# Joe Paterno very ill - may be dying soon \[Update: RIP Joe Paterno\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 22, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259 "2012-01-22T00:21:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/1 "2012-01-22T00:21:24Z")
Reports aren’t sounding good for JoePa. They took him off a respirator today. I used to say there was never a day in my entire life that he wasn’t the Penn State coach. At least until very recently that was true. I can remember watching Penn State games on tv with my dad when I was only six or seven. Penn State football gave me a lot of good times over the years. The old guy has always been tough but it doesn’t sound like hes got much time left. Usually when the family asks for privacy its not good. > **[Joe Paterno's Health In Decline, Former Penn State Coach Reportedly Taken Off...](https://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2012/1/21/2724071/joe-paternos-health-lunch-cancer-decline-respirator-penn-state-football)** > > Former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno's battle with lung cancer reportedly took a turn for the worse on Saturday as his health continued to fail him. Rumors have picked up significantly as the... [http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/21/us-pennstate-paterno-health-idUSTRE80K0WB20120121](http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/21/us-pennstate-paterno-health-idUSTRE80K0WB20120121) ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/2 "2012-01-22T00:26:30Z")
Are we supposed to stop thinking he’s scum now because he’s dying? so he worked at a job for a shit ton of years, big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/3 "2012-01-22T00:39:44Z")
Agreed. At best, his complete inattention caused multiple children to be molested. At worst, his participation in a cover-up caused the same. Either way, decades of being a really great football coach should never erase that stain. I will only wish this man peace when Sandusky’s victims have it too. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/4 "2012-01-22T01:08:17Z")
Yeah, enjoy your easy death, you useless piece of garbage. Who cares if children were molested. The senile Uncle Joe didn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/5 "2012-01-22T01:13:19Z")
In my opinion, he should have ceded his job to someone a full decade ago. Now, given what we have heard about Sandusky and McQuery, his entire legacy is tainted. What an idiot. And just as an aside, I have been to Sandusky, Ohio and it isn’t a bad place. Imagine you live there now. Imagine next year, you play against Akron. Oh my, that is going to suck. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/6 "2012-01-22T01:18:26Z")
I’ve expected him to die within a year after losing his reason for living. He was a great football coach, and his football coaching turned the podunk cow college that hired him into a nationally renowned university. That said, I’m sorry, but his legacy is trashed. I’ll have mixed memories of him. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/7 "2012-01-22T01:54:36Z")
[He’s dead.](http://eye-on-collegefootball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/24156338/34497800) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/8 "2012-01-22T02:01:14Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > [He’s dead.](http://eye-on-collegefootball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/24156338/34497800) Jim. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/9 "2012-01-22T02:05:01Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Jim. You get his tricorder, and I’ll grab his wallet. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/10 "2012-01-22T02:05:38Z")
I’m glad he died knowing his legacy was trashed. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/11 "2012-01-22T02:07:39Z")
I’m sorry but you people are horrible celebrating the death of a person. His participation (or lack thereof) in this whole scandal is so much more minimal that is being broadcast and you’re crucifying him like he’s Sandusky himself. I have absolutely no connection to him or Penn State other than the fact I live in a Big Ten state, but it’s tragic that this event literally killed him and it’s more tragic that you guys are celebrating it. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/12 "2012-01-22T02:09:48Z")
Reports of his death are not true according to his Doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/13 "2012-01-22T02:16:35Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > but it’s tragic that this event literally killed him and it’s more tragic that you guys are celebrating it. Huh? This event didn’t “literally kill him.” It didn’t kill him at all – cancer did. :rolleyes: And while I feel for his family, I won’t pretend to mourn the guy. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/14 "2012-01-22T02:16:58Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I’m sorry but you people are horrible celebrating the death of a person. > > His participation (or lack thereof) in this whole scandal is so much more minimal that is being broadcast and you’re crucifying him like he’s Sandusky himself. > > I have absolutely no connection to him or Penn State other than the fact I live in a Big Ten state, but it’s tragic that this event literally killed him and it’s more tragic that you guys are celebrating it. No, it’s tragic that kids got molested because of stuff he did, or at best because of stuff he didn’t do that any normal human being should have done. A quick death is better than he deserved. I’m not celebrating that he’s dead, but nobody should be forgetting that kids got ass-raped because he was bad at following up on things. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/15 "2012-01-22T02:18:21Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > In my opinion, he should have ceded his job to someone a full decade ago. > Now, given what we have heard about Sandusky and McQuery, his entire legacy is tainted. > What an idiot. > And just as an aside, I have been to Sandusky, Ohio and it isn’t a bad place. > Imagine you live there now. > Imagine next year, you play against Akron. > Oh my, that is going to suck. I don’t get it. For the record, Sandusky OH doesn’t have any university or college that would play against Akron U. While there is a Sandusky High School, there is no one Akron high school, there being a number of high schools in Akron ([Link](http://www.akronschools.com/schools/) and two Catholic schools (Hoban and St.Vincent-St. Marys). Why any of them would be bothered about the unfortunate coincidence about Jerry Sandusky’s name being the same as a city in Ohio is beyond me. RIP Joe Pa. God Bless Jerry Sandusky’s victims. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/16 "2012-01-22T02:24:35Z")
Paterno family says reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated: > **[CBS News - Breaking news, 24/7 live streaming news & top stories](https://www.cbsnews.com/)** > > Watch CBS News live and get the latest, breaking news headlines of the day for national news and world news today. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/17 "2012-01-22T02:27:57Z")
Twitter is doing a repeat of the 2000 election. JoePa’s dead JoePa’s is not dead. Gore won Bush won JoePa’s dead JoePa’s is not dead JoePa’s son Scott just tweeted that Dad is alive > [@](#): > > ScottPaterno Scott Paterno > CBS report is wrong - Dad is alive but in serious condition. We continue to ask for your prayers and privacy during this time. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/18 "2012-01-22T02:34:50Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > I don’t get it. > > For the record, Sandusky OH doesn’t have any university or college that would play against Akron U. While there is a Sandusky High School, there is no one Akron high school, there being a number of high schools in Akron ([Link](http://www.akronschools.com/schools/) and two Catholic schools (Hoban and St.Vincent-St. Marys). Why any of them would be bothered about the unfortunate coincidence about Jerry Sandusky’s name being the same as a city in Ohio is beyond me. > > RIP Joe Pa. God Bless Jerry Sandusky’s victims. I am not an Ohioan. I don’t know their schedule. I used Akron as a likely example. But, the name ‘Sandusky’ is going to mean the child-raping son-of-a-gun for a few weeks if not months. And that is very unfortunate for the folks of that town. And now, we get the entire panoply for Joe Paterno. Words can’t do justice. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/19 "2012-01-22T02:46:44Z")
> [@ScottPaterno](#): > > We continue to ask for your prayers and privacy during this time. I don’t see how that can be interpreted as meaning anything but, “Any time now.” ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259/20 "2012-01-22T02:51:35Z")
[QUOTE=notfrommensa] JoePa’s son Scott just tweeted that Dad is alive [/QUOTE] Doctor’s won’t know for certain until they’ve flipped the coin best 5 out of 9. What’s really weird is that I opened a “Joe Paterno is dead” thread in Cafe Society, and now Joe Paterno is alive and that thread is dead. The mods are just like that guy on _Carnivale_ who redistributes life… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-paterno-very-ill-may-be-dying-soon-update-rip-joe-paterno/610259.md?page=2)