A Heartfelt Cry to the Victims in the Penn State Scandal

AP Photo/Paul VathisJerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno stand together in 1999 in State College, Pa. Now Paterno stands accused of failing to meet his moral responsibility regarding an accusation of child sexual abuse against Sandusky.

This is not about Joe Paterno.

If these boys really were molested, groped and raped by a middle-aged ex-Penn State football coach, then whatever misjudgment Paterno made will be a single lit match compared to the bonfire these boys will walk in for years to come.

Many of them won't be able to trust. Won't be able to love. Won't be able to feel -- nor trust or love themselves.

Don't feel sorry for Paterno. He's had his life. Feel sorry for these boys, because they may never get one.

Imagine: One reported victim in the Penn State case, now 24, has been living with that kind of hole growing inside him since he made allegations against Sandusky in 1998 -- 13 years ago. Those allegations never led to charges. That's 13 years of not being believed, of knowing his alleged perpetrator was out there, volunteering at high schools and running his grisly camp "tours" of the shower room.

The horror of it makes you want to punch somebody. If anyone could talk to boys Sandusky might have abused who haven't come forward yet?

"Tell someone," I beg of you.  "Because people are going to believe you. I believe in you...and YOU SHOULD KNOW ITS NOT YOUR FAULT.

No, this isn't about 84-year-old Joe Paterno not taking more steps that might have stopped it. It's about everybody not taking more steps that might have stopped it. Not parents, not teachers, not uncles, not friends, not counselors.

Imagine: Victim One, according to the Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News, was often taken out of class by Sandusky to be further molested. Just taken out of school by somebody who wasn't his parent, with no questions asked until his mother finally called the principal and asked her to check into it. Later that day, the principal called back in tears. "You need to come down here right now."

According to a 1998 study on child sexual abuse by Boston University Medical School, one in six boys in America will be abused by age 16. For girls, it's one in four by the age of 14. Those "If you see something, say something" billboards shouldn't just be about terrorism. They may apply to sex abuse, too. Doesn't matter if it's your uncle, your longtime assistant coach or your buddy. You HAVE to say something. And yet, precious few people have the guts to say anything at all.

"The fear is too strong,..... I can see it as you are feeling you don't know what to do. You might think, 'Oh my god, how bad is this going to look? What are we going to do now that we've let this guy operate right under our noses? We better keep quiet.' But it can't work like that anymore."

Does this hippie blame Paterno? Let's ask some questions shall we?:

"Does Paterno have grandchildren of his own?
[Yes, 17.]
How would he feel if it were one of his grandkids in that shower with the coach?

What would he have done? Somehow, the perpetrator felt welcome at that school.
[We need systems in place that make perpetrators feel unwelcome."]

What must those boys feel like, right now, as all this darkness gets played out in front of the camera lights?

Take it from me; a woman whom at the young age of 5; was sexually abuse by her own family member.....and this is my first time speaking publicly about it to my fans.... but not my own family. 

Do I feel ashamed? No. I feel empowered. Because that bitch won't hurt me nor any member of my family anymore. 

The road these boys are on now is endless and buckled and uphill. Some will hate their parents for not protecting them and hate themselves for hating them. They will hate the pervert for tricking them and hate themselves for being tricked. And just when they think this cruel and long legal process is over, it can start all over again.

If all these charges turn out to be true, though, soon he and Sandusky will both be going to prison -- a place where, with any luck, they will feel most unwelcome.

So, my word to you dear fans of iHeart Amile; listen to your loved ones. See any signs of some distraught inside that is too scared to come out. 

It took me almost 16 years to tell my family..... don't let it be forever with yours. 

Notre Dame accident: School won't use hydraulic lifts to film football practice

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The University of Notre Dame is halting the use of hydraulic lifts to film football practices and will install remote-controlled cameras instead as part of a safety push spurred by an October accident in which a student filmmaker was killed when a lift toppled, university officials said Tuesday.

The Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame's president, said the new system fulfills a pledge made after junior Declan Sullivan died.

"I said in the days after Declan's death that we would do everything in our power to make changes to ensure that such an accident does not happen again -- here or elsewhere," Jenkins said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press.

The new system will include four cameras mounted on 50-foot poles at the university's football practice fields. The cameras will record the practices and transmit them using fiber optics to a control room across the street in the Guglielmino Athletics Complex, where the football offices are housed.

The university will continue to use two permanent structures on the sidelines of the practice fields for filming.

The changes come as the Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration continues to investigate what caused the lift holding Sullivan to fall as he filmed practice on Oct. 27.

The National Weather Service reported gusts of up to 51 mph at the time. State officials have said they are looking at whether federal and state workplace safety rules and industry standards might have been violated, including a federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule barring workers from using scaffolds during storms or high winds.

Authorities also are reviewing whether Sullivan, 20, of Long Grove, Ill., received training before using the lift.

Notre Dame is conducting its own investigation and has hired Peter Likins, former president of the University of Arizona, to provide an independent review.

Jenkins has said the university is responsible for Sullivan's death because it failed to protect him.

"Declan Sullivan was entrusted to our care, and we failed to keep him safe," Jenkins wrote in an e-mail to students and staff 10 days after the accident.

The new cameras are expected to be in operation by the start of spring football practice on March 23.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

Lawrence Taylor pleads guilty, yet is serving no JAIL TIME

Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges in court Thursday, stemming from a May 6 arrest for felony statutory rape. He will receive no jail time and is expected to be sentenced to six years probation.

Taylor pled guilty to one count of soliciting a prostitute and a second count of sexual misconduct in having sex with a woman without consent. Since the victim in the case was 16, by law she was not old enough to give consent.

In court, under oath, Taylor admitted that he had six with a 16-year-old and he said that he was aware that results of a DNA test identifield him.

"She told me she was 19," Taylor said in court.

On March 22, a hearing will be held to determine the level of his sex-offender status. There also was an order of protection against him that was renewed.

Harry Carson, his former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, was in the courtroom and gave Taylor a supportive greeting when he arrived.

"I've always seen a distinction between Lawrence Taylor and LT," Carson said.

Taylor's Highs, Lows

As Giants Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor's troubles off the field continue, ESPNNewYork.com takes a look back. Photo gallery

In New York, ignorance of a person's age is not a defense against statutory rape. The age of consent in New York is 17.

Taylor was arrested early in the morning of May 6 at a Holiday Inn in Montebello, N.Y. Police said they were led to his hotel room by a 16-year-old runaway who had allegedly been forced into prostitution by Rasheed Davis.

Davis pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, while Taylor pleaded not guilty to charges of third-degree rape, patronizing a prostitute and endangering the welfare of a child. The rape charge carried a maximum of four years in jail.

Taylor has cooperated with authorities in their investigation of sex trafficking in the New York area.

At the time of the incident, Ramapo town supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence alleged that Taylor paid her $300 for sex. Taylor posted the $75,000 bail later that day.

Aidala on Dec. 8 asked Rockland County Judge William Kelly to dismiss the charges on grounds that Taylor's fourth amendment rights were violated when the hotel room was searched upon his arrest. Physical evidence, including condoms, was recovered in the search. Kelly denied the request.

Taylor led the Giants to two Super Bowl titles, in 1987 and 1991. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Rockland County prosecutor Arthur Ferraro said on Dec. 8 that Taylor had been offered a plea deal which included six months in jail and 10 years' probation if he pled guilty to a felony, but he also would have needed to register as a sex offender. At the time, Aidala said the terms were unacceptable.

Mr. Rodriguez... You are no longer Michigan's Man

Michigan has fired football coach Rich Rodriguez after his third season ended with a school-record 38-point loss in the Gator Bowl, Fox 2 TV and the Detroit Free Press are reporting.

The report comes after Rodriguez met with athletic director Dave Brandon earlier Tuesday. Members of the football team are scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, according to a report from annarbor.com 

Michigan's Gator Bowl loss to Mississippi State knocked Rodriguez's overall record to 15-22 with college football's winningest program. He was 6-18 in Big Ten games, 0-6 against rivals Ohio State and Michigan State and 2-11 versus ranked teams in The Associated Press' Top 25 at the time of the game.

After the Gator Bowl, Rodriguez described his mood as "disappointed and frustrated, but not discouraged" after the Wolverines' loss left them 7-6. Michigan will owe him $2.5 million to buy out the final three years of his contract.

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, who played quarterback at Michigan, has been cited as a potential candidate to replace Rodriguez. But a source with direct knowledge of Harbaugh's thinking said Harbaugh is "highly unlikely" to accept the Michigan job if offered, the Detroit Free Press reported.

NCAA compliance issues and three losses to archrival Ohio State didn't help matters for Rodriguez, who left West Virginia to succeed Lloyd Carr.

Last year, the NCAA disciplined the program for practice and training violations, but didn't decide that Rodriguez had failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance with NCAA rules.

The problems came to light just before the 2009 season when the Detroit Free Press, quoting anonymous players, reported that the program was exceeding NCAA limits on practice and training time.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Recap of The Orange Bowl

MIAMI -- John Elway flashed his familiar grin and Jim Harbaugh gave a jubilant shout from the sideline as Andrew Luck sprinted up the field to join a celebration in the end zone.

Nearly a quarter remained in the Orange Bowl, but the Stanford Cardinal (No. 4 BCS, No. 5 AP) were on the way to their first bowl victory in 14 years. And it was a blowout.

Now, the biggest question that remains about the Cardinal is whether their star quarterback and coach are coming back.

Luck, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, threw for 287 yards and four touchdowns Monday night to lead Stanford past Virginia Tech (No. 13 BCS, No. 12 AP), 40-12.

"It's a wonderful way to cap off the season," Luck said. "Couldn't be happier for the Stanford community."

The sophomore turned in a performance reminiscent of Elway, the former Stanford quarterback who is expected to become the Denver Broncos' chief football executive this week. Elway served as honorary captain, and ex-Stanford QB Jim Plunkett also was on hand to lend support.

"As an alum, it's the greatest -- to be able to come down here and watch a great football team," Elway said. "They're well-coached, they played great. Some great players. A big thrill."

When the game ended, two Stanford players lifted Harbaugh on their shoulders and he raised an arm in triumph. The Cardinal (12-1) likely will end the season ranked in the top 5 for the first time since the unbeaten 1940 team finished No. 2.

Their success comes only four years after they went 1-11 and hired Harbaugh as coach to lead a turnaround.

"They've bounced back from some terrible years and put Stanford back on the football map," Plunkett said. "I'm very proud of them."

Orange You Glad I Didn't Catch Four?

Stanford tight end Coby Fleener tied an Orange Bowl record with three receiving touchdowns on Monday night.

Most Rec TD, Orange Bowl History

Year	Player	School	TDs
2011	Coby Fleener	Stanford	3
2005	Steve Smith	USC	3
2000	David Terrell	Michigan	3
1996	Andre Cooper	Florida St.	3

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Virginia Tech (11-3), playing in a bowl game for the 18th consecutive year, fell to 1-27 against top-5 teams.

Stanford threw a completion for a bizarre safety and blew two extra points, but overcame those mistakes with six plays gaining more than 30 yards. Two came in succession on a two-play, 97-yard "drive," and the Cardinal outscored Tech 27-0 in the second half.

"They're really good, and we helped them be good," Hokies coach Frank Beamer said. "There were a couple of long plays against our defense, and then the game got away from us. The thing kind of snowballed."

Tight end Coby Fleener caught scoring passes of 41, 58 and 38 yards from Luck, all in the final 21 minutes. Zach Ertz had a 25-yard TD reception, Jeremy Stewart scored on a 60-yard run and Stepfan Taylor added a 56-yard run. Fullback-linebacker Owen Marecic scored on a 1-yard run and had a sack.

Luck went 18 for 23 and was chosen the most valuable player.

"Andrew Luck is the straw that stirs the drink around here," Harbaugh said.

"I don't think there's anyone better playing right now," Plunkett added.

Fleener had six catches for 173 yards for the Cardinal, who outgained Tech 534-288.

"We came out in the second half and established a rhythm," Luck said. "We were making some uncommon mistakes in the first half. We just went back to blocking, throwing, catching, and it worked out for us."

The game might have been the last at Stanford for Harbaugh and Luck. Harbaugh is expected to be courted by NFL teams and perhaps alma mater Michigan after leading the Cardinal to a school-record win total. Luck is projected as the likely first pick in the draft if he turns pro this year.

Pac-ing It On

The Pac-10 loves playing in Miami. The conference improved to 4-0 all-time in the Orange Bowl, winning each game by double digits and by an average of 24 points per game

Pac-10 Teams
Orange Bowl History

Year	Team	Opp.	Result
2011	Stanford	Virginia Tech	Won by 28
2005	USC	Oklahoma	Won by 36
2003	USC	Iowa	Won by 21
1985	Washington	Oklahoma	Won by 11

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"I don't want to make an impulsive decision," Luck said. "I'll enjoy this as long as I can. I know the deadline is coming up, I'll sit down with my parents, weigh the pros and cons and go from there."

When Harbaugh was asked about the possibility he had coached his final game at Stanford, he said: "Oh please, please. Give me a break. Have some respect for the game."

During the trophy ceremony, Stanford fans chanted, "One more year." Elway shared the sentiment, saying he hopes Harbaugh and Luck are back next season.

"No matter what, they both had a great night tonight," Elway said. "Andrew's going to have a great career in the NFL, and Jim's going to have a great career if he stays here or moves on."

Stanford began to pull away by going the length of the field in 29 seconds in the third quarter. After Delano Howell made an interception at the 3 to snuff a Tech threat, Taylor busted loose and reached Hokies territory. On the next play, Luck threw deep to Fleener for a 26-12 lead.

Luck also threw for a safety that cut Stanford's lead to 7-2. His pass was batted backward by Antoine Hopkins to 303-pound offensive tackle Derek Hall, who caught the ball rather than knocking it down and was tackled in the end zone.

"Football can be a very funny game," Luck said. "No point in getting emotionally hijacked over it."

The Hokies' offense had trouble scoring. Tyrod Taylor threw for 222 yards but was held to 22 yards rushing, and Tech twice came away empty after driving inside the Stanford 35.

Taylor's scrambling skills helped the Hokies score their only touchdown. On third-and-goal he rolled left, retreated, spun 180 degrees near the Stanford bench and threw to David Wilson for an 11-yard score.

After the play, Taylor asked Harbaugh if he had stepped on the sideline. Harbaugh told him he hadn't.

Taylor moved the Hokies 60 yards in the final 47 seconds of the first half to set up a 37-yard field goal by Chris Hasley, but they netted only 109 yards in the second half.

"I'm still proud of my boys for this whole season," Tyrod Taylor said. "We had a heck of a season, and it's nothing to hold your head down about right now."