What Should Penn State Do With Joe Paterno’s Statue?
DATELINE: HUMOR!
In an age when there is a proliferation of bronze statues around the nation, pigeons are the happiest creatures on earth.
Boston is in the process of creating more statues to go along with those for Ted Williams, Red Auerbach, Bobby Orr, and soon Bill Russell. Another statue, of Rocky Marciano, will be placed in his birthtown not far from Boston.
All this sportsmania for bronzing sports legends probably can be traced back to Rocky Balboa, as played by Sylvester Stallone, when his statue was dedicated as part of a movie plot for Rocky III.
The real statue remained at the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum until art purists were so appalled that it was carted off to another location, out of sight and stopping art patrons from going out of their minds.
Now the statue of Joe Paterno, already vandalized several years ago, faces an uncertain future. Art purists are the least of the problem. The statue now offends anyone with a conscience.
In 2009 some sentient fans at Penn State cut the thick eyeglasses from Joe Pa’s face. They apparently knew he could not see a crime in progress, even if it bit him on his bronzed tailbone.
Now the deathwatch has begun for the bronze man who exemplifies the best of the Nixon years. Paterno saw nothing; he knew nothing, and he was not a crook.
Some believe the statue may be pulled down with the same enthusiasm that Saddam Hussein’s monument face. That is doubtful as the people at Penn State are nearly as insensitive to moral authority as the Vatican’s child molesting clergy. More likely is the idea to melt it down for pennies to be thrown as Jerry Sandusky as he sits in a prison cell for the rest of his life.
Moving the statue to save it for pigeons of the future seems a worthy goal. Some of the defenders of Paterno should volunteer to put the bronze testimonial to blind justice in their front yards. Franco Harris, Coach K, and the Second Mile Foundation are perfect candidates to receive the honor.
In the meantime we feel the statue ought to be moved to University Park, Pennsylvania, where the town dump will be about as appropriate a venue as it deserves for now.
William Russo's newest book is now out, ready for your tablet, your smartphone, your Kindle or Nook. Read RED SOX 2011: A WHIMSICAL AUTOPSY to find a month-by-month examination of the team, showing all the signs of trouble that most sports media missed. His other sports books are SEX, DRUGS, SPORTS & WHIMSY and RAJON RONDO: SUPERSTAR!
