http://www.espn.com/college-football/sto...head-coach

Quote:Penn State said Thursday it will formally honor former head coach Joe Paterno, who was fired in 2011 amid the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, during the team's game Sept. 17 against Temple.

The school will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Paterno's first game as head coach, which came against Maryland on Sept. 17, 1966, and resulted in a 15-7 win.

A spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of the commemoration, saying only that more details will be released on the Thursday prior to the game.

Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour also declined to comment. As did Nittany Lions coach James Franklin, who also was not asked about the decision on his weekly radio show Thursday night.

Bless their hearts...

They're always going to keep looking back. There's a good documentary on Netflix called Happy Valley, that shows some of the nonsense there.

Ahhh ... whatever ... time to move on, those at Penn State and those that like beating this dead horse.

Agreed. PSU's admin is so tone deaf.

I have my opinions about the scandal...

...but one thing that is absolutely true. There are some powerful but ignorant people within PSU's booster crew that think that NOW is the time to keep praising and remembering Paterno. Yet, every time, it just angers and incites the majority of college football fans.

Go to a PSU tailgate and most people would say that Paterno should have done more (as Paterno himself did)...but the huge amount of blame and animosity that PSU's administration laid on him (and the country followed suit) was overdone. Most PSU fans don't worship him or want his statue back up or want to keep "remembering" him in public and embarrassing ways.

"Tone deaf" is putting it lightly.

Willing suspension of disbelief at this point. It takes such gall to publicly announce this and then go silent on everything else about it, especially Barbour, who, I thought was hired as a statement against the garbage culture at PSU. Nope. She's just like them. Maybe even worse.

Just an embarrassment on so many levels ,too many to count. Just cover the place up with dirt.

(09-02-2016 05:53 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  "Tone deaf" is putting it lightly.

Willing suspension of disbelief at this point. It takes such gall to publicly announce this and then go silent on everything else about it, especially Barbour, who, I thought was hired as a statement against the garbage culture at PSU. Nope. She's just like them. Maybe even worse.

It's because their whole history is wrapped up in Paterno. Most here don't remember it because they weren't born yet. But Penn State emerged as a football entity, at least on the national stage, in the 60's. To everyone not in the Northeast they were the new kids on the block under Paterno. The late 60's and early 70's were to Penn State what the late 70's and early 80's were to Florida State under Bowden. Neither school had had anything but a blip of success prior to either coach. I suppose that is one reason they both held on so long in pursuing the record. They were in many ways rivals for headlines. I used to think they would be the first two head coaches that would lead their teams onto the field behind their scooter chairs.

Penn State can't let go because they've had no national recognition without Paterno. And quite frankly now that the public perception is negative, it is still national in scope.

F.S.U., in part thanks to Jimbo, has at least moved past having their identity wrapped up in one guy. The silent fear at Penn State has to be "Will we ever be anything again without Paterno?" IMO that's why they are so slow to let go.

Saban and Bear Bryant were not the first big time winning coaches at Alabama. Pete Carroll wasn't the first big time winning coach at U.S.C., and Meyer certainly is not the first big time coach at Ohio State. These programs could survive a major scandal because they have history without any one particular coach. Paterno is Penn State history and there's the rub.

What people forget is that yeah, it was Sandusky who committed the crimes, but it was Paterno who knew about them for years and did nothing. So if you destroy Paterno you destroy the foundation of Penn State's identity in football. That's why these boosters push back. They aren't defending Paterno in their minds as much as they are defending their alma mater. To everyone else it's a lot clearer that they are defending Paterno.

Bad move. Way too soon to try and rehabilitate Paterno, IMO "never" is too soon.

PSU has always struck me as being isolated, thus breeding a weirdly cult-like atmosphere about its football program generally and Paterno specifically. They're in the middle of the huge and densely populated NY-DC metroplex, but still it's like they're in their own little world out there.

Not to be outdone, Subway is going to honor the 16th anniversary of the start of the Jared advertising campaign.

Not to be outdone, Baylor will erect a statue of Art Briles later this season.

Not to be outdone, the USC is going to honor OJ Simpson at a special ceremony this November.

(09-02-2016 06:25 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(09-02-2016 05:53 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  "Tone deaf" is putting it lightly.

Willing suspension of disbelief at this point. It takes such gall to publicly announce this and then go silent on everything else about it, especially Barbour, who, I thought was hired as a statement against the garbage culture at PSU. Nope. She's just like them. Maybe even worse.

It's because their whole history is wrapped up in Paterno. Most here don't remember it because they weren't born yet. But Penn State emerged as a football entity, at least on the national stage, in the 60's. To everyone not in the Northeast they were the new kids on the block under Paterno. The late 60's and early 70's were to Penn State what the late 70's and early 80's were to Florida State under Bowden. Neither school had had anything but a blip of success prior to either coach. I suppose that is one reason they both held on so long in pursuing the record. They were in many ways rivals for headlines. I used to think they would be the first two head coaches that would lead their teams onto the field behind their scooter chairs.

Penn State can't let go because they've had no national recognition without Paterno. And quite frankly now that the public perception is negative, it is still national in scope.

F.S.U., in part thanks to Jimbo, has at least moved past having their identity wrapped up in one guy. The silent fear at Penn State has to be "Will we ever be anything again without Paterno?" IMO that's why they are so slow to let go.

Saban and Bear Bryant were not the first big time winning coaches at Alabama. Pete Carroll wasn't the first big time winning coach at U.S.C., and Meyer certainly is not the first big time coach at Ohio State. These programs could survive a major scandal because they have history without any one particular coach. Paterno is Penn State history and there's the rub.

What people forget is that yeah, it was Sandusky who committed the crimes, but it was Paterno who knew about them for years and did nothing. So if you destroy Paterno you destroy the foundation of Penn State's identity in football. That's why these boosters push back. They aren't defending Paterno in their minds as much as they are defending their alma mater. To everyone else it's a lot clearer that they are defending Paterno.

Penn State was actually really good in 1911 and 1912 and in the early 1920's had arguably the best backfield in the game.

But you are right, any sort of national recognition was built by Paterno. Personally, as a citizen of Central Pennsylvania, I have tired of other sports fan insinuating that every football fan here is a brain dead Penn State fan. A great deal aren't but stereotypes die hard.

(09-02-2016 07:07 AM)HarmonOliphantOberlanderDevine Wrote:  

(09-02-2016 06:25 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(09-02-2016 05:53 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  "Tone deaf" is putting it lightly.

Willing suspension of disbelief at this point. It takes such gall to publicly announce this and then go silent on everything else about it, especially Barbour, who, I thought was hired as a statement against the garbage culture at PSU. Nope. She's just like them. Maybe even worse.

It's because their whole history is wrapped up in Paterno. Most here don't remember it because they weren't born yet. But Penn State emerged as a football entity, at least on the national stage, in the 60's. To everyone not in the Northeast they were the new kids on the block under Paterno. The late 60's and early 70's were to Penn State what the late 70's and early 80's were to Florida State under Bowden. Neither school had had anything but a blip of success prior to either coach. I suppose that is one reason they both held on so long in pursuing the record. They were in many ways rivals for headlines. I used to think they would be the first two head coaches that would lead their teams onto the field behind their scooter chairs.

Penn State can't let go because they've had no national recognition without Paterno. And quite frankly now that the public perception is negative, it is still national in scope.

F.S.U., in part thanks to Jimbo, has at least moved past having their identity wrapped up in one guy. The silent fear at Penn State has to be "Will we ever be anything again without Paterno?" IMO that's why they are so slow to let go.

Saban and Bear Bryant were not the first big time winning coaches at Alabama. Pete Carroll wasn't the first big time winning coach at U.S.C., and Meyer certainly is not the first big time coach at Ohio State. These programs could survive a major scandal because they have history without any one particular coach. Paterno is Penn State history and there's the rub.

What people forget is that yeah, it was Sandusky who committed the crimes, but it was Paterno who knew about them for years and did nothing. So if you destroy Paterno you destroy the foundation of Penn State's identity in football. That's why these boosters push back. They aren't defending Paterno in their minds as much as they are defending their alma mater. To everyone else it's a lot clearer that they are defending Paterno.

Penn State was actually really good in 1911 and 1912 and in the early 1920's had arguably the best backfield in the game.

But you are right, any sort of national recognition was built by Paterno. Personally, as a citizen of Central Pennsylvania, I have tired of other sports fan insinuating that every football fan here is a brain dead Penn State fan. A great deal aren't but stereotypes die hard.

I've certainly never lumped all Pennsylvania football fans into the Happy Valley crowd. Pitt was nationally known a lot sooner and for a lot longer than Penn State. The only real issue I see here is that the institution of Penn State forgot that it was bigger than any one man. Until they get that straight the problem will only fester.

This must be 1 of those situations where they have to cater to their own fans and 90% of their base still loves Paterno, even while 90% of the COUNTRY hates him.

(09-02-2016 06:41 AM)Chappy Wrote:  Not to be outdone, Subway is going to honor the 16th anniversary of the start of the Jared advertising campaign.

(09-02-2016 06:34 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  Bad move. Way too soon to try and rehabilitate Paterno, IMO "never" is too soon.

I think this is why the decided to do it now. For pretty much anyone who hates Paterno, "never is too soon."

So if they're ever going to honor Paterno, there's no benefit to waiting any longer. And let's face it - as a coach he's one of the greatest of all time. They're not going to ignore his accomplishments forever.

Not to be outdone, UNC is going to honor Julius Nyang’oro at homecoming for his contributions to their African American Studies department.

(09-02-2016 06:56 AM)Chappy Wrote:  Not to be outdone, Baylor will erect a statue of Art Briles later this season.

Don't laugh. They probably would.

(09-02-2016 09:00 AM)Big Frog II Wrote:  

(09-02-2016 06:56 AM)Chappy Wrote:  Not to be outdone, Baylor will erect a statue of Art Briles later this season.

Don't laugh. They probably would.

Unfortunately, many of these one-liners I'm posting are not out of the realm of possibility.