Obit: Penn State Coach Joe Paterno RIP

Subject: BS: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 11:19 AM

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/22/145600182/joepa-dies-at-85?ps=cprs

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 11:26 AM

From The Inquisitor:

Joe Paterno died this morning surrounded by his friends and family. The former Penn State coach, who won a record 409 games during his 46 seasons with the Nittany Lions, died from lung cancer at the age of 85.

Last night, rumors circulated widely about Paterno's death. Jay Paterno issued a statement on Twitter, saying:

"Reports are wrong. Dad is alive but in serious condition."

This morning however, the family had a sad announcement to make. The family released a statement this morning saying:

"It is with great sadness that we announce that Joe Paterno passed away earlier today. His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled. His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled. He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

Paterno won 409 games during his career at Penn State (the most in NCAA history), brought the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games (the most in NCAA history) and won 24 bowl games (the most in NCAA history). Sadly, Paterno's legacy has been tarnished in the last few months.

Paterno was unable to coach his final season at Penn State. Joe Pa lost his coaching job this year due to the sex scandal involving his former assistant Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky is being charged with 52 counts of child molestation and many people have criticized Paterno for not doing more when he learned about the scandal.

Paterno called the scandal the "deepest sorrow of my life."

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 12:08 PM

Wow... anyone else spot the pretty heavy spin in this portion of the preceding quoted story:

Sadly, Paterno's legacy has been tarnished in the last few months.

Paterno was unable to coach his final season at Penn State. Joe Pa lost his coaching job this year due to the sex scandal involving his former assistant Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky is being charged with 52 counts of child molestation and many people have criticized Paterno for not doing more when he learned about the scandal.

Paterno called the scandal the "deepest sorrow of my life."

===

1. Paterno coached the final season-- but not the last GAME. And he was/is known as JoePa, not Joe Pa (as written by an outsider emphasizing a parental relationship).
2. It is accurate that Paterno lost his job due to the SCANDAL... but the sorrow alluded to was over the ABUSE, not merely the scandal ABOUT the abuse as the above verbiage indicates.
3. The whole thing was/is bad enough without more people ingesting sloppy, inflammatory verbiage instead of thinking clearly about the actual situation.
4. I am no friend to abuse (have reported it myself numerous times), to abusers (have reported them too), or to systems allowing abuse (have worked to help change them). I AM a friend to clergy and others in State College who have been jumping into the breach to help heal the hurts. They already find themselves with very little room to work, due to media frenzy.


So-- in the effort to get the news out about a human being's passing, and throw him under the nearest bus-- please spare a thought for the people on the ground actually working in the situation of his death's effect on the community.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 12:40 PM

Joe Pa is the man's shortened first name and the first two letters of the last, but to some Pa might referred to the "Paternal" aura of someone who had mentored so many young men?

They should have said "unable to complete" coaching this past season? But it is very sloppy writing because there is a possibility that had the scandal not taken place this would not have been his final season.

Yeah the writing was bad. But do we expect good writing from a source called "The Inquisitor:"?

the AP report said the following. "Joe Paterno, the longtime Penn State coach who won more games than anyone in major college football but was fired amid a child sex abuse scandal that scarred his reputation for winning with integrity, died Sunday. He was 85. "

That is some tight journalistic writing.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: gnu
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 12:52 PM

Helluva coach. RIP

As for the other stuff, no comment.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 01:05 PM

Before this thread goes off in the inevitable direction.......

Sorry Max.


Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: EBarnacle
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 01:08 PM

Too bad he left on a sour note.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 01:15 PM

He left knowing he had the support and love of thousands of students and alumni, many of whom went to the stadium last night to leave candles at his statue.


Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 01:54 PM

Gotta think he died of a broken heart exacerbated his physical problems.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Ebbie
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 02:55 PM

Max wrote a heart-felt eulogy on Facebook.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: gnu
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 04:45 PM

Maybe he'll post it here for those of us that don't do Face You.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Greg B
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 08:57 PM

Well, lung cancer and broken hearts are largely self-inflicted diseases. The man was a genius. Not just in football tactics but in "development" (aka fund-raising) which lets face it is what is the core of power in any institutional setting these days. He was smart enough to know that, even if his players didn't make it to the NFL, if they graduated from Penn State in good standing (and as football players) they'd have a leg-up in business and they'd remember him and his progam in their "giving plans."

He was also, like Catholic bishops, smart enough to know that any taint of sexual scandal of the Sandusky sort closes check-books.

So he kept it under his hat.

And more young men were raped.

But the Pennsylvania State Program soldiered on to gridiron glory.

He died, at 85, "surrounded by his friends and family."

How many of his crony's victims will be able to do the same?

Statistically, not many. Statistically, they'll die alone, sick, victims of addiction, depression, PTSD, and other abuse-related illnesses with broken relationships and the pain of that which isn't their fault, but for which society blames them in any case.

I suspect that what made Paterno "sad" in his waning weeks and months is that his image of being altruistically concerned for young men's wa futures was demonstrated to be utter bullshit.

What he cared about was Joe Paterno's record and Joe Paterno's power and Joe Paterno's statue, and Joe Paterno.

I suggest that the statue be converted to its best use... as a urinal.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 10:56 PM

I try not to judge. I have not walked a mile, or even an inch, in anyone else's moccasins. My condolences to those who loved and respected him.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: gnu
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 11:07 PM

Well, there it is... let the lynch mob move in. If anyone can prove he fucked little boys, go ahead, or shut up. If anyone can prove he knew about little boys getting fucked, do it, or shut up.

Go ahead. Do it. Prove it. Or shut the fuck up.

If YOU can prove it, I will apologize. Go ahead... prove it.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 22 Jan 12 - 11:36 PM

I didn't see where Greg wrote that Paterno "fucked little boys"
but in his last days it was clear that this man was no hero.

He worked with college students who were at Penn State to get an education and he assisted them in doing so and that was a noble effort but that was his job. In comparison with coaches from other football mills he came off looking pretty good but in the end when the choice was between the saftey and welfare of young people and protecting his football dynasty he chose the latter.
I feel bad for the loss that his family and friends have suffered.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Raptor
Date: 23 Jan 12 - 11:07 AM

gnu things arn't always so black and white He wouldn't have been dismissed if he didn't have knowlege of the sex. And he admitted that he regreats not doing anything about it. He hasn't been accused of abuse only not reporting it. That is bad enough. This is not the place for such conversations as this is an obit thread.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Jan 12 - 12:11 PM

Fact....He DID report it.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Greg B
Date: 23 Jan 12 - 06:25 PM

Gnu, read this with special emphasis on Victim 2, where it is reported exactly what Joe Paterno knew and did.

And consider there may have never been a Victim 1 had he used his considerable power to get his old crony away from boys.

And I will never shut up so long as the powerful and influential fail to protect kids from their predator friends and colleagues. In fact, you're admonition just encourages me to become all the more louder, because the victims need protection from the likes of your complicit self.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Jan 12 - 06:49 PM

Greg, you proved Paterno reported the incident.

This is an 'obit' thread, and we've already had the Mudcat version of the trial.

If you have more to say about it and want to pursue your judgement further, please have the common decency to start a thread that's not about his death.

Everybody deserves a little protection, even those who are feeling some loss that you aren't.

PLEASE let's all drop it.

Thank you.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: GUEST,josepp
Date: 23 Jan 12 - 07:22 PM

I'm highly amused that whenever the subject of child molestation comes up on Mudcat it quickly degenerates into "Maybe you do it too!" or "I think you must be one!" Hardly becoming of a group that seems to largely pride itself on its liberalism and open-mindedness but then I've concluded those two traits to be mostly a sham here anyway.

But, then, who cares what I have to say?

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 23 Jan 12 - 07:33 PM

I sure as hell don't cause you're talking out your ass.

RIP, Mr. Paterno.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: GUEST,josepp
Date: 23 Jan 12 - 10:33 PM

Maybe you should look through some old threads like I did before you talk out yours, buddy.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Mrrzy
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 12:16 PM

It's a shame that such a man died so close to his fall from grace. I wish he'd had a chance to live down whatever his role was.

All that is needed for evil to succeed is for great men to do nothing... How well said for him. He *was* a great man in many ways.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Greg B
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 01:59 PM

The grand jury report proves that he knew.

The passage of time and the fact that Sandusky was able to continue to offend proves that Paterno also knew that nothing was being done to stop the man and that Sandusky was still a danger to boys (i.e., he would have known if Sandusky had been arrested or if he had to leave his foundation).

As arguably THE most powerful person at Penn State and perhaps in the world of college football, his inaction was despicable.

Sorry, Jeri, but Paterno's passing and his downfall inextricably woven together by their proximity in time. You can't reflect on one without reflecting on the other. It only highlights the struggle to craft a balanced legacy for flawed individuals who nonetheless were leading members of their community.

Subject: RE: Obit: Joe Paterno RIP
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 25 Jan 12 - 12:23 AM

Paterno said he was sorry he didn't do more. That is proof enough for me that he didn't do all he could have. He was a great man in so many ways. He apologized. Nobody is perfect. Hopefully what has happened to him and his repentance will teach others. God Bless you Joe Paterno. RIP.