Pinkel defends Paterno, embarrasses MU
Yael T. AbouhalkahMU football coach Gary Pinkel looked Tuesday as if he had totally missed the most recent damning report about former legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno.
Pinkel essentially defended Paterno as a great football coach, while sweeping under the rug the monstrous accusations of how Paterno essentially allowed child abuse to continue for years by ignoring the actions of his former assistant, Jerry Sandusky.
Pinkel’s exact words: “I don’t read a lot about it, but there’s certainly lessons to be learned by everybody.”
For a national football program to be led by someone who doesn’t “read a lot” about Paterno’s egregious behavior is embarrassing to Mizzou nation but also to residents of Missouri, who have to see a person saying such ignorant things.
Pinkel was speaking at the SEC media days, so his words went out nationally. It was not a good introduction for Missouri to the football-crazy conference.
Here’s The Star’s longer version of what Pinkel said, including other people being tougher on Paterno’s actions.
And here’s exactly what much of the national media are reporting today; this clip is on the Huffington Post and other outlets.
Worse, the words “Pinkel defends Paterno…” are part of the headlines in a few cases:
HOOVER, Ala. — Missouri coach Gary Pinkel says he thinks it is “wrong” to place sole blame for the Penn State tragedy on former coach Joe Paterno. Talking with reporters at Southeastern Conference Media Days on Tuesday, Pinkel was quoted as saying “you can’t take away the greatness of this man. He was a great man, and you can’t, however you analyze this, all of a sudden erase all that this guy’s done. You can’t do that. Nobody can do that.” Pinkel said Paterno was a friend who he got to know professionally. He added that it was a “tragic situation … involving children” and that “I’m sure maybe if (Paterno) could do it over again he would (have) followed up a few things.”
What?
“Maybe” if Paterno could do it again, he would do something different?
Hell, yes, let’s hope so.
And maybe Pinkel will be more aware of how his words hurt the sexual abuse victims of Jerry Sandusky the next time, rather than trying to protect the football legend of Joe Paterno.
Phil Cardarella
10 months agoOr, maybe, it is appropriate to say what a person believes is true — even if it is not comforting to the victims of a crime.
Look, it appears that Sandusky is a monster. Easy to see in hindsight, harder to fathom in real time. In real time his nature and his crimes may well have been literally inconceivable to a guy like Paterno. Not a defense or an excuse, but an explanation.
It does not diminish the harm to the victims to admire other aspects of Joe Paterno’s life, while acknowledging the terrible, tragic flaw of judgment that allowed evil to continue for so long. He was a man who did much good for many over a very long time.
The world is not made up entirely of saints and villians. It is mostly made up of flawed creatures, trying to do the best they can as they can see it. And history and literature is full of real heroes with terrible tragic human flaws.
Damon Thompson
10 months agoPhil, if you’ll read the report from the former FBI Director, you’ll see that Paterno’s neglect was not as benign as you make it sound.
Phil Cardarella
10 months agoLike I said,not an excuse or defense. Nor would I call it benign neglect. Either because it was incomprehensible or because of blinders and denial, it was wrong.
But, my point is that it is not necessary to reject all of the good the man did over the years because we have now discovered that he had this tragic flaw. Everything should be taken in perspective, because humans have human flaws — without being villans.
David St Hubbins
10 months agohttp://chirb.it/LJ2cyt
Everyone needs to hear this: Sara Lampe’s interview with Kevin Slaten. The same woman who Abouhalkah praises for her slanderous and uninformed view on Joe Paterno. She gets DESTROYED on his show and even admits she didn’t even read the Freeh report!?
David St Hubbins
10 months agohttp://chirb.it/CaFkt8
Abouhalkah on Kevin Slaten’s radio program showing his lack of knowledge regarding Joe Paterno and the Sandusky case. Lazy and irresponsible “journalism”. The Paterno family should sue all of these hacks…