Joe Paterno was a great man whose only sin was ignorance and naivete when a serial child-molester lurked in his midst.
Joe Paterno was an appalling enabler who looked away when a serial child-molester lurked in his midst.
Discuss, please.
The NCAA's move to restore 111 victories that it rescinded after the Penn State sex-abuse scandal has stirred up Paterno's ghost again. Supporters are embracing a man who is once again the winningest coach in major college football history. Detractors are once again throwing spiteful darts, disgusted that Paterno is getting a pass for his role in the most disturbing sex scandal in the history of sports.
You should know how the story goes: Jerry Sandusky, Paterno's long-time assistant, is doing 30-to-60 years in prison after he was found guilty on 45 counts of raping, abusing and assaulting 10 boys over 15 years.
Paterno didn't do much with damning information provided to him except to pass it on to his "superiors." It's a weak excuse because Paterno was the most powerful man on campus.
So while his supporters see this as some vindication, I think I can speak for a lot of people here.
Paterno still loses. He doesn't get a do-over.
Although Paterno has his victories back thanks to some legal mumbo-jumbo, the legacy that people will remember most is that he was an enabler of a pedophile.
If you find that assessment a little harsh, imagine if it were your child or a kid you loved dearly, and Sandusky was fondling his private parts.
By doing nothing more than passing the buck when he learned that Sandusky was performing sex acts on a boy in the shower stalls of the Nittany Lions football locker room, Paterno signed off on a degree of culpability.
We are a forgiving bunch as a nation. Presidents can have affairs with interns, sports stars can get jacked up on human-growth hormones, and celebrities can breeze in and out of drug rehab. It becomes part of our spin-city news cycle for a while, then we move onto other things.
But child abuse has no statute of limitations.
Paterno's loyal soldiers are upset that he became entangled in a witch hunt and suffered more than he ever should have for Sandusky's sins. But who suffered more here?
Will Sandusky's victims ever get an innocence that was lost forever? Peace of mind? The ability to walk among the masses without one of the sycophants pointing and calling them liars?
Once upon a time, Paterno was a beloved national figure. "Joe Pa" did more than win a lot of football games. He inspired young men to greatness away from the football field. His players had an 85-percent graduation rate. He contributed about $7.5 millions of dollars, designated for the Penn State library, scholarships and other academic pursuits. He represented "everything that was right" in sports.
Paterno's rise and fall is the quintessential example of building a narrative that is incomplete. For all his admirable qualities, Paterno was a curmudgeon around a lot of people, including many here in Central Florida on the occasions that the Nittany Lions played here during the bowls season.
He was rude, abrasive and standoffish, all documented in stories told to me privately from friends and acquaintances I trust.
And then came the most damning scarlet letter: The Penn State child-abuse scandal.
In short, he was a flawed man, as most of us are. Perfection is hard to live up to, no matter who you are.
The Penn State scandal is a teachable moment about the perils of worshipping false heroes.
Joe Paterno was a fabulous football coach who won a lot of games.
Perhaps we should have left it at that.
Sports on 01/20/2015