Joseph Vincent Paterno - Not Michael Corleone: Part II - Outsiders

Outsiders: Like it or not, Penn State is one of those rare institutions for which the general public either harbors love or hate.  People who love PSU, love it unconditionally.  People who hate PSU

do so without a legitimate reason – of course, reason is something we don’t usually need in sports.  After all, as a Philly guy, I have despised the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants since birth.  Why?  It’s just in my blood.  Unfortunately, those are not the only two categories of outsiders.  There is the third category – those who simply listen to the rhetoric, adopt the bumper-sticker slogans, and live in a totally black and white world of the media.  This third group is large and, perhaps fittingly, is preyed upon by the media.  To them, I simply say, read part one of this essay!

To those who simply love PSU, but are not affiliated with it in any way directly, I am quite sure the horror of what has been revealed in the Jerry Sandusky case has shaken your faith and friendship.  Nonetheless, I am compelled to ask that you remember two very important things.  First, if true, the allegations against Sandusky are not representative of the Penn State Nation.  I assure you that the entire student body and the entire alumni association are appalled by the Grand Jury Report, as is Joe Pa!  I ask that you see past the media barrage of “must haves”, “should haves”, “could haves” and conspiracy theories to see the truth – that if the allegations are true, a very sick man sexually assaulted several children over a 15 year span; that during those 15 years he coached at Penn State for 6 (1994 – 1999); that there have been no allegations of any wrongdoing at Penn State during those 6 years; and that Joe Pa, the iconic figure and personification of class, dignity and honor, was scapegoated by a Board of Trustees that has been trying to get rid of him since the football team didn’t make a bowl game from 2000 – 2002.  You should know that Joe Pa’s heart, as a father and a grandfather, breaks with each passing day for the children who have been abused – and This Nittany Lion’s heart breaks with it – not only for the children, but for Joe Pa as well.

To the Haters – there is no doubt that there is reveling when someone that we have learned or grown to hate over time has fallen from grace.  But as you revel, you should heed to following three thoughts:

1.      Each moment of each day that you feel as though you, or your school, or your life, or your feelings have been vindicated by the fall of Joe Paterno, you should remember the words of the English Reformer, John Bradford – “there but for the grace of God, go I.”  You see, the reality is that those who harbor great hate or despise for another, especially when driven by sports, inevitably have a love for another team, or school, or coach.  As I listen to the hearts of hundreds of thousands of Penn Staters breaking, I find myself recognizing that I would not wish that pain on another, unless he revels in my pain.

2.      Remember that there is such a thing as respect for your enemy.  When reports about Jim Tressel started surfacing indicating that he had “covered something up”, despite my implicit desire to laugh and revel in delight, I couldn’t help but restrain myself for two reasons, the first of which I mention here.  Regardless of what the allegations were at the time, and my hatred for all things Ohio State, I still held respect for the atmosphere in the Horse Shoe, Skull Session, and yes, the Grey Vest.  I reserved my opinion on the Vest.  To this day, I know what the evidence shows, and I believe that he lied and covered things up to protect his program.  But it was only that evidence – the borderline irrefutable evidence that led me to a conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt that he had beached an ethical duty that caused me to lose some respect.  Interestingly, instead of reveling in his downfall at that point, I found myself feeling rather sad.  You see, when we are honest with ourselves, and have actual respect for someone, we don’t revel in their fall from grace.  We may be disappointed in them for violating our trust, but we don’t revel.

So as you hear all of the allegations about Joe Pa from the ridiculous to the ludicrous to the sublime, try to remember that for 60 years, the man has earned respect.  For 60 years he has watched 800 other coaches pass through the ranks of Div. 1 football (or whatever they have decided to call that division now), none of whom could outlast him.  Why?  Not because of his success, but because of the way he reached success – with class, dignity and honesty.  Do not allow a media barrage, or your own irrational hatred for Penn State or Joe Pa to undo what 60 years has built.

3. Lastly, I ask that you pay close attention to the image below.  This is the picture of Palestinians celebrating after the 9/11 attacks.  I am not so blinded by hero worship to conclude that the character assassination of Joe Pa is anything on par with the 9/11 attacks.  My point is simply this – have some class.  There is no reason to enjoy someone else’s pain.  But, for those of you who do intend to revel in the wake of Penn State’s grief, I offer only this warning.  The celebration by the Haters is nothing short of what is depicted below.  It would be prudent to remember how it felt when you saw this image the first time.  What did you feel when you were in the midst of the worst attack on American soil in history, and saw people celebrating around the world?  If you were anything like me, you probably wanted to bomb anyone who was celebrating.  The feeling is not very different when I see people taking pleasure in Joe Pa’s fall.  But it is not me that you should be concerned about.

You see, there are literally hundreds of thousands of Penn State Alumni, and we are wide spread in all industries both nationally and globally.  We stick together, and we are passionate, so before you blindly revel, consider the potential ramifications.