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-Obits-
Joe Paterno Dies
2012-01-22
"It is with great sadness that we announce that Joe Paterno passed away earlier today," the family statement said. "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled."
Dies of complications of lung cancer. Or shame. Or a broken heart.
Posted by:Glenmore

#15  I agree w/Badanov & gorb...just telling the PSU admin & then letting it go was not enough...reminds me of a famous quote attributed to Burke...also fwiw - A couple NHL Hockey players (Theo Fleury for one) who were victims of similar abuse gave a great rundown on the bullshit they encountered and reached out to the victims of the PSU scandal. One of the NHL players said this wrt Paterno -(paraphrased) if one of Paterno's grandkids had been abused I'd imagine he'd done more than just tell his boss and let it go at that.
Posted by: Broadhead6   2012-01-22 23:11  

#14  Spanier was relieved just as Paterno was. So Joe wasn't the only fall guy. But that's not a tragedy.

And I'd wait till all the evidence is out before reaching a final conclusion.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2012-01-22 22:20  

#13  perhaps the Applied Research Lab should associate themselves with a better organization?
Posted by: Frank G   2012-01-22 19:49  

#12  It's also the home of the Applied Research Lab, which has quietly brought a lot of valuable science & technology to our military, esp. the Navy and Marines.

Generalizations aren't all that useful when applied to such a large and diverse institution.
Posted by: lotp   2012-01-22 19:38  

#11  IIRR Penn State is also Mann's home to the AGW scam.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2012-01-22 15:02  

#10  So you fire a sick old man who has rendered so many years of fine service to your institution, knowing full well that it was the institution itself that protected Sandusky? You make Paterno the fall guy? Bullshit. Chickenshit. Penn State is rotten to the core.
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2012-01-22 14:49  

#9  Mama always told me that if I can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

My condolences to him family.
Posted by: Barbara   2012-01-22 14:36  

#8  Joe's machine included the cops. He went once so he would have some plausible deniability. They would have acted if Joe had wanted them to, but he didn't think it would be in the machine's best interests, including Penn State's.
Posted by: gorb   2012-01-22 14:27  

#7  My comments were based on what I know Paterno did, not what I think he should have done.

Ifn he went to the cops, good for him. That doesn't excuse him or his program from letting things go on as they did.

And as such, let us face it: knowing what Paterno knew, defensive genius or not, Sandusky was a sh*tty choice as a face of Penn State and it will always be so.
Posted by: badanov   2012-01-22 13:08  

#6  Tragedy: "a play in which the protagonist, usually a man of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he cannot deal"
Posted by: Glenmore   2012-01-22 13:07  

#5  Unfortunately, buried below the fold on most newspapers was a release of some documents from the grand jury investigation. The papers stated that Paterno went to the police and reported what he had been told by McCreary.

Everyone is all over Paterno because "he didn't follow up" but do you really have to follow up on a police report and reports to the AD and President of PSU.

The press loves to take down public figures like Joe and just like in so many other similar cases, they never bother to publically apologize for their rush to judgment and that gives credibility to the rumors and allegations about his actions that were false.
Posted by: Bill Clinton   2012-01-22 13:00  

#4  Wow. There's the choice. If Badanov becomes the conventional wisdom, then Leo Durocher knows more than Aeschylus.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2012-01-22 12:51  

#3  Joe Paterno ends his era at Penn State. He left a long career, but I am not so certain he left much of a legacy other than the sheer number of games he coached.

The shame is that the Jerry Sandusky scandal had left an indelible black mark on him, and by extension the Penn State football program.

Were I Brent Mussberger, I would have a monthly full mouth debriding to rid myself of all the sweet syrupy bullsh*t I spoke about Paterno: Joe Pa this and Joe Pa that, my ass...

What a f*cking act they both had.
Posted by: badanov   2012-01-22 12:11  

#2  A tragic end to an incredible career. And I mean tragic in the classical sense, as taught in HS English class during discussion of Aeschylus (I probably date myself with that statement.)
Posted by: Glenmore   2012-01-22 11:57  

#1  Or all of the above.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2012-01-22 11:40  

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