Prayers for Joe Paterno: Taken Off Respirator

Submitted by State Street on

According to Onward State, Joe Paterno has been taken off a respirator and his family has been summoned to his home: 

http://onwardstate.com/?p=78754

The news is also available on their twitter feed.

There are other rumblings out there that Jay Paterno has cancelled a scheduled event for tonight to be with his ailing father.

Regardless of what you think of the man, let's keep Joe Paterno in our prayers.

exmtroj

January 21st, 2012 at 6:34 PM ^

It seems like the cancer would have gotten to him whether he retired or not. I can't decide how to feel about this, I kind of wish it would have happened a couple years ago so he could have gone out as a hero, but then again... I don't know. Everything about this whole thing just sucks.

jaggs

January 21st, 2012 at 8:45 PM ^

been a hero when he passed, but when Sandusky inevitably came up, his legacy would be forever tarnished. 

Whether this was coming no matter what, was sped up by a lack of coaching, or his conscious is weighing heavy as a result of his inaction years ago with those children, I wish his family the best, and him, I hope he gets whatever God, St. Peter, or day of judgement feels is just for the way he lived his life.

GoWolverines16

January 21st, 2012 at 5:29 PM ^

This seems like something straight out of a movie.  Once he lost the thing he loved most he slowly began to die.  Hopefully he can pull through regardless of the news on him lately.

Victor Hale II

January 21st, 2012 at 5:32 PM ^

but not too surprising.  I recall reading an article or post somewhere that compared his situation to that of Bear Bryant, who died shortly after leaving Alabama.  The general consensus was that Bear himself was correct in predicting his imminent death once he was done coaching.  He simply had nothing else to live for.

Bando Calrissian

January 21st, 2012 at 5:35 PM ^

Paterno used to frequently cite Bear Bryant as the reason why he was afraid to retire, as Bear lasted less than a month after his retirement before he had a massive heart attack and died.  It's a real bummer seeing him go out like this, and with this scandal pretty much tanking his reputation, not allowing his death to be any kind of celebration of the good he did for people and Penn State as a whole.

Sad all around.

DrueDown

January 21st, 2012 at 7:35 PM ^

He didn't quit, he was fired for being an enabler.
<br>
<br>He helped young men improve their lives and enabled his buddy to destroy young boys lives.
<br>
<br>Mixed feelings, but I dont know him personally ... so I can't really care.

bluebyyou

January 21st, 2012 at 8:24 PM ^

I wish I could care more, but I feel empty.  As the father of two boys, I just can't get past that Paterno and his cohorts allowed a pedophile to abuse children.  I still can't think about the whole sordid affair without seeing red.

MillerTime

January 21st, 2012 at 5:37 PM ^

Other than Lee Harvey Oswald, I can't think of anyone whose "side of the story" I would like to hear more.  With all the good he did, and all the evil he's accused of disregarding, it would be really nice to get some more information.  Hoping he recovers...

ckersh74

January 21st, 2012 at 5:41 PM ^

I don't think what I am about to say is going to come out right, but here we go anyway.

The man is 85 years old and has lung cancer. I don't think coaching (or no longer coaching, for that matter) has anything to do with his apparent imminent demise. It's got more to do with him being, well, 85 and having lung cancer.

NorthSideBlueFan

January 21st, 2012 at 8:58 PM ^

My Dad worked in a Ford plant for 35+ years and I can remember frequent stories of guys who worked on the line or did some job for the majority of their life and when they finally said good bye(sometimes forced) they would not make it very long after. This wasn't the case all the time, but it happened a fair amount. Sounds crazy i know, but to dismiss this in Joe Pa's case might be a mistake as older people sometimes fixate on something so much that it keeps them going and when it is gone it can be the end in many ways.

MGoCooper

January 21st, 2012 at 6:03 PM ^

Sometimes the movie the dark knight proves to be prophetic. "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." That sums this up in a way, and it saddens me that a man like Joe Paterno is a villain in many peoples eyes now.

 

Either way, I hope Joe can fight through this, because he has always been a fighter. 

LSAClassOf2000

January 21st, 2012 at 7:03 PM ^

It's very unfortunate that his tenure at the school ended the way it did, in a manner and under circumstances like the Sandusky scandal. To me, that doesn't necessarily negate 40-plus years of leading a team to many great years and being an overall positive influence on the community. 

 Several sites and Twitter are literally blowing up with posts that the end may very well be soon. Thoughts go out to the Paterno family and the PSU fanbase at this time. 

EDIT:  The CBS entry - http://eye-on-collegefootball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/24156338/34494852

gbdub

January 21st, 2012 at 7:56 PM ^

Dantonio's comments on Tressel not withstanding, JoePa is a true tragic hero. Loved with good reason by many, he has made positive contributions far beyond what most could ever do. And yet in the end he was tragically loyal, insular, and traditional to a fault, and has lived to see his reputation tarnished. If this is the end, I hope he finds peace, contrition for his sins, and can go with the love of his family around him.

CLord

January 21st, 2012 at 6:37 PM ^

Sad, but at the same time, the man had a charmed life.  What a good go of it he had for over 80 years.  And now he gets to see his last days with his adoring family close at hand and his loving fans.  Yeah the scandal stung a bit, but personally I focus my sympathy more on the hundreds of thousands of poor souls out there who suffer and die alone, unloved and uncared for.

bacon1431

January 21st, 2012 at 6:54 PM ^

Hope the family handles the situation as best they can.

Nothing that happened this year or in the past changed my high regard for JoePa. Will always be a classy guy IMO