Well, if Joe Pa can't control himself, how can he control his players

Hey, hey buddy ... I might not be as sharp as ol' Dan Rydell, but I don't see a moon roof on that there Cadillac.

 

Everyone kind of knew what was in the air, but there had been some rumors that the victim was recanting on her story. Guess not.

 

One word: Ziebart.

 

Not like Scott was a choir boy before this, as I'm sure you know. I'll definitely be reading Jones' take on the situation...

As for Tony Morelli, I only wish he was as good as he thinks he is. But after watching Zack regress for three seasons, can't say I'm surprised about that, either.

 

I'm not sure even Wlat could have made a great college quarterback out of Morelli. It takes more than physical tools to play that position, even if they are NFL-caliber physical tools.

 

Million-dollar arm, ten-cent head? Agreed.

 

I was trying to avoid actually saying it that way, but it does always seem to be somebody else's fault that he doesn't play well. I remember when he ripped his high school coach after he had gone on to Penn State.

He's got good size and athleticism and a tremendous arm, but the mistakes just keep happening, don't they?

 

I have no regional reason to hate Penn State. Here's what I hate:

1. Joe Pa doing a preseason media day with six players he hand-picked, in a room doing a conference call with the media -- in another room, in the same building.
2. Numerous other examples of being a human roadblock to the press, which is only doing their job. And it's not like he's historically gotten lambasted by the media. It seems the more fawning the coverage, the more restrictions he put on.
3. During the 1990 bowl game he played against FSU at Joe Robbie, Penn State practiced at a local high school in Broward County. The practice field was on a public street. Old man who had been walking his dog on that street every morning for 20 years stopped to watch, and was quickly told by a rent-a-cop that Joe Pa said to move it along. Old guy tells the geek to stick it -- then, like the women involved in the traffic incident, saved Joe the phone call to the police. Local authorities informed Coach Pa of little things like the freedom to walk on a public street, which may not exist in State College, Pa.

These are anectodal, but I'm sure are in keeping with a pattern about Saint Joe. Some would argue another pattern is his team's familiarity with the legal system in recent years.

He's been a great coach with a great legacy. He's damaging that right now.

 

Ask someone in the know about how Penn State left the old Eastern Eight basketball conference when Paterno was athletic director. You'll be amused. Then ask them about his grand plan about starting the All-Eastern Paterno Conference, with PSU getting 40-percent of the revenue and Pitt, WVU, Boston College, Syracuse, etc. sharing the remaining 60-percent. Why? "Weze got 617 varsity sports to support." Uh huh. I guess Joe's never heard of living within your means.

 

I agree with everything you say, Shotglass, but you know as well as I do that it isn't as simple as just getting someone to get up the gumption go over to his house and fire his ass. (I'm not a Penn State alum or a fan, but someone who's covered Penn State over many years and talked to Paterno several times.)

The problem is the whole Penn State community -- the fan base and the university. It created this problem by turning Joe into a deity, and now he believes it just as much as anyone else. He's been given, for all intents and purposes, a lifetime contract, and dammit, he's going to see it through because he thinks it's the right thing to do for the program.

The only person who is going to get Joe Paterno to quit, in other words, is Joe Paterno. He won't be fired, no matter how badly his program goes in the shitter and how many of his "kids" end up in prison. We all think he's going to reach a point when he just says, hell with it, I've had enough, but those demons aren't in his head yet.

It's a waiting game. Penn State asked for this, and I don't really feel sorry for the people spending all that money.

 

The Eastern Eight begat the Atlantic 10, which PSU remained a basketball member of until the 1991-92 season... or two years after they signed the Big Te(leve)n deal. Can't blame the A-10 for wanting to move on without us.

 

Terry Smith was a good, but not big-time player at Penn State. He's also the coach of King's high school team.