Tonight Joe Paterno goes after his 500th win as a coach. Only one other coach has reached that level. His career has spanned 12 US Presidential administrations. I know a chemist who has been retired for 15 years who was a student of his at Penn St. I could go one and on with the stats, but stats don't men much in comparison to the man.
I've seen him coach live many times and on TV for as long as I have been watching football. By the numbers it's obvious he's had success, but look at his teams. They conduct themselves as gentlemen on and off the field. We're not talking about mature adults here - we're talking about 19 year old kids and I am sure you can site instances to the contrary, but compared to most other schools they are exemplary. I golf with a friend the same age, 81, and there's no greater pleasure than watching someone that age be successful at a sport they love. If you're a former athlete like me, you know there is no greater compliment, no more endearing title than "coach".
Ladies and gentlemen, I say ye JoePa!
