The saddest thing is, I honestly believe a large part of the cult would defend Paterno with an equal amount of fervor over something as banal as a speeding ticket or similar infraction.
Once you start cracking the shell of perfection even a little bit, it becomes much easier to see the reality that Paterno was highly infallible, and in fact did something that most people with common human decency find deplorable or worse.
To continue believing in the "Success with Honor" BS or whatever false legacy they happen to be hanging on at the moment, they have to shut out all reality, not just the obvious reality surrounding the Sandusky cover up.