Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing

QBREES9 · 08-15-2012, 08:47 PM

Joe Paterno broke down and cried the day after he was dismissed as Penn State's coach, according to excerptspublished by GQ from the biography Paterno written by Joe Posnanski.
Posnanski, a former writer for Sports Illustrated, spent the 2011 season with Paterno as the Jerry Sandusky scandal unfolded and the longtime Nittany Lions coach lost his job before succumbing to lung cancer in January.
The current issue of GQ includs some pertinent passages from the book, which will be available Tuesday.

Among them was the scene at Paterno's house the day after he was fired by the Penn State board of trustees:
On Thursday, Paterno met with his coaches at his house. He sobbed uncontrollably. 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." Nobody knew how to handle such emotion. Joe had always seemed invulnerable. On Thursday, though, he cried continually.

"My name," he told Jay, "I have spent my whole life trying to make that name mean something. And now it's gone

Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing - Yahoo! Sports

lee909 · 08-21-2012, 11:37 AM

Sadly he brought it all on himself.
He had a duty of care to them young men and he failed by being more concerned with his and the colleges rep than the well being of his players.
He may well have been a good man in some aspects but tell that to anyone that was abused after he had the chance to report Sandusky and end any chance of it happening again.

Cruize · 08-21-2012, 03:50 PM

He did far more good than bad. But, his bad was inexcusible.

Halo · 08-22-2012, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Cruize

He did far more good than bad. But, his bad was inexcusible.

It really was. He ruled the roost like a dictator, but failed to take care of the details.... and forgot to care for people and the law along the way.

It's the tragedy of Joe Paterno... a true Greek tragedy. How history writes his escapades and how he will be remembered, or forgotten, is all his own doing.

I feel zero sympathy for Joe and his family. He transferred his money to his wife weeks before he passed to circumvent net-worth value to preempt civil litigation. She's now worth millions. Sorry Joe, hope you burn a little....

Mardigras9 · 08-24-2012, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by Halo

It's the tragedy of Joe Paterno... a true Greek tragedy.

Great analogy, so true.

QBREES9 · 08-25-2012, 11:25 PM

"My name," he told Jay, "I have spent my whole life trying to make that name mean something. And now it's gone

Sad very sad.

lee909 · 08-28-2012, 02:35 AM

The thing is though had he and the college gone to the authorities his name would still have have been clean.

mutineer10 · 08-29-2012, 03:27 AM

Originally Posted by QBREES9

"My name," he told Jay, "I have spent my whole life trying to make that name mean something. And now it's gone.

Well, you could've added to your already great "name" and legacy by putting a stop to your sick-@$$ co-worker's penchant for child molesting. Instead, you helped cover up the disturbing, disgusting, child-molesting truth because you wanted "to make that name mean something."

Now it "means something," alright. Now you're the guy who didn't speak out about a subordinate who was molesting children in your locker room showers. Now you're the guy who knew about that & did nothing to protect those children. Now you're the guy with a miserably tarnished reputation.

And you deserve it ...

sharke · 08-29-2012, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by mutineer10

Well, you could've added to your already great "name" and legacy by putting a stop to your sick-@$$ co-worker's penchant for child molesting. Instead, you helped cover up the disturbing, disgusting, child-molesting truth because you wanted "to make that name mean something."

Now it "means something," alright. Now you're the guy who didn't speak out about a subordinate who was molesting children in your locker room showers. Now you're the guy who knew about that & did nothing to protect those children. Now you're the guy with a miserably tarnished reputation.

And you deserve it ...

too much truth

It's done, HE destroyed it. I'm tired of people saying he didn't molest any children so he shouldn't be dragged down. Bullsh*t! He covered it up and allowed it to continue and that is why his name means nothing, or at the very least is synonymous for cover ups. Seriously, he, himself erased everything.

Beastmode · 08-29-2012, 12:34 PM

I'm living in PA and can tell you, total embarrassment to the state. It's a very restrictive place to begin with with their Omish / Dutch culture then add to that the poor leadership throughout the state and it's a recipe for disaster. Nobody wanted to deal with it so they just did what they always did which is ignore it. Paterno should have been gone a decade ago.

He was not operating at his former capacity any everyone knew it but did nothing to make the program more progressive. Having a man in his 80's dealing with an issue like this...he was in over his head.

08-15-2012, 08:47 PM	#1
QBREES9 Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Haven Ct Posts: 23,985	Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing Joe Paterno broke down and cried the day after he was dismissed as Penn State's coach, according to excerptspublished by GQ from the biography Paterno written by Joe Posnanski. Posnanski, a former writer for Sports Illustrated, spent the 2011 season with Paterno as the Jerry Sandusky scandal unfolded and the longtime Nittany Lions coach lost his job before succumbing to lung cancer in January. The current issue of GQ includs some pertinent passages from the book, which will be available Tuesday. Among them was the scene at Paterno's house the day after he was fired by the Penn State board of trustees: On Thursday, Paterno met with his coaches at his house. He sobbed uncontrollably. 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." Nobody knew how to handle such emotion. Joe had always seemed invulnerable. On Thursday, though, he cried continually. "My name," he told Jay, "I have spent my whole life trying to make that name mean something. And now it's gone Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing - Yahoo! Sports
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08-21-2012, 11:37 AM	#2
lee909 Site Donor 2015 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Watford England Posts: 8,803 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing Sadly he brought it all on himself. He had a duty of care to them young men and he failed by being more concerned with his and the colleges rep than the well being of his players. He may well have been a good man in some aspects but tell that to anyone that was abused after he had the chance to report Sandusky and end any chance of it happening again.

08-21-2012, 03:50 PM	#3
Cruize 1000 Posts + Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 4,457	Re: Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing He did far more good than bad. But, his bad was inexcusible. QBREES9 likes this.
Cruize 1000 Posts + Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 4,457

08-22-2012, 07:53 PM	#4
Halo Site Donor MONTHLY Join Date: May 2002 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 20,605 Blog Entries: 45	Re: Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing Originally Posted by Cruize He did far more good than bad. But, his bad was inexcusible. It really was. He ruled the roost like a dictator, but failed to take care of the details.... and forgot to care for people and the law along the way. It's the tragedy of Joe Paterno... a true Greek tragedy. How history writes his escapades and how he will be remembered, or forgotten, is all his own doing. I feel zero sympathy for Joe and his family. He transferred his money to his wife weeks before he passed to circumvent net-worth value to preempt civil litigation. She's now worth millions. Sorry Joe, hope you burn a little.... sharke likes this.
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08-24-2012, 05:14 PM	#5
Mardigras9 Site Donor 2015 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Land Mass between LA and AL Posts: 4,375	Re: Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing Originally Posted by Halo It's the tragedy of Joe Paterno... a true Greek tragedy. Great analogy, so true.

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08-25-2012, 11:25 PM	#6
QBREES9 Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Haven Ct Posts: 23,985	Re: Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing "My name," he told Jay, "I have spent my whole life trying to make that name mean something. And now it's gone Sad very sad.

08-28-2012, 02:35 AM	#7
lee909 Site Donor 2015 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Watford England Posts: 8,803 Blog Entries: 1	The thing is though had he and the college gone to the authorities his name would still have have been clean.

08-29-2012, 03:27 AM	#8
mutineer10 Site Donor Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Posts: 1,739	Re: Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing Originally Posted by QBREES9 "My name," he told Jay, "I have spent my whole life trying to make that name mean something. And now it's gone. Well, you could've added to your already great "name" and legacy by putting a stop to your sick-@$$ co-worker's penchant for child molesting. Instead, you helped cover up the disturbing, disgusting, child-molesting truth because you wanted "to make that name mean something." Now it "means something," alright. Now you're the guy who didn't speak out about a subordinate who was molesting children in your locker room showers. Now you're the guy who knew about that & did nothing to protect those children. Now you're the guy with a miserably tarnished reputation. And you deserve it ... lee909 and sharke like this.

08-29-2012, 10:41 AM	#9
sharke evil decepticon Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: St. Augustine, FL Posts: 583	Re: Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing Originally Posted by mutineer10 Well, you could've added to your already great "name" and legacy by putting a stop to your sick-@$$ co-worker's penchant for child molesting. Instead, you helped cover up the disturbing, disgusting, child-molesting truth because you wanted "to make that name mean something." Now it "means something," alright. Now you're the guy who didn't speak out about a subordinate who was molesting children in your locker room showers. Now you're the guy who knew about that & did nothing to protect those children. Now you're the guy with a miserably tarnished reputation. And you deserve it ... too much truth It's done, HE destroyed it. I'm tired of people saying he didn't molest any children so he shouldn't be dragged down. Bullsh*t! He covered it up and allowed it to continue and that is why his name means nothing, or at the very least is synonymous for cover ups. Seriously, he, himself erased everything. lee909 likes this.

08-29-2012, 12:34 PM	#10
Beastmode 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 9,126	Re: Book describes Paterno's reaction to firing I'm living in PA and can tell you, total embarrassment to the state. It's a very restrictive place to begin with with their Omish / Dutch culture then add to that the poor leadership throughout the state and it's a recipe for disaster. Nobody wanted to deal with it so they just did what they always did which is ignore it. Paterno should have been gone a decade ago. He was not operating at his former capacity any everyone knew it but did nothing to make the program more progressive. Having a man in his 80's dealing with an issue like this...he was in over his head.
Beastmode 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 9,126