The "True Nittany Lion" Story

It was an ordinary day. Made a trip out to the end of the drive for the paper. Sat down in my recliner and turned on "Meet The Press" on NBC at 10:00 AM. A few minutes later they had an urgent announcement flash on the screen. Joe Paterno had died minutes before of lung cancer. Holy Cow! It was only in mid-November that his family announced that JoePa was being treated for a curable type of lung cancer. To tell you the truth, I didn't know there was such a thing. The next day saw hundreds, maybe thousands, flock to the stadium, the stadium that JoePa built, to honor him with remembrances at the foot of the sculpture that seemed to symbolize the immovable force he had become. A candle-light vigil was also held the evening of his death. The death of the greatest football coach that ever lived! His records and achievements are documented everywhere you look and his former players heap praise and accolades on him. But, in the end, I'm sure he didn't feel like a hero. I now believe that the Board of Trustees really blew it with the way they fired him and tried to make him the scapegoat for all the bad that was happening at Penn State. I still think of JoePa as the guy who time left at the 1 yard line. The guy with the horn-rimmed glasses, khakis that he rolled up and those black cleats. He was said to hate computers and cellphones and one time said, "I couldn't download a jar of peanut butter." As the times changed, he stayed proudly behind. Too far behind, maybe. I only hope that years from now people will remember the good deeds and services that JoePa gave to Penn State and not the turmoil that was created by the one bad egg on his coaching staff. Time will heal I'm sure, but for me, I believe JoePa may have died from a broken heart. Rest in Peace, JoePa! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - The classic photo of JoePa in the runway was taken by an Associated Photographer, while the photo of the sculpture at the stadium is one of my altered Polaroid prints.