Paterno's last days

[gregspechtismyhero]

ESPN had the article today containing a couple excerpts from Joe Posnanski's book that were released to GQ. Biggest quote from it: "'My name,' the Hall of Fame coach was quoted in the excerpt as telling his son and quarterback coach, Jay. 'I have spent my whole life trying to make that name mean something. And now it's gone.'"
At first I felt bad. I pictured a dilapidated man hunched over an antique coffee table in a living room filled with his accomplishments and PSU memorabilia. A man who came from nothing and built a name and a program up to a level that no one had seen before in college or pro sports: just to have it all ripped out of his frail hands in the one time in his life where he could do nothing about it. But then I realized that people like this man are why greed and bravado are so dangerous in this world; how just one man can ruin so many lives and only care that his legacy is tarnished. The lives of the victims and even their family's will never be the same because of how scared Paterno and company were of how it would make them look. Even when pushed into the light of his mistakes, all Paterno could think and talk about was how this would affect his legacy, and if his family will be able to sit in box seats at football games. Joe did plenty of great things for everyone around him, there's no denying that, but as more and more comes out about his last words the more I think he did it to "make [his] name mean something" instead of having a genuine concern for that person and their problems. Even if he never has to answer to anyone for his sins, I sure hope that watching his legacy go belly up was enough of a punishment for what he failed to do.

/rant

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... ght-firing

[Autzenoise]

+1