Different era, certainly, but a couple of thoughts:
Had Joe been able to go out as he should have been allowed to, I think the comparison talk would be significantly less than it is now. People who look like me are still angry and bitter and saddened by how JVP was treated and how he is overlooked not only nationally, but within PSU's athletic offices as well. He deserved to be honored then and now, and the media and his own PSU athletics should be doing the honoring.
Ray Perkins caught a ton of flack for 'not being Bear Bryant', even though he was hand-picked by Bear to follow him. He was compared to Bear with every loss and coaching decision. It just was not as much in our faces with no internet, but to someone who followed college football every day such as I did, I saw it. I admired Bear, and wasn't a fan of Perkins, but I recall thinking this poor guy was never going to win over the fans or Bama media. And people said of Bear like they said of Lombardi - don't be the guy who follows the legend, be the guy who follows the guy who follows the legend.
I want to do my part in honoring JVP as I can, so I will defend him with as much objectivity as I can muster. Despite being a huge admirer of his, I was pretty critical of him at times over the last few seasons.