More than 200 Penn State Lettermen have signed a letter calling for the return of the Joe Paterno statue
Let’s talk about the Joe Paterno statue, shall we?
The emotions attached to the Joe Paterno statue continue to stir this summer. A total of 200 former Penn State players signed a letter calling for the statue to be returned to a visible place on the campus along with a formal apology to the Paterno family from the university. The letter, written by former Nittany Lion tight end Brian Masella, claims the administration at Penn State has failed to repair the damage done previously.
“We remain saddened that the Penn State Administration and the Board of Trustees thrust our program and coach into an undeserved negative media frenzy in 2011,” the letter states. “Nearly five years after the firestorm, they still have not defended us or corrected the false narrative. Our legacy and our university deserve better. Penn State’s leaders should take two steps toward repairing the damage that they created.”
The demands mapped out by the letter include restoring the Paterno statue and the surrounding facade and plaques that accompanied it to where it once stood (this area was quickly renovated with grass to fill in the gap left in the small hill) and a formal apology to Sue Paterno (described as an act of common decency and “warranted and long overdue”).
The whereabouts of the Paterno statue have been unconfirmed since being torn down in 2012 following the release of the Freeh Report’s findings regarding the university’s response to the Jerry Sandusky incidents that ultimately landed the former defensive coordinator in jail for what amounts to a life sentence. Paterno had been fired the previous November and passed away just months later. The NCAA stripped Penn State of 112 victories, 111 of which belonged to Paterno, as part of the sanctions levied against the program. Those have since been restored after the NCAA cut back and rescinded all terms of the original sanction terms amid brewing legal battles.
The statue, for whatever reason, will continue to be used as a boiling point of discussion that is as polarizing as anything. There are those who stand by protecting the idolization of Paterno at any cost, while others from outside will look at something like this and reply with “Get a clue.” My thought son the statue remain the same. If you want to have a statue, use it to serve as a teaching tool of the entire legacy. Statues only have whatever meaning you can educate the masses about, and it is up to each and every person to decide what that statue should represent. A statue can be used to honor someone just as much as it can be used as a memorial to others for more sobering reasons. If the statue makes a return, fine. If not, fine.
It is worth mentioning the Paterno family was not tied to this letter and Penn State University and Penn State Athletics have yet to comment on the letter, nor should either expected to do so (WELL ACTUALLY, see below).
Helmet sticker to Ben Jones of StateCollege.com.
UPDATE: Penn State has issued a response, as reported by Jourdan Rodrigue via Centre Daily Times;
“We appreciate the passion of our former Penn State lettermen for Coach Joe Paterno and the football program, and thank them for their input and many contributions/achievements,” said a university spokesperson. “We recognize that this is emotional for many in the Penn State community, many of whom differ, yet feel strongly about this issue. The University’s leadership has clearly indicated that there will be a time and place to acknowledge Coach Joe Paterno’s many contributions.”
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