Joe Paterno: Dead

[sportstar1212]

I really hope Penn State does a patch or some sort of tribute to Paterno. He gave more than half his life to that football program and they wouldn't be anywhere near where they are now without him. He deserves something.

[Evil Doctor]

I really hope Penn State does a patch or some sort of tribute to Paterno. He gave more than half his life to that football program and they wouldn't be anywhere near where they are now without him. He deserves something.

I think a lot of people on here have been making suggestions...

[Gothamite]

I really hope Penn State does a patch or some sort of tribute to Paterno. He gave more than half his life to that football program and they wouldn't be anywhere near where they are now without him. He deserves something.

Can't deny that.

Penn State wouldn't be facing NCAA sanctions without him. They wouldn't have administrators facing jail time without him. Penn State wouldn't have an institutional culture of corruption, more concerned about its image than protecting kids from a known pedophile, if it didn't have a long-tenured coach more concerned about his image than protecting kids from a known pedophile.

Paterno's influence on the program can't be denied.

[vicfurth]

Ok, Goth, we get it. You hate him.

I'm not apologizing for him. I actually feel the same way you do, but you're really giving a broken record vibe.

[Gothamite]

At this point, I'm only responding to the apologists.

Once people stop trying to pretend that he was somehow a misunderstood saint, I'll stop pointing out the obvious.

Besides, I thought my prose was getting better. I rather liked a turn of phrase in that last one.

[Eye]

At this point, I'm only responding to the apologists.

Once people stop trying to pretend that he was somehow a misunderstood saint, I'll stop pointing out the obvious.

Besides, I thought my prose was getting better. I rather liked a turn of phrase in that last one.

Why? Go do something constructive with your time. If at this point, long after it's been known how little Paterno did, and people STILL are on his side, they aren't going to change, so why do you care if people still defend that dreadful excuse for a person? Hopefully he's in hell (if there is such a place) where he belongs.

[loogodude90]

Yeah Gothamite, go do something constructive, like complaining about other people not doing anything constructive. Or something along those lines.

[slapshot]

Gentlemen....please keep your discussion to the topic at hand, not towards other members.

/carry on

[IceCap]

At this point, I'm only responding to the apologists.

Once people stop trying to pretend that he was somehow a misunderstood saint, I'll stop pointing out the obvious.

Besides, I thought my prose was getting better. I rather liked a turn of phrase in that last one.

Why? Go do something constructive with your time. If at this point, long after it's been known how little Paterno did, and people STILL are on his side, they aren't going to change, so why do you care if people still defend that dreadful excuse for a person? Hopefully he's in hell (if there is such a place) where he belongs.

A sense of disgust, mostly. Sure, ignoring the disillusion, denial-ridden "JoPa" worship sounds preferable. If we all just ignored them we'd have pages of nothing but "WE ARE ALL PENN STATE!" and "RIP JOEPA YOU GREAT MAN!" Given what Paterno did it would be downright disgusting to read. It provides a sort of mental assurance that world isn't going completely insane to see someone sanely point that the man was a scumbag. Even if that point has to be repeated each time someone tries to glorify their fallen idol.

[Chawls]

Methinks JoePa should be remember for what he was: a man. Nothing more. Nothing less. He was neither a saint nor a demon. He wasn't perfect, but that's what comes with being a human being. Am I defending him? Hell no. His inaction was deservedly reprehensible. But will I attack him? No, because even though I believe our course of action would have differed, I realize that he and I share 2 traits that are synonymous with each other: Imperfection and humanity.

For better or for worse, JoePa should be remembered for exactly what he did: Loving, protecting, and enabling those he was close to.

As harsh as this will sound, he protected Sandusky because he didn't care about those kids. He had no attachment to them. But he had an attachment to his friend, Jerry Sandusky, which led to him doing something he thought was right but we all know is wrong: Protecting a felonious criminal who hurt innocent victims.

[infrared41]

With regard to what I may have written in some other thread, I'm flattered (and frankly, a little unnerved) by the fact that you pay such close attention to my ramblings around here.

Don't flatter yourself 'red I have a great memory and tend to remember little details like that.

Here is the quote in question for those playing at home:

It would appear that we have a moral relativist in our ranks. (A philosophy, I might add, that falls apart faster than a three dollar suit.)

Serious question loogodude, do you believe there are moral absolutes?

Yeah, no need to worry about that. I think it's a little weird (and a little more unnerving) that a.) you remembered something I wrote six months, ago and b.) you knew exactly where to find it. Trust me, I'm not flattering myself. Mostly, I'm just creeped out.

Anyway, where did I say anything that contradicts what I said about moral relativism?

[slapshot]

Methinks JoePa should be remember for what he was: a man. Nothing more. Nothing less. He was neither a saint nor a demon. He wasn't perfect, but that's what comes with being a human being. Am I defending him? Hell no. His inaction was deservedly reprehensible. But will I attack him? No, because even though I believe our course of action would have differed, I realize that he and I share 2 traits that are synonymous with each other: Imperfection and humanity.

For better or for worse, JoePa should be remembered for exactly what he did: Loving, protecting, and enabling those he was close to.

As harsh as this will sound, he protected Sandusky because he didn't care about those kids. He had no attachment to them. But he had an attachment to his friend, Jerry Sandusky, which led to him doing something he thought was right but we all know is wrong: Protecting a felonious criminal who hurt innocent victims.

True, he was just a man.

But...

He was a man who had a lot of authority and power in the organization and community to which he was a member. And with that authority and power, he had an obligation to do what was right, beyond his devotion to those directly around him.

His blind loyalty is ultimately his downfall.

[cornettored]

For better or for worse, JoePa should be remembered for exactly what he did: Loving, protecting, and enabling those he was close to.

This. The only sympathy I have is for his family, because I (and alot of other people) know first hand how heartbreaking it is to lose a loved one to lung cancer.

[Eye]

At this point, I'm only responding to the apologists.

Once people stop trying to pretend that he was somehow a misunderstood saint, I'll stop pointing out the obvious.

Besides, I thought my prose was getting better. I rather liked a turn of phrase in that last one.

Why? Go do something constructive with your time. If at this point, long after it's been known how little Paterno did, and people STILL are on his side, they aren't going to change, so why do you care if people still defend that dreadful excuse for a person? Hopefully he's in hell (if there is such a place) where he belongs.

A sense of disgust, mostly. Sure, ignoring the disillusion, denial-ridden "JoPa" worship sounds preferable. If we all just ignored them we'd have pages of nothing but "WE ARE ALL PENN STATE!" and "RIP JOEPA YOU GREAT MAN!" Given what Paterno did it would be downright disgusting to read. It provides a sort of mental assurance that world isn't going completely insane to see someone sanely point that the man was a scumbag. Even if that point has to be repeated each time someone tries to glorify their fallen idol.

Hell yeah. I agree with you (for slightly different reasons). I have no problem with saying how Joe Paterno is a scummy ; I say it out of disgust and because he's a scummy , not to set his apologists straight because at this point, nohing will change their delusional minds.

[OnWis97]

It's somewhat unfair that Joe Pa gets the lion's share of the publicity for crimes and coverup perpetrated by many people. Particularly that he gets more pub than McQueery and Sandusky. It's not because he was THE guy that could have stopped it (Though some think he is cuz he was "Mr. Penn State"), but because his is the only name that the casual sports fan knew before this news came out.

Nevertheless, he had the opportunity to stop this culture...to at least not let Sandusky on campus. People make mistakes. I can forgive most mistakes (even the former Browns WR who killed someone while DUI). But this was not "one" mistake. This is something he chose to do every day for a decade. He woke up every day knowing that he had a pedophile on campus with full access to whatever (and whoever) he wanted. If he was in denial and sat on it for a couple of days, I could see that and let it go...that's more like "one mistake", but to turn away every day for years and years and years...that's not "making a mistake". That's contributing to a culture of allowing pedophilia on a campus and in a community he supposedly loved.

Actually it makes one aspect of my life VERY easy. Someday a person younger than I may ask me about Joe Paterno. They may ask me:

• How many wins did he have?
  
• What bowl games did he win?
  
• Did his players graduate?
  

Any my answer is always going to be the same: "He spent years enabling a former coach to molest children."

All the other stuff does not matter. That IS his legacy. His entire legacy.

[RedSox44]

Greg wrote: "Hey douche bag, he did what he was suppose to do at the time. He told his bosses and they should have told the police. Disrespect Joe Pa again and i'll bitch slap you back to africa."

That is the absolutely surreal reply I just got on my Facebook status condemning the "rip joepa" statuses. This makes no sense on so many levels.

I don't even know this man.

[IceCap]

Greg wrote: "Hey douche bag, he did what he was suppose to do at the time. He told his bosses and they should have told the police. Disrespect Joe Pa again and i'll bitch slap you back to africa."

That is the absolutely surreal reply I just got on my Facebook status condemning the "rip joepa" statuses. This makes no sense on so many levels.

I don't even know this man.

Dontcha just love the inner webs?

[OnWis97]

Greg wrote: "Hey douche bag, he did what he was suppose to do at the time. He told his bosses and they should have told the police. Disrespect Joe Pa again and i'll bitch slap you back to africa."

That is the absolutely surreal reply I just got on my Facebook status condemning the "rip joepa" statuses. This makes no sense on so many levels.

I don't even know this man.

That argument is flimsy at best. It's a legal matter, not an "office" matter. If Sandusky had been stealing office supplies, then he did the right thing.

[LeGooo]

All the tremendous things Joe Paterno did for so many young men should not be over looked. You guys can burn him at the stake if you'd like, but don't ignore all he did in his legendary career. JoePa made an enormous positive impact on the lives of thousands of young men

[The_Admiral]

And he tacitly endorsed the use of his locker room for anally raping young boys, soooo