freeh report tarnish patterno reputation

More than a decade later, it’s clear that no one can ultimately summarize how Paterno’s legacy should be viewed. At the same time, others will always seek to move on from the Paterno era to focus on the Penn State of today. Fans will always wear “409” t-shirts and party with cardboard cutouts of Paterno at their tailgates. There will always be staunch supporters and harsh critics. No matter how hard we try, we’ll never definitively find a one-size-fits-all method to approach the late coach’s accomplishments at Penn State. Perhaps the meandering nature of “The Paterno Legacy” is indicative of Paterno’s legacy itself. All the while, some Penn State students scoff at the mention of Paterno’s name, noting they can’t support the late coach out of respect for Sandusky’s victims. Even media pundits like Bob Costas note that the Sandusky scandal shouldn’t entirely tarnish Paterno’s work as one of the greatest coaches of all time. Fans in Beaver Stadium’s tailgate lots last fall praised the “house that Joe built” and noted that he helped put Penn State on the map. ESPN’s team outsources that job to the documentary’s many guests who each bring a different answer to the table.įormer Penn State players like Matt Millen and Matt McGloin say the lessons they learned from Paterno - working hard, being “good people,” and so on - will stick with them forever. By and large, the film doesn’t seek to definitively categorize Paterno as a “saint or sinner”, as Tom Kline, an attorney for Sandusky’s victims, says throughout the production. With that in mind, it’s unclear exactly what ESPN set out to accomplish by producing “The Paterno Legacy”.

Throughout the documentary’s second half, interview subjects are repeatedly asked the same question: “How do you define Joe Paterno’s legacy?” While some offer harsh stances and others praise the longtime Nittany Lions leader, it’s clear that there is, perhaps, no correct answer. Since the report’s release, it’s been widely criticized both for its conclusions and methodology. One section of the film even briefly touches on the landmark Freeh Report - the independent investigation commissioned by Penn State in 2012 that suggested university higher-ups, including Paterno, willfully covered up Sandusky’s abuse. We watch repeated shots of students rioting following Paterno’s fateful firing, once again opening wounds that scarred many more than a decade ago. We see clips of Joe Paterno’s statue being removed from Beaver Stadium’s doorstep. Through a phone call from his Pennsylvania prison, Sandusky himself speaks with an ESPN reporter and maintains his innocence. Other tidbits within the documentary, although entertaining, repeat storylines we know ad nauseam. However, little substance in the film’s interviews sheds light on anything new.

Their words are meaningful, though, and to hear them speak directly about the scandal is a rare occurrence - especially when Spanier and Schultz both say they regret not acting on initial reports of Sandusky’s abuses. Each interview is short, and you’d likely be hard-pressed to find many new details to latch on to if you’re even briefly familiar with the high-profile case. Other interviews with Gary Schultz, Penn State’s former vice president, and Aaron Fisher, the first victim to speak out against Sandusky’s abuse, add a bit of context, too. We hear directly from former President Graham Spanier, for example, who reflects on the tumultuous period of Penn State’s past, all while having an ankle monitor strapped on under his dress pants. While the production value is high, the beginning of ESPN’s documentary tells a familiar story we’ve seen many times before: Joe Paterno was revered, the Sandusky scandal broke, and Penn State suffered in disgrace.Īs “The Paterno Legacy” spends most of its time rehashing the same tale we’ve heard for a decade on end, it does so through some brief but fresh perspectives. Nearly half of “The Paterno Legacy” summarizes the Sandusky scandal and its lasting effects, including the state’s initial prosecution, Sandusky’s quick trial, and Paterno’s firing and decline in health. Although “The Paterno Legacy” is well made and deeply sourced, it fails to offer new information that would help viewers at home ponder Paterno’s place at Penn State today. Throughout the roughly 45-minute documentary, ESPN’s team doesn’t meaningfully explore Paterno’s legacy, instead offering brief interviews with key figures and metaphorical shoulder shrugs when tasked with answering any lingering questions.

Freeh report tarnish patterno reputation