Joe Paterno and Me

I have to be careful because it seems that so many are rushing to say something about Joe Paterno in light of all that's happened in the last week. I'd like to avoid that. Instead, I'd prefer to focus on the situation surrounding Paterno itself, not necessarily the man and what he should or should not have done. Here, then, are some reflections about the current fall of a coaching icon:

1. Many, many people are heart-broken to see a beloved football coach fall from grace so quickly. Others are "disappointed" in his actions or lack thereof. This disappointment is the logical and typical end anytime we as humans deify other humans. This was inevitable. It was inevitable because Joe Paterno is a human being. Joe Paterno is not perfect. Joe Paterno is, frankly, a sinner. And so am I. If you follow anyone long enough, get close to them, learn more about them, the inevitable result is that they will disappoint you. Somehow, someway you will not like a decision they made, an action they took or didn't take, or beliefs they hold. They will let you down.

This is what happens when we try to make a god out of a human being. We will be let down. Our history is full of such people. JFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. were/are both beloved leaders in our country. Both of them had extra-marital affairs. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa "saved baseball" with an epic homerun battle, and then we found out both of them were cheating the whole time. Athletes, celebrities, politicians, and church leaders, over and over and over again, have fallen to some scandal or another. We see more of it today than we did in previous generations. I don't think it's because humanity is getting worse; it's because the time of privacy is dead. We just know more about our heroes now than we ever did before. And it seems like the more we know, the more inevitable it is that we will be disappointed in some way.

The rewards are different based on what we choose to worship. Worship humans - get disappointed. Worship God, and have a solid, unmovable foundation on which to direct praise.

2. While humans are not good targets for deifying, they are great for emulating. Not all the details of what Paterno knew or didn't know are out; however, many of the details of his 60 years of coaching are. Those actions are worth emulating. By and large, Coach Paterno did things the right way. He positively impacted thousands of people, a university, and a community. So much of what he did is worth celebrating and imitating. Joe Paterno, from what I know of him, is a sinner and a good man. His contributions are worthy of focus.

As I said before, JFK and MLK did magnificent things for our country. Those contributions are worthy of focus as well. Our culture wants to deify, then burn at the stake at the first sniff of wrongdoing. I'm suggesting a middle ground: Expect to be disappointed, but focus on the good. When I think about all the people in my life that I've looked up to, treasured, or even revered, I know they've all let me down in some way. Some of my heroes in life have been racist, impatient, mean-spirited, self-righteous, unfaithful, and on and on and on. But they've been so good in other ways that they've been worth emulating, worth befriending, worth learning from.

The situation at Penn State this week has shown that Joe Paterno isn't perfect and is a sinner. So are you. So am I. I know I've disappointed my wife, my children, my parents, my family, my friends, my players, and my co-workers many times over my life. Though at times it was unintentional, I still haven't perfectly lived up to any standards of great human behavior. I'm sure it will happen again. I just hope that those people will remember whatever good I've done, and focus on that, while seeking an example of perfection from above.

I will remember Joe Paterno, football coach, as a solid leader who made people better. I hope those in my life have it in them to see me with the same rose-colored glasses.