The "The Battleground of JoePa's Legacy" Story

Kennedy, whom I helped babysit yesterday.  The four-year old is full of
energy and it took three of us to keep after her.  I have written
in the past of the little girl who at one time was very ill and one
of a few in the world with a disease that she has now been cured of.

Forword:  I guess I need to apologize for my forgetful- ness.  Seems like yesterday I forgot to post a story.  I have plenty in waiting, but had to babysit a very cute little girl yesterday and totally forgot to post.  I thank those who emailed me to see if everything is OK and I'll try not to forget in the future.  And, for those who are Penn State football fans, I wrote this story last week, before they lost their opener to Temple. 

It was an ordinary day.  Talking to my friend Just Sue who lives in State College, PA.  Asked her if she has seen any of the new, and extremely popular, beer cans that bear the likeness of Joe Paterno, the deceased, embattled and once head football coach at Penn State University.  

New Lager featuring JoePa.

Told her I would love to have a can just to sit on the shelf in my office as a reminder of the gentleman who was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ambassadors and coaches of college football.  She told me that she believes you need to buy an entire case and who likes Lager that much.  Also asked her about a photo I had taken years ago of a very long mural which featured famous people from the State College area.  The largest figure in the mural was JoePa himself and he had a halo above his head.  She told me it was painted on the side of the book store on Heister St.  Well, with the start of football season it has brought back many memories of the once proud and heroic Paterno who led the team to 409 wins.  Many of those wins were at one time stripped from him due to the fact that a Mr. Jerry Sandusky was once one of his assistant coaches.  

Photo I took years ago when JoePa had a halo over his head.

Seems that Sandusky was proven in court to be a child molester and since he was one of Joe's assistants, Joe and his entire football program, should be punished.  Heavens, they even removed the halo over JoePa's head on the mural.  Investigations and special reports on the Sandusky situation have somewhat faded in the minds of those who follow Penn State football.  Seems the hottest T-shirt this fall is one that references the black cleats and no-name jerseys which JoePa made famous.  

Statue of JoePa with memorial flowers spread over it.

Also being offered for sale for $590 is an 18 1/4 inch replica of the JoePa statue that once stood outside Beaver Stadium.  I'm finding that the Polaroid photo I took years ago of the statue is one of my best sellers.  I read that this year there are only five players on the Penn State team that were recruited by Paterno.  Most current players on the team probably never had the chance to meet JoePa.  Such a shame that football lost such a great man.  When Bill O'Brien took over as head coach after Paterno was fired from that position, he decided to put the names of the players on their jerseys which was a no-no in JoePa's world.  This year the practice of no names is once again returning under the leadership of coach James Franklin.  

Altered Polaroid which is a big seller for me.

And, this past Jaunary the wins that were stripped from JoePa were reinstated.  How stripping wins from one of college football's most outstanding coaches made up for the dastardly deeds of Sandusky made no sense to me as well as many others.  Those who have stuck by JoePa for the last couple of years are now focusing on getting rid of those trustees who voted to fire JoePa and accept the NCAA's ridiculous sanctions.  JoePa is coming back to life once again in State College with the introduction of the new Lager, the selling of the statue collectibles and shirts with no names on them.  JoePa hasn't been forgotten!  And, hopefully his legacy will gain another positive notch when his statue is returned to it's rightful place.  And, maybe the halo can be repainted on the mural.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.