STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Women's rights advocates who say Joe Paterno made outrageous remarks about an alleged sexual assault want the Penn State football coach to resign.

Joanne Tosti-Vasey, president of the National Organization for Women in Pennsylvania, said Paterno's comments last week represent an institutional insensitivity that endangers women. She issued a news release late Friday calling for Paterno's resignation.

"When someone of his stature makes light of sexual assault, we have a serious problem," Tosti-Vasey said. "It sends a message that this behavior is not serious ... that sexual assault or rape or violence against women is acceptable for an athlete."

The coach's remarks came a day before the Orange Bowl, when a reporter asked a question related to Florida State linebacker A.J. Nicholson. Nicholson was accused of sexual assault and sent home before Tuesday's game.

Paterno replied by talking about past suspensions of Penn State players, according to an official transcript from the Orange Bowl.

He then added: "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."

This is a guy who is so damned conservative he would not let his players wear white shoes. I read what he said and what came to mind for me is.... "Gee these guys are surrounded by groupies all the time. They are young and think more with their dicks than their heads. I dont know what happened with this kid, but that is the environment they have to deal with." Now there is NOTHING in that statement, or my translation of it, that endorses rape. NOW needs to get focussed on real issues like teenaged pregnancy and poverty and stuff like that, cause giving this old man a hard time at the end of an honorable career is bullshit.

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Posted by: Boyd at January 9, 2006 02:00 PM

Posted by: David Anderson at January 9, 2006 02:27 PM