Sparty dumpster fires continues to get worse

[Obliviax]

Michigan State interim President John Engler, in a private email to a top adviser, accused a prominent Nassar survivor - Rachael Denhollander - of getting kickbacks from the trial attorneys involved in lawsuits against the school.

In the same string of emails, Engler's top aide — Carol Viventi — accused MSU board member Brian Mossalam of not doing a good enough job of protecting Engler. The Free Press obtained the emails from a source within the Engler administration. The Chronicle of Higher Education first obtained the emails under a Freedom of Information Act request.

The emails drew swift response, including two calls questioning why Engler was still at the school.
​

For my "Rose McGowan" fans, I post this new story with no implication that I endorse MSU, Engler, Denhollander, NCAA Gymnastics or any other associated group or issue (just to be clear).

 

[Gnat91]

There's no Paterno at msu.. .. So no one gives a shit .

 

[Art]

Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of assholes. Too bad they can't pillory the Lou Anna bitch on some quad.

 

[bdgan]

There's no Paterno at msu.. .. So no one gives a shit .

Correct! No big names so far less media coverage and far less NCAA grandstanding. Is the death penalty on the table? Are they getting kicked out of the conference? Are they losing their share of sports related money?

 

[bkmtnittany1]

And nothing on Dantonio and Izzo. Amazing how they have skated on all of this.

 

[Bob78]

Michigan State interim President John Engler, in a private email to a top adviser, accused a prominent Nassar survivor - Rachael Denhollander - of getting kickbacks from the trial attorneys involved in lawsuits against the school.

In the same string of emails, Engler's top aide — Carol Viventi — accused MSU board member Brian Mossalam of not doing a good enough job of protecting Engler. The Free Press obtained the emails from a source within the Engler administration. The Chronicle of Higher Education first obtained the emails under a Freedom of Information Act request.

The emails drew swift response, including two calls questioning why Engler was still at the school.
​

For my "Rose McGowan" fans, I post this new story with no implication that I endorse MSU, Engler, Denhollander, NCAA Gymnastics or any other associated group or issue (just to be clear).

I fully expect Engler to be named a B&I trustee at PSU as soon as he is fired from his post at MSU. He fits right in with Dambly-Lubert and their Band of Merry Unindicted Co-Conspirators.

 

[MtNittany]

At least no additional young women or innocent animals were harmed this time...

 

[odshowtime]

Sit and think about how that school was given a cut of our bowl money. I have no words for how absurd and unfair that is.

Meanwhile osu cheats and gets to keep their cut even with a deserved bowl ban.

The big ten is a great conference. I'm so proud to be a part of it.

 

[Art]

Sit and think about how that school was given a cut of our bowl money. I have no words for how absurd and unfair that is.

Meanwhile osu cheats and gets to keep their cut even with a deserved bowl ban.

The big ten is a great conference. I'm so proud to be a part of it.

If PSU had a president with a spine, it wouldn't get shat on all the time.

 

[78SweetRevenge]

Correct! No big names so far less media coverage and far less NCAA grandstanding. Is the death penalty on the table? Are they getting kicked out of the conference? Are they losing their share of sports related money?

Michigan State is also handling the aftermath far better than our BOT--let's be real here

 

[odshowtime]

If PSU had a president with a spine, it wouldn't get shat on all the time.

You may be right, but I'd take him over that trash at MSU any day. Just cringeworthy stuff from the ex-Governor.

You can say all kinds of awful stuff about PSU leadership but one thing you can't say is that they attacked victims. The MSU president's behavior is appalling and he should be fired.

I will give them credit on the great deal they cut on that settlement. What a bargain.

 

[Aardvark86]

First might well be true who knows. Second, meh.

 

[Art]

You may be right, but I'd take him over that trash at MSU any day. Just cringeworthy stuff from the ex-Governor.

You can say all kinds of awful stuff about PSU leadership but one thing you can't say is that they attacked victims. The MSU president's behavior is appalling and he should be fired.

I will give them credit on the great deal they cut on that settlement. What a bargain.

That's correct. PSU, ahem, leadership,ahem, took the BOHICA approach to so-called victims.

 

[Notsofastmyfriend21]

D'Antonio is untouchable. He glides right through this, no matter what new story hits.

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of assholes. Too bad they can't pillory the Lou Anna bitch on some quad.

What does she care? SHOW ME THE MONEY! LAS gets paid no matter what - along with seats on the 50 and courtside at the Breslin Center.

 

[BobPSU92]

Hasn’t michigan state been burned down to the ground yet?

 

[Norm Petersin]

Remember, PSU has a culture problem

 

[NittPicker]

In the same string of emails, Engler's top aide — Carol Viventi — accused MSU board member Brian Mossalam of not doing a good enough job of protecting Engler. The Free Press obtained the emails from a source within the Engler administration. The Chronicle of Higher Education first obtained the emails under a Freedom of Information Act request.​

So the president's aide (who I assume gets her marching orders from the president) feels it's the job of the board to protect the president? Interesting.

 

[BobPSU92]

Remember, PSU has a culture problem

How silly of me.

Please take this opportunity to remember that Penn State has a culture problem.

 

[WPB_lion]

D'Antonio is untouchable. He glides right through this, no matter what new story hits.

If it was a longtime assistant coach of D'Antonio who was accused, D'Antonio would not glide through this. There is a sufficient amount of common sense distance between a University doctor and the football coach that the football coach's name does not come up every time the doctor's name is mentioned.

 

[Obliviax]

If it was a longtime assistant coach of D'Antonio who was accused, D'Antonio would not glide through this. There is a sufficient amount of common sense distance between a University doctor and the football coach that the football coach's name does not come up every time the doctor's name is mentioned.

Agree...

But there have been quite a few charges against football and basketball players that have been swept under the rug. At issue is the institutional indifferent (or coverup) to red flags in the athletic department.

 

[WPB_lion]

Michigan State is also handling the aftermath far better than our BOT--let's be real here

By what standards are they handling it better? MSU is going to payout $500 million to victims which far exceeds the amount paid by PSU. The reputation of MSU is taking a rather large hit. Top people at MSU are being fired, losing jobs, and lives ruined, etc. Have you examined the accusations against these people to see if they are unjustifiably being scapegoated to protect others (ie. the BOT)? I would guess that you have not because these people are not famous, household names so it is easier to write them off as deserving.

I suspect your standard of how the aftermath is being handled is the effect the scandal is having on the football team. The handling of the aftermath as it relates to the football team is rather easy because to my knowledge, the MSU scandal has very little to do with anyone related football.

 

[interrobang]

It's not getting worse. They got off easy. This is still an unknown story for most of the country.

 

[WPB_lion]

It's not getting worse. They got off easy. This is still an unknown story for most of the country.

The story is not unknown. It has been on the national news an awful lot and there are a lot of institutions that are being damaged by the scandal. MSU is not getting off easy. They are going to pay half a billion dollars in settlements to people who have been hurt. Their reputation has taken a hit as well.

 

[STPGopherfan]

And nothing on Dantonio and Izzo. Amazing how they have skated on all of this.

In "fairness" Izzo, and Dantonio are not involved with gymnastics. Yes I do get that Paterno did not run Sandusky's organization, nor was he a witness to what happened. In addition to that, he also forwarded information to the administration. I think the perception, fair or not (not mine btw), is that Paterno was such a fixture at PSU that he had to know and had the power to stop it.

Maybe their are too many of us (general society) that want need, someone to burn whether involved or not. Whether guilty or not. Does not seem to matter what the issue is.

The hope, going is that the MSU situation will shed light on the importance of safe guards for youth/ student athletes and integrity within an administration. What is scary is that nobody knows how many MSU situations there are out there.

How does an administration integrate safety/ protection measures to ensure things like this are stopped as soon as possible, or better yet all together? I don't want to say much more, because the situation is still evolving.

 

[bison13]

The story is not unknown. It has been on the national news an awful lot and there are a lot of institutions that are being damaged by the scandal. MSU is not getting off easy. They are going to pay half a billion dollars in settlements to people who have been hurt. Their reputation has taken a hit as well.

MOst people here around Baltimore know nothing of it.

 

[Obliviax]

In "fairness" Izzo, and Dantonio are not involved with gymnastics. Yes I do get that Paterno did not run Sandusky's organization, nor was he a witness to what happened. In addition to that, he also forwarded information to the administration. I think the perception, fair or not (not mine btw), is that Paterno was such a fixture at PSU that he had to know and had the power to stop it.

Maybe their are too many of us (general society) that want need, someone to burn whether involved or not. Whether guilty or not. Does not seem to matter what the issue is.

The hope, going is that the MSU situation will shed light on the importance of safe guards for youth/ student athletes and integrity within an administration. What is scary is that nobody knows how many MSU situations there are out there.

How does an administration integrate safety/ protection measures to ensure things like this are stopped as soon as possible, or better yet all together? I don't want to say much more, because the situation is still evolving.

Well, if this were limited to "gymnastics" I would agree. However, there are several instances where these two coaches interfered with the schools process and legal proceedings. This, to the point, where one has to question the institutional guidance of the entire university. And, this after they hammered PSU and ignored the lessons of PSU.

After all, Joe did what the NCAA would have, and still does today, dictate how a coach should handle such situations (report it to his/her boss, make sure it is also reported outside the sports vertical reporting structure, and get out of the way).

So, I am not sure how many people want to really see MSU burn...but most would like to see fair and equal treatment.

 

[interrobang]

But Izzo runs that university. Of course he knew.

 

[ChiTownLion]

 

[78SweetRevenge]

By what standards are they handling it better? MSU is going to payout $500 million to victims which far exceeds the amount paid by PSU. The reputation of MSU is taking a rather large hit. Top people at MSU are being fired, losing jobs, and lives ruined, etc. Have you examined the accusations against these people to see if they are unjustifiably being scapegoated to protect others (ie. the BOT)? I would guess that you have not because these people are not famous, household names so it is easier to write them off as deserving.

I suspect your standard of how the aftermath is being handled is the effect the scandal is having on the football team. The handling of the aftermath as it relates to the football team is rather easy because to my knowledge, the MSU scandal has very little to do with anyone related football.

Money is irrelevant in these situations. I'm talking about from a public relations standpoint. We failed on every level there and we got the sanctions that the powers that be wanted. I don't know what you think happened at Penn State in comparison to Michigan State but there's no doubt which approach I believe is better. If you disagree then so be it.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

Hasn’t michigan state been burned down to the ground yet?

Just wait until we finally start hearing more about the bigger scandal at USC.

Talk about the biggest scandal nobody seems to know or care about...

 

[STPGopherfan]

Well, if this were limited to "gymnastics" I would agree. However, there are several instances where these two coaches interfered with the schools process and legal proceedings. This, to the point, where one has to question the institutional guidance of the entire university. And, this after they hammered PSU and ignored the lessons of PSU.

After all, Joe did what the NCAA would have, and still does today, dictate how a coach should handle such situations (report it to his/her boss, make sure it is also reported outside the sports vertical reporting structure, and get out of the way).

So, I am not sure how many people want to really see MSU burn...but most would like to see fair and equal treatment.

Poorly worded on my part, and not specific enough. I meant to say the segment of society that wanted Joe Paterno (specifically)to burn, didn't care about details. They just felt someone should pay. Weird take, but it's out there. In general, there is segment of society that just wants someone to pay. They don't even care if it's the right person. I first witnessed that when the Oklahoma city bombing situation was happening.

A local radio was giving unfiltered reports that someone who appeared to be "hispanic"(but was speaking Arabic) driving a rental truck was fleaing the scene. I turned to a co-worker and said, maybe people should wait before jumping to conclusions. I followed up with I don't think it is fair to innocent people that they get detained. I also mentioned that in all of my years, I never met a Mexican, or Latin American that spoke Arabic.

The angry response to me from said coworker was "someone has to pay!". I followed up with no, getting it right and justice is what is more important. I then got cussed out.

I avoided this person, but freely and loudly mentioned that Timothy McVeigh and others were being charged for the crime when it got to that point.

 

[78SweetRevenge]

Poorly worded on my part, and not specific enough. I meant to say the segment of society that wanted Joe Paterno (specifically)to burn, didn't care about details. They just felt someone should pay. Weird take, but it's out there.

People need someone to blame and it's easier to blame the person you know...or the face that you know. Plus our administration allowed Joe to be the sacrificial lamb in this situation.

 

[interrobang]

View embedded media

So like PSU there was an trustee-level cover up. But unlike PSU, it's for opposite reasons

 

[WPB_lion]

Money is irrelevant in these situations. I'm talking about from a public relations standpoint. We failed on every level there and we got the sanctions that the powers that be wanted. I don't know what you think happened at Penn State in comparison to Michigan State but there's no doubt which approach I believe is better. If you disagree then so be it.

From a public relations standpoint, our scandal is on a different level than the MSU scandal because the most well known face of the institution, Joe Paterno, was directly involved in the facts constituting the scandal and the indictment of Jerry Sandusky, who was famous in his own right. Further, football, rather than gymnastics, was the sport involved. Nobody every heard of the players involved in the MSU scandal prior to the scandal and, in general, the general public tends to care more about football than gymnastics.

From a public relations standpoint, PSU's scandal was a much larger problem than MSU's scandal due to the people involved and the attention that the scandal would attract. So you are not comparing apples to apples when you stated in your earlier post that MSU is doing a much better job in the aftermath of the scandal. MSU may not have taken as large of a public relations hit as PSU did, but that is more the result of the nature of the scandal than it is the job that MSU is doing in handling the aftermath.

 

[ApexLion]

Poorly worded on my part, and not specific enough. I meant to say the segment of society that wanted Joe Paterno (specifically)to burn, didn't care about details. They just felt someone should pay. Weird take, but it's out there. In general, there is segment of society that just wants someone to pay. They don't even care if it's the right person. I first witnessed that when the Oklahoma city bombing situation was happening.

A local radio was giving unfiltered reports that someone who appeared to be "hispanic"(but was speaking Arabic) driving a rental truck was fleaing the scene. I turned to a co-worker and said, maybe people should wait before jumping to conclusions. I followed up with I don't think it is fair to innocent people that they get detained. I also mentioned that in all of my years, I never met a Mexican, or Latin American that spoke Arabic.

The angry response to me from said coworker was "someone has to pay!". I followed up with no, getting it right and justice is what is more important. I then got cussed out.

I avoided this person, but freely and loudly mentioned that Timothy McVeigh and others were being charged for the crime when it got to that point.

The bigger issue is how did we become a country of morons, unable to distill and analyze facts from multiple sources? No one in their right mind believes Joe Paterno would knowingly aid, abet, cover up for or otherwise disregard a pedophile. This is what our BOT wanted you and everyone outside of the Penn State community to believe. They spent more than $20m on PR firms and a sham ex-judge/ex-disgraced FBI director pushing this tale because they knew the public believed 'someone should pay' and a culprit punished always enables the public to move on (and our BOT) regardless of the truth.

So like you we will continue to remind people they were sold a story in order to satisfy their need, not their intellect.

 

[STPGopherfan]

People need someone to blame and it's easier to blame the person you know...or the face that you know. Plus our administration allowed Joe to be the sacrificial lamb in this situation.

Thanks! I didn't really know about how much the PSU BOT and other administrators did or did not do till reading some links on this board. I still know very little about the situation other than the situation being very deep and complex. I also did learn that Joe Paterno did report.

Enough? I don't think I am qualified to pass any kind of judgement.

 

[Marylovesthelions]

Agree...

But there have been quite a few charges against football and basketball players that have been swept under the rug. At issue is the institutional indifferent (or coverup) to red flags in the athletic department.

Unthinkable but the Spartans have replaced Michigan atop my most disliked list and Dantonia along its them.

 

[STPGopherfan]

The bigger issue is how did we become a country of morons, unable to distill and analyze facts from multiple sources? No one in their right mind believes Joe Paterno would knowingly aid, abet, cover up for or otherwise disregard a pedophile. This is what our BOT wanted you and everyone outside of the Penn State community to believe. They spent more than $20m on PR firms and a sham ex-judge/ex-disgraced FBI director pushing this tale because they knew the public believed 'someone should pay' and a culprit punished always enables the public to move on (and our BOT) regardless of the truth.

So like you we will continue to remind people they were sold a story in order to satisfy their need, not their intellect.

Thanks for connecting the dots. Paraphrasing a bible passage, many of us humans like to point out the splinter in someone else's eye and ignore the log in our own.

Cheers!

 

[WPB_lion]

In a five minute view/read..... this will tell you all you need to know wrt why the MSU and the PSU situations led to such different outcomes vav the MSU Athletic Department leadership (and Dantonio in particular):

https://www.lansingstatejournal.com...state-football-espn-outside-lines/1071320001/


Some quotes from that press conference:

"Any accusations of my handling of any complaints of sexual assaults individually are completely false. Every incident was documented by either the Police, or the Michigan State Title IX office. I've worked with the proper authorities, when dealing with cases of sexual assault."

and then this:

"That is all I have to say. I am advised against taking any questions...... (watch the video, and see his body language at this point)…." And then he says.... "But I'll take a couple questions."

And then, he answered them - directly, face-to-face, unfiltered, and not as some lap-dog to a cadre of a$$-hump lawyers.


Whether people like Dantonio - or hate him. Whether people think he handled things properly - or horribly. Whether people think he was being honest - or obfuscating...… the clear, incontrovertible fact is this:
Five minutes - face-to-face, without using any BS "advice of counsel" bullshit.
And - for Dantonio - it was, for all intents and purposes, over.


As compared to the actions of EVERY Penn State Admin and "Leader" throughout the entire monkey-hump at PSU..... any one of whom could have COMPLETELY re-shaped the PSU situation - at the time - with 5 f^cking minutes of open, direct communication.


As I said before:

"And - while it isn't really something one "knows", there is another important something that one can believe (and I do believe). That is:

It doesn't take a "hero" to stand up for what is righteous...… all it takes is the basic shit that most of us were raised on from the time we were pre-schoolers (at least I would hope so - but perhaps I am wrong)….

Namely: Be honest, speak your mind, take responsibility, don't be a pussy, try to fix those things you've broken - and when you do so, try not to f^ck up in the same way again, and stand up for what you believe is right - even when it does not advance your personal self-interests.

I KNOW we ain't seen nearly enough of that stuff.
And I KNOW that very few people care.
And that is disconcerting."

Two-Thousand Five-Hundred days later - and we still have a PSU Administration and Leadership (including all of the supposed advocates for Truth and Transparency) filled with pussies and posers, that would rather burn down the University, than to spend 60 seconds being honest and direct about ANYTHING.

And (nearly) no one cares.


Bunch of scum-bags. All of them.

If you are saying that PSU should have let Paterno speak face to face and unfiltered, I think you need to look no further than what happened when Paterno made the statement "[w]ith the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more." That sentence was part of a prepared statement by Paterno which has been used countless times out of context to skewer Paterno. Joe was already, due to his age, a shadow of the man he was earlier. Imagine what he could have said off the top of head that would have been used against him.

Given the nature of the allegations and his involvement in the facts, it was not in Paterno's best interest to allow him to give an open interview. Dantonio's situation was much different.