Joanna Schroeder asserts that Paterno’s name will forever represent the ways in which you don’t have to be the abuser to be guilty of harming children.
In light of the Freeh report, which details the numerous ways in which Paterno and others at Penn State University ignored the many signs of horrific abuse at the hands of Jerry Sandusky on their own campus, Nike has decided to drop Paterno’s name from the company’s child care center.
Newser quotes Nike founder Phil Knight:
“Joe influenced thousands of young men to become better leaders, fathers and husbands,” he said. But “according to the investigation, it appears Joe made missteps that led to heartbreaking consequences. I missed that Joe missed it, and I am extremely saddened on this day. My love for Joe and his family remains.”
I didn’t know what “I missed that Joe missed it” meant exactly so I did a little research and found this quote from Knight at Paterno’s memorial service, offered by ESPN’s Big Ten Blogger Brian Bennett:
“Whatever the details of the investigation, this much is clear to me: If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation, not in Joe Paterno’s response,” Knight said. He later earned roaring cheers by listing Paterno’s accomplishments and then asking, “Who is the real trustee at Penn State University?”
Bennett explains that Knight’s statement always made him uneasy and concludes with this: “It’s understandable that Knight revered JoePa and wanted to honor his legend. But his remarks in January went too far, and now he has had to sheepishly retreat from them.”
I think we can all agree that it’s a truly sad day. But for those of us observing from the outside, it is merely one sad day, or perhaps a sad year of revelations regarding PSU and Sandusky. For the survivors of Sandusky’s crime, it is many many years of sadness on top of unimaginable pain. We need to remember this, as a culture, and take individual responsibility for the children in our lives and what happens to them.
My hope is that the Freeh report, the conviction of Jerry Sandusky, the nation’s outpouring of support and love for the survivors, and hopefully further action taken against PSU will show survivors of abuse, particularly male survivors, that their lives matter to us, and that we as a society will stand by them and do our best to prevent other children from having to endure what they did.
Paterno’s name will forever represent the ways in which you don’t have to be the abuser to be guilty of harming children.
I’ve been reading – It’s such a bad habit and maybe I should kick it. There is a “Factoid” in fact there are more than one – There are so many bobbing “Factoids” concerning Sandusky as far back as 1994 – and it took until 2009 for any to be picked up and acted upon. I can’t believe that all of the scattered realities have now been gathered into one basket for tidy up. It’s never that simple. One Factoid that keeps on emerging and then being submerged again – it goes right back to Matt Sandusky and 1996, the… Read more »
“I missed that Joe missed it.”
That quote makes no sense at all. Nor does the other qoute you provided shed any light on the meaning.
I just scoured the Internet trying to figure out what that quote means, but couldn’t find anything.
It must be a typo of some sort. The fact that a corporation as big and powerful as Nike would issue such a shoddy press release and let it be printed in hundreds of media only shows how much Nike and Phil Knight care about child sex abuse–not at all, apparently.
I know, it’s odd. I think he’s saying that both he and JoePa both “missed” that Sandusky was abusing kids…
I’m with you that it isn’t totally clear, but that’s my best bet.
I agree that’s the most likely interpretation of what Knight was saying. But if that is what he was saying, then Knight is essentially in denial. The investigative report on which Knight’s statement was commenting concludes that Joe Paterno didn’t “miss” anything. To the contrary, it concludes that Paterno knew full well about the sexual abuse for more than a decade and didn’t go to police. Best case scenario: This is a typo and Nike is full of idiots who can’t proofread a press release. Worst case scenario: Knight is an asshole in denial. Neither scenario looks very good for… Read more »
“My hope is that the Freeh report, the conviction of Jerry Sandusky, the nation’s outpouring of support and love for the survivors, and hopefully further action taken against PSU will show survivors of abuse, particularly male survivors, that their lives matter to us”
I guess female survivors don’t matter
Bad Guess! Want to Try Again?
Please Note – Victim status and survival is not a competitive sport. You’re response is pure Joe Pa. Winning at any cost is all that matters?… at any cost?
This is not a zero-sum game. As I tell the male survivors when they’re upset that females get attention for being victims, one person’s pain does NOT negate yours. PSU was about all children in a broad sense, yes. Abusers of both sexes are protected by institutions, but unlike any time in our history, this nation came out to support MALE survivors, who in the past have had much more murky support. Aside from the implication that a male victim somehow is always “gay” (let’s just ignore the homophobic aspect of this accusation which is so profound I cannot even… Read more »
“…sheepishly retreat from them”? I don’t think so – and I sure as hell am no defender of Nike! Sandusky used his position to groom kids and Paterno groomed sponsors and sports connections to allow his football myth to be facilitated. Would it have been appropriate for Phil Knight to pee on Paterno’s coffin at his funeral? I don’t think so. Timing is everything when the media circus is in town. It’s a bad news day – so I’m not surprised that Nike chose today to announce some long overdue and needed good news. But sorry Nike – It’s not… Read more »
I don’t think Knight had to say what he said about Paterno EVER, let alone at his funeral. Knight could’ve said a billion things about his friend without saying that he knew Paterno wasn’t involved. That was pretty bold. And wrong in the end. It isn’t that Knight could only say bad or good about PSU, he didn’t have to mention PSU at all. Very early on it seemed Paterno was complicit in covering up the abuse, and I can see why Knight wouldn’t want to believe it. I’m a VERY loyal person, but I think he could’ve just simply… Read more »
Oh I agree – Many people have not had to say anything – they have not had to lionise, inflate, politicise and above all else do and say things which had demeaned and degraded victims and survivors.
I just find it reprehensible, that when it comes to walking the kitty back it’s been done in a manner and at a time that is designed to have minimal impact on the bottom line and business reputation. It smacks as cynical twice over!