If you're lucky enough to get the Big Ten Network on your television, than this is the week for you. The Big Ten Network will recapture some of the greatest Nittany Lion moments of the decade all week long. From the 2001 NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina to the overtime thrilling Orange Bowl in 06, you'll be able to relive the past this week. And thank heaven's they're focusing on the past, rather than the future in PSU athletics.
Blame Joe? Not so fast my friend...
Type in Joe Paterno on Google, and 99% of the articles will either have to do with him closing in on 400 victories or him having a negative affect on Penn State recruiting. VictoryBellRings.com doesn't quite see the recruiting "problem" the same way as those Joe Pa naysayers.
"Lets get back to the original point. Joe. As of late, critics of Paterno have pointed out that while Nick Saben and Co are out visiting players, Joe hasn’t made a in house visit since Terrelle Pryor (although he came close this past year). Disptite this statistic the program has still pulled together a Top 10 recruiting class for 2010 and as well as many strong classes in the past decade. All of which occured without Paterno’s direct intervention in the household.
While there is something to be said for the All-time winningest coach visiting your house, recruits are really looking for three things. Winning, Playingtime, and a chance to go pro. Penn State has gone 51-13 since 2004, and none of that winning has been related to Joe Paterno eating cookies and telling odd stories to recruits."
Speaking of Joe Pa...
Wow. The same person notorious for his distaste for the media-Joe Paterno- sat down for a one on one interview with the Reading Eagle. Same usual stuff you'd expect..not naming a successor, or when he'd retire, and likes Nebraska joining the Big Ten.
But he had something interesting to say about a certain person the Cavaliers were not able to sign this off-season. And no he's not taking his talents to South Beach. Tom Izzo is staying at Michigan State, but Joe talked about how the dollar signs are affecting coach's loyalty.
Q: You've always had great respect for Bobby Bowden. His situation and your situation appear to be so unique. Do you think we'll ever see any more coaches staying at one university for 20, 25 years?Joe Pa's Best
A: It doesn't look that way. With the kind of money they're paying some guys they have two good years and they're up to 2 or 3 million bucks (a year). They're moving around because people are offering them more money.
Take a guy like (Michigan State basketball coach) Tom Izzo, a guy who I admire and respect. I think he's a great coach. I never thought he would even talk to the pros. I understand even he's talking to some people (Izzo turned down the Cleveland Cavaliers in June).
It's the money and maybe the challenge. I don't know why they're moving around.
I keep telling guys: "If you have a good job stick around and make it happen. Make your institution better."
You see people getting fired who have done a good job. You have a couple good years and all of a sudden someone else comes around with a little better deal and you start thinking, "If I stick around here, they're going to fire me in two years, anyway; I might as well move."
So we're 44 days away until Penn State takes on Youngstown State (yours truly has the call on Comradio *shameless plug*) which means the first in Nittany White Out's "44 for 44" series, ranking the top 44 players to play for Joe. Counting up rather than down, they start with number one and none other than the Heisman Trophy winner himself, John Cappelletti.
"For a program with as much history as Penn State, it still comes as a surprise that just one Nittany Lion has earned the greatest honor in the college football world. But that man, who epitomizes all that is great about Dear Old State, stands on his own."
Just Saying...
Remember the last time a PSU quarterback was up for the Johnny Unitas Award? Certainly there won't be one this year. But Pat Devlin is the ONLY FCS player on the list. Oh how different this year could have been...
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Hard to take seriously a writer who doesn't know the difference between "their" and "they're."
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