by Kyle Golik
When you invoke the name Joe Paterno in any football conversation, it’s always interesting how that conversation you have is framed. At some point, you have to mention what Paterno knew or didn’t know about the Jerry Sandusky fallout. The sensitive nature surrounding what happened at the hands of Sandusky involving children, and his close involvement with Paterno and Penn State has forever tainted Paterno’s legacy.
Penn State continues to struggle with how to handle honoring Paterno, as Spotlight PA reported that select trustees met with Penn State University officials twice in January about the prospects of renaming the field at Beaver Stadium after Paterno.
According to Spotlight PA’s report, select trustees, led by Anthony Lubrano who introduced a resolution at Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting to hold a Joe and Sue Paterno Day this fall and to name the field at Beaver Stadium after Paterno’s coaching achievements, met with University officials January 16 and 29 to discuss the prospects of this becoming a reality. The meetings were described as “briefing” on the matter, and an executive session.
If indeed these meetings occurred, Pennsylvania law dictates all deliberations must be made public unless they meet specific criteria; pending or current litigation, internal investigations, academic standings, and employment or property negotiation.
The subject of renaming a football field for a coach meets none of the specific criteria mentioned.
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Spotlight PA did receive a comment from an anonymous University spokesperson in regards to the meetings:
“The Administration and the Board of Trustees have embarked on numerous change initiatives based on President Bendapudi’s vision and goals and are focused on these priorities to continue to provide a world-class academic and student experience for years to come.”
The University spokesperson further explained about the January 16 and 29 meetings describing the January 16 briefing that “counsel conducted this privileged informational briefing and no deliberation occurred,” and in the January 29 executive session, the trustees discussed “confidential and privileged matters.”
The overall approach to go about bringing this resolution to the floor exacerbates how tone-deaf university officials and trustees are about the nature of what happened under Paterno’s watch.
The success on the field, one Paterno dubbed “Success With Honor,” Penn State achieved the highest of highs, one of the main reasons I have Paterno amongst my Top 10 coaches of all time.
With Paterno, you have to and will forever have to answer for the endangerment of children that occurred under Paterno’s watch by the hands of Jerry Sandusky.
It’s a reality many Paterno zealots, known as Joe-Bots in the Penn State community, refuse to acknowledge.
What makes the Paterno situation additionally difficult is when you put on the scales everything good he did for Penn State on the field – fundraising for the school, the philanthropic initiatives – it’s all wiped away by the certainty Paterno knew about the Mike McQueary incident, verbally being told what McQueary saw but also the uncertainty to the detail of what Paterno know. Penn State had paid out settlements to victims that dated back to the early 1970’s claiming Paterno was told of incidents with Sandusky.
The trustees and administrators knew the volatility of the subject and cowardly discussed behind closed doors their thoughts on the subject.
Their actions come across as tone-deaf at best to the victims who are forever scarred by Sandusky, a community now a decade past Paterno’s death is just looking to move on but never forget what happened.
The only person who seemed to understand the gravity of the situation was Joe Paterno’s son Jay, who is a trustee. He asked that the resolution be tabled to a future date.
In Paterno’s response, Penn State could “honor the past while also building toward the future.”
Paterno also cited a quote his father had on his desk handwritten from the 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, “I do the very best I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to do so until the end. If the end brings me out all right what is said about me won’t amount to anything. If I’m wrong, ten angels swearing I was right won’t make a difference.”
What is all agreed on in the community is Paterno did what was legally required. And some are satisfied with his actions, but the community at large who saw Paterno’s influence to change a lot with Penn State felt he morally did not do enough. With Paterno’s advanced age, he wasn’t an email person, so we will never fully know the extent Paterno tried to get a resolution.
Lubrano had tabled the resolution but what they fail to realize is Joe Paterno’s name is on the library that all students access. That was arguably his finest achievement as he was a major proponent of education. Paterno once said, “You can’t have a great university without a great library.”
Joe’s widow Sue has her name on the Catholic Center at Penn State, Suzanne Pohland Paterno Catholic Student Faith Center.
The question becomes how many more tributes does Penn State have to give to the Paterno family?
It goes back to the beginning of my column. If Penn State does rename the football field after Paterno, his on-the-field accomplishments and what he did for the community will warrant that recognition. But at some point, no matter what, the Penn State community will have to continue to answer for Sandusky.
