Yes. JoPa has died. Penn State's most winningest football coach has died from lung cancer. He was 85. There's no question that the cancer that raged through Paterno's body was not helped by the stress and emotional turmoil surrounding the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal that placed the coach at the center of a firestorm of controversy over his own lack of moral judgement. Did the man whose motto was "Winning with honor" disgrace himself by not doing enough to protect the youngest and most vulnerable among us?
We may never know the full story, but the coach's passing is just another sad turn in what will surely become the greatest fall from grace in sport's history. No single achievement -- and there are many -- will be enough to outshine the dark spot that will accompany every obituary, book or biography concerning Joe Paterno's amazing and storied career.
It's nothing short of a tragedy that this is the end to a man that was once so admired and beloved to all that came in contact with him.
His family offered this statement...
"He died as he lived," the statement said.
"He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and
constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions
were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to
achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players
and his community."
Then again...
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