He could have taken the road many have already taken by simply saying the situation was unfortunate. Instead, he decided to defend Paterno, an action that isn't winning him any popularity contests.
"Joe Paterno's a friend that I got to know professionally, and you can't take away the greatness of this man," Pinkel said. "He was a great man. However you analyze this, you can't erase all that this guy's done. You can't do that. Nobody can do that.""..
If I could ask Coach Pinkel a question, it would be, "How many child rapes would Joe Pa have to overlook to NOT be a great man?" I mean clearly Coach Pinkel thinks it has to be a number greater than two, right. Joe Paterno knew about the allegations in 1998 and then again when Mike McQueary talked to him in 2002. So that is two.
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Okay, maybe Joe Paterno didn't think they were "rapes". Maybe he just thought they were sexual abuse - and so he continued to give the abuser access to the sidelines and the locker room to attract children. So how many children would have to be abused before he stops being a "great man".
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At what number of cases of hidden child abuse does Joe Pa stop being "A great man." Does it matter what type of abuse the 55 year old 200 pound man inflict on children half his size and fifth his age? I'm NOT questioning a great COACH -but Coach Pinkel says JoPa was a great MAN. In my estimates, great men don't look the other way while 55 year old men abuse little boys in your locker room.