"TD_6082, post: 1754708, member: 510"]Truer words have never been spoken Captain. I never cared for Joe Paterno.
I hated him once, until I met him, and I cannot dismiss his abilities to coach up his Players into Great Teams, knew how to schedule when to play tougher Teams, and just won too many games that were not all questionable by Refs Calls. Joe had edge about him, but he was solid as a Teacher, Father, Coach, and Husband. I got to sit with him in Luxury Box in Summer at an Altoona game and just alone because the person that own it let him do that at times. He was the most quiet, observable, and opinionated person that night and not putting on any displays. I stayed more quiet and did not ask him all I wanted to know, he did not want to talk shop, He wanted to talk Baseball and other things. I even left early to give him more solitude. he sent a nice thank you Note to the Box Owner and praise my manners and deference to him very much appreciated.
I didn't care for his holier than thou approach when in my opinion, his program operated pretty much the same as everyone else did.
He told me his Father taught him to be competitor and grab every edge one can, and he did not apologize for how taught his teams. How he ran his Program was another thing and he was the Best CEO in Coaching I ever saw and why I see some of it in Narduzzi far more than in Holgrosen or Franklin. Joe could win Games without being there. JVP was blessed with a Stable Long Term Staff that did not leave him and were seldom candidates for other Top Jobs. Joe was not above insisting on if you wanted to play Penn State it was when he wanted or he won't play you, he assign Refs too, this is when Independents set their Games and Refs and there was no Conference.
If Joe had 2 Weeks to prepare he was tough to beat and took Bowl Games seriously. All Great Coaches & Leaders have some flaws and hypocrisy to give them an edge and he played the smartest Players not always the most Talented. I mention him I noticed Players that were Starters always made the Honor Roll or had a GPA over 3.0. This is when he told me personally, that most College Games are won by 4 to 6 Plays and 2 to 3 Players that were Smart, Leaders, and Teachers by his Units especially on Defense. I also mention I notice he seldom had a Top QB. He said he preferred to build a solid Team Offense dependent on one another executions not a Primal Donna. Wins as Team more important not a lucky play here or there by 1 or 2 players. Wearing down the other team did that by the 4th Quarter!
However, if he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that Sandusky was a child predator, I find it hard to believe he would just brush that under the rug.
I read everything I could and talked to many Lawyers and some thought my narrative made more sense and Joe might have been told, but did not believe it due to social mores of those times. Men did not Discuss such things. Also, when someone is accursed of that and it comes from Troubled Kids being helped, Joe had no time for it. It was unimportant and many children are not believed even the good ones. However, some Lawyers did say, I was right and spot on, but only at some point in time.
By 2008 to 2011 Investigations and Grand Juries were going on and Joe kept inviting Investigators to Dinner thinking again, it might be some Wayward Kids making things up, but at some point Joe decided it was up to others to do something and later said he should have done more. Yet, he was sick in 2005-06 with Broken Leg, and C-Diff and was already had Cancer by 2009 and 2010 and 2011. Again, he was not paying attention to the Program as he should have been and not Obeying Laws, Clery Act, and clashing with Judicial Affairs and PSU cared about making money more than disciplining the Players as Students and that was Spanier allowing Joe to get away with it, but Trustees were in Business with Joe that had some Conflicts of Interests.
i have to be fair, and nothing of this had anything to do with Joe's Coaching in 1960s, 70s, and 80s, he had some issues I on those years, Big Four Agreement violations on Redshirts, Ref Selections, and Scheduling, but it was up to Pitt, WVU, and Cuse to establish there Programs too like Joe was doing.
I am with you, Joe was told, but did not believe it until maybe 1998 and told Gerry to retire sooner, and he did, but Spanier kept Gerry around. Many PSU Players told me how Gerry taught them to play dirty at times too. Gerry was abused as a child and was a Joker but Top Graduate in his Major at PSU and manipulator and damn good coach too. And deserves a fair trial by a well prepared Lawyer. But Gerry was a Monster that lied to many not just Joe too.
i get blasted on BWI for speaking the truth and backing it up with sources and links to verify and at the same time I understand why some Lair Posters get upset when I have to be just as fair and honest about Penn State and Paterno as well. But I respect the Lair Posters views and do not fear if they differ, until i see otherwise, Joe was not a Saint either he said that often, but I think Joe cried before he died knowing his reputation and legacy were ruined by Gerry Sandusky and not doing more when first suspected Gerry needed to go, but how does one ever know when to take action when Police and DA dismissed the investigation in 1998?
Penn State University President was responsible for NCAA Institutional Control over Coaches, Clery Act Compliance's, and Title IX Regulations and Paterno did not permit Spanier over him on certain issues and that was on PSU Trustees allowing that to happen.
Like Jackie Sherrill said, Joe won't know when to retire, and Jackie was a Victim of Joe's Competitive Edge Hypocrisy but friends to day withe the Paterno's. Good enough for me. Still, OSU's Woody did not know when to go an got fired, Indiana's Bobby Knight too, OU's Barry Switzer, and Baylor's Art Briles too. It happens when Universities allow too much Power due to Wins & Alumni demanding don't touch the Coach.
This is why I praise PSU today for the 2012 Athletic Integrity Reforms and doing what was needed to be done and hated by the Alumni & Fans for doing it, but it needed done.
I separate Joe's Coaching from when he knew for sure that is as far as I go for now until something more and substantial comes out, and so far nothing more to date?
