10 years ago vs Illinois, Joe Paterno becomes the winningest coach in NCAA history. #409
- Thread starter ChiTownLion
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So many incredible people to thank for introducing so many people in the real world to the truth about Joe Paterno.
Way too many people to start listing now. But I will start with Ray Blehar (who wrote a column today about "Joe Paterno Field at Beaver Stadium") and Jimmy W. Those two have been there from the very beginning and kept us locked and loaded with nothing but facts. Nellie and WenSilver have been sensational with their ability to confront everyone with indisputable facts in the name of child welfare.
My only regret is that this day should be universally celebrated by everyone in intercollegiate athletics for the achievements of Joe Paterno who somehow won the most games in the history of major college football + 2 National Championships + another 4 undefeated/untied/uncrowned seasons, all the while bringing academics into the world of athletics.
Joe Paterno was the face of everything that's good about intercollegiate athletics, and he just so happened to be the best of all time.
#B1G #WeAre #PennState #WeAreBecauseHeWas
Way too many people to start listing now. But I will start with Ray Blehar (who wrote a column today about "Joe Paterno Field at Beaver Stadium") and Jimmy W. Those two have been there from the very beginning and kept us locked and loaded with nothing but facts. Nellie and WenSilver have been sensational with their ability to confront everyone with indisputable facts in the name of child welfare.
My only regret is that this day should be universally celebrated by everyone in intercollegiate athletics for the achievements of Joe Paterno who somehow won the most games in the history of major college football + 2 National Championships + another 4 undefeated/untied/uncrowned seasons, all the while bringing academics into the world of athletics.
Joe Paterno was the face of everything that's good about intercollegiate athletics, and he just so happened to be the best of all time.
#B1G #WeAre #PennState #WeAreBecauseHeWas
Also, @Zenophile's a pretty cool dude.
Would like to believe that we can all leave politics aside in the name of the greater good for our beautiful Pennsylvania State University. Let's all work together and support this mission. Hopefully with the blessing of our board billionaire @fairgambit.
Would like to believe that we can all leave politics aside in the name of the greater good for our beautiful Pennsylvania State University. Let's all work together and support this mission. Hopefully with the blessing of our board billionaire @fairgambit.
Simply put, the greatest educator/coach of all time.
10 years!?! Where does the time go?
Gone, but never forgotten. May you continue to R.I.P. Coach - we truly are because you were.
Gone, but never forgotten. May you continue to R.I.P. Coach - we truly are because you were.
I was there. Joe was humble after the game, as always.
409 actually feels like a truncated number because it was not the end of the season.
Yes. A bye week after that win meant 14 days before the Nebraska game. However,
As 'ro always says, to which I concur: I miss the old guy.
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Miss the Old Guy.
This was a great scene that day....students getting behind the goal posts to put the "Noonan" on the Illinois kicker.
You see, Iowa and Tennessee - this is how a crowd is supposed to impact a game - not the way you guys do it.
This was a great scene that day....students getting behind the goal posts to put the "Noonan" on the Illinois kicker.
You see, Iowa and Tennessee - this is how a crowd is supposed to impact a game - not the way you guys do it.
I disagree with a lot of the takes on the scandal fallout posted here, but this is one point that IMO is unquestionably true. The way the university treated a tenured employee that had done so much for the university was shameful.
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Honestly, it would just be so easy for the school to simply do the right thing even at this junction and properly honor a man that had such a huge impact on the university. Whether it is returning the statue, naming the stadium after him, whatever. Just honor him and do him right.
While there would be backlash, it would be easy to address - even doing so ahead of time - with a properly explained press release and context of JoePa's role in the Sandusky situation - where he did everything exactly as he should have, the rule follower that he was. And outside of some small criticism at the time of the honoring, everyone will get over it quickly and no one will care after s a week or two.
It's sad that the University leadership won't do the right thing in this situation.
It's never going to happen. The statue is gone forever, they aren't going to name things after him. I have mixed feelings about whether that should happen but I accepted that it won't ever be done a long, long time ago. My comments were more about how the communication and termination process that went down in 2011. It was a disgrace.
What you say is spot on. People continuing to insist that Joe be "honored" need to lower their expectations - there will be nothing named after him. All he will be recognized for is lines in the record books. I hope he really enjoyed "409" because he paid a hell of a price for it.
The University “leadership” are not leaders nor even good managers. And they have zero courage. And the amount of courage it would require is minimal. It’s not like they are storming a DDay beach. Yet such is the times we live in…
Exactly what I keep telling them when they call, email, and write me to donate to the University, but, they keep trying.
Watching that clip brings tears my eyes. There wasn't a bigger Paterno fan than my dad, Lloyd Cook. My parents had seats in the handicap section behind the students. On Thursday Oct 27th two days before that game he passed away rather suddenly. We watched that game while we planned his funeral. I think the pastor thought we were crazy, but he wouldn't have wanted it any other way and in many ways it was comforting. That wide right kick went right at his empty seats that day. I'll always think he had a hand in that one. I Miss Both those Old Guys.
I was there too!!! The field, hell the stadium, should be named after him. Eff those ESPN trolled d!cks that believe he was anything but a forthright, magnanimous guy!
I was there that day after driving from Pittsburgh through a horrific early season snow storm. Little did I know at the time that it would be his last game. As I've mentioned previously, I saw Joe coach both his first and last games at Penn State. I've often wondered how many others had this experience.
Isn't the library still named after him?
In retrospect, the handling of the situation by the brass at PSU was a beacon of what was about to come across the country where college administrators held their finger up to the wind to decide how to act instead of being guided by principles and integrity.
So many incredible people to thank for introducing so many people in the real world to the truth about Joe Paterno.
Way too many people to start listing now. But I will start with Ray Blehar (who wrote a column today about "Joe Paterno Field at Beaver Stadium") and Jimmy W. Those two have been there from the very beginning and kept us locked and loaded with nothing but facts. Nellie and WenSilver have been sensational with their ability to confront everyone with indisputable facts in the name of child welfare.
My only regret is that this day should be universally celebrated by everyone in intercollegiate athletics for the achievements of Joe Paterno who somehow won the most games in the history of major college football + 2 National Championships + another 4 undefeated/untied/uncrowned seasons, all the while bringing academics into the world of athletics.
Joe Paterno was the face of everything that's good about intercollegiate athletics, and he just so happened to be the best of all time.
#B1G #WeAre #PennState #WeAreBecauseHeWas
I have always thought that Joe was the conscience of college football, and I believe it more today than I ever have.
The sport is populated with coaches who have embraced a lack of sportsmanship approach. I realize that we live in a social media age, but decency and respect were always Joe’s compass, and we need it now more than ever.
Well said. To think a guy like kirk ferentz, who has been the head coach at a P5 program for so many years, could be such a classless ass makes one appreciate Joe that much more.
The mixed feelings are about the possibilities of posthumously recognizing him somehow. The disgrace was the handling of his termination in 2011. The decision to terminate is one thing, but how they went about it was simply terrible.
We live in an age now where any mention of Penn State to idiots of a low IQ immediately brings derisive comments about Sandusky and Paterno being an abuse enabler. No matter how untrue the accusations and how uninformed people are about what happened, the narrative never died nor was it even corrected. The PR damage done by the media as well as the University is permanent. For those of us who went to Madison on Week 1, we saw and heard kids who were maybe 12 back in 2011 making inflammatory comments. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, I'm sure similar comments are made by all ages.
What really sucks is that we've seen worse scandals at Michigan State, Ohio State, and Michigan (including talk of a coverup by the revered legendary football head coach) and there is nary a peep. I'll save the various posters the trouble -- 'Thank you, 9-11/9 BOT' and 'there was music in the halls of the BOT'.
What really sucks is that we've seen worse scandals at Michigan State, Ohio State, and Michigan (including talk of a coverup by the revered legendary football head coach) and there is nary a peep. I'll save the various posters the trouble -- 'Thank you, 9-11/9 BOT' and 'there was music in the halls of the BOT'.
So many thoughts running through my head thinking back on this game. My oldest son was a senior at Penn State in 2011. My wife and I went up to the game, we had club seats which were right behind that goal post...I think the grass lots were closed because of the snow/mud or am I confusing that with another game? It was cold. Anyway, son and friends came to our tailgate and wife even did a shot of Fireball...they still talk about it to this day.
I had gotten my dad tickets to the Nebraska game for his 80th birthday, thinking there was a good chance it may be Joe's last game and probably the last game my dad could go to. Oy, never thought my wife would be at Joe's last game...what a way to win it though.
My dad and I did go to that Nebraska game....it was tough on all of us they way they treated Joe. My father is now 90. Still a huge Penn State fan. Wish he would get to see Joe treated the was he should have been after a lifetime of Success with Honor.
I had gotten my dad tickets to the Nebraska game for his 80th birthday, thinking there was a good chance it may be Joe's last game and probably the last game my dad could go to. Oy, never thought my wife would be at Joe's last game...what a way to win it though.
My dad and I did go to that Nebraska game....it was tough on all of us they way they treated Joe. My father is now 90. Still a huge Penn State fan. Wish he would get to see Joe treated the was he should have been after a lifetime of Success with Honor.
Through 4 years at Penn State, and 40 years after graduation, I believed Joe Paterno was man of character. Then came Sandusky. I was determined to look at the facts objectively and I believe I did. I continue to read, and listen, seeking any information that might change my opinion of Joe. Nothing has. Joe was a flawed man as we all are, but those flaws did not include countenancing child abuse. The trashing of Joe's reputation, and legacy, by the leadership of this University is despicable. I will never forget who they were and what they did.
Ditto.
Joe was flawed - as we all are flawed.
But he was a man of exceptional character. One who has made a positive impact on more people than only a very few.
People who take positions on the board do not do so with idea that it is an easy way to (a) gain prestige and (b) pocket a nice chunk of extra cash for very little real work. They had no ability or will to handle a crisis of any difficulty at al. No one should have been surprised by their ineptitude and amorality.
I don't know what your reasons are, I wonder if they are the same as mine. I just don't want to hear all the self righteous assholes use the opportunity to polish off their sermons about our allegedly warped priorities, Paterno's alleged culpability, etc. It would be more of a gift to them than it would be to Paterno's memory.
Was so happy to be there that night. Had I known what was to come I never would have left so quickly. Between snow, traffic I wanted to get a jump. For me, being at 324 left the greatest mark. The meaning, the opponent, the comeback. Same late missed FG preserving a win. Even some late flurries.
Being only 45 I don’t know the Joe of the 60s or 70s but he was what drew me in. In an Irish Catholic family that loved ND, the blue/white and JoePa won my heart and broke my uncles, huge ND fans shown by bicep tattoos. My trips to Altoona from VA were some of my favorite parts of growing up. Thankful I got to attend games from 1999 to 2011 in person, many road trips, some solo, some with wife, some with friends, but most importantly my oldest son, named after Joe.
Even reading this thread tonight the emotions well up. Anger, tears, at a life well lived, spent raising men, winning being a byproduct of the teaching. This world lost the greatest football coach/life teacher the world will ever know. And after seeing James the past 7 years, I think Joe has shaped him more than we know. My guess is the lettermen have impacted James in a way that changed his mindset, from job hopper to finding a home. Time will tell, but I think we might be seeing JP part 2. And I’d be thrilled with that.
Thanks Joe. We are so fortunate you stayed at PSU and built something to be so proud about. We truly are because you were.
Being only 45 I don’t know the Joe of the 60s or 70s but he was what drew me in. In an Irish Catholic family that loved ND, the blue/white and JoePa won my heart and broke my uncles, huge ND fans shown by bicep tattoos. My trips to Altoona from VA were some of my favorite parts of growing up. Thankful I got to attend games from 1999 to 2011 in person, many road trips, some solo, some with wife, some with friends, but most importantly my oldest son, named after Joe.
Even reading this thread tonight the emotions well up. Anger, tears, at a life well lived, spent raising men, winning being a byproduct of the teaching. This world lost the greatest football coach/life teacher the world will ever know. And after seeing James the past 7 years, I think Joe has shaped him more than we know. My guess is the lettermen have impacted James in a way that changed his mindset, from job hopper to finding a home. Time will tell, but I think we might be seeing JP part 2. And I’d be thrilled with that.
Thanks Joe. We are so fortunate you stayed at PSU and built something to be so proud about. We truly are because you were.
It's been a long time since I posted. Today Illinois got that win they missed 10 years ago. Sort of appropriate given the theme of Homecoming and no one at the University having the Balls to right the egregious wrong they did to an icon. I tweeted today that because of the theme "Generations of Greatness", I suggested a nod be given to JVP. Not a statue or a field....a nod. I was told to grow up, move on, etc. by someone who ends every tweet with #WeAre. I'm not as emotionally invested in Penn State football as I once was, and I'm even less interested when I hear that Franklin needs more every year and then see a performance like today. I was there for Joe's first and last games, have been a season ticket holder since 2005 and I may just take the advice to move on this year. In good conscience, I'm tired of supporting an organization that refuses to do the right thing.
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