Velouria
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I don't think this article's been linked yet; it's long and, depending on your way of reading it, maybe either an apology for Joe Paterno's actions or a fair look at a complex issue. It's by Joe Posnanski, who I read for years when he wrote for the Kansas City Star (he's currently a senior editor at Sports Illustrated). Posnanski took a year off and moved to State College to complete a book about Paterno - to be released next Father's Day, and Poz and his publishers no doubt hoped it would be a big-seller in the "What in the world can I buy for dad this year?" category and tap into that "Tuesdays with Morrie," feel-good, sports spirit.
The End of Paterno (Joe Posnanski, Sports Illustrated)
Posnanski, in terms of his access to Paterno and his actually being boots on the ground at Penn State when this affair began, has, in my estimation, failed spectacularly as a reporter. On Twitter, his middling tweets about the matter have been much reviled. (Including by his former colleague at the Star, Jason Whitlock, who writes now for FoxSports.) The general attitude among sports pundits seems to be "oh boo-hoo-hoo, real life inconvenienced your little puff-piece of a book" - a whole lotta schadenfreude goin' on: Jopo has become JoePa Jr., in the estimations of many. I'm curious to see what anyone else might think.
Here, also, is a much shorter piece he did for his personal blog: Curiously short posts
Thanks for sharing that link, wfgodot.
What do I think? I think Posnanski can cry me a river. :boohoo:
I especially loved this bit:
But I will say that I am sickened, absolutely sickened, that some of those people whose lives were fundamentally inspired and galvanized by Joe Paterno have not stepped forward to stand up for him this week, have stood back and allowed him to be painted as an inhuman monster who was only interested in his legacy, even at the cost of the most heinous crimes against children imaginable.
Shame on them.
And why? Ill tell you my opinion: Because they were afraid. And I understand that. A kind word for Joe Paterno in this storm is taken by many as a pro vote for a child molester. A quick, Wait a minute, Joe Paterno is a good man. Lets see what happened here is translated as an attempt to minimize the horror of what Jerry Sandusky is charged with doing. It takes courage to stand behind someone you believe in when its this bad outside. It takes courage to stand up for a man in peril, even if he stood up for you.
Indeed, the irony is RICH.
I am sickened, absolutely sickened by the tenor of this article.
That's right folks, a big ol' shame on people for not stepping up for JoePa, who is by all accounts due to be canonized as a saint at any moment now.
You want to talk about courage? How about having the courage to stand up for a CHILD in peril?
What a dO#c7&b@% !