Two Pennsylvania Joes -- Frazier and Paterno -- RIP

Joe Frazier Connecting Against Ali

This was a tough day for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as two of its sports icons died.

One was the former heavyweight champion of the world, Joe Frazier. He died from liver cancer at age 67. "Smokin' Joe" fought the honorable fight against cancer and against other adversaries throughout his life. He'll always be associated with Muhammad Ali and their three justly famous bouts. Later, when Frazier struggled, especially financially, he carried himself with a champion's dignity. "Work is the only meanin' I've ever known," Frazier once said, according to today's New York Times obit.

Billy Joe Frazier (the champ's full name) was a decent man cast into the indecent world of big-time boxing and media. The corruption that sullied others, such as Ali's self-seeking entourage, did not personally stain Frazier (his backers are another story). I work with someone who knew Frazier and has a faded photo of the champ tenderly holding my colleague's infant grandson. As with many who make their living in the demimonde of violent entertainment, Frazier was gentle outside the arena. He also understood and fought for certain ideals. No one openly questioned Joe Frazier's integrity -- except Muhammad Ali. Events have proven that Ali's accusations were unfair, willful distortions designed to excite the public and a mostly cynically adoring (and mostly Caucasian) media.

As today's LA Times obit demonstrates, Joe Frazier left this earth with dignity, the respect of his peers, and the attention of the world. The other Pennsylvania Joe, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, cannot say that. It is ironic that Joe Frazier would be universally hailed while Joe Paterno would be universally scorned. However, today's revelations in philly.com and elsewhere that Paterno's former right hand man sexually molested pre-teen and teenage boys for years kills "JoePa," both professionally and personally. There's no excuse, no "oops," no fall guy for Paterno's apparent willful negligence. Decades of achievement, a program that resisted financial corruption, a rare "clean" head coach -- all of it has come crashing down with a startling, disturbing "thud." Now a man who probably could have won for governor of Pennsylvania and won in a landslide vote cannot walk down the street without a great sense of humiliation and guilt. It is a shocking finale for a coach who holds the record for most college football victories. Much more troubling is Paterno's impact on the boys whose lives were marred by JoePa's silence. They know -- in ways that cannot be eradicated -- that Mr. Clean let the devil loose in his own house, a world over which Paterno had nearly complete control. The dishonor and shame will stay with Paterno for the remainder of his days, and linger after he has passed.

In the third, epic Ali-Frazier fight outside Manila, Smokin' Joe's trainer Eddie Futch waved the white flag before the beginning of the 15th and final round. "Sit down," he said. "It's all over. Nobody will ever forget what you did here today." Those moving words were true -- and remain true -- for Joe Frazier. They also are true, but in a dark way, for the disgraced Joe Paterno.