For the Love of the Game

As we prepare for Superbowl XLVI to be played againt the Giants and the Pats…we bow our head to another Giant that has moved on…Joe Paterno.

AP Photo

Joe Paterno died of lung cancer Sunday morning.  Paterno helped build college football’s most prestigious programs over the past six decades and his career win total is the most at the sport’s highest level. Penn State and so many others will miss their beloved leader, friend and teacher.  Overall, this man was rich in tradition, dedicated to family and a hard worker.

But he was fired.  On November 9th this past year, his reputation was shattered in the wake of a child abuse scandal involving one of his assistant coaches.  He did not speak up.  His family announced, ten days later, that he was being treated for lung cancer, discovered in an exam for a bronchial infection.

Paterno and his wife, Sue, raised five children and lived in State College, the location of Penn State’s main campus-with his address and number, famously, listed in the phone book. So loved that they named an ice cream after him…Peachy Paterno. Yes, he posted 11 or more victories in 13 seasons, won a record 24 bowl games and saw more than 250 of his former players make the NFL.

A statement issued by his family Sunday described Paterno as an ambitious fighter with a sense of gratitude, according to the AP.  “He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community,” the statement read.

His legacy is without question, whether you choose to remember the scandal along with Paterno’s legacy is up to you…I choose to remember it.  Through the scandal a teachable moment was provided to us all…Have A Voice. I believe Joe Pa left the University the same way he entered Penn…a teacher and a friend.

AP Photo