RIP

Joe Paterno is gone

Joe Paterno, 85, dies in State College EmailPrintComments 27 ESPN.com news services Joe Paterno has died at the age of 85 after experiencing serious complications from lung-cancer treatment.

The health of Paterno, who had fought the disease for two months, had grown progressively worse after he recently broke his pelvis in a fall at his home in State College, Pa.

The family announced his death Sunday shortly after 10 a.m. ET., The Associated Press reported.

Paterno died at State College's Mount Nittany Medical Center, where he had been undergoing treatment.

Paterno remained connected to a ventilator into Sunday, individuals close to Paterno's family told The Washington Post.

[+] Enlarge AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar Joe Paterno won two national championships and a Division I-record 409 games over 46 seasons at Penn State. The newspaper reported the family had communicated to the hospital his wishes not to be kept alive through extreme artificial means.

Paterno's cancer diagnosis was revealed Nov. 18, nine days after he lost his Penn State head coaching job in the fallout of sexual abuse charges against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

Jay Paterno, one of Paterno's sons, thanked fans for their support Saturday.

"I appreciate the support & prayers. Joe is continuing to fight," Jay Paterno wrote on his own Twitter account.

Paterno won two national championships and a Division I-record 409 games over 46 seasons at Penn State and the family has donated millions of dollars to the school.

But his legacy was clouded in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal that has resulted in 52 counts of child molestation against Sandusky. Paterno had announced his retirement early on Nov. 9, but the Penn State board of trustees fired him and university president Graham Spanier about 12 hours later. That day, Paterno called the scandal "one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

In his first public statements since the scandal broke, Paterno recently told The Washington Post that he did not know how to deal with the situation when he received a report from a graduate assistant that his former defensive coordinator was accused of abusing a boy in the showers.

"I didn't know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was," he told The Post in an extensive two-day interview at his home. "So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn't work out that way."

Police on Saturday night barricaded off the block where Paterno lives, and a police car was stationed about 50 yards from his home. A light was on in the living room but there was no activity inside. No one was outside, other than reporters and photographers stationed there.

About 200 students and townspeople gathered in State College at a statue of Paterno just outside a gate at Beaver Stadium.

Some brought candles, while others held up their smart phones to take photos of the scene. The mood was somber, with no chanting or shouting.

Jay Paterno tweeted, "Drove by students at the Joe statue. Just told my Dad about all the love & support--inspiring him."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Thanks for posting, I learned it here first.

I was on here with ESPN on the TV in the background

It was a bad way to end a glorious career, I hope his legacy is for what he did do and not what he didn't do.

i think they should make the program vacate every win where sandusky was on the staff, putting Eddie Robinson back on top of the coaching win list where he belongs.

he facilitated or covered up child rape - i feel sorry for his family and all the people that thought, think, or pretend that he was a good person.

patgizz wrote: he facilitated or covered up child rape - i feel sorry for his family and all the people that thought, think, or pretend that he was a good person.

I admit I haven't exactly followed this story closely, but from what I understand Mr. Paterno wasn't the witness. The witness came to him, and he went to the campus authorities (security head and his boss IIRC). How was that wrong or facilitating? (Seriously).

Also, prayers for his family, they have endured so much lately. Rest in Peace Mr. Paterno.

I'm sorry to hear of his passing, this has to be doubly devastating to his family due to the cloud that was hanging over him.

About the scandal, the fact that he KNEW of the incident yet Sandusky kept his job right up to the bitter end tells me he (and the rest of the crew up there) were more interested in winning football games than doing the right thing. That was no one's fault but his own. And it's more than a little sick.

wheels777 wrote: Truly a sad loss - Incredible American - the Pa part had more to do with his charactor than his name. So sad that so many judge before the details are all available...shoot first, then ask questions is alive and well.

+1 This is an ongoing debate in my own house. The man should be remembered for what he did not missed opportunities. We have all at some point in our lives had a situation where in hindsight we could have done more. A situation where we relied on the proper authorities and powers that be to take what we have given them and do the right thing. I never had much opinion one way or another about Joe Pa, but he should be remembered for the reasons he was loved not for being a scapegoat for a much bigger problem.

I think he should be remembered for what he did. He was one of the greatest coaches ever and from all accounts a great mentor. I think he positively effect a lot of people. I think his biggest mistake was putting faith in the people above him to take care of the situation.

He will be missed.

patgizz wrote: i think they should make the program vacate every win where sandusky was on the staff, putting Eddie Robinson back on top of the coaching win list where he belongs.

Neither Paterno nor Robinson is at the top of the win list.

93EXCivic wrote: I think he should be remembered for what he did. He was a great coach and from all accounts a great mentor. I think he positively effect a lot of people. I think his biggest mistake was putting faith in the people above him to take care of the situation.

+1.

The tragedy is what Sandusky did to the children.

Wheels Jopa did allow Sandusky to operate on campus after reporting the incident. With kids. Sure, not a member of penn state. But joe allowed Sandusky to have lots of space on campus. For many years after 2002. With kids.

I'll admit I feel bad for him. At the same time... what the hell? Dude. Give me a break.

Ugh, another month at least of Paterno worship. If you don't live in this state, you have no idea how absurdly overblown the pope-like reverent adoration for this guy is. I was sick of JoPa and Penn State fans before he was in the news with the Sandusky scandal. C'mon people, he was a college football coach, not Ghandi.

indifference in the face of wrongdoing tends to draw harsh judgement in guilt-based societies...

wheels777 wrote:

alfadriver wrote: Wheels Jopa did allow Sandusky to operate on campus after reporting the incident. With kids. Sure, not a member of penn state. But joe allowed Sandusky to have lots of space on campus. For many years after 2002. With kids.

I was the first to grab a rope. Not a popular thing here with 4 grads, 1 current and 2 more about to start. Fact about what was reported back then are now known. Performance of how it was handled back then are now known. How the later details were handled in '02 are now known and who knew what details. Your above comments were all that was available 3 months ago, and again, I was ready to grab a rope. Listen to the full story. It is still daily news here. The truth will come out. If he did wrong, it will be known when it does get made public. All recent information is painting a different picture than what was front page 3 months ago.

The details I post were directly from the grand jury report. That, at the moment, is the full story. Whatever is presented to the media and public now is moot- it's only what is presented to a judge and jury at the time of the trial that really matters.

I'm glad that I'm not going to be part of the justice system to judge what Sandusky did, but if any of the post 2002 abuses ring true, well...

But, again, as ddavidv says, he's just a football coach.

The grand jury report is what I based my comment on, along with Paterno's comment that he 'trusted others to take care of it'. That's not really different from the Catholic church shuffling pedophile priests around for years. Sandusky should have been barred from the campus and from any contact with young boys.

But it appears in both cases the public perception of the institution was thought to be more valuable than the lives of the kids. That is sick.

The Onion said: "Joe Paterno Dies In Hospital; Doctors Promise To Tell Their Superiors First Thing Tomorrow"

WB church to protest @ the funeral...

paul wrote: WB church to protest @ the funeral...

Now that would make for some interesting news...

For all the military funerals the WB clowns have brought misery upon they have had very few trips to the wrong end of an angry mob 10-20k strong. Students at PSU overturned news trucks because the board fired the coach by phone. I can only imagine what an awesome display of jackassery a small crowd holding inflammatory anti-jopa signs in the center of State College might bring upon themselves in the misguided idea that legal representation will protect them.

It would be sporting event even I'd tune in to.

if only it would happen just like that .... no more fitting end to the shiny happy people from that "church"