Joe Paterno

Joe Paterno Dec 21, 1926- Jan 22, 2012

On Sunday January 22, Joe Paterno, affectionately known as JoePa, died from lung cancer at the age of 85. Until November of 2011, Paterno was best known as the winningest Division 1 college football coach with 409 victories. He coached for 61 years at Penn State (46 years as head coach) and was a legend in Happy Valley, PA and around the entire country. His teams won National Championships in 1982 (beat Georgia in the 1983 Sugar Bowl) and again in 1986 (beat Miami in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.) He won 24 of the 37 bowl games he coached and, in 2007, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The superlatives that could be said about Coach Paterno could fill up a page.

But Coach Paterno became part of a scandal involving sex abuse charges against his former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky. Because Paterno was alleged to have been told about the abuse years ago by a graduate assistant and, Paterno failed to report it to police, he was fired by the Board of Trustees. Paterno did report the abuse to the Athletic Director and later to the Director of Business and Finance but, apparently failed to follow up to ensure that one of them reported it to police since he did not report it himself.

The reaction to the news that Paterno had been made aware that Sandusky had abused a boy in a shower and didn't immediately notify police has ranged from seething outrage to unapologetic defense of Paterno's action or lack thereof. Many of Paterno's most loyal fans believe that Paterno should not have been criticized and punished for not going beyond his legal reporting obligation. Others believe that there is no excuse for his lack of more deliberate action.

My question is this. How will Joe Paterno be remembered? His accomplishments as a football coach are nothing short of remarkable. He is 1 of only 3 head coaches of Division 1 (now called FBS) programs to win 400 games. His reputation as a coach and mentor is legendary. He was a strong advocate for athletes to succeed academically and to graduate. But less than 4 months before he died, he was forced out in disgrace by a university he had been a part of for 61 years. Will the sex scandal ultimately be the defining event of Joe Paterno's life? Should it?

Joe Paterno, admittedly made a terrible mistake by not taking more action. Had he taken more action, it is possible some of those boys may have been spared from Sandusky's abuse. Did Paterno have a motive for not doing more? Was he protecting his friend, the football program, his and the university's reputation or did he just assume that what he did was enough? I want to believe it was the latter.

We all make mistakes. Obviously, some mistakes have significantly greater consequences than others. Some follow us for the rest of our lives and are remembered even long after we are gone. A reputation, built over 85 long years, can be irreparably damaged in the blink of an eye. How history remembers Joe Paterno cannot be known at this time. For us, it is a stark reminder that we must make good choices and always strive to do the right thing. While God forgives us for our errors, we still have to live with the earthly consequences.

My condolences go out to his family, friends and all the Penn State faithful in their loss of JoePa.

I feel sick to my stomach

I can hardly watch or read the news lately without getting that nauseous feeling in my stomach. It seems every week there is something reported that causes us to recoil and feel shocked (although being "shocked" anymore is becoming a dying art)

The news out of Penn State University is so incredible that I am just having difficulty even fathoming it. The fact that adults were aware of another adult abusing children and seemingly doing NOTHING about it makes me want to scream. I don't need to repeat the details because, unless you have been living under a rock, you already know that a former assistant football coach was seen years ago by a graduate assistant performing a despicable act upon a young boy. That graduate assistant reported it to head football coach Joe Paterno. From there the outrage of doing the wrong thing ensued. Some have stated that Paterno did all he was "legally required" to do. How could a serious person even suggest that?

I know that in the realm of God, sin is sin. But sexually abusing a helpless, innocent child?

Many years ago, I found myself in a situation where I was made aware of a teenager who claimed that she was being physically abused by a parent. My wife and I tried our best to determine if the teenager was being honest. The girl showed my wife bruises on her back and side that didn't look like the kind of bruises that a teen could self-inflict or might normally get playing sports, etc. I had a conversation with a high ranking law enforcement officer about it and asked what I should do. He stated that if his office were called in, it would be handled like a law enforcement situation which, he stated, might be inappropriate. The better option he suggested was to contact the Division of Family and Children Services since they typically got involved in these kinds of matters.

I made the call and reported what I believed to be the situation. But, I was not an actual eyewitness. I was taking a teenager's word. What if she was lying? Weren't my actions potentially risking the reputation of an innocent parent? This was one of the hardest decisions of my life. But I couldn't just assume it was not true. I prayed about it, cried about it... but made the phone call. If I had it to do over again, I would still make that phone call. There was fallout from all this...the family involved will never have anything to do with us. I did receive a phone call from the other estranged parent thanking me and eluding to the fact that there was a problem that was very complex.

I have every respect for parents' right to raise their child in a manner they see fit. This does not include physical  or sexual abuse. No child should have to endure that. Parents are responsible for the well being of their children. People in authority or in positions of influence over children cannot be allowed to abuse those positions.

I have always admired Joe Paterno as a football coach and mentor. But, I'm sorry...he cannot justify his inaction in this matter.

Lacking in something to pray about today? Please include Joe Paterno in your prayers. And pray for all the people that have been affected by this scandal. Unfortunately, the damage to those boys has been done. I pray especially that healing will take place for them.