Joe Paterno has lung cancer, son says

bostonherald.com ^ | 11/18/2011 | Associated Press

[massmike]

Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno has a treatable form of lung cancer, according to his son.

Scott Paterno said in a statement provided to The Associated Press by a family representative on Friday that the 84-year-old Joe Paterno is undergoing treatment and that "his doctors are optimistic he will make a full recovery."

"As everyone can appreciate, this is a deeply personal matter for my parents, and we simply ask that his privacy be respected as he proceeds with treatment," Scott Paterno said in a brief statement.

Scott Paterno said the diagnosis was made during a follow-up visit last weekend for a bronchial illness.

Earlier Friday, the Standard-Speaker newspaper of Hazleton, Pa., reported that Paterno had been seen Wednesday visiting the Mount Nittany Medical Center and was treated for an undisclosed ailment and released.

[pgkdan]

Character is doing the right thing, even when nobody is looking.

[Lazlo in PA]

This is a pretty common occurrence when setting up a living will. Considering that he made a half mill a year and lived like an Amish man in a that dated low dollar house, I will assume there are some sizable assets to get in order and the living will is always a good way to beat the taxman when dealing with a surviving spouse.

[bushpilot1]

Men fail when they begin to blame.

[STD]

Joe Paterno has a treatable form of lung cancer, which causes a form of systemic amnesia!

[bigbob]

I don’t wish illness on anyone for any reason.

But just think what the reaction to this story would have been, say, just 6 weeks ago.

[ml/nj]

FReepers, Rushfans, Nitneymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Joe Pa, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Joe Pa. The noble Trustees
Hath told you Joe Pa was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Joe Pa answer'd it.
Here, under leave of the Board and the rest -
For the Trustees are honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men -
Come I to speak in Joe Pa's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But the Board says he was ambitious;
And the Trustees are honourable man.
He hath brought many wins here to State College
Whose bowl-fees did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Joe Pa seem ambitious?
When that the team had lost, Joe Pa hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet the Board says he was ambitious;
And the Trustees are honourable man.
You all did see that on Sportscenter
He was thrice presented a pro contract,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet the Board says he was ambitious;
And, sure, they are honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what the Board spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Joe Pa,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Q: Why do Penn State coaches like twenty eight year olds?

A: Because there are twenty of them.

[BfloGuy]

the timing of is suspect

Wha'? The family should have waited till he died? C'mon.

[Hildy]

THe one thing that I just can’t understand...If I knew that someone I considered a friend was a child molester, that person wouldn’t be my friend anymore. Can someone explain this to me? I am NOT on the Paterno is the devil bandwagon...but this is something that just perplexes me.

[Cementjungle]

"As everyone can appreciate, this is a deeply personal matter for my parents, and we simply ask that his privacy be respected as he proceeds with treatment,"

Then why announce it to the press?

[Revolting cat!]

Everyone: EMPATHIZE!

[momtothree]

“Then why announce it to the press?”

That is what sort of made me wonder. Why announce it unless it is a hope that victims won’t sue civilly? Or, perhaps that he won’t be in good enough health to testify later? The announcement just made me wonder....

[primatreat]

It is a common thing for older married people to do. I transferred a house, small but nice that we purchased to live in until our new home was built. Transferred it for $1.00. Very legal and a great estate worth saving move.

Joe did the right thing.

[definitelynotaliberal]

That’s what evades me, too. And I, being less generous/charitable than you, have concluded that it simply didn’t bother Paterno enough.

[definitelynotaliberal]

Nice! Thank you for raising the index of literacy!

[wolfcreek]

This isn’t the first time someone has suddenly gotten sick in the midst of a controversy.

Still, prayers for everyone involved.

[EEGator]

True, but he is 84.

[wolfcreek]

Seems like releasing personal medical info would be against the law.