Should Joe Go, or Should Joe Stay Now?

I am sure the masses have been patiently waiting and  anxiously checking each and every day, if not more often, to read what I think should be done with the Joe Paterno statue at Penn State University. Sorry I have been busy with a research paper last week and traveled to lower Alabama -- the only "LA" I recognize -- for a week at the beach with the family. Now that I have a few free minutes, here is what should, and if Penn State has any sense, will be done with the JoePa statue. 

If you have not heard what happened in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania from 1994 to 2009, get out of your mobile home every once in a while and watch the news. On second thought, you may be better for never having heard these tragedies. 

Sandusky being hauled off to his final earthly home,
the Centre County Correctional Facility.

With the aid of a high-profile football program the Nittany Lions defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, lured young men, who lacked male role models, and sexually abused them time and time again. Some incidents took place in the basement of his house, while his wife was upstairs!


Sadly, even more molestation happened in the football locker rooms, where Sandusky would rape these boys in the team showers. Sandusky's reign is over. 


He will now rightfully die in prison, or serve 442 years in prison first, after being found guilty on 45 of 48 counts against him.

Paterno, the most powerful man in the state of Pennsylvania, along with officials at the university knew what was happening and turned a blind eye to the horrid acts taking place only feet away in order to protect their precious football program and its once revered cleanliness. Now we know otherwise.


There is a statue of Paterno leading his team on to the field at Beaver Stadium. Some, like iconic former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, want the statue torn down, as to not bring up the memories of what happened under his watch. Others would prefer the statue remain standing as a reminder of what happened, and how we should all be more aware of like situations around the country.

Here's your middle-of-the-ground solution, and to be quite honest, the most sensible one. Take the statue down... from its current location. Remove the wall behind the statue as well, so whenever I watch a Penn State game in the next 30 years (let's be honest, I never watch Big 10 games, unless Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt is the only game on television), I do not have to be reminded of Paterno's filth and total disregard for human lives, children's lives at that.

Take said statue, and erect it in a room on campus where you can, with unbiased writing tell the story of Paterno. There is no doubt he did a lot of very good for Penn State, donating millions and raising millions more so that thousands could be educated. However, now we know of his despicable secrets, which should be brought to light as well.

Even better, put the statue in a room in the campus library, which is currently named after JoePa. Take out a few of those now useless bookshelves and place the statue where all can come of his life, the good and the bad. And where the statue once stood, place some sort of tribute to those all around the world who are victims of emotional, verbal, physical and sexual child abuse.


It is a horrible situation and one no one saw coming except for those on the inside of the pedophile ring at Penn State. Now they face criminal charges. Paterno, who lived a lie until his dying breath, is lucky to be dead or he too would have suffered the fate of Sandusky.

The new-look CDC thanks to the folks at Nike.

More: Other entities have, or still have to, make decisions of what to do with things that bear Paterno's name:

Mentioned earlier, do you leave the library named after a man who has marred the very name of your institution? No. Follow the lead of Nike CEO Phil Knight below. 

Nike spoke quickly by taking down Joe Paterno's name off the child development center at their Oregon headquarters. Good call by Phil Knight.

The NCAA has been called upon to enforce the death penalty on Penn State football. Keep it away. It ruined  the Southern Methodist program the one time is was used in football and effects kids who had nothing to do with the football staff's dreadful decision-making. Instead, remove Paterno's 409 wins from the record books, effectively making him the all-time wins leader no more.

Have a better suggestion? Share in the comment section.