Payton biographer thinks Posnanski should scrap Paterno book; says past quotes may haunt him

Like me, Jeff Pearlman, who wrote the bestselling Walter Payton biography, has some concerns about Joe Posnanski’s ability to pull off the Joe Paterno book.

He writes on his blog:

 I scrap the whole thing. I put it aside, maybe wait a year or two, then—when the dust clears and the implications are more understood—I return and write a real biography. Joe is a wonderful writer and, by all accounts, a good guy. I love his blog, and his pieces on infomercials are some of the funniest things I’ve ever read. I can’t say this enough times—Joe is terrific. A genuine wordsmith.

But there is no possible way, one month removed from a report that details Joe Paterno’s knowledge of a pedophile roaming the Penn State campus (and his refusal to do anything about it, when he clearly could/should have), a proper biography can be released. No. Possible. Way.

Can’t happen.

Given that the book is expected to be a bestseller, it is highly unlikely Simon & Schuster will ditch the project at this late date. Publishers like bestsellers.

Pearlman also has concerns about a session Posnanski did with a communications class at Penn State last December. Posnanski defended Paterno at the time.

Pearlman said a person in the class put out the following tweets, quoting Posnanski.

“I think [Paterno] is a scapegoat. I definitely think that…I think he tried to do the right thing, and the right thing didn’t happen.”

“A lot of people came here to bury Joe. As a writer, I’m mad with that, as someone who’s come to know the Paternos, I’m heartbroken.”

“The only thing people remember about Woody Hayes is that he hit a player. I don’t want that to happen to Joe. He didn’t hit a player.”

Pearlman then writes:

Those words might come to haunt Posnanski. And, perhaps, they should. Journalists are allowed to like their subjects, and even become sympathetic (and empathetic) toward them. There is a line, however, that can’t be crossed; the line when you go from enjoying someone to irrationally and inappropriately defending someone. Clearly, at the time Joe Posnanski didn’t know enough, and didn’t have his facts correct. He blasted his peers in the media, without realizing that, just maybe, they were right and he was wrong; that perhaps the coach he had come to admire and (it seems) love wasn’t worthy of the affection.

Again, I’m a great admirer of Posnanski’s work. But I can’t imagine he’s getting much sleep these days.