From the LEHIGH VALLEY EXPRESS TIMES Editorial:
The recent trajectory of Joe Paterno’s amazing life — from coaching icon/humanitarian to alleged bystander to child abuse to cancer victim — is almost too much to comprehend in the here and now. What we know of Paterno stretches over a long body of work over many decades, over the lives of thousands of people who say they are better off for having played for him. Or having known him. Or just having felt that he did something that made their lives better…
What is not uncertain is the lasting imprint Paterno left on so many. The lines at his viewing, testimonials by former players, the ardent defense by so many — these aren’t reducible to the “rah-rah” sentiment we often equate with big-time sports. The connection there is real, tangible and loving, and it started when a fairly ordinary ballplayer from Brooklyn began showing kids how to win on a big stage. He eschewed the trappings of the limelight. He didn’t get paid much, compared to other coaches. He and his wife Sue opened their home to players and others who came calling. He used humor and self-deprecation and homespun wisdom to such effect that many people believed Paterno was, well, just too good to be true…
Let his legacy be judged by the entirety of the man — a good man who used his talents and blessings well, and didn’t ask for all that much in return. It’s what Joe Paterno expected of others…
Click here to read the full article.
EDITOR: Amen. Now let’s cast an eye at the lives of his abusers…especially the leader of the gang Tom Corbett!
