Paterno dead at age 85

[Brando19]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7489238/joe-paterno-ex-penn-state-nittany-lions-coach-dies-85-2-month-cancer-fight


I thought he was doing better! What a sad story. It's too bad many people will remember him for this scandal rather than his many, many years of coaching. RIP

[mission]

Just like Bear Bryant, football kept Paterno alive...

[mraynrand]

When his character was truly tested, Paterno was found lacking. Lord have mercy on his soul.

[Brandon494]

When his character was truly tested, Paterno was found lacking. Lord have mercy on his soul.

+1

[JohnMexico]

And it ends.

I dont really feel bad for himself, or the university since it had no bearing on anyone I know. I just feel bad about everything, period. We saw what happens when a man becomes a God, and when that God wrongs everyone and enables a monster. We also saw a massive protest for all the wrong reasons at the university.

Everything just sucks.

[MJZiggy]

I'm not sure why this is so unexpected for me...

[pbmax]

So the key to having a long life is having something to do everyday? That's going to change my retirement plan.

I find the dependency of those around him pitiful. He once beat back an attempt to impose uniform, student code level punishments on his players back by threatening to stop assisting with fund-raising efforts. This was around the time he disciplined the team by having them clean the stadium after the game.

I would rip Penn State to shreds for this, but I am pretty sure this dynamic played out with less drama at UW.

[gbgary]

vendetta killed him.

[George Cumby]

Pathos.

[red]

what an absolutely tragic end to a legendary life

[falco]

Is it safe to say JoePa has had a bad few months???

[swede]

Had the scandal not come along Penn State might have had to inquire of the NCAA if death was an automatic disqualification for a head coach. Maybe there was some wiggle room there.

[sheepshead]

I cant get over him hearing what he did and not blowing the whistle. I cant even get my head around it. He died a broken, sick MaFa in my opinion.

[Kiwon]

A very sad ending to a full life. But, to confess, I have never really understood the hoopla surrounding Joe Paterno. Yes, he got more wins than any D-1 coach, but he was also head coach for 46 seasons. Penn State teams won, but he finished with only two national championships.

To his credit, his program produced many NFL players and had higher than average graduation rates for college programs. Penn State also seemed to avoid the scandals that plagued schools like Miami, Oklahoma, USC, and Ohio State, for example.

But then, the Jerry Sandusky child predator allegations come to light and that colors everything. The two men knew each other for 47 years. Joe Pa had no inkling that Sandusky was a possible threat to children? Apparently several people surrounding him did.

I have no idea the proper way to honor Joe Paterno. The statue is already built. The records are the records. I worry, though, that his death presents an easy opportunity for investigators, prosecutors, and lawyers to blame shift and put more responsibility on Paterno in order to make the scandal disappear more quickly. He's not around to defend himself any longer. The public might be left with many more unanswered questions then there should be.

I feel sorry for his wife and family. Joe Paterno was obviously a great man and coach, but he was far from perfect. Unfortunately, he passed away just as the spotlight is trained upon his imperfections and that will tarnish his legacy forever.

[Brandon494]

He was a great coach but I will never call him a great man.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Just like Bear Bryant, football kept Paterno alive...

True that. He went downhill fast. Died of a broken heart as much as cancer, IMO.

[mraynrand]

Had the scandal not come along Penn State might have had to inquire of the NCAA if death was an automatic disqualification for a head coach. Maybe there was some wiggle room there.

It didn't disqualify an NFL owner for at least 7 years

http://gordonkeith.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/al-davis.jpg

[SkinBasket]

It's too bad many people will remember him for this scandal rather than his many, many years of coaching. RIP

guess he should have died sooner.

[Fritz]

And it ends.

I dont really feel bad for himself, or the university since it had no bearing on anyone I know. I just feel bad about everything, period. We saw what happens when a man becomes a God, and when that God wrongs everyone and enables a monster. We also saw a massive protest for all the wrong reasons at the university.

Everything just sucks.

I wonder if, for all those years this whole thing was lying under the rug, if Joe Pa felt some horrible guilt gnawing at him, or if he was able to just forget about it altogether.

Me, I'm not sure I could forget that a student assistant came to me and told me that he'd seen a friend of mine buttfu@!%&$ little boys (plural, right?) in the school's showers. Unless I had Alzheimer's.