<p>To the extent he was persecuted (I believe that part), yes, that verse is entirely appropriate.</p>
<p>^^ No one is pummeling him about his football record.</p>
<p>As I have read this thread, there are a number of posters who are pummeling him in every way imaginable.</p>
<p>I am not a defender of Paterno, but any public figure is “in the arena” and takes a certain level of risk that their fame will have an ignominious end if they are not impeccant, or at least perceived as stainless. Moreover, he did play football (at Brown?) and so was in the sports arena before coaching. </p>
<p>So, I agree that he is one who had striven in the arena. However, having that courage does not excuse one from criticism for one’s actions. The Steeler’s quarterback, Big Ben, has certainly been in the arena, but his behavior toward women appears to warrant significant criticism whether from his peers or from the living rooms of anonymous posters.</p>
<p>it is hard not to conclude that Paterno failed to live up to the values he touted for the Penn State program in his handling of Sandusky. That should not undo whatever good occurred in the previous 84 years of his life, but the fact that he was in the arena should not shield him from criticism either. </p>
<p>Most of our heroes are mere mortals after all. We like to make myths of individual greatness and transcendence that more often than not are untrue. Most of us rise and fall through a combination of our talents and luck, good or bad. There are few true heroes, and few of those are uniformly admirable in every aspect of their lives. I cringe whenever the media routinely refers to a police officer killed in the line of duty as a “hero.” That is usually tragic, but being killed in an ambush is not necessarily heroic.</p>
<p>Few sports figures truly deserve to be considered “heroes.” They are admirable for the skill and sometimes for their dedication, but generally not for their character. One prominent exception might be Pat Tilman. Joe Paterno received excessive adulation for leading a successful football program. His dedication to the University and his good works were admirable. He was not a hero, and was not a villain, just a man with good points and weaknesses who experienced the double edge sword of fame.</p>
<p>Bogney, now that you mention it, I have a problem with coaches & athletes receiving “excessive adulation” just for winning games on a field. And alums who threaten to withhold donations if “their” coach leaves or is terminated.</p>
<p>Sometimes I wonder if we are running universities or athletic programs.</p>
<p>There probably will be a few members of the board of trustees who disappear. The common feeling is that the board should have given Paterno a chance to leave with dignity, such as having a close friend ask him, in person, to resign after one last home game. </p>
<p>There are many many angry alums and they want someone’s head before they will feel good about donating again, as I understand it.</p>
<p>No one said he should be considered a hero. On the other hand, I don’t think he was the villain many here portray him as. </p>
<p>“because there is no effort without error and shortcoming”</p>
<p>parent57, why did you attribute a verse from a song to the Bible?</p>
<p>Sorry, my mistake.</p>
<p>I also can’t imagine living in this country and being exposed to news, magazines etc and not having known something about Paterno for many years. To me it’s like not knowing who Michael Jordan is- or maybe even Tiger Woods. It goes beyond sports. It’s simply part of our culture.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>A winning season usually cures those kinds of ills.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I imagine the vast majority of American men would accept such a task if the opportunity came to them. Head coaches at major football programs are enormously well compensated for “putting themselves out there,” in money, fame, respect, and more.</p>
<p>Head football coaches are among the most fortunate members of our society. There is nothing remotely remarkable about being willing to do such a job. Most of the critics you mention would change places with Paterno any time. And many of them wouldn’t have chosen the same course with respect to the Sandusky situation.</p>
<p>Regardless of how anyone feels one way or the other about Paterno, IMO its probably respectful to give him a break from attack today. I think his funeral will be interesting…</p>
<p>With power, even that earned by success, comes responsibility.
And sometime the responsibilities are neither welcomed nor well-handled.</p>
<p>Success does not intrinsically prepare or select for the ensuing responsibilities.</p>
<p>It is very difficult to act with grace. Should a leader with notoriety be expected to do so?</p>
<p>jym626, why give it a rest today. The posters who have vilified this man should at least not be hypocritical. Taking today off from venting your spleen at him, would be fake.</p>
<p>Not sure if you are thinking I “vented my spleen” at Paterno, parent57. Back before I took leave of this thread, I was usually on the receiving end of the spleen venting, as you no doubt recall, parent57. I thought maybe those posters would let his body at least get cold before they started stomping again, but I guess you are right. Maybe consistency is a higher standard.</p>
<p>Paterno had the power to act, and chose not to. He put himself and his program ahead of speaking up for innocent children that were powerless to defend themselves. He basically ran Happy Valley… he could’ve had or done anything that he wanted. He chose to do nothing. He openly admitted that he didn’t do enough. Children’s lives were ruined because of Paterno. For over a decade, if not multiple decades, this was allowed to continue and a sex offender was allowed to use PSU facilities and take advantage of PSU money in order to recruit new children to abuse.</p>
<p>I don’t like the WBC, but at least they will be protesting someone that deserves it this time.</p>
<p>Paterno should have no respect. The only unfortunate part is that he died so quickly. He doesn’t have to suffer through the fallout or listen to more children testify… he won’t have to hear the stories of the abuse that they received because he chose to remain quiet.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If that were the case, he would have been charged! He did what was required by state law!</p>
<p>Didn’t know who Paterno was before this. Not a football fan and anyway they weren’t in the PAC-10. Know who Don James is, but in general don’t follow college sports.</p>
<p>He could have kept Sandusky out of the locker room, and away from the stadium, or any one of hundreds of other things, and it would have had absolutely nothing to do with state law, and nothing to do with whether he was charged or not. </p>
<p>These are the things he didn’t do of course; we know very little about those things he actually did.</p>