Letter from Sue Paterno to Lettermen

[michnittlion]

Were you and CR on a date? Or does your computer ring when someone mentions you? Jeezus, that was a pretty fast rollout of the hogspinwash by both of you.

Our computer rings, yes, that's it. Hey, blame nits74, he mentioned me.

We couldn't respond to this thread immediately, though. We had a very busy afternoon. First, discussing where to invest the $$$ our "masters" pay us, then playing our weekly Thursday croquet match at the local Country Club.

 

[marshall23]

Our computer rings, yes, that's it. We couldn't respond immediately though. We had a busy afternoon, between discussing where to invest the $$$ our "masters" pay us, and playing our weekly Thursday croquet match at the local Country Club.

Just hope you didn't invest your$$$ with your hero John Surma and US Steel.

 

[bjf1984]

While I love Sue to death for the good person she is and the work that she does, I think she would better served if she waited for the C/S/S trials to play out before casting aspersions on the Board or anyone else. Trials which are clearly being delayed by the defendants themselves.

GFY

 

[bjf1984]

What's to "blow up and spin"?

As John Surma said himself on 9-November-2011, Joe was fired because "it was in the best interests of the University, which is much larger than the athletics program.

Give ulterior motives to Surma's words if you will, but from my POV he is pretty clear and succinct in what he said. And 4 years later, I still feel the BoT made the tough but correct and necessary decision.

(yes, the news should have been delivered face-to-face and not via a phone call. That was AWFUL, no argument there)

GFY

 

[bjf1984]

Why not engage Paterno in a conversation and appeal to him to voluntarily step aside? They already knew Joe was going to retire; some but not many knew that he was sick. Maybe they would have figured out what was truly best for the university by engaging him in a conversation rather than pandering to the media and letting their own lack of foresight and lack of crisis management skills rule the day. Nope... Big Surms wouldn't drink the Kool-Aid. What a leader. Even engaging other BOT members into a discussion about what's best at that time - and actually putting aside their egos long enough to listen - would have been more productive. They didn't even get everyone together until a few days later. By then the cooler heads, who could think on their feet a little bit, were kept out of the Surma-Frazier-Peetz clusterfest and could not chime in to say 'wait a minute'. (I suspect Garban tried to and was pushed aside.)
Imagine if they had begun their strategic (vs. reactionary) thinking on Saturday as they should have under their fiduciary responsibilities when the fit was hitting the shan! But no.... gotta have the biggest, swingingest one at all times. Us poor unwashed non-BOT members were all talking and asking why the BOT wasn't out in front of this by Saturday evening. But what do we know? We didn't anticipate they would dig the hole far deeper than necessary and then keep digging to work through their own disaster. We screwed up... We trusted the Trustees!
They certainly would have had a better chance to look at the longer term situation with at least one cooler head (Joe) in the conversation as opposed to looking at the immediate and flushing away one of the greatest goodwill assets any school in the country has every had. And their egos and BSD approach won't let them publicly back down. Worst crisis management effort in the history of US universities. PSU ain't Merck, and only a handful of all-empowered trustees did not understand that intuitively.

Don't "debate" with c^cks^ckers like NittWitt......it only encourages him.

Douchebags like this? Responses should be limited to a concise "GFY".

 

[bjf1984]

You and I both know the answer to that question --- Joe (or more likely, one of his family members who crafted that statement) made it clear on the morning of 9-November-2011 that he wasn't interested in a conversation.

Trying to dictate terms while lobbing cannonballs over the heads of people who have some control over your destiny is typically not wise.

GFY.....Douchebag

 

[bjf1984]

Our computer rings, yes, that's it. Hey, blame nits74, he mentioned me.

We couldn't respond to this thread immediately, though. We had a very busy afternoon. First, discussing where to invest the $$$ our "masters" pay us, then playing our weekly Thursday croquet match at the local Country Club.

LOL Somehow I doubt either of those alibis.....I do believe you were tied up in other pursuits:

 

[wensilver]

Casting Aspersions? How quaint.
Sue can damned well have the opinion she has and state it at any time, and I fully support her on it. I suspect 10s of thousands, if not 100s of thousands of others fully support her efforts too.

I think she would better served if she waited for the C/S/S trials to play out before casting aspersions on the Board or anyone else. Trials which are clearly being delayed by the defendants themselves.

The trials are being "delayed" by our own court system. I think it's a pretty good bet these trials won't happen.

 

[91Joe95]

While I love Sue to death for the good person she is and the work that she does, I think she would better served if she waited for the C/S/S trials to play out before casting aspersions on the Board or anyone else. Trials which are clearly being delayed by the defendants themselves.

You've tried to spread too many of the bot's lies for anyone to take you seriously. Sorry, but that's your legacy.

 

[91Joe95]

You and I both know the answer to that question --- Joe (or more likely, one of his family members who crafted that statement) made it clear on the morning of 9-November-2011 that he wasn't interested in a conversation.

Trying to dictate terms while lobbing cannonballs over the heads of people who have some control over your destiny is typically not wise.

What a sad, sad little man you have become. As with cr, your constant attempts to spread the bot lies have relegated what you spew to a special understanding on this board.

 

[Aoshiro]

While I love Sue to death for the good person she is and the work that she does, I think she would better served if she waited for the C/S/S trials to play out before casting aspersions on the Board or anyone else. Trials which are clearly being delayed by the defendants themselves.

Penn State would have been better served if your jackass friends on the BOT would have allowed the trials to play out before casting aspersions on Curley, Schultz, Spanier, and Paterno.

But they couldn't keep their nasty little mouths shut, could they?

 

[Aoshiro]

What's to "blow up and spin"?

As John Surma said himself on 9-November-2011, Joe was fired because "it was in the best interests of the University, which is much larger than the athletics program.

Give ulterior motives to Surma's words if you will, but from my POV he is pretty clear and succinct in what he said. And 4 years later, I still feel the BoT made the tough but correct and necessary decision.

(yes, the news should have been delivered face-to-face and not via a phone call. That was AWFUL, no argument there)

It was a stupid decision that has cost Penn State hundreds of millions of dollars. They are malicious idiots and need to be held accountable for their actions.

 

[Aoshiro]

You and I both know the answer to that question --- Joe (or more likely, one of his family members who crafted that statement) made it clear on the morning of 9-November-2011 that he wasn't interested in a conversation.
.

Bullshit. The trustees would not talk to him. By the time that letter was released Surma or someone else on the BOT had ALREADY leaked to the NEW YORK TIMES that they were going to fire Paterno.

You can take your revisionist history and shove it you know where.

 

[Bob78]

You and I both know the answer to that question --- Joe (or more likely, one of his family members who crafted that statement) made it clear on the morning of 9-November-2011 that he wasn't interested in a conversation.

Trying to dictate terms while lobbing cannonballs over the heads of people who have some control over your destiny is typically not wise.

Joe and family had waited for too many long days for a conversation to be had. They reached out to the BOT and were tuned out by those they reached out to. Still, had one of the ExCom members done the right thing and reached out to Joe, as a real leader would have done, it's at least even money that Joe would have discussed things with them. Joe was a trusted advisor to many people at PSU, just as Joe had a number of people he went to exchange thoughts on non-football things. As in business, why not turn to a trusted advisor to discuss the most overwhelming issue any of them would ever face? Again, a real leader would have recognized his/her own limitations in this instance and sought another opinion with an open mind. Big Bad Surms and Kool Kenny and Petty Peetz were too busy worrying about how big their peepees were.

 

[Pocono Lion]

While I love Sue to death for the good person she is and the work that she does, I think she would better served if she waited for the C/S/S trials to play out before casting aspersions on the Board or anyone else. Trials which are clearly being delayed by the defendants themselves.

Like clockwork, the BOT's version of Baghdad Bob and his toady appear.

 

[lubrano]

We need not wait to cast aspersions. That's a FACT!

 

[JoeDidntKnow]

Sue is a great communicator. No one better to drive the narrative than SuePa

 

[lubrano]

John Surma had tremendous animus toward Joe. He cancelled Joe's Tuesday press conference. He blamed athletics for his lack of oversight.

Joe's firing was very personal for John, as it was for Paul Suhey. Both wanted Joe removed for some time.

Joe Paterno was scapegoated by a group of cowards led by John Surma, Tom Corbett, Ron Tomalis, Dave Joyner and Paul Suhey.

 

[indynittany]

No. They don't wish they had class.
The only thing they care about is money.

I think power ranks way up there!

 

[91Joe95]

John Surma had tremendous animus toward Joe. He cancelled Joe's Tuesday press conference. He blamed athletics for his lack of oversight.

Joe's firing was very personal for John, as it was for Paul Suhey. Both wanted Joe removed for some time.

Joe Paterno was scapegoated by a group of cowards led by John Surma, Tom Corbett, Ron Tomalis, Dave Joyner and Paul Suhey.

Now, now, Paul only retired Joe early.

 

[delcoLion]

John Surma had tremendous animus toward Joe. He cancelled Joe's Tuesday press conference. He blamed athletics for his lack of oversight.

Joe's firing was very personal for John, as it was for Paul Suhey. Both wanted Joe removed for some time.

Joe Paterno was scapegoated by a group of cowards led by John Surma, Tom Corbett, Ron Tomalis, Dave Joyner and Paul Suhey.

I can understand Surma... don't agree with it, but I understand. But I never could figure out why Suhey hated Joe, Could you fill that in please?

 

[Marshall30]

While I love Sue to death for the good person she is and the work that she does, I think she would better served if she waited for the C/S/S trials to play out before casting aspersions on the Board or anyone else. Trials which are clearly being delayed by the defendants themselves.

Shut up already you ass.

 

[CDLionFL]

What's to "blow up and spin"?

As John Surma said himself on 9-November-2011, Joe was fired because "it was in the best interests of the University, which is much larger than the athletics program.

Give ulterior motives to Surma's words if you will, but from my POV he is pretty clear and succinct in what he said. And 4 years later, I still feel the BoT made the tough but correct and necessary decision.

(yes, the news should have been delivered face-to-face and not via a phone call. That was AWFUL, no argument there)

I'm not quite sure how you can have 'nittlion' in your username and come on to this board, whose opinion is very well known on this subject, and you continue to express your views on it. Dude, don't bother. You're embarrassing yourself and you only succeed in getting more and more rocks thrown at you. And you really should change that username if you're going to continue this company line because you sir, are no Nittany Lion (whether you have a diploma from the school or not).

 

[Aoshiro]

I can understand Surma... don't agree with it, but I understand. But I never could figure out why Suhey hated Joe, Could you fill that in please?

http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/suhey_kevin00.html

 

[Kiber]

While I love Sue to death for the good person she is and the work that she does, I think she would better served if she waited for the C/S/S trials to play out before casting aspersions on the Board or anyone else. Trials which are clearly being delayed by the defendants themselves.

Taking emotion out of the equation and looking at the whole mess from just a strategic / analytical point of view. The dopes on the BOT made a humongous strategic error by firing Joe when they did and how they did because it more or less completed an admission of guilt. Even IF the BOT had evidence the C/S/S and Paterno were guilty and/or complicit, their #1 objective was to protect the interests of PSU. They needed to view every move, every press release, every sound-bite from the angle of "what is best for PSU .... what will make PSU look best in this nightmare".

A 1st-grader with a middle of the pack IQ could have realized that firing Joe was going to create a media frenzy and was going to create that admission of guilt. I am assuming that most members on the BOT at the time, were smarter than an average 1st-grader. What they could have done, was simply put Joe on administrative leave while they investigated the case. In other-words, they stall and delay. The stall and delay tactic is used time and time and time again because it is a fact that the media gets bored on a story, and they will eventually turn their focus to the 'next' story. At the time there were 3-games left in the season, they could have simple released a statement that because of the situation, they felt it would be in the best interests of the team and the university if Joe was placed on administrative leave.

This would have diffused the situation .... not ignited the situation. Instead, the unbelievable decision they made, definitely ignited the situation, and more or less spelled out in great big bold neon letters for everyone "WE ARE GUILTY".

 

[BowieLion]

Kiber, agree and to give even the slightest benefit of the doubt to someone who gave 61 years of service to one organization, that's the very LEAST they could have done. Oh yeah, and talked to him, face to face, man to man. 61 years...SMH

 

[Norm Petersin]

Joe's first game was also the 1st PSU game I attended. I have marked my calendar. Hope the plan is something big to honor Joe. WeAre

 

[marshall23]

I can understand Surma... don't agree with it, but I understand. But I never could figure out why Suhey hated Joe, Could you fill that in please?

In my opinion, it started with his son and playing time. Nice to see even D1 coaches deal with the issues we had as high school coaches
Parents view the value of a program by placing their child front and center, as if it were a portrait. If sonny boy's talent leaves him somewhat left or right of center......well there is something wrong with the coach, or the program is in need of restructure.
These so called trustees wanted something they were not entitled to. When they didn't get it, they conspired to knife Joe in the back. They thought their treachery would be viewed as doing what was best for PSU. Cleary, they (Surma, Suhey and Joyner) had self interest as their motive.

 

[marshall23]

Joe's first game was also the 1st PSU game I attended. I have marked my calendar. Hope the plan is something big to honor Joe. WeAre

I vowed never to return to Beaver Stadium until Joe was properly honored. This is something I would like to see. I hope there are opportunities for mere fans to express our admiration.

 

[marshall23]

Kiber, just my opinion, however the key trustees in the assassination of Joe, were not "caught off guard." While the rank and file trustees, whose main functions were to attend cocktail parties, may well have been treated like mushrooms. This was a coup...planned,organized and executed by a few sinister trustees.

 

[94LionsFan]

At the time there were 3-games left in the season, they could have simple released a statement that because of the situation, they felt it would be in the best interests of the team and the university if Joe was placed on administrative leave.

This would have diffused the situation .... not ignited the situation. Instead, the unbelievable decision they made, definitely ignited the situation, and more or less spelled out in great big bold neon letters for everyone "WE ARE GUILTY".

THIS ^^^

The whole notion that the BOT had no choice but to fire Joe is BS. Putting him on leave (as they did with the others involved) would have served the same purpose that firing did, without allowing the pitchfork crowd to say, "See, even Penn State's administration thinks he's guilty. Case closed." It's clear that the decision makers on the BOT were out to get Joe and the rest didn't have the decency or the guts to push back.

That move ended up putting the power bloc in the position of needing to justify the firing to the unwashed masses of PSU alumni and PA voters, which gave us the cherry-picking for evidence investigation and report by "Judge" Freeh. Further adding gasoline to the fire.

Bravo to Sue on this letter.

 

[Ten Thousan Marbles]

Taking emotion out of the equation and looking at the whole mess from just a strategic / analytical point of view. The dopes on the BOT made a humongous strategic error by firing Joe when they did and how they did because it more or less completed an admission of guilt. Even IF the BOT had evidence the C/S/S and Paterno were guilty and/or complicit, their #1 objective was to protect the interests of PSU. They needed to view every move, every press release, every sound-bite from the angle of "what is best for PSU .... what will make PSU look best in this nightmare".

A 1st-grader with a middle of the pack IQ could have realized that firing Joe was going to create a media frenzy and was going to create that admission of guilt. I am assuming that most members on the BOT at the time, were smarter than an average 1st-grader. What they could have done, was simply put Joe on administrative leave while they investigated the case. In other-words, they stall and delay. The stall and delay tactic is used time and time and time again because it is a fact that the media gets bored on a story, and they will eventually turn their focus to the 'next' story. At the time there were 3-games left in the season, they could have simple released a statement that because of the situation, they felt it would be in the best interests of the team and the university if Joe was placed on administrative leave.

This would have diffused the situation .... not ignited the situation. Instead, the unbelievable decision they made, definitely ignited the situation, and more or less spelled out in great big bold neon letters for everyone "WE ARE GUILTY".

Alas, most 1st graders do not take advice from 1 sitting Governor and 1 former Governor, as did our BOT.

 

[NoVa Lion]

What's to "blow up and spin"?

As John Surma said himself on 9-November-2011, Joe was fired because "it was in the best interests of the University, which is much larger than the athletics program.

Give ulterior motives to Surma's words if you will, but from my POV he is pretty clear and succinct in what he said. And 4 years later, I still feel the BoT made the tough but correct and necessary decision.

(yes, the news should have been delivered face-to-face and not via a phone call. That was AWFUL, no argument there)

What they did wasn't BEST for PSU, it was WORST. The BOT actions fed the whole crap idea that the football culture at PSU covered up for a pedophile which is a great big LIE. If you think what happened was BEST for PSU you are beyond delusional.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

The Ship of Fools and their 2 defenders. Deranged, frivolous and oblivious. The fifty year celebration of Joe, his players and The Grand Experiment will be magnificent. "The University" has no leadership and no standing to honor someone of Joe's pedigree. The Fools are reduced to spending millions to keep the first draft of the Freeh Report hidden.

Laughable that these idiots are STILL CLAIMING the "False Narrative" - and actively conspiring with the Governor's Office and the NCAA to blame, damage and defraud PSU of hundreds of millions, if not actually billions, of dollars - was "in the best interest of The University". It was quite clearly in the worst interests of The University and "best interests" of only the perpetrators of the fraud and deception (IOW, a clear violation of their legal Fiduciary Duties under Trust Law by placing their own interests in front of those of PSU, a Public Trust with multiple constituencies including the general citizenry of Pennsylvania). Just disgusting that these lowlifes, and their sychophants and minions like the trolls we have on here, are still trying to propagate this nonsense about unnecessarily costing The University hundreds upon hundreds of billions of dollars and even more in goodwill/reputation via gross corruption TO COWARDLY PROTECT THEMSELVES (oh yea, libelling all Penn Staters and the Penn State Community in the process by tarring them with their BS "football culture" claims) was "good governance" or remotely ethical / moral behavior on their part! It is quite clear where the morally-bankrupt liars, cheaters, charlatans and whores resided (e.g., the criminal-element and REAL morally vaccuous, zero-ethic "culture problem" resided). And the REAL CULTURE PROBLEM resided in the Executive Committee of the BOT - both past and present that wrought this fraud upon The University and its many constituencies in an effort to SHAMELESSLY PROTECT THEMSELVES AND EXCLUSIVELY PRIORITIZE THEIR OWN AGENDAS AND INTERESTS OVER THE INTERESTS OF THE UNIVERSITY AND HER MANY CONSTITUENCIES.

 

[Op2]

If the proper power relationship existed between the BoT (superiors) and football coach (subordinate) then discussion about these Nov 2011 events would be moot because JVP would have been gone long before Nov 2011.

 

[nittanymoops]

"Proper power relationship"? This is rich. The proper relationship probably wouldn't include a coach imploring the trustees to improve the university after its first national championship, or raising millions of dollars for it, or contributing millions of his own cash -- in the days long before coaches earned millions and were top fundraisers.Or the days before coaches cared about players graduating.

Other schools would have killed for the "relationship" our football coach had with the university. Our "leadership" went and killed the coach.

When are you idiots going to get through your heads that 11/9 didn't have to happen the way it did? Considering the university leadership knew about the indictments for a week prior to 11/4, they did a beyond pathetic job preparing for a firestorm. Please go back to your board and refrain from commenting because you add nothing intelligent to our discussions.

 

[bjf1984]

I have no idea if it might still be available out there on the "interwebs", but:

Corbett had a Press Conference down in Harrisburg the day before the infamous "Board Meeting".....IIRC, so it would be November 8th or 7th or thereabouts.
The Press Conference was actually to discuss the new "Click It or Ticket" law (seat belt safety)....which would probably have attracted 1 or 2 local reporters, or course, with what was going on at PSU, the room was packed.

The PC WAS televised (probably the "government channel" PCN, or whatever it is called).....so the "tape" (or at least news clips and highlights) may be floating around out there somewhere on the web.

If you saw, or have a chance to see, that PC (where, of course, all the questions were about PSU, not the Click-It-or-Ticket thing)....it was clear - I think - that the "Paterno Decision" had been made at that point.....at least that is the conclusion I came to contemporaneously, as I watched that PC back in early November.

 

[BobPSU92]

Guys, why the f*ck do you continue to do this? This thread started off great. Of course, the trolls came in. If you would f*cking ignore them (put them on your ignore list) and let them circle-jerk with each other, the thread would go much better.

bjf and anyone else, stop fighting with these assholes. Nothing is ever accomplished. You argue with them here, then it continues in the next thread. Enough already.

 

[bplionfan]

I have no idea if it might still be available out there on the "interwebs", but:

Corbett had a Press Conference down in Harrisburg the day before the infamous "Board Meeting".....IIRC, so it would be November 8th or 7th or thereabouts.
The Press Conference was actually to discuss the new "Click It or Ticket" law (seat belt safety)....which would probably have attracted 1 or 2 local reporters, or course, with what was going on at PSU, the room was packed.

The PC WAS televised (probably the "government channel" PCN, or whatever it is called).....so the "tape" (or at least news clips and highlights) may be floating around out there somewhere on the web.

If you saw, or have a chance to see, that PC (where, of course, all the questions were about PSU, not the Click-It-or-Ticket thing)....it was clear - I think - that the "Paterno Decision" had been made at that point.....at least that is the conclusion I came to contemporaneously, as I watched that PC back in early November.

I didn't watch these but here is what I found around that date.
http://www.pacast.com/index_search.asp?page=130&search=

 

[bjf1984]

Guys, why the f*ck do you continue to do this? This thread started off great. Of course, the trolls came in. If you would f*cking ignore them (put them on your ignore list) and let them circle-jerk with each other, the thread would go much better.

bjf and anyone else, stop fighting with these assholes. Nothing is ever accomplished. You argue with them here, then it continues in the next thread. Enough already.

Hey Brother....I hear ya'!!

As I posted myself:

"Don't "debate" with c^cks^ckers like NittWitt......it only encourages him.

Douchebags like this? Responses should be limited to a concise "GFY".

And that is the extent of my responses to them (you can check through the thread). Now, maybe that could be considered "fighting with them".....but that is the limit to which I engage with the Circle-Jerkers.