There's been no discussion on this board so I'd like to hear thoughts of anyone who did watch. IMO Al Pacino did a nice job and you have to remember that it's fictionalized history so not everything in it can be taken at face value. (Sorry for the long post.)
Personally, until the mid-1980s, I thought Paterno was an overbearing blowhard. His comment that "he didn't want to leave college football to the Barry Switzers and Jackie Sherrill's of the world" just reinforced that perception. However, before OU beat Penn State in the 1986 Orange Bowl, Paterno was asked about his Barry Switzer comment of six years earlier. When Joe recanted on his snarky remark about Barry (not Jackie, I might add), I gained some respect for him because it takes a strong person to admit you were wrong. (http://newsok.com/article/2132659).
As an aside, in the late 90s, I attended a Penn State vs. Ohio State football game. I don't know if I've ever heard a louder chant in my life than 100,000 plus people cheering "WE ARE...PENN STATE!" It was literally like a tidal wave of noise sweeping over everyone in the stadium. I came to appreciate what Penn State football meant to the people of that state.
When the scandal broke, I really wanted to give Paterno the benefit of any doubt. Between his philanthropy, graduation rates, and image I just didn't see a way that he could be complicit or cover for Sandusky's monstrous acts. That said, one can only conclude that if he didn't know, he had a responsibility to know; he had the responsibility to find out. His legions of loyal followers stridently contend that Joe's moral culpability ended when he passed the fuzzy report (given to him by Mike McQueary) to the athletic director. Do you think any PSU fan could honestly answer yes to the question, "If one of Joe's grandkids had been in the shower, do you honestly believe he would've done nothing more than send the report to the athletic director and walk away?"
Bottom line: There's no logical standard by which Penn State fans can have it both ways. If he didn't know, he's not the man he was portrayed to be for over 45 years. If he did know, the conclusions become much more sickening.
Personally, until the mid-1980s, I thought Paterno was an overbearing blowhard. His comment that "he didn't want to leave college football to the Barry Switzers and Jackie Sherrill's of the world" just reinforced that perception. However, before OU beat Penn State in the 1986 Orange Bowl, Paterno was asked about his Barry Switzer comment of six years earlier. When Joe recanted on his snarky remark about Barry (not Jackie, I might add), I gained some respect for him because it takes a strong person to admit you were wrong. (http://newsok.com/article/2132659).
As an aside, in the late 90s, I attended a Penn State vs. Ohio State football game. I don't know if I've ever heard a louder chant in my life than 100,000 plus people cheering "WE ARE...PENN STATE!" It was literally like a tidal wave of noise sweeping over everyone in the stadium. I came to appreciate what Penn State football meant to the people of that state.
When the scandal broke, I really wanted to give Paterno the benefit of any doubt. Between his philanthropy, graduation rates, and image I just didn't see a way that he could be complicit or cover for Sandusky's monstrous acts. That said, one can only conclude that if he didn't know, he had a responsibility to know; he had the responsibility to find out. His legions of loyal followers stridently contend that Joe's moral culpability ended when he passed the fuzzy report (given to him by Mike McQueary) to the athletic director. Do you think any PSU fan could honestly answer yes to the question, "If one of Joe's grandkids had been in the shower, do you honestly believe he would've done nothing more than send the report to the athletic director and walk away?"
Bottom line: There's no logical standard by which Penn State fans can have it both ways. If he didn't know, he's not the man he was portrayed to be for over 45 years. If he did know, the conclusions become much more sickening.
