Getty ImagesAs family, friends, former players and myriad others prepare for the first public viewing of Joe Paterno Tuesday following his death Sunday, one of the former Penn State head coach’s son has given a glimpse into the final hours and minutes of the legend’s life.
Speaking to the Associated Press Monday, Scott Paterno painted a picture of an 85-year-old man “at peace” in his final days on earth, battling to the end surrounded by family and friends at the Mount Nittany Medical Center. Paterno had been hospitalized since Jan. 13 due to complications from chemotherapy used to battle the lung cancer that ultimately claimed his life.
“He wanted his family in his room. He wanted to be around people. He wanted to talk,” the son said. “He wanted to have people, even when he had trouble speaking, he wanted people around him talking. How are your kids? It was so natural. It was like we were having dinner around the kitchen table. It just happened to be his hospital bed. …
“Even at the end when it was clear that he passed a line of no return, it was never a moment of bitterness. It was never a moment of fear. He was serenely calm, even right up to the end.”
As head coach since the mid-60s, Paterno had been the face of both a football program and a university. Paterno relayed a story illustrating his father was a Penn Stater right up until his final breath had taken.
There were no balloons or flowers in Paterno’s room. His son suspects his mother sent them to other patients in the hospital.
But there was a Penn State sweat shirt in there.
“His life is Penn State through and through,” Scott Paterno said, speaking of his father in the present tense. “He understood that and it never once occurred to him to be bitter toward Penn State.”
I read an article here, that about says all you could want to say about JoePa’s legacy. There has been a lot of judgmental crap written by a lot of people, about this man. I guess in the end, he was a man, that made mistakes, just like any other person. He was not perfect, but he was not a devil by any means. He was flawed, just like the rest of us, who are part of the human race.
http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Joe-Paterno-Penn-State-scandal-legacy-just-shows-he-is-human-012312
He’s not in peace now that he has to answer for not helping those children, that much i can tell ya
I understand that people want to mourn him. I get that people feel very passionately about him but to say what he did was a mistake is travesty. A mistake is when you add wrong and balance your checkbook incorrectly. A mistake is when you forget to put leftovers in the refrigerator and they spoil. He had what can only be called an epic failure that like it or not will always taint his legacy. People who say “well he did what was required of him” are not looking at this completely. As human beings it is our responsibility to protect children. Not just our children but ALL children. Yes we are all flawed but to casually dismiss what he did as some small blemish is disrespectful to all the victims and their families. I have no connection to Penn State or the Paterno family. I express my condolescences to those who do because I know it’s hard to lose someone you care about. However, you cannot casually dismiss his role in all of this as a mistake or error in judgement. We all need to stand up for what is right and stand up to those who are doing wrong not enable them in the interest of self preservation. You don’t have to believe me. I offer you this quote…
“Being the most popular kid won’t mean much if you are in trouble with the law or have flunked out of school. So if your friends are making poor choices, stand up to your friends and stand out from the crowd. Don’t give up your winning future for short-term popularity.”
Who said this you ask? Joe Paterno. The world lost a good football coach this weekend. The world did NOT lose a great man. You can say what you want him but forever you will hear 2 things when he is referenced… his record and that he is attached to child rape scandal.
Finally I offer this I have great trouble wishing he rest in peace. I truly believe he should be afforded as much peace as any victim has whose rape could have been prevented if Joe Paterno had acted to his fullest ability. I mourn but I mourn for the victims. They are the only ones who we should be mourning for that did not directly know Joe Paterno or was part of his life.
@ericdre
One of the few posts I’ve read anywhere that addresses both sides and actually makes sense.
Thank you.
Cubano
He asked “how are your kids”? We all know he wasn’t referring to the victims.
Up until the very end this trash was only concerned with himself and not one ounce of thought was given to the victims that he helped Sandusky tally up.
Pervterno was an accomplice.
Innocent people don’t cover up crimes.
Innocent people don’t start transferring assets out of their name.
He is roomates with all the serial molesters in hell ow, with Sandusky soon to join them. The PSU/Perverterno defenders have to be the sickest people in ths country especially the closet gays that are blazed in blue, and grown in Texas. they are sooooooo distraught that their two “trainers” are now in hell and in prison.
We Are Perv State!!!!
We Are Perv State!!!!
Man, you just can’t post intelligently can you? If some of your comments were any more stupid, you would need to be watered twice a week, to survive.
Come, truth be out, you are really a young teenager right? An adult would never continually ignore the fact, that his opinion is of no value.
Nice post Eric, way to long for this forum but very nice. Throw the dirt on him and let’s get this over with, he’s DEAD.
“Not helping those children” people…what about those kids parents, teachers, family, friends, or police, DA who investigated Sandusky? They didn’t see the evil either, and you expect Joe should have? I pray the hate inside you is only temporary.
Fire all 32 Board of Trustees members.
dirtyharry1971 says:
Jan 24, 2012 10:07 AM
He’s not in peace now that he has to answer for not helping those children, that much i can tell ya
__
Not for you or anyone else on earth to judge.
Something tells me that my merciful God will cut him all the slack that he deserves, given that he was human. You had better hope that your God does the same for your bitter ass.
thatobnoxiousguy says: Jan 24, 2012 10:41 AM especially the closet gays that are blazed in blue, and grown in Texas
_____________________________________
Homophobic much?
But yet you spout off.
Look in the mirror,assclown
Seriously?!?! Enough people! Give it a rest for a day. The man has died, he has family, friends, fans and relatives that are grieving for their loss. I don’t care what your opinion of his actions are today! There will be plenty of time to kick this man around over the next decade. How about we give it a rest for one f@#$ing day!!!
I don’t understand why this guys is still up on a pedestal. The man with the highest morals, ethics or what ever you want to call it knows these heinous acts are occuring under his program, at his school and does nothing. I am sure he dismissed players form his team for far less wrongdoings, why did he drop the ball here?
He had the chance to not only save the victims but the school as well from all that has happedned and will happen. Yet he didn’t… If the most powerful man at PSU speaks up years back, he saves victims, PSU and quite possibly could have a significant impact on child abuse / molestation world wide. He does this he would have been canonized a saint and up there with Mother Theresa but he didn’t and for that I have no respect for the man.
The family is useless in my book too.
“the family requested that, in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations be made to the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania or the Penn State-THON, The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.”
Why nothing for child abuse / molestation victims or such organizations?
I am just disgusted with this guy and his family…
Blewinski – the Patreno’s has always given to the Special Olympics. Besides wouldn’t people like you love to say his guilt is now trying to buy sympathy by donating the child abuse.
I hope all you haters are perfect, otherwise you are a sad bunch.
blewinski:
The charities they asked for people to donate to instead of gifts are FOR kids, at least most of them.
You make a good point HELPING Paterno. If he really cared for his public image(he did everything because of his heart), then he would have told about the abuse. He didnt know how to handle the situation since he grew up in a DIFFERENT era when this was never really heard of, so he let people that understood it handle it. Unfortunately, those people didn’t do the right thing.
thatobnoxiousguy:
When Paterno was talking to his children, he obviously meant how his grandchildren are since his family was in the room.
You obviously have no morals for insulting gay people when they have NOTHING to do with any of this.
If Paterno was guilty then he wouldn’t have EVEN told anybody about what Mcqueary saw to make sure nobody told. It would have been risky to tell anyone.
ericdre:
The quote you mentioned is a life lesson for any situation so it just isnt about coaching. EVERY player or coach that played or coached for him ALWAYS say how much life lessons he taught them. That makes a great MAN. I guess I WILL have t make sure people hear about the good he did for 61 years if it is not mentioned when he is talked about.
The checkbook and spoil food things you mentioned are accidents NOT mistakes. A mistake is defined as ” incorrect act or decision: an incorrect, unwise, or unfortunate act or decision caused by bad judgment or a lack of information.” This was a bad judgement by Paterno. Please refer to my first paragraph about when he grew up to explain this.
Not necessarily here but on other sites Ive been seeing some terrible things written about this coach..Id like to see all of JoePas detractors rounded up and put in a pen and sprayed with hog manure. All he was guilty of was not reporting in time to the proper people! Its not like he himself did the actual molesting! If you want to vent your anger do it toward the one who actually deserves it! JoePa himself was sickened when he found out about this and his unfair termination forever soured me on Penn State!
@dominator71030
You reference his quote as a life lesson. I would agree that it is a life lesson. Unfortunately this makes the “great man” you have a described a hypocrite. Because he himself could not abide by his own life lesson. I understand he did not rape any children, but he continued to allow access to the facilities for Jerry Sandusky. He failed to go to the police and being what seems to me as the most powerful man at the university and in the town could have done so much more to ensure that no other children suffered these atrocities. Instead he protected his program and himself. I’m sure he did many good things in life as well, most public figures do, but to celebrate him as a saint is wrong. He was a football coach and sadly one that enabled rape. I’m very confused how so many people vehemently defend this man even after all this has come out. To say he grew up in a different time and didn’t know how to handle it is cowardly. Anyone right thinking normal human being knows the rape of child is wrong and when in a position to stop it they will. My Grandfather was older than Mr. Paterno when he passed last year but I gurantee he knew acts like these were wrong so to claim that as an excuse is cowardice. I’ve seen many people like to point to others who had the opportunity to stop it also and did nothing and I will say yes they are just as guilty and enablers as well. This doesn’t excuse Mr. Paterno it just gives him company. Once again my sympathies and mourning resides where it should with the victims and their families. My condolescences to the Paterno family but no matter what good things you say about him this will NEVER go away, nor should it. That is the result of his inaction.
@ericdre: Amen Brother!
@dutchman1350: I am not a hater I really liked Joe until this, not saying he’d be buying sympathy, it just would have been a nice gesture on the family’s part.
@dominator71030: I am not buying that different era B.S. / I didn’t know what to do. He was a smart man and all he did was tell his boss. Come on, we all know Paterno was #2 (if not #1) in command at PSU. All he needed to do was call the PSU PD and say get this scumbag out of here. If the PD did nothing he could have followed up. Face it when Paterno spoke people listened. I guess he hadn’t been watching the news over the past 10 or so years with the sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church… Different era my A$$.