As one of the panelists points out, the question is this simple: Is Paterno's entire legacy defined by its worst element? And yes, this is a really terrible element. And beyond being a winner, Paterno's legacy, pre-Sandsuky, had been that he ran a program above reproach, unique in college football.

Paterno's winning was real. That he put a premium on integrity and character that other football programs wouldn't accomodate clearly isn't true. "Joe Pa" wasn't who he thought he was. The person that statue memorializes isn't real.