[NU Sports] Paterno

[marks83588 at aol.com]

Great note, Dennis. I rarely agre with your point of view but in this case couldn't agree more. No one is perfect, nto even Paterno, but he did far more good in his life than bad and it is sad to see his demise.



-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis W. Brandt <tbng at comcast.net>
To: nwu-sports <nwu-sports at tssi.com>
Sent: Sun, Jan 22, 2012 12:48 pm
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Paterno


I had a aunt who was active into her 86th year.  Always an upbeat person, 
he was, always positive, always living a moral life.  She had nursed her 
usband through a lengthy demise with Altzheimer's until his death finally 
reed her to live the rest of her life unburdened.  One day, she could a 
ull laundry basket up the cellar stares without breathing hard.  The next 
ay - literally - she could not move her legs.  Cancer got her and overnight 
estroyed all functionality to her lower extremities.  No pain; she just 
ouldn't stand or walk anymore.  After a few weeks of treatment revealed 
hat she would be forever wheelchair-bound, all spirit vanished from her.  I 
ried to cheer her, to see a spark of her old self, but she told me in a 
efeated voice I had never heard her use, "I just want to die."  A month 
ater, she got her wish.  The official cause of death was cancer.  The real 
ause was that she had simply given up the desire to live.
JoePa gave up living too.  All that he had been was stripped from him 
vernight and ignominy put it its place.  For six decades he was a man to be 
dmired.  He ran a clean program, and his players had damned well go to 
lass.  I know.  I have a friend who was one of his linebackers.  JoePa 
ccomplished his mission.  Penn State is the only Big Ten university to 
atch Northwestern's graduation rate and has consistently been 
ead-and-shoulders above other state universities.  He brooked no nonsense 
rom his players and swiftly dealt with issues when they arose, and there 
as never a whiff of scandal surrounding the program.  Then, suddenly, he 
as a pariah.  It didn't matter that JoePa had broken no laws.  Indeed, he 
ad followed them to the letter.  It didn't matter that nothing in his past 
ver hinted that he would tolerate what Sandusky allegedly had done.  And, 
f course, Sandusky has been convicted of nothing to this point, guily as he 
ooks in the press.
The holier-than-thous so perfect that they throw stones with a clear 
onscience have gotten their wish.  JoePa is dead, and they killed him as 
urely as if they had shot him in the head.  I hope they enjoy his absence. 
he rest of the world won't.
 
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