Ask the Alabama freshmen in 7 or 8 years if they give a damn about Bear Bryant. That aside, even if it is "ancient history", so what? Decades after their deaths we still talk about the greatest coaches in sport...Rockne, Wooden, Bryant...and yes, Paterno. You may not agree, but I have no doubt that a hundred years from now Joe Paterno will still be remembered as the coaching legend he was.
Do you understand what a legacy is? I don't think you do. Otherwise, you would not have posted as you did. There are plenty of students/alums who care about, respect and embrace their school's history and traditions. That is part of what makes a school special. Apparently you are not one of them.
And they are passing that on to their kids and grandkids. My youngest grandson is 7 years old and he knows who Joe Paterno is, as do my other 3 grandchildren. Our November, 2011 BOT tried to bury the Paterno legacy. It did not work. It will never work. Joe's reputation and legacy were unjustly damaged, but they are being restored. Anyone who thinks otherwise is not paying attention.
ARe you one of those people who think Beaver Stadium is named after the animal?
You either don't understand the impact Joe Paterno had on the growth of this University, or choose to ignore it. Penn State is special, in no small part due to Joe's efforts in athletics, academics, and fund raising. You have your agenda and that's OK, I guess we all do. Yours, however, is on the wrong side of history and that is becoming more and more evident with each passing day.
That was once true but the tide is turning. It won't happen overnight, but Joe's legacy is slowly being repaired.
I have spoken to a couple of professors who were teaching on campus before 1966 and thereafter. Both recognized Joe's impact and strongly made the case that we would likely still be a good regional university, as opposed to a great national one, without Joe's influence. You have your beliefs and that's fine. We just disagree.
Read my lips. It never was a football issue and any attempt to believe otherwise is nuts! You are a loser and in the minority. I don't even know why you bother to post.
Well, we must talk to different people. At one time I thought, and posted, that Joe's legacy was damaged beyond all repair. I have completely changed my mind on that based upon input from across the country. There is still a long way to go, but we are a sea change away from where we were even a year ago.
We will disagree about that as well. Perhaps the disagreement is about what is a "regional university". For example, the AAU admitted Iowa State and Tulane in 1958 and I consider them both regional universities. In any event, I must move on to the Bucs who just won again. Time to celebrate.
Clearly there is a difference of opinion on this. As I stated, I once believed Joe's legacy was destroyed beyond all hope of repair and I made a number of posts stating exactly that. Then, people started telling me they were seeing a change in that perception and I still did not believe it. Over the past 6 months, I have changed my opinion. I don't expect Joe's legacy to ever be what it could have been, but it is improving and will continue to do so. If you think people like me, and thousands of others, will give up on those rehabilitation efforts, you are the one in never never land.
To deny Joe's substantial influence is to deny reality.
You just don't get it do you? Success with honor. It's not just a fancy slogan. It's a way of life! for the majority of us Penn Staters who believe. I thank Joe for life lessons that he tried to impart. You think it's all about Joe, but it isn't. It's all about the message which I can see is lost on you .Perceptions? We were all Smeared when Emmert and Fast Louie took liberties and lied regarding our culture. and at this time I couldn't give a rats ass about the nations perception. We all know the truth. Dishonor is not in our creed. So you might as well crawl back under that rock you came from. Oh and don't go away mad just go away!!!
