Report: Former PSU coach Joe Paterno dies at 85 [UPDATED]

reply to post by sad_eyed_lady
Thank you. I missed that !

reply to post by scooterstrats


Thanks for deciding for all of us what is important and what's not. Your rush to judge what content people should post is what's making this site low brow. It actually is very interesting considering all elements involved. And the fact a "major news source" was wrong by declaring someone dead too soon makes it alone ats worthy. Follow your own advise and think before commenting.

Originally posted by scooterstrats
Thank you for confirming the truth.Some of us live near and get better info. And what does a college coach's health really have to do with ATS's mission or interest?

edit on 1/21/12 by scooterstrats because: (no reason given)

I guess one reason (that this appears on ATS) might be that it very convenient that his death or near death closely follows being exposed for his sexual exploits. There are some organizations that he was involved with that have been thought to have people like Joe Paterno involved with them. Maybe someone wants to shut him up fast by hastening his death.

...okay, now he is deceased...carry-on...

Fired Penn State coach Joe Paterno dead at 85

Jan 22, 10:45 AM EST

By GENARO C. ARMAS - AP Sports Writer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Happy Valley was perfect for Joe Paterno, a place where "JoePa" knew best, where he not only won more football games than any other major college coach, but won them the right way: with integrity and sportsmanship. A place where character came first, championships second.

AP Source

I don't think it is about his "secrets" whatsoever. This is a result of the added stress from the press, and the heartbreak from stepping down as head coach, and the loss of purpose in this life. I always expected him to pass shortly after retiring or being fired, and here it is. This is a very, very sad day. The media attention and allegations flying around have literally driven him to his grave. We should all be ashamed.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
I don't think it is about his "secrets" whatsoever. This is a result of the added stress from the press, and the heartbreak from stepping down as head coach, and the loss of purpose in this life. I always expected him to pass shortly after retiring or being fired, and here it is. This is a very, very sad day. The media attention and allegations flying around have literally driven him to his grave. We should all be ashamed.

I absolutely agree!

This is shameful and sad...Joe Paterno is a great man...and needs to be remembered as such!

Whether he has actually passed or not...taking away his greatness killed him anyway...just sad!

reply to post by getreadyalready


I agree with you completely.

Sad,sad day.

On CNN now as well,
he's dead.

Originally posted by jerryznv

Originally posted by getreadyalready
I don't think it is about his "secrets" whatsoever. This is a result of the added stress from the press, and the heartbreak from stepping down as head coach, and the loss of purpose in this life. I always expected him to pass shortly after retiring or being fired, and here it is. This is a very, very sad day. The media attention and allegations flying around have literally driven him to his grave. We should all be ashamed.

I absolutely agree!

This is shameful and sad...Joe Paterno is a great man...and needs to be remembered as such!

Whether he has actually passed or not...taking away his greatness killed him anyway...just sad!

Winning football games and saying the right things to the media doesn't make you great.

He wasn't great. At best he was an ignorant coward - at worst he knowingly helped a pedophile in order not to tarnish the image of his team (i.e. himself).

Let me tell you all a little bit about honor and integrity.

You do not make the accomplishments you do in life by being dishonorable or lacking integrity.

You conquer your dreams and you do so by being of good moral integrity, being of good character, and working hard to accomplish the good things that Joe Paterno has accomplished.

I dont know what all of hate is regarding Joe Paterno. I myself have NEVER been a fan of Joe Paterno, but I met Joe Paterno, and I am from Western Pennsylvania, and I know a little bit about the man.

You do not go through your entire life having an immaculate reputation, then all of a sudden be accused of something you did not do. A person of poor moral character and judgement does not just happen, it is an accumulation of MANY life events and achievements. In this case, Joe Paterno did just that -- he built an immaculate reputation.

All of a sudden, he is wrapped up in this damn scandal, which he did NOTHING to create it. He did what he was expected to do when he heard of it, and it is NOT his responsibility to arrest and prosecute Sandusky. That is what the law and court system is for.

If Joe Paterno was a bad man, you would have seen glimpses of it all of his career. There is not one SHRED of evidence that shows that he was anything BUT a man of character.

I had breakfast with Joe Paterno in 1982. He is everything that his reputation today dictates he was. He was a man of character, a man to look up to. It is a crying shame that the University SH*T all over him like this, and that he has to die with that god damned black mark on his reputation for something he did not do.

Joe Paterno has guided THOUSANDS of men into good lives..THOUSANDS! And of those THOUSANDS of men he has mentored and coached over the years, you will not find a single man who will say that Joe was anything but a leader.

I challenge ANY MAN who has been coached by Joe Paterno, or who knew him, to come forward and tell me that he was anything less than what I describe!

Shame on those who sully his life and his achievements. This was a GOOD MAN!

Originally posted by thepixelpusher

Originally posted by scooterstrats
Thank you for confirming the truth.Some of us live near and get better info. And what does a college coach's health really have to do with ATS's mission or interest?

edit on 1/21/12 by scooterstrats because: (no reason given)

I guess one reason (that this appears on ATS) might be that it very convenient that his death or near death closely follows being exposed for his sexual exploits. There are some organizations that he was involved with that have been thought to have people like Joe Paterno involved with them. Maybe someone wants to shut him up fast by hastening his death.

Please read my thread regarding Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky. I
think you may find it enlightening. You can find that thread here:
Joe Paterno

What worries me is that I find it strangely coincidental that Paterno got ill and now passed away after Jerry Sandusky's arrest on child sex abuse charges back in November 2011. And that's on top of the very mysterious disappearance of a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania District Attorney back in 2005 who was pursuing a case against Sandusky on said charges.

Is it possible--and I'm being VERY "tinfoil hat" on this--that Paterno was conveniently "offed" to hide just how many people in the Penn State administration and the football program knew about Sandusky's perversions and chose to hide it instead of reporting it to state police or the FBI?

Joe "The Roach Coach" Paterno had an interview with the Washington Post, and an article dated Jan 15, 2012 has some interesting quotes to say the least.

Joe Paterno finally broke his silence over the Jerry Sandusky debacle. Sandusky who was Paterno’s former assistant coach is embroiled in a sex scandal that rocked the Penn State University campus. Sandusky is facing 50 counts of sexual abuse against minor boys. Those counts range from inappropriate touching to rape.

The sex scandal cost Paterno his job and until now he has refused to comment on the situation. In the aftermath of the scandal, the University’s Athletic Director and Vice President both are facing charges of lying to a grand jury. Paterno opened up and gave his first exclusive interview with The Washington Post.

He finally "broke down" ?

During the interview, Paterno admitted that Mike McQueary came to him a decade ago to report the abuse he’d witnessed in the shower of the Penn State football locker room. Paterno stated that, “He [McQueary] was very upset and I said why, and he was very reluctant to get into it.”

TEN years ago !!!!

Paterno insists that McQueary was unclear about what exactly he saw. Paterno, 85 who is currently battling cancer added the further admission that even if McQueary had been specific, he wouldn’t have understood or known what to do about it.

he (Joe) wouldn’t have understood or known what to do about it !!!!
OH come on now "Joe"....

Waited till Sunday because I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing. And then I called my superiors and I said: ‘Hey, we got a problem, I think. Would you guys look into it?’ Cause I didn’t know, you know.

Cause I (Joe) didn’t know, you know.....

“You know, he didn’t want to get specific,” Paterno told The Post. “And to be frank with you I don’t know that it would have done any good, because I never heard of, of, rape and a man.

P-L-E-A-S-E Joe !!!!!

Joe Paterno admits he knew about Jerry Sandusky a decade ago


Well Joe, how many victims could YOU have saved had YOU been able to somehow "understand" this ??

You had ten years to figure it out after all !!!!


I say this vermin knew all about everything all the way from the beginning......
for decades, not just one decade.


Penn State didn't ash-can this dirt bag for nothing.

I guess it was for "the program ... the program ... the program ... the program as usual.


How 'Bout All Those Victims and Families for the last Decade Joe ???


Joe "The Roach Coach" Paterno

Originally posted by phantomjack
Let me tell you all a little bit about honor and integrity.

A person of poor moral character and judgement does not just happen, it is an accumulation of MANY life events and achievements. In this case, Joe Paterno did just that -- he built an immaculate reputation.

Achievements don't make you good

Being highly regarded by the public doesn't make you good

There have been plenty of saints that were hated by the majority of people. Plenty of evil people have been highly regraded wtih many achievements.

A good test of a person is how they would handle something in private. If you know there are people watching you aren't going to steal whether you are good or bad. The true test is how you behave if you think you can keep something secret.

Joe Paterno failed this test.

I think it is really really sad...... How people treat this guy like a hero even after this scandal. Just goes to show that sports is literally a religion on our culture.

For those that think Joe is this great moral upstanding guy answer this - How could such a great person not know that his assistant coach was a pedo? For more than 10 years!!!

I wonder if ol' Joe Pa was a mason along with Sandusky. Is this why he didn't go to the authorities? Vowed to protect his brother masons even if they are doing wrong? I also heard the other day that Joe Pa or someone from the athletic dept at PSU said that "it was a different time, we didn't go to the police for things back then".


I think it is great that this came out. I see it as righteous retribution that Joe Pa lost his job, his legacy, and the respect of non-sports-brainwashed people who can see the darkness surrounding this whole fiasco. He was made to suffer for his sins before leaving this world, I hope he gets what he deserves on the other side as well.

reply to post by ShockTruther


Joe P told his supervisors of what he knew. What he knew were allegations. If Joe P was wrong about these allegations when he told his bosses, he could also have been scrutinized for false reports.
Joe P did exactly what he should of.
Guys like Mike Fransessa buried Joe P.
Why must people try to make themselves feel better by blaming innocent people for another persons vile crimes? Like if we bring down people who were not involved, suddenly child rape will go away.

Originally posted by Daughter2

Originally posted by phantomjack
Let me tell you all a little bit about honor and integrity.

A person of poor moral character and judgement does not just happen, it is an accumulation of MANY life events and achievements. In this case, Joe Paterno did just that -- he built an immaculate reputation.

Achievements don't make you good

Being highly regarded by the public doesn't make you good

There have been plenty of saints that were hated by the majority of people. Plenty of evil people have been highly regraded wtih many achievements.

A good test of a person is how they would handle something in private. If you know there are people watching you aren't going to steal whether you are good or bad. The true test is how you behave if you think you can keep something secret.

Joe Paterno failed this test.

I beleive you re forgetting who is actually guilty (most likely) in this case. The man is named Sandusky.
Look I have children too, but its not necessary to try so hard to find a reason to blame anyone other than the guilty - Sandusky.