Paterno’s Words Reportedly Misread
On the eve of the Orange Bowl between Penn State and Florida State, the ever resilient Joe Paterno was asked about the suspension of a Florida State linebacker, A.J. Nicholson, over an alleged sexual assault. Paterno replied, “There’s some tough — there’s so many people gravitating to these kids. He may not have even known what he was getting into, Nicholson. They knock on the door; somebody may knock on the door; a cute girl knocks on the door. What do you do?”
“Geez. I hope — thank God they don’t knock on my door because I’d refer them to a couple of other rooms,” Paterno continued. “But that’s too bad. You hate to see that. I really do. You like to see a kid end up his football career. He’s a heck of a football player, by the way; he’s a really good football player. And it’s just too bad.”
The National Organization for Women, or NOW, has demanded that Paterno step down from his post of 40 years stating that his comments were deemed inapporpriate and claiming that his statements endorsed rape and sexual assault.
Paternor replied by telling ESPN.com, “Most people know me. I am what I am, I had no intention … it was taken out of context. Having said that, they have every right to do what they want to do.” He also stated, “If my kids calls for [my resignation], if my squad calls for it … but when people don’t know what they’re doing are looking for publicity or trying to give publicity to their cause or looking for some sort of scapegoat, no, it doesn’t bother me.”
Penn State officials have said that Paterno made the statement in the larger context of bowl game distractions, rather than an endorsement of sexual misconduct. However advocates from NOW have continued to volley verbal assaults on the venerable Paterno.
Hopefully the situation can be resolved for the old ball coach, and I’m not entirely convinced that his statements were intended as NOW claims, but we’ll find out soon enough.
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