Joe Paterno Died (Pittsburgh, Penn: schools, university, tax)

[Kippy]

Joe Paterno dead at 85 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

[MathmanMathman]

Seems appropriate in a way. He couldn't live without football. I think Bear Bryant died shortly after retiring.

[jay5835]

Boo f*cking hoo.

[gg]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Seems appropriate in a way. He couldn't live without football. I think Bear Bryant died shortly after retiring.

Plus all that controversy surrounding the entire football program. He sure went down hard. I think Mr. Paterno had a good heart and believed in the students. He donated countless millions to Penn State and helped greatly with the Library. Seemed like a good guy, but I really don't follow the college/football big business. I personally think football and many big time sports in college are part of what is wrong with colleges in general. Just tax free moneymakers, so the big wigs can haul down tons of money and students leave with empty brains. The NCAA is considering paying college football players, on top of the tuition being paid.

[MathmanMathman]

The millions he gave is countable. My estimate is about $5 million. But he probably brought in much more in terms of alumni donations due to school pride. But I still can't believe that a guy actually gave Penn State $88 million for their hockey program.

College sports, in particular football, are probably getting too big and conflict with a college's primary mission. If schools pay their athletes, it should be a small amount. Schools like Penn State and Ohio State can afford to do so but it would a burden on most schools as most operate their sports programs at a loss. Title IX was a boon to female athletics but is a nagging financial burden what with trying to bring female athletics up to parity to male. But mega-programs like Penn State would have no problem.

But in a funny way, I think big research is possibly even more damaging as administrators have more interest in the money the faculty bring in rather than the education of the students. I remember talking to a professor about how the university president was interested in improving undergraduate education but the prof told me "That's all lip service".

[baconlegs]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Boo f*cking hoo.

Millions of Pennsylvanians feel otherwise

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by baconlegs

Millions of Pennsylvanians feel otherwise

Oh, poor them.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by baconlegs

Millions of Pennsylvanians feel otherwise

But, in reading many message boards, millions of Pennsylvanians - and even more non-Pennsylvanians - feel exactly as jay5835.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

But, in reading many message boards, millions of Pennsylvanians - and even more non-Pennsylvanians - feel exactly as jay5835.

Those are the people that only follow football, don't look at the man and have a rival team in mind. In other words they don't look at what he did for a college or all those donations to help students. The alumni that played football for him, love him like a father. Even Franco Harris went to bat for him regardless of what it did for Franco with the public. The general public loves to hang anyone they can. Especially if the person is a figure bigger than life. Those people just want to think they are at the same level in some way. Not many gave back over 5 million to a college. There obviously a lot of good in Mr. Paterno, regardless of the media attention from allegations against someone he hired.

Personally, I hope his family can remember all the good things. Seems like there was much more good than bad, that is for sure.

[sues1]

Originally Posted by baconlegs

Millions of Pennsylvanians feel otherwise

That's why i'm proud to come from Jersey