Notable sports deaths in 2012

From legends on the field and off, here is a look at some of the sports figures who died this year:

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1 - 38 of 38

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Joe Paterno (Dec. 21, 1926-Jan. 22, 2012) -- Forty-five legendary years as Penn State's head football coach undone by the 46th. Paterno won more games than any other coach in Division I history, only to have 111 of them wiped out amidst the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. Paterno spent most of his life in the tiny rural Pennsylvania town of Happy Valley, winning two national championships at Penn State while building what was perceived as ... more
Joe Paterno (Dec. 21, 1926-Jan. 22, 2012) -- Forty-five legendary years as Penn State's head football coach undone by the 46th. Paterno won more games than any other coach in Division I history, only to have 111 of them wiped out amidst the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. Paterno spent most of his life in the tiny rural Pennsylvania town of Happy Valley, winning two national championships at Penn State while building what was perceived as college football's cleanest programs. But it all crumbled beneath him in the last year of his life when it was determined Paterno didn't do enough to report Sandusky's abuse of young children. Paterno's legacy went from God-like figure to persona non grata at Penn State. He was fired on Nov. 8, 2011. Days later it was revealed he had lung cancer. He died two months later. less