Joe Paterno’s Legacy
Joe Paterno became the head coach at Penn State in 1966. During his time in Happy Valley he amassed 409 wins, becoming the all-time wins leader in Division 1 college football history. He also led the Nittany Lions to two national titles (’82 and ‘86). He coached seemingly countless All-Americans, a Heisman winner, and winners of every individual college football award in existence. Until recently, all of his off the field accomplishments were honorable as well. He was the quintessential “good guy” coach of college football. His programs avoided controversy and major NCAA sanctions while the other big time programs didn’t. He was loved by both fans and players, contributed substantially to the university and community, and was admired by anyone who knows how many points a safety is worth.
Those things are all good, but unfortunately some information has become public that is definite cause to question Joe’s legacy. With Joe’s passing on January 22 after experiencing complications from lung cancer treatment, we look back and examine his place in college football lore. In black and white it can be argued that Paterno harbored a known pederast for well over a decade, giving him ample opportunity to prey on more innocent children. Even after Sandusky’s “retirement” he was allowed on the PSU campus and inside the athletic facilities from the time of the first reported incident in 1994 until 2011, all under Paterno’s watch.
However, this situation can’t simply be defined in terms of black and white. Paterno’s longstanding perceived integrity and character make us look at the gray area. There are a couple of arguments, although relatively weak in nature, that come to the defense of the legendary coach.
Firstly, he did actually inform authorities of Sandusky’s actions. They just weren’t the right authorities. He only informed school officials. Not only did Joe fail to inform the police, he had years and years to ponder his decision not to. This lack of responsibility led to Sandusky walking around a free man, and more incidents and victims have transpired since.
The “Hey, he did report Sandusky!” crowd has a point; it’s just not a strong one. Ask yourself this question: if Joe Paterno had sparked a police investigation into Jerry Sandusky’s actions, would his criminal behavior have ceased? The answer has to be a resounding “yes.”
The second defending argument for Joe, although much less concrete, is that the guy was just really damn old. Does a younger, quicker-witted Joe see to it that Sandusky’s sexually deviant ass is put behind bars? I’d argue that the chances are greater, sure. The guy could have been confused. He may not have fully grasped the severity of the situation or the affects of not putting a stop to it. That’s what old people do. They coast. They save their fucks for rainier days.
It’s also not a stretch to claim Sandusky was a direct catalyst to Joe’s passing. I hate to get soft on you here, but did JoePa die from a broken heart? Did he lose the fight inside himself? His life was Penn State football, and it was abruptly and dishonorably stripped from him at the age of 85. That’s not easy to overcome. Not only does Sandusky have a reserved table in hell, he’s undoubtedly responsible for contributing to the early demise of a college football icon. The thick, tinted glasses, the rolled up khaki pants, the Penn State windbreaker over his tie and button-down. This classic Paterno look has become synonymous with college pigskin, Penn State, and greatness. For some, it’s not anymore. Thanks, Sandusky.
Are these arguments and theories enough to vindicate Paterno? Have his decades of upstanding citizenship and honorable leadership trumped his lack of accountability in the Sandusky scandal? The answer to that question is in the eye of the beholder. Joe Paterno is a lovable character. Hell, I still like and appreciate the guy. He screwed up though. He screwed up badly, and we all need to accept that. When you think of the great man Paterno was, don’t only consider the lives he changed for the better. Please be mindful of the lives he could have changed, but didn’t…when he put his football program above all else.
Follow me on Twitter @RogerDornTFM
- Nice Move 72
- Comments 108
- Texas
Other Popular Posts
Our Sponsors
(108) Comments so far.
You must be logged in to comment. Login here or Create an account.
Could have…
But fuck you.
^Butt fuck you?
Butt fucks for everyone!
Fratdusky i just saw your pic and i literally shit my pants in class.
If you would have said diaper you would have had my heart, boy.
Enter Fratdusky quote here
Roger_Dorn,
A few of your points are skewed. At that level of leadership, no matter what the issue is, the President, Athletic Director, Board of Trustees, and other senior leaders ALWAYS seek to keep things internal in “in house” as they conduct “internal” investigations. They also use their University Police Departments, not external police agencies.
If I were to call 911 because of a crime committed at my University the University Police would be dispatched and sent my way, and they have the capabilities to keep things under wraps as they ALWAYS do at countless Universities across the nation for countless acts.
YOUR focus should be placed on McQueary, because he was the WITNESS. The witness is the one that should go to the authorities, because in court it is the witness that testifies, not second parties that heard “hearsay” from the witness.
As sick as what Sandusky did (and he will burn for it), there have been thousands of cases in Government, Corporations, etc, where people make up lies about their counterparts, coworkers, bosses, etc. to get them into trouble. It’s sad how in this country we find a scape-goat such as JoePa to put the blame on when he was doing what his superiors told him to do about hearsay that he NEVER witnessed himself.
McQueary should have beaten Sandusky on the spot and then have gone straight to the University Police. When the trials begin I’m quite positive that JoePa’s moral standard will have been vindicated. It’s a sad society we live in when allegations (without due process being given) can ruin someone’s life.
I say everyone shuts up until after trials in the future and leaves the judging to God. And may Sandusky and McQueary get water-boarded with bleach, because if I saw a man doing that to boys it would be that man’s last night on this earth.
Tell me what you think Roger_Dorn.
“I like my boys like I like my whiskey, 8 years old with some coke in them.”
“I make a 10 year old boy cry twice by wiping my bloody pecker off with his teddy bear.”
So parts of my comment are moderated and censored out but Fratdusky can write this shit ^?
Frat on.
Well to be perfectly honest gentlemen, and whoever the sick fuck with the fratdusky account is; Sure it was funny at first, well not really, to take the little kid jokes to a new sick level, but now its fucking disrespectful and repugnant. The sick fuck you name a TFM account over, and even joe paterno deserve harsh punishment for their abominable actions. Any of you who partake in mocking this shit deserve to have their children raped by this up and coming protege of sandusky’s. You call yourself upstanding American gentlemen? I’d beg to differ, your just the type of white suburban trash that has fucked up this country.
^Agreed. Cut the shit.
^Seconded.
passed.
Taking a stand against Jerry Fratdusky. NF
How long till Fratdusky joins in?
Damn I was late lacing up.
Fratdusky is in custody for being charged with the murder of Joe Paterno’s will to live.
“Free Fratdusky” T-shirts are going on sale soon on rowdygentleman.com boys.
Buy them while you can!
Fuck you all
Yes please!
Fuck you Roger Dorn and Sandusky
Agree 100% Dorn. Frat on.
Why the fuck are you sick bastards calling him Fradusky, molesting kids is NF.
Clearly you haven’t been here long…
lace ‘em up
Just delete your account. New people. NF.
You’re only allowed to post if you can remember a time before you needed to create an account to post.
^This.
^^seconded.
jjgib1066, it’s time I give you a tour of the TFM showers.
Liking TFM before it was cool. ThipsterM. F.ag.
^^Fratdusky strikes again!
For all the people arguing that Sandusky somehow caused JoPa’s death need to rethink that logic. JoPa was a 85 year old man with Lung Cancer. Any Pre-Med can tell you the prognosis of a 85 year old that has LC that has traveled to other parts of his body is not good. Regardless if this scandal happened or not this man was going to be dead on 22 January 2012.
Because you’re God and you make that call? Shut the fuck up.
All that negative media attention was not healthy for JoePa. It was not the main cause of his death but it sure as shit didn’t help.
sounds like somebody slept at a holiday inn express last night^^
FratonBro do you remember when they first discovered he had LC? It was after he had been treated for a “bronchial condition.” IF he died this fast after they found the cancer then it was already in it’s advanced stages and was probably already terminal. Sandusky is a scumbag and will burn in hell soon enough but the “blame” for JoPa’s death is more on shitty doctors than it is on the convenient and easy argument that he was heartbroken by a child molester.
Not just because Dusky raped boys. He lost his job, the thing that defined him most in his life. He was seemingly healthy at the time of his firing. His demise was swift.
With advances in modern medicine and his high level of income, it’s not crazy to think he could like to 245, maybe 300
live to 245*. Laps being taken. But in all seriousness, R.I.P. JoePa. My prayers go out to you.
Not necessarily, prominent psychologist Viktor Frankl hypothesized that having a meaning in ones life is essential to the will to live. A healthy man can die quickly, and an ill man can live longer if there is reason for him to live. Unfortunately, Joe Pa’s reason to get up every day was PSU football so there is still a large possibility that due to the combination of his health with essentially losing his only reason for being, that his exacerbated his condition.
Dorn, you should have never dropped the soap.
I’m pre-med, and not dumb enough to think that its all science. When my great grandma died, my great grandpa was 87 but perfectly healthy for his age. He died 5 months later. Without his wife he didnt have a whole lot to live for and lost his will to live. Its a real thing. Cancer patients with a positive attitude are proven to have better recovery rates. JoePa lost what he loved, and when his mind lost its reason to fight, his body followed. Dubya, I could recommend a couple books for ya, it’s not all logical.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uhnmrJgvTc
“did JoePa die from a broken heart?”
If that were the case, then apparently the cure for lung cancer is a couple of hugs.
this is not a good place to laugh….but you made me.
Serves this guy right for raping all those little kids.
Paterno didn’t rape anyone.
^^Are you saying Paterno deserved to die because Sandusky raped kids? Fuck you, and get the fuck out.
He fucked up. But it shouldn’t ruin the reputation of a great man like him.
^this. He should still be looked at as one of the best coaches ever, not just college coaches. Despite this scandal, he did everything else off the field immaculately.
Paterno had no way of knowing Sandusky was molesting children other than one accusation that was brought to him, he never witnessed a crime being committed. Furthermore, he did inform campus police and the university president, who, in turn, sat on the information
Joe Paterno was not a detective. He was not the chief of police. He was not the district attorney. He was a football coach. If he reports something to authorities and those authorities choose to do nothing, why does it become his job to make sure something comes of it? For all he knew, they looked into it and found nothing. It wasn’t his job to just keep pursuing it until Sandusky was put behind bars for what all he knew was just an accusation
Paterno knew. There’s a reason Sandusky, at the height of his coaching career and was receiving countles head coaching offers, stepped down abrubtly and never coached again. There’s a reason why, at Sandusky’s “retirement” presser, Paterno was extrememly cold to him and barely acknowledged him. These weren’t coincidences.
It might not have been his “job” to follow up, but it the damn right thing to do.
*countless *extremely
^Speculation. Glad to see that you’re eager to tarnish a great man’s legacy because you’ve got a little theory.
I like how you added “These weren’t coincidences” at the end of your statement. How do you know they weren’t coincidences? Oh, you don’t.
^Listen here. I grew up in Paterno’s conference and had nothing but the upmost respect for the man. Once you take off your Lions-goggles and take a step back and join us in the land of objectivity, you’ll begin to see how things do not add up. What I cited are just a couple of examples of the circumstantial evidence linking Paterno to this whole debacle.
The only people who actually know what happened are the parties involved. And yes, I do find the media’s focus on Paterno during this ordeal completely ridiculous. Having said that, maybe I am wrong, but at least try to look at this without your blinders on.
Before this whole thing happen, Paterno and Sandusky were friends. It is a shitty situation to learn about a friend doing something that awful. Obviously nothing in our lives can really compare but it is not easy to turn in a friend. Paterno did his duty in relaying the information to his higher-ups. No part of this situation was handled well but Paterno was thrown under the bus with his superiors who sat on the information. Paterno was a great coach, person, and brother and his life should be remembered for the good he did for Penn State and college football, and not the horrible acts of someone else.
^^So, like everyone else, you’re argument is that we’re Penn State fans in denial? I’m from Georgia, bud. I have no connection whatsoever to the state of Pennsylvania, much less Penn State or Joe Paterno. As Sterling said, speculation. That is what 90% of this case has been
Hey, if y’all have got a problem with JoPa jokes, why don’t you just ignore them? Let ‘em slide. You know, pretend it isn’t happening.
^something just occurred here.
Fratdusky just admitted to violating my intern.
Should have hired an intern over the age of 13.
Paterno reported it to State college police which because the campus is a city in PA are actually a force. So he did no wrong, get off his dick and let the man RIP
^Exactly.
As Phil Knight said at the memorial service today, “If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation, not in Joe Paterno’s response.”
“If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation, not in Joe Paterno’s response.”
^ fucking this.
Joe Paterno is and will remain to be the greatest college football coach ever. No questions asked. Fuck anyone who tells you different. No man will be perfect and his actions or lack thereof will only be judged by the big man upstairs. Why should we ignore the greatness this man his pushed and delivered since 1950 when he first accepted an Asst. coaching job at Penn State for one fuck up. This man’s loyalty, drive, and general attitude is something we all should aspire to as Fraternity Men.
OJ Simpson is and will remain one of the greatest running backs ever. No questions asked. Fuck anyone who tells you different. No man will be perfect and his actions or lack thereof will only be judged by the big man upstairs. Why should we ignore the greatness this man has pushed and delivered since the 1970s when he first joined the NFL for one fuck up. This man’s loyalty, drive, and general attitude is something we all should aspire to as Fraternity Men.
^ That’s funny.
^^ Something was done there. And I see what it was.
^^^ we’ve got ourself a winner.
Penn State skipped firing Joe Paterno and went straight to cremation.
^ I hope you get butt raped by an angry gorilla
Bet Paterno is having fun sitting next to Hitler and Judas in Hell right now.
^ you’re an idiot
^^ When it comes time for your adjudication and the scale is brought forth to measure the “good” and “bad” you have proffered to this world, I hope the arbiter of your fate takes into consideration the brashness with which you have judged others.
^indubitably.
Sandusky had already been investigated by the police when they had eyewitnesses to a similar crime. Charges were never filed and the incident was sealed. I’m not so sure it would have made a difference to be honest.
Paterno, being the great coach that he WAS, had plenty of influence. He should have done everything in his power to stop what he clearly knew was going on. He could have easily gone to any reporter and made the case public, causing further investigation. Regardless of if it would have made a difference, stopping Sandusky would have been the right thing to do.
Thanks captain obvious. Given that the police already knew Sandusky fucked a kid AND had witnesses, I think it would have been fruitless. No charges were filed on a slam dunk case.
It’s not necessarily the fact charges were not brought against Paterno (as I believe you’re arguing). But, Sandusky has approximately 50 counts of child molestation against him. Yes, Paterno did what his job required, but being such a heralded member of his community everyone expected more. The question is, did JoePa know the full extent of the circumstances? Regardless of the answer, he should have done more than what was required of him. The bare minimum is not an excuse. JoePa was the face of not just a football team, but of a school of which we all look down of due to recent developments. In my mind, I believe that he hid the truth. I mean, come one, we all know of past brother’s stories that may or may not have been true, but this happened to someone on his staff. He had to have known in some way, shape, or form. I hope that such incidents never happen again because this has hurt an outstanding institution and perennially football program. Roll tide.
Misspelled a word or two and fucked up my grammar. Live with it, Nazi.
I’m not exonerating JoePa. He should have done more. That said, I don’t know if anything would have come from it.
Hey Sweetheart, if Joe Pa would have made the case public, I highly doubt parents would continue to allow their children to be around Sandusky, even if the case didn’t proceed. Other boys might have come forward and he would have at least been ostracized. That’s the point I was trying to make.
So you’re just an idiot then.