A look at how columnists from Pennsylvania and around the country view the firing of Joe Paterno:
Jeff McLane, Philadelphia Inquirer: The St. Joe myth, while steeped in fact, was propagated for years by writers who fell under Paterno's spell. Yes, this was a public man who was often above the fray and stood by his morals. But that did not necessarily mean he was a great guy.
Bill Lyon, Philadelphia Inquirer: There came the shattering day no one had seen coming, the day the icon toppled, brought down by a failed and egregious attempt to preserve the image of his Camelot. That image turned out to be fraudulent. And in his zeal to keep up appearances, Paterno appears to have become a de facto enabler for an alleged sex predator.
Cory Giger, Altoona Mirror: Success with Honor no longer applies to Penn State University. Maybe someday the prestigious institution with a great football tradition will be able to use that motto or reclaim its place among the most-respected universities in the nation. But it will be a long time before that happens.
Phil Sheridan, Philadelphia Inquirer: Finally, at least 13 years too late, Penn State figured out that football can't always come first.
David Jones, Harrisburg Patriot-News: The national media vilifies Mike McQueary while Paterno gets a grand reception on his front lawn.
Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Finally, some leadership at the top for Penn State.
Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: On a scale of one to 10, this was a Big Ten.
Walt Moody, Centre Daily Times: If image is everything, then the one that's going viral is the Nittany Lion logo with a tear coming down its eye. That's an image that won't be forgotten.
Bob Flounders, Harrisburg Patriot-News: It was a stunning end for Paterno's legendary run.
Keith Groller, Allentown Morning Call: If you were to list 100 different ways Paterno's career was going to end, you never would have listed a scandal of this ugliness.
Chris Dufrense, Los Angeles Times: Penn State football as we know it is officially over.
Pat Forde, Yahoo! Sports: Paterno, one-time white knight of college athletics, was fired by phone. And despite the sporting tragedy of that, it pales in comparison to the human tragedies that were the catalyst for this stunning fall.
Ray Ratto, CBS Sports.com: There's a lesson in Paterno's downfall, but few will heed it.
Paul Myerberg, Pre-Snap Read: A roar, a riot and time for a clean break.
Stewart Mandel, SI.com: A horrific closing chapter shouldn't overshadow Paterno's career.
Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com: Adults with backbones and courage made a prudent decision.
Jack McCallum, SI.com: Sandusky fooled a lot of people, including this writer.
Joe Posnanski, SI.com: What does the author of a book about Paterno think now?
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