- crime of the century.



The Kane leak case was treated differently by the media because one of her campaign promises was to clean up the "old boy's network" in Harrisburg. In other words, she was about to get rid of the leakers and those who allowed leaks to happen.

For example, James Barker was removed from his position because of his failure to investigate and plug grand jury leaks. While Barker claims it was retaliation, there is evidence indicating he was asleep at the wheel or otherwise ignoring leads about the leaks.

Of course, PACORN's media arm didn't have any interest in learning the facts about Barker's failures to plug the leaks.

Some of the Sandusky leaks are rather obvious, but have yet to be identified or discussed by the media.

How about that?

Bloggers can identify leaks using Google.
The media can't find them with LexisNexis.
Barker couldn't find them with subpoena power.


As it turns out, the blogosphere is the only place that the real facts and the truth can be found out about PA's corrupt criminal justice system.

Kane's conviction for perjury, false swearing, and orchestrating a leak of grand jury and CHRIA information is evidence of how the corrupt system works (as I wrote here).

The media insiders understood that Kane's Sandusky investigation had the potential of exposing PACORN's dark, sordid secrets -- and it was their job to protect -- and deflect.

Brad Bumsted, his corrupt media cohorts and other hacks, like Terry Madonna, ignored the facts of this case and continued their assistance in the cover-up. They painted it as Kane singling out and having an obsession with Frank Fina.

Yet another false narrative.

Frank Fina: Not a target of Kane's investigation -- but taken down by it.

A review of news articles from Kane's AG campaign clearly show her focus was on AG Tom Corbett -- not his underling Frank Fina.

Kane's probe of the Sandusky investgation, conducted by Special Deputy AG Geoffrey Moulton, was chartered to investigate if politics, specifically former Governor Tom Corbett's gubernatorial campaign, was behind the slow pace of the investigation.

Bumsted and Madonna twisting it into an obsession with Frank Fina was no accident.

Corbett, Fina, Others Feared Sandusky Probe

Those who feared the Sandusky probe made their pre-emptive strike on on March 5, 2013 -- and not surprisingly, you won't find that data point anywhere on Brad Bumsted's timeline of the Kane case.

Cowardly anonymous sources informed the Legal Intelligencer that they were angered over Kane's Sandusky probe and would retaliate if the investigation was critical of their work.
"Attorneys and agents from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office who were involved in the investigation and prosecution of Jerry Sandusky are "outraged" that Attorney General Kathleen Kane is keeping her promise to investigate the office's handling of the case, and some are prepared to go public if the review's findings are overly critical of their work or inaccurate."

On March 16th, 2013 anonymous sources again struck at Kane via the Philadelphia Inquirer about her shut down of the Ali bribery case.

Those two shots at Kane were because she made good on a promise to review a case that let a child predator unnecessarily roam the streets and victimize children for two years -- and maybe more.

This was long before anyone knew about reconstructed emails.

The bottom line is that when Kane promised a "no stone unturned" investigation, it scared the living crap out of PACORN.

Had Geoffrey Moulton gone back and turned over the rocks around the failed 1998 Sandusky investigation -- that PACORN conveniently blamed on (assumed) deceased former Centre County DA, Ray Gricar -- it may have found that Sandusky wasn't the only molester being protected by the system.

Moulton's investigation had the potential to expose how the PA government turns a blind eye to child sexual victimization.

Had that happened the false narrative of a PSU cover-up would have been destroyed -- and Pennsylvania would have been a subject of nationwide if not international scorn and shame.

No one involved PACORN (e.g., judges, prosecutors, politcos, and businessmen) wants that cat ever getting out of the bag.

Fast forward to August 2016.

The Old Main/Second Mile Protection Scheme
The PA legislature, led by Senators Joe Scarnati and former TSM board member, Senator Jake Corman, moved for, then held a special session to confirm newly appointed AG Bruce Beemer.

According to The Legal Intelligencer, Beemer was confirmed without a single question asked of him. That fact confirms that corruption is on both sides of the aisle.

Corman also wasn't the least bit inquisitive when TSM terminated Lynne Abraham's investigation of Sandusky's charity in 2012 and certainly wasn't raising any objections.
“Maybe because the organization is clearly not going to continue, maybe that sort of review isn’t necessary. I’m not on the board anymore, so I guess I don’t have a lot of standing.”

He also took in foot off the neck of the NCAA, who would have to provide discovery materials regarding the lawsuit over the $60 million in fines.

While Corman released many documents damaging to the NCAA and Old Main, rest assured that he kept the public from seeing the most damaging evidence of Old Main's role in railroading Joe Paterno and the PSU 3.

Paterno, of course, was used as the ultimate means of deflection in the Sandusky scandal.

It seems obvious that whatever is being hidden by Corman and his cohorts has sweeping ramifications across the state of Pennsylvania. Something truly horrifying has to exist beneath the surface in order for politicos, top officials in Old Main and PSU trustees, officials from The Second Mile, and others to go along with scapegoating a legendary football coach and national sports icon.

Beemer's appointment almost assures that Sandusky's former charity and those connected to it will not face scrutiny by an investigation from Keystone state officials.

Meanwhile, the PACORN media arm and other political hacks continue to deflect on this situation, blaming Kane for the problems in the AG's office and that Beemer's job is to clean up after her.


But the fact of the matter is that Kane inherited a lot of unfinished business when she was sworn in. Outgoing temporary AG Bruce Castor referred to these things as "ticking time bombs."

AG Bruce Beemer: Saddled with ticking time bombs left behind by Frank Fina

The "ticking time bombs" are not personnel matters, the porngate report, or the office's penny ante spats with PA law enforcement.

Time bombs?

Look no further than the Conspiracy of Silence case -- should Beemer decide to play poker with that deflection. His hand has already been eviscerated by the Superior Court.

What's left of it consists of three things:

Unreliable witnesses.
Manufactured evidence.
Tortured interpretations of laws.


That was part of the mess left behind by Frank Fina. Evidence confirmed that Fina believed he could get Curley and Schultz to flip on Spanier and put an end to their charges - while taking down the ultimate target of Corbett's Sandusky investigation.
Fina%2Bflip.png

According a discussion at the Sandusky trial, former prosecutor Joe McGettigan told Judge Cleland the case wasn't going to be tried.
Not%2Bgoing%2Bto%2Btry%2Bcase.png

Fina's bluff/flip strategy failed. No one cut a deal.

Beemer now has that time bomb in his hands.

Tick. Tick. Tick.


OT: Advice solicited from skiers familiar with Vail.

I want to get this post in before topics turn in earnest to college football this weekend. I'm planning a four-adult, one-toddler early March ski vacation to Vail. I was hoping for lodging walkable to lifts in Vail Village or Lionshead areas. However, I'm frustrated by the prices, so I may have to look at less convenient lodging. How easy is it to get around -- particularly from lodging to lifts -- using shuttles that I assume are offered? Any advice on favored locations other than VV and LH proper? Before anyone suggests Breckenridge as an alternate option, we stayed there last winter and loved it. We'd like to try a different area this winter. Flying into Denver is the most economical and convenient destination city for both involved families, so I've ruled out SLC and other more western hubs. We desire a resort with the many amenities that a resort like vail offers, so one like Winter Park, for example, is not an option. Thanks.

It is simply frighteningly astounding....wrt the Fina Boys

The lengths that these bastards (and, I suspect - to a certain degree - prosecutors throughout the country) will go to run roughshod over the law - - - - and not blink an eye.
And we, as a society, for the most part just shrug our shoulders.

A defendant - ANY defendant, even a "Sandusky", for the "stick your fingers in your ears" crowd - has a right to a preliminary hearing.
That Fina would sit up there and ADMIT to extorting Sandusky into forfeiting that right (Fina would call it a negotiation :) , but it is pure extortion any way you look at it).
Admitting that the Fina Boys would seek to effectively revoke his bail and add additional charges against him - if he did not waive the preliminary.

"Uh...Frank...that's not how its supposed to work. Request for increased bail are supposed to be made when there is JUSTIFICATION for increasing bail. Additional charges are supposed to be filed when those charges are SUBSTANTIATED and VALID.......those things are NOT supposed to be some tool for a$$-f$cks like you to use to "Play God" and use your position to satisfy your personal objectives"

Frank must, indeed, be a very small little man.

In this country - prosecutors are not supposed to be able to threaten punitive actions against a defendant in order to force them to cede their rights........and the Fina Boys not only do it EVERY DAY, but they smirk while they admit to it - - - - knowing (or at least believing) that they are untouchable.

Until all of us begin to care as much about a system in which LE/Prosecutors/and Judges trample over the constitution, and other rights we are supposed to have in this society - - - - rather than spending our days in rapt attention over whether or not some dipshit swimmer pissed on a convenience store, or some wanna-be-celebrity-reality-TV-ninny flashed her cooter on camera - - - its only going to get worse.

Sigh

:-(

I Wish We Had A Tape Of The 1979 Pitt - PSU Coin Toss!

IIRC - a big if these days - that was the year Pitt won the coin toss and their captains couldn't figure out what to do, they kept telling the official they wanted to receive at this end of the field, the official kept saying you only get one choice, they kept looking back at their bench for guidance.

The announcers were going nuts.....PSU's captains were going nuts.....I think Pitt ended up kicking into the wind and PSU got their choice in the second half.

Anyone else remember that?

What pranks did you, or your roommates pull off when you were a student at PSU?

I was at Penn State in the early 70's when streaking was en vogue. My Beaver Hall room mate, Joe T., was the King of Streaking! He also was the King of Pranking others such as:
1. Putting blue shoe polish on the phone ear pieces in the hallways and calling someone to tell them that they have black shoe polish on their ears.
2. Putting toothpaste in a match box, lighting it on fire, and pushing it under the door. The toothpaste would explode and make quite a mess!
3. Peeing in a trash can and then leaning the can against the outside of a door, knock on the door and run like hell!
  • Like
Reactions: biacto

OT: Is there an established protocol for civilians during the National Anthem?

What do you do? I may not recall correctly, but it seems to me that hand over heart has become a practice over the past few decades. I recall standing at attention in my younger years with arms at sides. Certainly hats should be removed. In school we were taught to place hand over heart during the Pledge of Allegiance. Since 9/11, some/all MLB teams play Good Bless America in a later inning. It now seems to be a secondary anthem, with most people removing caps and placing hand over heart. I'm not aware of anything official for the latter. I have mixed feelings about "two anthems," particularly a religious centric one.

Edit: Subsequently found the following from the American Legion. Nothing about "God Bless America."http://legionstuff.blogspot.com/2011/11/proper-protocol-for-allegiance-natl.html
ADVERTISEMENT

Filter

ADVERTISEMENT