<p>I find the rehashing of this today uncalled for. I am one who believes in respect for the just departed. A man is more than his mistakes. I find it disturbing that this thread is the Penn State SANDUSKY scandal and even on the day of Paterno’s death he is trashed. Remember SANDUSKY is the villain here.</p>
<p>Sent from my MB860 using CC App</p>
<p>Who was it that said “all that is necessary for evil to triumph , is for good men to do nothing”?</p>
<p>myturnnow, I agree completely! It’s unfortunate that people have forgotten all the good the man did because one thing that he didn’t handle “perfectly” has ruined his reputation.</p>
<p>Fwiw, why is it hard to see that attempting to glorify the memory of Paterno in THIS thread is even more questionable? After all, this thread was about the scandal and the arrogance of everyone involved at PSU football program. Paterno was not a victim. He was a responsible party who decided to protect his own at the expense of children. He was fired for good cause, and nothing will change that. It was simply years too late.</p>
<p>If there was trashing, it is the memory of the real victims that takes it one more time. This was NOT the place to honor the departed coach.</p>
<p>So paternos reputation is tarnished…big deal…others lives were damaged because paterno and his ilk were not men enough to step up</p>
<p>Sadly, his mistakes were covering up of a pedophile who hurt children</p>
<p>As for rehashing, if paterno in his last days stood up and said, yeah, Sandusky, we knew and swept itnunder the rug, that would have been the heroic and brave thing to do</p>
<p>Instead he died keeping the secrets</p>
<p>As for rehashing, if paterno in his last days stood up and said, yeah, Sandusky, we knew and swept itnunder the rug, that would have been the heroic and brave thing to do</p>
<p>But what if that was not true or not why he (Paterno) acted the way he did. What if it was really an error in judgment that others would take care of the situation?</p>
<p>^. Yeah so paterno did that and assumed someone else would take care of those children and didn’t bother to follow it up in the future? Something that serious? I don’t think so. Paterno had a great life and did many outstanding things, but I dont agree he is the ‘shining example’ many people claim him to be.</p>
<p>Don’t think anyone should honor Paterno. Just, as myturnnow said, lay offa him on the day he died. JMO.</p>
<p>“He was a responsible party who decided to protect his own at the expense of children”</p>
<p>Xiggi, I normally agree with most of your opinions, but I don’t know how you or anybody would know this without reading his mind. In his last interview, he said he thought he had done the right thing, but now he wished he had done more. This is a far cry from deliberately deciding to protect his own at the expense of children. There is no evidence I know of that would indicate he made a conscious decision to protect a child abuser because he was more concerned with his football program. The minute someone can provide me with real evidence that this was his real motive, then I will jump on the bandwagon with the rest of you guys.</p>
<p>
didn’t he break his hip and was in a wheelchair (before he was hospitalized and on a vent)? Just sayin’…</p>
<p>jym626, I did just see on the news that he gave an “exclusive interview” to some newspaper/show 2 days before his death. I did not catch who it was, or when the story would be out. So that may have been his time to speak out (for a better choice of words than “stand up”). We will have to see what the article posts.</p>
<p>Who said Paterno was a shining example. Hoping to show a basic humanity on the day he died does not preclude also recognizing his serious mistakes. He was a human being after all. </p>
<p>Sent from my MB860 using CC App</p>
<p>Joe Paterno gave his last interview days before he died. He sat down with the Washington Post and discussed what he did at the time and why he did it.</p>
<p>Here’s the recent Wash Post interview - </p>
<p>[Joe</a> Paterno’s first interview since the Penn State-Sandusky scandal - The Washington Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/joe-paternos-first-interview-since-the-penn-state-sandusky-scandal/2012/01/13/gIQA08e4yP_story.html]Joe”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/joe-paternos-first-interview-since-the-penn-state-sandusky-scandal/2012/01/13/gIQA08e4yP_story.html)</p>
<p>I am having a hard time loading the video portion (dang overseas internet), but here are some quotes from the article:</p>
<p>“I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was,” he said. “So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.”</p>
<p>"…I called my superiors and I said: ‘Hey, we got a problem, I think. Would you guys look into it?’ Cause I didn’t know, you know. We never had, until that point, 58 years I think, I had never had to deal with something like that. And I didn’t feel adequate.”</p>
<p>Joe Paterno was a good man. He lived a good life and was a positive figure in the lives of many, many people.</p>
<p>sax, I think that is how most people will remember him.</p>
<p>Kind of ironic that in his death Joe Paterno proved that we just can’t believe all that the <em>media</em> have chosen to print about him. ;)</p>
<p>For all his faults - we all have them - he did much more good than harm. In this I am not talking about wins/losses on the field but changing the lives of young men in a positive direction. Changing the University in a positive direction. The testimonies are freely available for those who care.</p>
<p>The haters are just that and nothing anyone says will change their opinion or open their mind, even if they are leaping to the wrong conclusions. In hatred the truth is not sought.
FWIW - the Sally Jenkins article (Washington Post) was conducted over two days - the last day being the day he went into the hospital for the final time.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If-and I say IF-it turns out that his behavior, lack of leadership, or inaction has resulted in S being free to molest other boys on the PSU campus for almost 10 years, that statement above may well prove to be false.</p>
<p>I don’t know that we’ll ever know what REALLY happened in 2002. I never had much faith that Paterno would be in any position to tell the whole story. And by whole story, I don’t mean in an interview with a journalist where you are free to reveal only the facts you prefer and are able to refuse to answer certain questions. In other words, you are not under oath.</p>
<p>“I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was,” he said. “So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.”</p>
<p>"…I called my superiors and I said: ‘Hey, we got a problem, I think. Would you guys look into it?’ Cause I didn’t know, you know. We never had, until that point, 58 years I think, I had never had to deal with something like that. And I didn’t feel adequate.” </p>
<p>I think those quotes say it all. Certain people read that and see it as total exculpation and others see it as the deed that disgraced him.</p>
<p>Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt any of us to try to remember instances where we kicked a problem upstairs, or referred it to another office. And then told ourselves it was taken care of.</p>