NCAA Football

Report: Penn State To Take Down Paterno Statue This Weekend (UPDATE)

by Evan Sporer | 11:24 am, July 20th, 2012

As many wondered if Penn State would take down the famous Joe Paterno in the wake of the Freeh report, Kimberly Jones of NFL Network is reporting the statue will be removed this weekend.

Am told that Penn State plans to take down the Paterno statue this weekend.

— Kimberly Jones (@KimJonesSports) July 20, 2012

While some were split on whether or not Penn State should remove the statue, others publicly made their feelings known. Earlier this week, a plane carrying a banner that read “Take down the statue, or we will,” flew over Happy Valley.

We will have more on this story as it develops.

UPDATE: According to Bonnie Bernstein, Penn State trustees voted on the decision to remove the statue on a conference call last night.

Source: Penn State Board of Trustees voted on a conference call last night to take down Joe Paterno statue. Will happen this wknd.

— Bonnie Bernstein (@BonnieBernstein) July 20, 2012

UPDATE: In a story that came out late last night, Steve Garban became the first member of Penn State’s board of trustees to resign in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. Garban was highly criticized in the wake of the scandal for his handling of the situation. Per Sports Illustrated:

Steve Garban said in a letter his presence on the board had become “a distraction and an impediment” to its efforts to move forward.

Garban, who had stepped down as board chairman after Sandusky’s November arrest but had remained a board member, was harshly criticized over his handling of the crisis that engulfed Penn State, and he faced persistent calls from alumni and fellow board members to resign.

An internal investigation by former FBI Director Louis Freeh found that Garban was briefed twice about developments in the Sandusky case but didn’t share what he knew with the entire board, depriving trustees of a chance to prepare for the worst crisis in Penn State’s 157-year history.

It is not known at this time whether Garban resigned before or after the conference call vote that decided the fate of the Paterno statue.

UPDATE: There is now a conflicting report coming out regarding a reported vote conducted by the Penn State board of trustees to remove the Joe Paterno statue. Laura Olson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that she spoke with a trustee member who denied a decision regarding the statue has been made.

Re: JoePa statue, PSU trustee Anthony Lubrano says no BOT vote on removal. Final decision will be by administration, not trustees, he says.

— Laura Olson (@lauraolson) July 20, 2012

Lubrano also said #PSU administration has asked for input on JoePa statue decision. Not aware of any final decision being made yet.

— Laura Olson (@lauraolson) July 20, 2012

You’ll recall Lubrano was elected to the Penn State board of trustees July 1 and made these comments defending Paterno and Penn State football.

Via SI Tracking Blog

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Steve

Sweet Jesus, why do you people have to throw away every man’s lifelong achievements as a penalty of another man’s crimes? If he could defend himself, and he had no excuse, them by all means punish him, but this is “guilty until you rise from the dead and prove your innocence”!!
Justin

Another man’s crime that he covered up?
Jordanrinehart

because paterno knew about it u moron. if u know of a terrible crime and sont say anything u are just as guilty!
Indignant

His silence allowed “another man’s crimes” to become his crime! His “lifelong achievements” is now that he aided and abetted a convicted child molester, hindered the prosecution of that same child molester, and by doing so ruined the lives of that child molester’s victims.
S1obberbone

Steve: The most ignorant comment I have ever read. Have you paid any attention to what was going on? ”If he could defend himself” . . . ??? He had a chance to defend himself. Instead, he chose to ignore what was happening for over a decade. He lost his opportunity to be innocent the day he decided to allow children to be harmed.

It frightens me that you are angry with the wrong person and wish to honor someone as despicable as Paterno instead of supporting the victims.

Have a happy life!
guest

Steve if had a son maybe you would understand and if you do you are a moron! Jesus had nothing to do with this however Joe Paterno had a lot to do with it, had he spoken up years ago maybe one less child would have been molested by that creep Sandusky!
Duke

you guys are judgemental jerks, honestly no one knows his role in this….. and how deep it was…..
Anonymous

Um did you read the report? Paterno stopped people from organizing an effort to turn Sandusky in. It’s right in there.

Blind Pride like this is sooo dangerous.
butch81385

Saras_Tears… Obviously you haven’t read the report! The facts never say that he stopped anyone from doing anything. Freeh’s opinion is that this may have happened. The facts state that Curley wrote a note a week before talking to Paterno stating that he was uncomfortable with what they had agreed with doing. Then Curley wrote an email that said that after thinking about it and talking to Joe, he is uncomfortable with what they agreed. He then states they should talk directly to Sandusky. It ALSO says that they WILL talk to Second Mile (a mandatory reporter of abuse) and additionally may also contact DPW directly themselves. The only thing the email proves is that Joe talked to Curley. If Joe forced a cover up it must have happened after the email because the email clearly states that they were still going to report it even after talking to Paterno (but for some reason it never was…)
William Howard

It’s because at 4th and goal Paterno chose to do nothing so its game over. You talk about his lifetime. What about the many lifetimes of pain he allowed just to keep his game going?

Why are people so fast to look the other way for sports heroes?