Vince Deagler

i assume most of you have heroes, i know i do.  they come in all shapes and sizes, and connect to my life in a number of ways.  they consist of family, teachers, coaches, pastors, professors, peers, etc.  pretty common stuff.  sometimes they are celebrity types, you don’t really know them, but you admire them.  joe paterno, the head football coach from penn state university has been one of those to me for a long time.  i grew up in pa and have followed penn state football for as long as i can remember.  i was heartbroken when we lost the big game, exhilarated when we won, chagrined when we were passed over after undefeated seasons. 

the unquestioned face of penn state football was and is joe pa.  love him or hate him, he was the man, and his record speaks for itself.  but there was more to joe than the wins and losses.  it was the way he did it.  he was known for running a clean program, insisting his players be student’s not just athletes, high graduation rates, character development, and a life long commitment to his players, and the ultimate in the team concept…plain uniforms, black shoes, no names on the jersey.  i pastored in the detroit, michigan area for 6+ years.  there you were either a michigan or michigan state supporter.  we had a very friendly rivalry over big ten football.  in fact, as a part of my first anniversary there, a member of the church had corresponded with joe paterno, who sent me a personal letter thanking me for supporting the program in hostile territory, and congratulating me on my anniversary.  i have it framed and it hangs in my office proudly.  i sent him a thank you note, and he even responded to the thank you note with another letter.  i can’t say that i really know him, but i really do admire him.

today the news is filled with the scandal of a former coach sexually abusing 9 children over the span of some 15 years.  my hero is being killed in the media, and i have more questions than answers.  it appears there was some degree of cover-up on the part of school officials.  joe pa is legally in the clear according to all reports.  he was told of an incident and reported it to the head of campus police.  i don’t know what exactly he was told, nor do i know what exactly he reported to the campus police.  i know the report died there, allowing this abuse to continue unchecked for years.  i know joe had to be aware of the fact nothing was being done, but i do not know if he did anything about that.  like i said, more questions, concerns, uncertainty than answers.  i do know he is being fried in the media, and many of the accusers seem to be misinformed or are intentionally ignoring facts in their mob mentality to oust joe.  i think that’s a shame.  of course joe is one of my heroes.  but i like to think i can be an honest/objective onlooker.  as such i can honestly say i am deeply troubled.  i would like to know exactly what was told to joe about this incident, what he communicated to the authorities above him, and what if anything he did to follow-up on this incident.  until i get those answers i will not jump on the joe must go band wagon. 

but i can share a lesson this incident reinforces in my mind.  proverbs 28:13 says he that covers his sin will not prosper, but he that confesses and forsakes them will find mercy.  not saying joe sinned.  but think about how today would be different on the penn state campus if everybody involved in this scandal from day 1 would have been completely open and honest.  would there have been repercussions?  absolutely!  but nothing like this.  i am a big boy and have long ago realized no one is perfect, even our heroes.  so joe pa will continue to be a man i admire.  but there will be a degree of sadness in my admiration, because this scandal didn’t have to be.  may it be a good lesson for all of us to avoid covering our problems, and instead confronting them.  we are still penn state.  blessings, vince.