Rest in peace, Joe Paterno...

I’ve not been a follower of Penn State football. I knew of Joe Paterno, and frankly, my thought was that the old guy should quit while he was ahead. Really – coaching football at 85?

Obviously, it was what kept him going.

From the beginning of the Sandusky scandal, I thought it was wrong that they fired Coach Paterno. I think the board of trustees did it to placate the media frenzy, and try to keep them (the media, that is) from creating a portrayal of their university as a “good ol’ boys” administration that looked the other way.  And Joe Pa was collateral damage.

I maintain he didn’t deserve it.

Consider what this man is characterized by: He loved football, but saw it as a tool to further education. He insisted that his players meet high academic standards. As more and more football programs enjoyed the money that success brought, he continued to stick with the plain uniforms, navy jerseys with no names on them…the Nittany Lions were a team, and not flashy.

When the scandal broke, and he was fired, he waved off the supporters (and reporters) hanging around his front door, thanking them for their support through the years, and asking them to pray for the kids who were victims. He didn’t protest his firing. He expressed that he thought he had done enough, but looking back now, he wished he had done more. He expressed his gratefulness for the many years he had at Penn State, and all the blessings that had come from it. His attitude was, “I’m fine…pray for the kids who were hurt.”

That just doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would be culpable for concealing the kind of activity that was perpetrated by Sandusky. Consider the generation: Can you imagine how your own grandpa might have handled a similar situation? Honorable people of that generation could not acknowledge or articulate such heinous acts. I wish for the sake of the kids who were hurt that he had done more – but so did he. This was borne out in the interview he gave recently, in what turned out to be his last days.

I admire Joe Paterno. I think that even in the scandal that ended his career, he continued to display good character. A terrible thing happened on his watch, and though I think he could have been defended, he chose to take the consequences, focusing on what he had to be thankful for, and showing compassion for those who had been hurt.

I think he will rest in peace.