Game Over

Penn State, Jerry Sandusky, and the Culture of Silence

By: Bill Moushey, Robert Dvorchak

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

The shocking details chronicling how a beloved coach and esteemed university became enmeshed in one of the worst scandals in U.S. sports history

It's a scandal that began in a place called Happy Valley. But it's not as happy as it once was, as the child-sex-abuse charges against a longtime coach and the conspiracy of silence surrounding the allegations have rocked America and Division 1 college sports.

The shocking stories started to pour out after the November 6, 2011, arrest of Jerry Sandusky, a former coach under the Penn State football legend Joe Paterno. Sandusky had been Paterno's top lieutenant for thirty-two years. He was also the founder of a charity, The Second Mile, that devoted itself to helping disadvantaged youth. It turns out Paterno was told about an incident involving an underage boy showering with Sandusky in the football locker room, but reported the incident to school officials rather than the police.

The numerous boys in Sandusky's program who have come forward told a grand jury lurid stories of a sexual predator who stalked and abused them, sometimes even in the showers of Penn State's football complex. In Game Over, journalists Bill Moushey and Bob Dvorchak investigate claims of a startling cover-up within the Penn State hierarchy that attempted to protect its football legacy, quite possibly at the expense of disenfranchised children.

Game Over is filled with the shocking details of how a culture built around one deified coach with a glorious vision to have ""success with honor"" fails to act in the best interests of the most vulnerable. University president Graham Spanier has been consumed in this firestorm along with Joe Paterno himself in what spiraled downward into the worst scandal in the history of college sports.

Unsettling but Accurate

What does Malcolm Hillgartner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He does a good job with voices and really gives different characters distinctive qualities.

Any additional comments?

This book is very well written. It gives a very accurate account of the Sandusky case. Of course Sandusky committed unspeakable acts, some of which are described in detail, and to listen can be very unsettling. However, if you want to know the full story, or understand the importance of reporting suspicions like this, it's a must read. It reminds us that monsters do exist and continue to strike if they are enabled to do so. It also touches on the importance of transparency for state institutions.

I don't believe in 5 stars.

Good book, a must read.

Great book written, performed, and non-biased. The detailed sexual abuse done to children is hair-raising, and the cover-up of these monstrous act is infuriating.

Heartbreaking

What made the experience of listening to Game Over the most enjoyable?

I felt very emotional. So many people knew but it was all covered up

Which character – as performed by Malcolm Hillgartner – was your favorite?

N/A

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The entire breath and timeline

Any additional comments?

The sexual descriptions were a little to graphic

Great Depiction of scandal and excellent narration

As the brother of an alumnus who was a sophomore during this scandal and an attendee of the infamous Nebraska game in the wake of it, I can say this is an in-depth depiction which goes out of its way to be as impartial as possible. It tries to go through an in depth look and explain more background to get the full impact of both Paterno and Sandusky. Also the narration by Malcolm Hillgartner is excellent.

Tragic situation

Game Over is a well written account of the Sandusky and Penn State child molestation case. There are parts of the book that are tragic, hard to hear, and leave the reader wondering why more people didn't speak up to prevent this tragedy from happening. As society is learning more about these "monsters" that are among us, I feel, it is important to understand how they hide and groom their victims so we can all do more to prevent situations like this in the future.