The NFL Thread (with added College Football)

[cdbearsfan]

Won 4, Lost 3. A long way adrift of first-placed Green Bay (7-0) in the division and also behind Detroit (6-2) (if you don't keep a close eye on it you will be surprised to hear that they have become competent).

However, if the season ended today we'd be (just) in the play-offs so we still have all to play for. I still reckon we'll finish above the Lions and get a wildcard spot.

[cheltenhamlion]

It was suggested yesterday that you might well be able to get a flight from Brum to Chicago in the not to distant future. I might do a game when it happens.

[ADVILLAFAN]

I don't keep a close eye on it. How are Chicago doing this season?

Okay - tend to beat poor teams and lose to good teams. Although we did lose to the Lions. Difficult to know how good they are really.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Da Bears up to 5-3 after crushing the Eagles 30 to 24

[The Left Side]

Come on you Bears!

[UK Redsox]

Penn State is caught up in a Catholic Church-like child abuse cover-up scandal

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7209890/penn-state-nittany-lions-name-committee-review-sex-abuse-scandal

Apparently the abuser was still allowed on campus property and even allowed use of the training facilities

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7207465/penn-state-nittany-lions-sex-abuse-scandal-jerry-sandusky-was-campus-last-week-reports-say


The fall out could even lead to a premature end to the up and coming career of young head coach Joseph Paterno

[pmarachi]

Da Bears up to 5-3 after crushing the Eagles 30 to 24
[/quote
Hardly a crushing.  More of a comeback, since they were down for a significant portion at the end of the game.

[pmarachi]

JoePa needs to be fired.  I am sorry, but he does.
If it were ANYONE not named Joe Paterno involved in this they would have been fired the second the news broke.

I hope this ruins his legacy, because there is no excuse for this.  It is a prime example of turning your head the other way for your own good and F'ing everyone else.

[UK Redsox]

SI.com article on Paterno's non-actions

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/11/08/penn-state-joe-paterno-scandal/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t11_a2

Paterno didn't break any law. Officially speaking, he did exactly what was required when a graduate assistant told him in 2002 that he had witnessed Sandusky sexually abusing a boy (estimated age: 10) in a shower at the Penn State football complex. Paterno told his boss, athletic director Tim Curley. Paterno followed proper procedure. And doesn't he deserve the benefit of the doubt? For years, Paterno has been a paragon of athletic virtue. He has won a Division I-record 409 games, yet his program has never been cited for a major NCAA violation. Sandusky maintains his innocence. As does Curley, who has been charged with perjury. They'll get their day in court.


Pure B.S. Paterno claims to be a teacher. He always talks about his kids when referring to his players. Someone who truly cared about kids would have done more. He would have pestered Curley for an answer about what happened to the accusation. He would have called the police. He would have confronted Sandusky. Instead of that, Paterno let Sandusky keep coming back. On Monday, Yahoo! reported that Sandusky was spotted in the Penn State football complex as recently as last week. Even if the accusation was false, Paterno had a responsibility to make sure it was thoroughly investigated. He didn't. He stuck by Sandusky instead of worrying about the child.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Da Bears up to 5-3 after crushing the Eagles 30 to 24
[/quote
Hardly a crushing.  More of a comeback, since they were down for a significant portion at the end of the game.

Yes, I was joking. Tried to do the scoreline in a tiny font.

[Somniloquism]

Da Bears up to 5-3 after crushing the Eagles 30 to 24

Hardly a crushing.  More of a comeback, since they were down for a significant portion at the end of the game.

Part of the 3rd quarter isn't "a significant portion at the end of the game" either.

[UK Redsox]

Paterno fired

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7214380/joe-paterno-president-graham-spanier-penn-state

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7214753/joe-paterno-firing-was-only-decision-penn-state-nittany-lions-make

Penn State fired a football coach who won 409 games, more than any other coach in Division I college football history.

Penn State fired a coach, whose family donated more than $4 million to the university, helping fund scholarships, faculty positions and the construction of a library that bears his name.

Penn State fired a coach, who was never accused by the NCAA of breaking its rules in 46 seasons, and whose players seemingly always graduated, fostering a belief that the Nittany Lions always did things the right way, even as other major college football programs' reputations were sullied by salacious scandals involving academic fraud and illegal booster benefits.

On Wednesday night, Penn State's Board of Trustees fired legendary football coach Joe Paterno -- effectively immediately -- because it was the only decision it could make.

"We thought that because of the difficulties that engulfed our university -- and they are great -- it was necessary for us to make a change in the leadership and to set a course for new direction," said Penn State board of trustees vice chairman John Surma, chairman and CEO of U.S. Steel. "The university is much larger than its athletic programs."

Finally, adults with backbones and courage made a prudent decision at Penn State.

Paterno was fired because he failed miserably while making the biggest decision of his life.

Told by a graduate assistant in 2002 that former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky had sexually assaulted a boy, believed to be 10 years old, in the showers of Penn State's football complex, Paterno did nothing more than inform athletics director Tim Curley and university vice president Gary Schultz of the allegations. Paterno never personally called police. His son, Scott Paterno, told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday that his father never even asked Sandusky -- his assistant coach for three decades and who was once considered his heir apparent -- about the incident.

[usav]

I feel sorry for JoePa in all of this.   I'm sure he wishes he could have done more and will probably regret it the rest of his life - which may be considerably shorter now than it would have been.

I do agree with the decision to clean shop, I think they had to do that, however, they should have let him coach the last game of the season.

[UK Redsox]

Some students don't take kindly to Paterno's firing

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/10/justice/pennsylvania-coach-abuse/index.html?hpt=us_c1

[pmarachi]

I feel sorry for JoePa in all of this.   I'm sure he wishes he could have done more and will probably regret it the rest of his life - which may be considerably shorter now than it would have been.

I do agree with the decision to clean shop, I think they had to do that, however, they should have let him coach the last game of the season.

I dont feel sorry for him one BIT

He should have been dragged from his house by a mob 2 days ago.