[Posted By Jake]

It's been a sad day, made even sadder by pundits and commentators weighing in on Coach Paterno's life with no real understanding of the man. Nate Bauer, the editor of BlueWhiteIllustrated.com does the best job of capturing the essence of JoePa,

We haven't just lost a man, we've lost an ideal.

"Believe deep down in your heart that you're destined to do great things." That was the mantra so many students plastered on the backs of their "White Out" T-shirts a few years ago. Cliched as it may have been, surrounded by a world that betrayed the sentiment at seemingly every turn, the place and spirit of Happy Valley revolved around the concept.

The column is titled Better Selves and it's worth reading http://bwi.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1321633 


Update -- the students have appropriately called for a "White Out" today at Penn State. Normally reserved for home football games, it is a heartfelt way to remember a great man.