SCRANTON -- The sign praising Joe Paterno outside McGloin’s florist in West Scranton won’t change anytime soon.
“Today I was going to take the sign down, just put some summer things in, but there’s no way I can take the sign out today, you know, after the report came out," said owner Paul McGloin.
McGloin, father of Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin, hung up the sign after Paterno’s death in January. McGloin said he made a special point to watch special investigator Louis Freeh announce his findings on Penn State’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case.
McGloin hopes the findings bring closure to Sandusky’s victims. However, he said, there’s little closure or relief for fans of legendary coach Paterno who was implicated in the report.
"As I sat there watching the press conference, there were allegations coming out from the report that Coach Paterno knew things. In the back of your mind, you don’t want to believe that they are true. And the only thing is, now Coach Paterno is not here to answer any of these questions,” said McGloin.
The Penn State investigation has zeroed in on Scranton, where Penn State’s Board of Trustees is holding its annual summer meeting.
Many local Penn State fans are paying close attention to the investigation.
“We had it on early in the morning and after the press conference was over, I actually turned it off. I’ve heard every opinion you can come up with and these guys just keep coming up with more," said Peter Ventura of Scranton.
Several Penn State fans watched the investigator’s report on television at Coney Island Lunch in downtown Scranton.
Though it’s unsettling information to hear as a fan, owner Peter Ventura said he hopes the report has a silver lining and prevents something like what happened at Penn State from happening anywhere else.
"I’m sure that this isn’t the only school that this has possibly gone on in, now that this has come to the surface maybe it will broaden everyone’s scope a little better," said Ventura.