The World Needs Heroes (or, Why I’m Sad that Joe Pa Was Fired)
I will probably be misunderstood for saying this, but I am sad that Joe Paterno was fired.
Not because I believe he was innocent—none of us who get our information on this topic through the media really know what happened, so we are not in a position to judge.
No, I am sad because I believe the world needs heroes, and the nature of our media is to tear down and destroy heroes.
I’ll grant you: it may be true that there are no heroes, that heroes are a fiction. That there were never any heroes, that the media is just revealing the truth behind the facade.
I understand that everyone is human, everyone is imperfect, everyone gets tummy aches. Yet, I value heroes. Why?
Heroes, fictional as they may be, serve a valuable purpose. Heroes are role models. They give us normal people something to which we should aspire. They illustrate excellence. They provide hope and inspiration.
Striving to be a hero makes life worth living.
P.S. I realize that someone could easily interpret these comments to say that we should overlook the crimes of our heroes. No, stop that thought right there because that’s not what I’m saying.
P.P.S. Ivan Meisel at ESPN conveys my thoughts well:
The idea that Paterno’s legacy, built with the highest of ideals, will be stained by the vilest of scandals should test the faith of all of us…if we cannot believe that JoePa knew to do what is good and right, than in whom, pray tell, can we believe?
It is a sad and stunning end to a 20th-century American success story. An Italian-American kid from Brooklyn grew up to become one of the most influential figures in American sports. He supped with Presidents. He transformed a university. And a career that should be celebrated is sullied instead.
Going to have to disagree with you on this one, Scott, and know that I was a HUGE JoePa fan. I grew up 30 miles south of State College. There is a saying in Central PA that G-d must be a Penn State football fan because the sky is blue & white. I didn’t go to a college with a football team, so my loyalty to PSU has always been strong.
All that changes when it comes to what happened at PSU. I don’t think Paterno is the only one at fault, I don’t lay the blame at his feet alone. Several officials knew about credible & serious allegations of child abuse happening by this coach on campus — and they each did not go to the police. Each of them needs to be held accountable for protecting a child abuser and the storied football program over protecting a child(ren).
You know my son, Scott, you don’t know the details of his background; but I am sure you can imagine what he went through. Isaac was in 6 other placements by the time he got to me at 4 years old. A foster child doesn’t get moved from a home on a whim (usually); they often get moved when something terrible is happening. I am Isaac’s 7th home.
JoePa isn’t a hero. He was a flawed individual just like the rest of us. And this mistake has HUGE consequences and ramifications. All of his talk of HONOR is sullied by choosing his buddy over a child this buddy was abusing.
There are heroes out there –I’ve met a bunch of them in my life — some at the SJCC, some at Seattle Children’s where I work, some at the schools where our kids go – but they aren’t big time football coaches in my experience.
Sprout
10 Nov 11 at 5:51 am
It’s the second time when i’ve seen your site. I can see a lot of hard work has gone in to it. It’s actually great.
Daniell Wansley
26 Feb 12 at 5:49 am
[...] thinking about it? Top 5 Reasons Why You Should!I stand by my earlier words, that I was sad to lose Joe Paterno as a hero. I still believe that the world needs heros, and [...]
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