Joe Paterno isn't worth it

Matt Millen isn't the only fool still defending Joe Paterno after Louis Freeh's report, perhaps just the most public.

I could go on and on about the ridiculousness of the Paterno defenders, the people who insist on saying his role in the Jerry Sandusky scandal shouldn't overshadow all his good works, but all I'll say is that if someone knowingly, intentionally enables a child molester, especially when he had more power than anyone else to stop it, he doesn't get to take credit for good works. There are no works good enough to make up for that.

Instead, I want to offer this advice to the Paterno dead-enders.

Let him go.

It's OK.

Let. Go.

He's not worth it.

I find it abhorrent in light of Sandusky, but I know why the attachment to Paterno exists. He defined an institution, and therefore everyone associated with it, for decades. He made Penn State matter.

And he fooled a lot of people, including Rick Reilly, right until the end.

As Joe Paterno lay dying, I actually felt sorry for him. Little did I know he was taking all of his dirty secrets to the grave. Nine days before he died, he had The Washington Post's Sally Jenkins in his kitchen. He could've admitted it then. Could've tried a simple "I'm sorry." But he didn't. Instead, he just lied deeper. Right to her face. Right to all of our faces.

Joe Paterno was a fraud, a lying, despicable excuse for a human being whose inaction allowed young boys to be hurt because he didn't want the cult of the football team and the cult of personality he built around himself to be harmed.

For all the people who were fooled into believing he did things "the right way," there is no shame in admitting that.

It's OK.

Let the loyalty to Paterno go.

He's not worth it.