Joe Paterno Deserves Privacy as Health Woes Continue to Mount

Joe Paterno suffered a fall at home that caused him to re-fracture his pelvis, according to the Associated Press. He's also undergoing treatment for lung cancer. As long as his health continues to be a concern, the former Penn State coach deserves privacy.

Every time something new comes out about the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal, Paterno's name is wrapped back up into the mess. While he could have done more to prevent the alleged incidents, that doesn't mean he needs to be chastised on a seemingly weekly basis.

The legendary college football figure has admitted he should have done more. His dismissal proves the university agrees with that assertion.

But now that is health is deteriorating, there's no reason to keep hounding him or his family about the past. He's already been saddled with enough negativity to last for three more lifetimes and he had football taken away from him.

He's no longer the vibrant personality that led Penn State into battle on so many Saturday afternoons over the past half-century. His quick wit in press conferences remained, but his body was having trouble surviving the daily grind as evidenced by his sideline injuries.

Paterno is nothing more than a fragile shell of his former self. He's always been a fighter, there's no way he holds on to one coaching job for so long without that quality, so he probably won't let his most recent setback keep him down for long.

That said, his legacy has already taken a major hit and probably won't recover until it's too late for him to be appreciated. He deserved the early backlash, but now it's time for people to move on.

Even though many people will never comprehend his actions throughout the entire scandal, eventually the moral failings of those involved must be bypassed in order to focus solely on Sandusky.

Despise him if you must, but allow Paterno to work through his health problems in peace.