Paterno: The Pain of a Tainted Legacy

I have tried to resist this blog post, but in the end, I might as well make my voice heard on the matter since almost everyone else has had a say or at least has an opinion on the matter. First, let me just say that it's sad to see Joe Paterno pass away. Overall, he really was a good guy; at least, he tried to be. And can we really say any different about any good man or woman out there? The sad reality is that one of the worst mistakes Paterno made in his life of good was huge and devastating. It affected countless lives negatively. I know, I know, I shouldn't convict Sandusky before he's had a proper trial, but have you heard the guy talk about the way he likes to be around boys? CREE-PY!!! And bravo, Bob Costas, for putting him on the spot.

As for Paterno, all the good he did for Penn State and the student athletes he taught, coached, and inspired deserves praise, and certainly, one mistake does not erase all that good. Unfortunately, all the respect I gained for Paterno over the years has led me to a far greater disappointment. And I must say that I am sick, no, SICK of the parade of haters on both sides of the issue. First, the day Paterno passed away, I read some Facebook comments made by people I don't know, proclaiming their hope that Paterno would burn in hell. Whatever Paterno did wrong . . . I mean, come on people . . . he (she) who is without sin cast the first stone. Second, as soon as I heard that Paterno had died, my first thought was that someone would say that Penn State had killed him because they fired him, or something to that effect. I then saw on ESPN, leading into commercial, a short teaser to set up the next segment: former players speaking about Joe Paterno. The man speaking said, "Joe Paterno died of a broken heart, and there are a lot of people responsible for that." I think I vomited in my mouth a little.

What Joe Paterno did (or didn't do, rather) was wrong. He deserved to be fired over the incident, regardless of who he told about the incident as it was reported to him. In my mind, he had a responsibility far beyond his duty to the school hierarchy or "chain of command." And that is something I hope that everyone agrees with. However, that does not make Paterno evil, neither does that put him in the neighborhood of someone that might deserve to burn in hell. It simply makes him human. Despite all of his success, and despite his great legacy, Paterno was simply a man. Perhaps his supporters placed him on too high a pedestal to see his human fallibility, something that none of us can escape. And that is probably the biggest problem with those on Paterno's side. I read a recent article that, in my mind, has said it best so far.

In the end, Paterno dropped the ball, plain and simple. It is textbook tragedy (as Aristotle would explain), that awful, gut-wrenching feeling that someone good, someone talented, despite all his hard work, success, and accomplishments has failed, has fallen, and fallen hard. That's what hurts the most, I think, for those on both sides of the issue.