Posted on 08/16/2012 7:19:10 AM PDT by BO Stinkss
Joe Paterno was an emotional wreck the day after he was fired as Penn State football coach, according to excerpts from the upcoming book “Paterno.” The biography by author Joe Posnanski is due to be released Aug. 21, and GQ offered several excerpts from the book Wednesday. In one excerpt, Posnanski said Paterno “sobbed uncontrollably” when he met with his former staff Nov. 10, the day after he was fired. This was five days after child sex abuse charges were brought against former Nittany Lion assistant Jerry Sandusky, leading to Paterno, school president Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley all losing their jobs.
In the book, Posnanski writes of Paterno: “This was his bad day. Later, one of his former captains, Brandon Short, stopped by the house. When Brandon asked, 'How are you doing, Coach?' Paterno answered, 'I'm okay,' but the last syllable was shaky, muffled by crying, and then he broke down and said, 'I don't know what I'm going to do with myself.'
A former writer for Sports Illustrated, Posnanski was granted unprecedented access to Paterno for the book. But that agreement was struck long before the Sandusky scandal exploded and rocked the program Paterno spent some 45 years building.
Paterno was diagnosed with lung cancer shortly after being fired and died in January of this year.
The excerpts released by GQ focus on the volatile end of Paterno's coaching career, including his family coming to grips with the vast number of charges against Sandusky and a public relations specialist attempting to “negotiate a gracious ending” to Paterno's storied coaching career.
A source close to the Paterno family, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the book covers the Hall of Fame coach's entire life, and not just the final few months. He added that certain members of the family have read proofs of the book and seem to be OK with it.
“It's fair,” the source said. “It's a good book. There are a lot of things in there I didn't even know.”
The source added that Posnanski does not make any judgement calls in the book, but rather asks readers to read what he wrote and then come to their own conclusions
Got it. The way you THINK you would handle a situation sets the standard by which we should judge others. No way but your way is acceptable.
Glad you weren’t my parent . . . . . or boss.
The biographer writes that Paterno was "devastated" when he was fired, which leads to one of two conclusions:
Either he was "devastated" because he failed in his humane duty to protect innocent children (in which case your assessment of the "poor guy" conflicts with Paterno's own assessment of his behavior); or
He was "devastated" because he -- along with his legacy -- was fired (in which case he really was an even bigger POS).
My take anyway ...
That's the extent of his obligation? File the report, wash his hands, and walk away, thumping his chest in sanctimonious piety that "I've done my duty"?
No, it’s not “No way but my way is acceptable”.
If you had taken actions which would indicate that an accusation against you were false, would you not bring up those actions in your own defense?
If you wouldn’t, you’re in a very small minority.
I’m glad you aren’t my child or employee.
He knew what was happening and it kept happening. If he had approached coaching with the same “dedication” no one would have ever heard of him.
Sacrificing children before the big game is what makes for a truly successful football program, just ask Joe, Joe knows!
Real victim?!? You’ve got to be effing joking!
The REAL victims are the innocent children that had their lives destroyed by a perverted predatory scumbag and his enablers. If you can’t see that, then your perspective is truly skewed.
You know there is always the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Lots of things are legal but are they ethical? How could none of the Paterno family not known about Jerry Sandusky? This was JoePa’s No. 2 guy for decades. It is always the cover up that is much worse than the crime and JoePa proved this. At minimum JoePa was protecting his legacy/reputation at worst he was covering for other booster pedohiles in the PennSate family.
Well, let’s see. He was going to do a press conference and the BOT cancelled it (so much for his omnipotence). Maybe that would have shed some light.
And then he went and died so he wouldn’t have to face any of you sanctimonious accusers. Coward.
Yeah, you’re right. Worthless POS.
GOOD!
He not only covered up the crimes of Sandusky, but he also covered up the cover-up going on inside the university administration.
It worked for Pilate.
Hopefully his real legacy will ultimately be about reproritizing college sports...and blowing up a pedo-ring. F his football record.
Sort of.
Like he couldn’t have called a press conference on his own.
Ha!
D’oh, sorry I missed the sarcasm tag at the end.
How did Paterno get to take the fall while the gays took a walk? Penn State fired a coach a couple of years ago because she would not allow gays on her team.
If it’s really libel as you claim, then let the family sue him and prove what he said was a lie.
Of course they won’t, because they can’t, because it’s not a lie.
NEVER—EVER!—turn your back on someone from Penn State.
Cliff jumping can be fun - of course, only once...
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