Joe Paterno: Simply the Greatest

January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
joe paterno greatest coach

On October 29, 2011, Joe Paterno led Penn State to a 10-7 victory over Illinois, making him the winningest coach in major college football history with his 409th win. After the win, the Nittany Lions were 8-1 and in first place in the Big Ten, but the joy in Happy Valley wouldn’t last long. The very next week, details of a scandal emerged, a scandal so large that it shook the foundations of college football to its very core and caused a sports icon to topple.

For 46 years, Joe Paterno led the Penn State football program with pure class and dignity. His “grand experiment,” which demanded that his players succeed not only on the field but in the classroom as well, helped make Penn State into one of the finest academic institutions in the United States. He built the Nittany Lion football program around the motto “Success with Honor,” and there’s no doubt that he was the perfect example of it. JoePa was a man that became something more — he was nothing short of an icon, and all of Happy Valley loved him. [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: jerry sandusky scandal, Joe Paterno, Penn State, sandusky scandal

Remember Joe Paterno For What He Was: A Legend and A Leader in the Game of College Football

January 23, 2012 By 1 Comment
joe-paterno

Yesterday featured two fantastic NFL games, but January 22, 2012 will be remembered as the day that the world of sports lost a legend.

Joe Paterno, arguably the greatest coach in sports history, passed away at the age of 85 from complications related to lung cancer.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: jerry sandusky, Joe Paterno, Penn State, penn state nittany lions

Penn State-Nebraska Preview: Point Spread, Analysis, Poll, and Prediction

November 10, 2011 By 1 Comment
beaver avenue penn state joe paterno

State College has been the focus of the sports world, but not for reasons they or anyone else wanted.

The scandal involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is still unfolding, detail after disgusting detail.  The case has been well documented, so I won’t go into the details here outside of their relevance to Saturday’s game.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Big Ten Football, CFB Tagged With: big ten game of the week, college football point spreads, jerry sandusky, Joe Paterno, nebraska cornhuskers football, Penn State Football, poll, prediction, preview

Mark Madden drops rumor that Sandusky’s Second Mile being investigated for “pimping out young boys to rich donors”

November 10, 2011 By 23 Comments
sandusky

Earlier this morning, Mark Madden dropped a bomb of a rumor about the Jerry Sandusky scandal that, if you can believe it, would make an already stomach turning and angering story 100x worse.

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Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: Joe Paterno, mark madden, Penn State, sandusky scandal

Joe Paterno: No longer college football’s “Immortal”

November 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
joe

After contributing what I think is an important question to the national dialogue about the Penn State scandal, and then relaying what I think is essential perspective from a close friend, I was all ready to go to bed.

Then I saw the front page of ESPN.com, and the spectacular juxtaposition of images jarred me to the point of one more post.

I’ll just let the screenshot below speak for itself before I comment:

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Filed Under: Viral Story Tagged With: espn, Joe Paterno, sandusky scandal

Perspective: “Having Been In Joe Paterno’s Shoes…”

November 10, 2011 By 3 Comments
joe-paterno

Editor’s note: I did not write what you will read in this post. What you will read below was written by my business partner and one of my closest and most respected friends, Derick Schaefer.

He emailed me the text below earlier tonight with the following preface:

“You know me. . . I’m always inspired to do the right thing. We do have site that can reach thousands of people. One connection can make a difference.  Personally, I don’t care about the Penn State circus. Rightfully so, those responsible will go to jail and those who didn’t do enough will see their careers ruined. However, since the attention is high, I do feel the right message could inspire others to do the right thing.”

What follows are Derick’s words, not mine.

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Filed Under: Spotlight Tagged With: derick schaefer, Joe Paterno

Should Penn State cancel or move Saturday’s game against Nebraska? (It bears asking again.)

November 9, 2011 By 21 Comments
penn-state-football-stadium-cancel-nebraska-game

Yesterday, I posted the following question: Should Penn State cancel or postpone this Saturday’s home game against Nebraska?

Tonight, in light of Joe Paterno’s firing and reports of unruly mobs in State College, I want to reiterate that question but with an important distinction: Should Penn State cancel or move Saturday’s game against Nebraska?

[Read more...]

Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: Joe Paterno, Penn State, sandusky scandal

Away From the Action Podcast: The Sandusky Scandal, the Fighting Sioux Nickname Controversy, and More

November 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Fighting Sioux

In this episode of the Away From the Action Podcast, I talk to Drew Lange about the Jerry Sandusky scandal and how much blame should fall on Joe Paterno, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux nickname controversy and recent actions taken by North Dakota’s governor and legislature, the BCS, the FCS playoff experience, and much more.

(And as usual, I find a way to bring up the Evansville Purple Aces.)

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Away From the Action, Podcast Tagged With: BCS, drew lange, fcs, Joe Paterno, north dakota, Penn State, sandusky scandal

Joe Paterno releases statement announcing retirement at season’s end, wish that he “had done more”

November 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The events continue to develop in State College, Pennsylvania.

Via @Ben_Jones88 and Michelle Steele, Joe Paterno has released the following statement:

[Read more...]

Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: Joe Paterno, sandusky scandal

Video: Penn State student addresses his peers and makes the point that many of them seem to be missing

November 9, 2011 By 1 Comment
penn-state-student

You and I and scores of other people who are thousands of miles removed from State College, Pennsylvania have spent the last 36 hours following and remarking on the evolving Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State. Multitudes of opinions are being offered, including here at MSF (some of which are spot on and relevant and others that probably miss the point.

In everything I personally have seen or read about this situation, and specifically regarding how Penn State students are handling it – an angle I am very interested in having once been a part of an emotional on-campus coach controversy roller coaster – nothing has been more compelling than this video of a Penn State student addressing his peers:

[Read more...]

Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: Joe Paterno, Penn State, sandusky scandal

Amazing Image: For Joe Paterno, it’s come to this…

November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
paterno

According to Ben Jones, the Penn State football reporter for BlackShoeDiaries.com, this was the scene outside of Joe Paterno’s house just a few minutes ago at 5:15 CT today.

For the man who was once college football’s most revered of legends, it has come to this.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: ben jones, Joe Paterno, sandusky scandal

Should Penn State cancel or postpone this Saturday’s home game against Nebraska? [Poll]

November 8, 2011 By 22 Comments
penn-state-football-stadium-cancel-nebraska-game

Let see preface this entire post by saying that I don’t know what my own answer is to the question I’m posing: should Penn State cancel or postpone this Saturday’s home game against Nebraska?

But I think it’s one job of the blogger to provide a forum for relevant discussions not being had elsewhere, and whether the answer is “yes” or “no” I certainly think this question is relevant.

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Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: jerry sandusky, jerry sandusky scandal, Joe Paterno, penn state university, penn state-nebraska

Football Preview: Penn State at Ohio State | Can Joe Paterno Buck Losing Trend

October 21, 2008 By 5 Comments
paterno-tressel

joe paterno jim tresselThe Big Ten game of the year will kickoff in Columbus at 8pm EST on Saturday, October 25.  It will be only the 8th night game (6-1) hosted in Ohio Stadium history.  The last night game was the loss to Vince Young’s Longhorns in 2005.

This time around Ohio State officials are hoping the faithful will wear all red for the themed “Scarlett Fever.” God knows the Penn State Nittany Lions have thrown the “White Out” at us enough times.

First place in the Big Ten is on the line as they are the only undefeated teams left. If Ohio State (7-1, 4-0) wins they could position themselves as the Big Ten champion which could mean a rematch against USC in the Rose Bowl. A Penn State (8-0, 4-0) win would put them on the inside track to their first BCS championship appearance.

Not that Joe Pa would even think about retiring after a BCS win since going off in style is, well, not his style. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: James Laurinaitis, Jim Tressel, Joe Paterno, Ohio State Football, Penn State Football

Joe Paterno – Penn State v Michigan Preview | Most Wins – College Football Coach

October 14, 2008 By 5 Comments
joepa-phoenix

(Photo Art by Midwest Sports Fans)

Coming into the 2008 college football season, Joe Paterno was one win behind Bobby Bowden (as of March 1, 2008 at the date of linking) on the all-time NCAA Division 1 college football coaching wins list. He was also at the center of a firestorm surrounding off-field issues with members of his Penn State Nittany Lions football team, as chronicled ESPN’s Outside the Lines. The controversy, combined with the Nittany Lions pedestrian 9-7 Big Ten record over the 2006 and 2007 seasons, led to whispers coming into the 2008 season that it might be time for Joe Paterno to step down.

You remember these whispers. They were the same ones that cropped up after the 2004 season when Paterno and the Nittany Lions were reeling after posting losing records in 4 out of 5 seasons, culminating with back-to-back 9th place finishes in a Big Ten conference not known for its depth of competition. But in 2005, the winning tradition was resurrected in Happy Valley as the Nittany Lions went 11-1 and finished 3rd in the nation after an Orange Bowl victory.

Once again, Joe Paterno has proven to be an immortal coaching phoenix. Joe Paterno, the Nittany Phoenix, has risen from the ashes once again to lead a Penn State team that currently sits at 7-0 (3-0) and ranked 3rd in the nation as they prepare to take on the hapless Michigan Wolverines in Happy Valley this weekend.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Big Ten, CFB, Joe Paterno, Michigan Wolverines, penn state nittany lions

Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable: Rivalries

August 11, 2008 By 2 Comments
Big Ten Bloggers

Big Ten Bloggers

by KVB

Often I read my college friend’s Off The Tracks Purdue blog and he has gotten the attention of the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable for his site on the Boilermakers. If I’m not mistaken he got slammed last year by readers for crossing the line in a rant about Notre Dame Football, but otherwise he’s a great writer and Notre Dame still sucks.Charlie Grimace

Soon maybe Midwest Sports Fans could have some writers in the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable (even though I got rejected by the MAC Conference Bloggers) but until then below I answered their preseason questions. Keep in mind I’m wearing a sweatervest with no pants right now….

1. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg recently ranked the top 5 rivalries in the Big Ten and there were some controversial results (Illinois v Ohio State as #3?). Clearly Ohio State vs. Michigan is the #1 rivalry in the Big Ten, but give me your next three. [Read more...]

Filed Under: CFB Tagged With: Big Ten football, Jim Tressel, Joe Paterno, Joe Tiller, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Football, Penn State, Purdue, Rich Rodriguez, Wisconsin Badgers