The Fan Hub

The funeral for the late Joe Paterno occurred on Wednesday afternoon in Happy Valley, with thousands of current and former students, players, administrators, and fans lining up to pay their respects to the man who, more than any other individual in the school's history, helped make Penn State University what it is today.

All week, ever since Paterno passed away on Sunday morning, the outpouring of love and affection was so great around State College that one would be excused for thinking that the Pope had died. And really, Paterno was that and more to many around the Penn State football program. The architect. The visionary. The God.

There is a mural located near the student bookstore in State College that features a grandfatherly Paterno surrounded by many of the other iconic figures in PSU's storied history. For years, up until his death on Sunday, it was a fitting tribute to the man and the school. That is, until artist Michael Pilato made a notable addition on Monday morning to Paterno's visage: a halo.

To literally paint Paterno as a saint is to offer a sad reminder of the cult of personality that he held over the denizens of State College.

Simply put, this encapsulates everything that is warped and out of touch about Paterno's reputation among the Penn State faithful. To literally paint him as a saint, even after all we know about his glaring flaws, is to offer a sad reminder of the cult of personality that he held over the denizens of State College.

For years, I was one of the man's biggest admirers, and his precipitous fall from grace saddened me greatly; I took no joy in pointing out his shocking lack of action in the Jerry Sandusky scandal. But at the same time, it also served as a stark reminder of exactly why we should be hesitant to raise public figures to such an exalted status.

Many people have called Paterno a "father figure" in the past few days and months, and for his current and former players (as well as many others) that is certainly true. But really, how many who have referred to him that way actually knew the man? How many of them experienced him through nothing more than seeing him on television, or perhaps walking around campus? How many had a brief or cursory interaction with him over the years, only to reflect back upon it as if they had come within the presence of God himself?

There is no denying that Joe Paterno was a great man, and one that deserves many of the accolades and kind words that he continues to receive. But it was precisely that lofty — and more to the point, untouchable — status that he held which exacerbated what was already a horrifying situation when Sandusky's crimes came to light.

Paterno set the tone for everything that happened around his football program. And so when Mike McQueary's report of Sandusky raping a child in the team's locker room shower was made known to the powers that be, Paterno's lack of action was the most glaring of all the individuals involved. After all, if JoePa doesn't think it's a big deal, why should anyone else?

The halo portrays him as a man who could do no wrong, which in turn makes the fact that he did make such a grave error in judgment that much harder to bear.

The students and alumni of the university love their slogan of "We are Penn State," but the reality is that Joe Paterno was Penn State. And despite his prominent role in helping to turn the school from a sleepy rural college into one of the biggest and most influential universities in the world, there came a point where the man's lore began to overshadow the great achievements of those around him.

That halo that now rests above his head on the mural is a disservice not only to the athletes, students, teachers, and administrators that make up Penn State University, but also to Paterno himself. It portrays him as a man who could do no wrong, which in turn makes the fact that he did make such a grave error in judgment that much harder to bear. Without that idolatry, not only would the cover up about Sandusky likely not have taken place, but the fallout from the scandal would not have been so severe; people would not have had such a difficult time coming to grips with the fact that Paterno was so greatly in the wrong with regard to how he handled it.

As Mike Jacober, the younger and far more intelligent brother of TheFanHub founder Dave Jacober (and a PSU alum) said, "Now Penn State football can be about Penn State football, and not Joe Paterno." It's a telling statement about just how much the achievements of one man overshadowed those of so many others.

Today's funeral is a fitting end to that state of affairs. It's a day when Paterno should be remembered not only for his many achievements, but his flaws as well. He was undoubtedly a great man, but like all human beings, one who was far from perfect. So honor him, speak well of him, and remember him fondly if you wish. But please, stop deifying him.