"A man is more than his failings." -- Rick Reilly, Sports Illustrated
It is entirely appropros that Monday dawned with a chill rain from low-hanging clouds that have blanketed Happy Valley. For there is no joy in this community following the passing of Coach Paterno on Sunday.
No matter how you feel about him after the events of the past couple of months, there is no denying that JoePa touched thousands of people and, in some way, made their lives better. Even those of us who are not alumni, referring to Barb and myself, understand what the Paternos have meant to this school, this community and beyond.
I don't profess to "know Joe", even after sitting through many of his press conferences. I can admit to almost running him down with my car while he was out for his daily walk. That happened a week or two after Barb and I arrived here from Colorado Springs in early 1999.
Joe was one of the main reasons that I took the job that brought us to Happy Valley and eventually the Icers. I was a fan of Penn State football going back to the win over Miami at the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, when fellow Canuck Pete Giftopoulos sealed the national championship with his interception.
One person that did know JoePa and what he meant to the Icers is Joe Battista. JoeBa and JoePa were two of a kind, beyond their Italian heritage. More than the passion for coaching their respective sports, they shared a passion to make the boys who played under them better men who learned to succeed in life beyond football and hockey.
On Friday, we saw the unbridled joy on Joe's face while we spoke during the first intermission, just hours after the Board of Trustees had approved the construction of the Pegula Ice Arena.
The joy is dimmed today with the knowledge that a supporter of Penn State hockey will be missing on the opening night in 2013. Missing in person perhaps, but not in spirit.
No matter how you feel about him after the events of the past couple of months, there is no denying that JoePa touched thousands of people and, in some way, made their lives better. Even those of us who are not alumni, referring to Barb and myself, understand what the Paternos have meant to this school, this community and beyond.
I don't profess to "know Joe", even after sitting through many of his press conferences. I can admit to almost running him down with my car while he was out for his daily walk. That happened a week or two after Barb and I arrived here from Colorado Springs in early 1999.
Joe was one of the main reasons that I took the job that brought us to Happy Valley and eventually the Icers. I was a fan of Penn State football going back to the win over Miami at the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, when fellow Canuck Pete Giftopoulos sealed the national championship with his interception.
One person that did know JoePa and what he meant to the Icers is Joe Battista. JoeBa and JoePa were two of a kind, beyond their Italian heritage. More than the passion for coaching their respective sports, they shared a passion to make the boys who played under them better men who learned to succeed in life beyond football and hockey.
On Friday, we saw the unbridled joy on Joe's face while we spoke during the first intermission, just hours after the Board of Trustees had approved the construction of the Pegula Ice Arena.
The joy is dimmed today with the knowledge that a supporter of Penn State hockey will be missing on the opening night in 2013. Missing in person perhaps, but not in spirit.
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