This is NOT about respect for Joe or being worried about the image of PSU. This goes WAAAYYYY beyond that. Look at this, a quote straight from the report:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--freeh-report-penn-state-key-findings-joe-paterno-jerry-sandusky-.html

"Based on the evidence, the only known, intervening factor between the decision made on February 25, 2001 by Messrs. Spanier, Curley and Schulz to report the incident to the Department of Public Welfare, and then agreeing not to do so on February 27th, was Mr. Paterno's February 26th conversation with Mr. Curley," the report wrote.

They got together, and made a decision to report this incident. Then Joe convinces them otherwise and they change their minds. Change their minds??? This wasn't some small university decision going on here. This was putting their and PSU's entire legacy on the line. Joe HAD to have told them about some type of leverage that Sandusky had. They didn't even kick him off campus! Even after another incident happened in 2001! There's NO possible way that a freaking university president, vice president, and athletic director are that stupid to just let him stay around because of Joe's word. Sandusky knew something.