Joe Paterno’s passing, and State College’s heartfelt response has come at an unfathomable time in my life. The first 20 years I have been alive were spent almost entirely at my parents' residence just around the corner from the Paterno home. As a lifetime resident and Paterno neighbor, I have admired the deceased coach for many years.
Jay Paterno represents one of the more intriguing Penn State figures I have ever encountered. There may not be an individual who loves this university the way he does, yet it seems sometimes he receives no love in return from the Nittany Lion faithful. All but four years of his life have been spent in State College; however, until recently, the younger Paterno was never able to fully endear himself to many Penn State fans.
As was mentioned yesterday, it's a testament to the world we live in when watching a Ticketmaster loading page is the most nerve-racking experience of the day. At approximately 10: 01 a.m. on Tuesday morning, anxiety turned to disappointment as "Your Wait Time is Less than One Minute" transitioned to "Sorry No Matches Were Found."
The Westboro Baptist Church plans to picket Joe Paterno's funeral today, but it's best to just ignore them. Check out some peaceful counter protests on campus after the jump.
The first word to describe the life of Joe Paterno under his name at his statue outside Beaver Stadium is not "Coach". Certainly Joe would have been opposed to that. No -- the first word is "Educator", forever emblazoned in bronze for generations to see. And rightfully so.
The Penn State community has been grieving the loss of Joe Paterno differently. Some students assembled on the snow-covered lawn of Old Main Sunday night with candles in hand. Some spoke a short prayer around the JoePa statue outside Beaver Stadium. One Penn State freshman, though, decided to pay homage to the late Joe Paterno with a rap song/Youtube video titled "Legends Never Die."