I know, I know, share something truly revelatory, right? Still, in the wake of recent news ESPN had verifiable information now-ex Syracuse basketball assistant coach Bernie Fine allegedly molested at least one former Orangemen ball boy as far back as 1984 and chose not to share it, say what you did or didn’t and/or will or won’t about inaction from Joe Paterno (or, since the gaping holes in the grand jury report leave much to speculation, 4th-hand or not, alleged inaction from Paterno) and others at Penn State upon learning of Jerry Sandusky’s heinous behavior in 2002. I just don’t ever want to hear any moral high-horsing from “the worldwide leader in sports.”
Granted, the Syracuse police sound about as inept as their Penn State counterparts in terms of stopping these accused predators, but ESPN sitting on this information’s no better behavior than what they claim Joe Paterno morally failed to do. At least Joe Paterno’s expressing immense regret on not having done more. As I begin to understand the network’s blind devotion to President Obama, sounds like ESPN’s pulling the classic basketball move of throwing their hands up in the air like they didn’t commit a foul.
ESPN’s Mark Schwarz explained in an interview on CNN why the tapes were not made public back then.
“We did not go to authorities with the tape. The authorities did speak to Bobby Davis before the tape was made in 2002. He spoke to a Syracuse Police detective, who he says spent five minutes on the phone with him, and didn’t even do a detective report… told him the statute of limitations had come and gone, and that is why Bobby Davis says he recorded the tape to try to at least corroborate his story this way.
Ultimately, though, this isn’t about playing “gotcha” with Paterno, ESPN and/or Boeheim (and his classless “I’m no Joe Paterno. Somebody didn’t come and tell me Bernie Fine did something and I’m hiding it. I know nothing.” statement) — OK, maybe a little with the sanctimonious turds at ESPN. This is about the alleged deviant Bernie Fine (and Sandusky) and the children he abused, and I hope the Syracuse University’s alums and current student body and faculty can rally in support of groups like RAINN and others helping victims of sexual violence the way Penn State’s continue to do.
While mainly for Rufus, final notes, and not saying these to excuse or rationalize anything in the wake of the Sandusky revelations, only for perspective’s sake: For those who justifiably railed against Penn State’s football program abusing its on-campus weight, Syracuse basketball possesses comparable status. Plus, while not tenured in his coaching position as long as Paterno was, Boeheim’s been in the Syracuse program since 1969 as an assistant and 1976 as head coach. Do with that potential “sweeping under the rug” information what you will.
Since “The Poor Kid” marked the final episode of the latest South Park season, insert Syracuse for Penn State as necessary. As Cartman astutely noted later in the episode, it’s all just recycling old Catholic jabs anyway.
World leader in pigshit…ESPN is a sorry racket.
How does that saying go? “For thee but not for me . . . ”
They have pretty much perfected the art of that in every single way.
ESPN sucks. There I said it. Their coverage of most sports is only what they want to show people, and their world view. They ignore historical mile stones when it doesn’t fit into their insane meme.
They chased Rush off the NFL Countdown show when he had the audacity to bring up a politically but logical argument and they have RUINED Monday Night Football. Their anchors have no personality and that Kenny Maine or whatever the hell his name is is a total and absolute embarressment. There I said it. ESPN YOU SUCK!
Just a tad off main topic, but I heard a radio news report yesterday that stated that the coach’s wife knew he was molesting boys years ago, and kept her silence. Ya just have to love enablers, eh?
I see your second link above confirms what I heard.
The wife is claiming the audio tape was doctored. My guess, it isn’t, not with Boeheim backing away from this like a mouse in a cat flight.
ESPN is the worldwide leader in conflict of interest and nothing else. They suddenly became more interested in the Fine story after they’ve had their asses handed to them by Yahoo, not to mention a 24-year-old reporter in Harrisburg who is three years out of Penn State. I’m not buying their interest in this took of after other people came forward, I think they are interested as far as saving their own ass.
And if they sat on this for nine years while the statute of limitations ran out, to hell with them.