As far as voicing opinions go, I’m a big believer in cooling off periods. I think time’s important, without it, lines can get blurred and sometimes your intended meaning gets misconstrued. Emotion is human nature, it’s healthy and natural...but it’s also powerful. Because of this, the immediate reaction is always more intense than the rationalized after thought. For this reason and many more, I’m a little nervous about commenting on today’s events regarding the passing of Joe Paterno so soon. However, regardless of how strongly I feel about the importance of waiting things out, I also believe that sometimes, ever so rarely, truth and love can unite people and when that happens, it, above all else is worthy of our most immediate attention. And so, I write.
Instead of tackling Joepa’s Memorial Service as a whole, I’d like to focus in on one particular speech, Phil Knight’s speech to be exact. I loved this speech. From Knight’s opening joke, insinuating that Paterno may consider his forty-eight year commitment to the Nike Corporation that of a “short-timer”, Knight was poised and strong in his presentation. Knight credited Joe’s reputation, explaining that of all the coaches he’d worked with, Joe was deferred to most frequently and respectfully. He also took the time to share a personal story, with which he successfully transformed mood of an audience of over 12,000 into that of an intimate group.
I think the most powerful part of Knight’s speech was when he spoke of the final months of Joe’s life, the time when his character was questioned and the world seemed to turn on the man we all love so much. Knight said what we as Penn Staters believe, he shared our message with eloquence and grace, stating that if there was any villain involved in how the University responded to the horrors of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, the villain “lies in the investigation. Not in Joe Paterno’s response.” Knight set the record straight once and for all, explaining what Joe actually did, compared to what so many blindly believed. Knight referred to Joe as his hero, a notion I think we can all relate to in this hour of sadness. With regard to textbook rhetorical components, if the exigence of this loss was Joe’s passing, the audience is not merely the Penn State community, but the entire world. Joe’s legacy lives on, you see. It’s in the hearts of everyone he touched and those they touched as well. The morals he instilled in his players and the example he set for all of us will live on in our minds and consciouses for generations to come. To answer Knight’s final question, Joseph Vincent Paterno was and still remains the true trustee of Penn State University.
This was the single best speech I've ever heard. All of the allegation talk aside, I think the speech was still incredibly powerful with regards to Knight's talk about a hero. I got chills when Knight said that the first words he said when he heard Joe Pa passed were, "who's gonna be my hero now?" Even though Knight is an outsider of the Penn State community, it allowed him to convey what we've all (or most of us) been thinking throughout this whole mess of a situation. When I heard Joe Pa died, it took a while for it to hit me, and I'm not sure it has yet. But being at the memorial helped more than anything, and had Paterno painted in the positive light I've been waiting for. Now I believe he can truly rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteI agree that he spoke with eloquence and presented the perspective of many students, faculty, alumni, and others in a clear way without turning it into a grand debate. As you mentioned, sharing such personal stories allowed the audience access to personal moments that we never would have seen or known about otherwise. Additionally, I think that helped show Paterno's true character in a different light. Not just as a coach. Not just as a family member. Not just as a celebrity or icon, but as a person--himself. That being said, I think the part of Knight's speech that addressed the Sandusky issue was able to come across stronger. People may see that Joe Paterno was human, and there are some parts of his life that we will never know about. Knight's speech a reminder of that.
ReplyDeleteNot having seen the memorial, I am surprised to have heard about this speech prior to reading your blog 3 times now, and from what I hear, Im very glad it happened. I always stood in the middle of the Paterno allegations. I wasnt sure if Joe did his job but I always felt that he should have never been the premiere topic once the scandal was aired. I always thought that there was bigger fish to fry, and that it wasnt okay to fire him until the investigation was complete.
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