Use The Bully Pulpit

by BSD on Mar 26, 2008 1:55 PM EDT in Football

Another day, another article about Joe Paterno's contract status. This one from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette which has been pressing this issue on almost a daily basis.

This column long has been of the opinion Joe Paterno had the right to end his career as football coach at Penn State how and when he wanted. Certainly, Paterno was owed that much by the university. Whatever Penn State has done for Paterno, he has done 10 times that for Penn State.

This was a concept on which most people, even many of his detractors, agreed. But as the years go by -- Paterno is 81 -- this one-time simple equation becomes complex. Paterno, in the final year of his latest contract, is on the verge of overstaying his welcome. By all accounts, the university wants him to come to some decision about when he will retire. It's a fair request, considering his age, but one, as near as can be determined, Paterno wants no part of doing.

Blah blah blah Paterno wants to coach forever. Blah blah blah Tom Bradley waiting in the wings. Blah blah blah Spanier blah national search. Blah blah players suspended blah. These articles all read the same, and they are coming out on a daily basis not just from the PPG. The list goes on and on and on and on and on and...well, you get the picture.

In a sense I can't say I blame these reporters. As a guy who has personally committed to putting out new material on a daily basis for fun, there is absolutely nothing to write about when it comes to Penn State football right now. Joe Paterno hasn't spoken to the media since the Alamo Bowl. Signing day came and went without a press conference. Spring practice kicked off without a press conference. Players have been arrested and suspended. No press conferences. Sports Information Director Jeff Nelson is our only window of communication into the program, and whenever he is asked a question he answers, "This is the first time I've heard about it." Thanks, Jeff.

Joe Paterno is bringing this all on himself in many ways. We have nothing else to talk about, so Joe's future is all we have. David Jones is out there talking to "anonymous" BOT members trying to dig up a story for goodness sakes. It's easy for me to say that if Joe were smart, he would take over the pulpit and change the subject. That's what good politicians do. Have a press conference with the media and drop a simple line like you're thinking about renewing the Pitt series again. Watch the Pittsburgh media jump on it. Tell them you think Daryll Clark is better than Michael Robinson, and before they can start putting pen to paper tell them Pat Devlin looks better than Todd Blackledge. Force the issue and change the subject.

But Joe doesn't want to take on the bully pulpit for some reason. And if there is one thing we've learned about Joe Paterno, it's that he has a reason for everything he says. The man never misspeaks. Every word the former Brown University English major says has a purpose. So you can assume that even in his silence Joe is trying to make a point. What it is I don't know, but I do know that so far this is the most bizarre offseason I've ever experienced in my years following this program.

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Comments

Excellent analysis

My hunch is Paterno is ready to go, but wants to be able to do it on his own terms. My feeling is that involves beating Spainer one more time and then stepping down after as little as one year into his new contract.

by WFY on Mar 26, 2008 3:00 PM EDT reply actions

Haha

Yea, that would be pretty much awesome. Who is Spanier to take on Joe?

God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...

by Adam Bittner on Mar 26, 2008 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions

The solution

I've long believed this is the best solution. Give Joe a three or four year extension and renew the contracts for the assistants with guaranteed money. Then let Joe retire after the 2008 season. Joe leaves on his terms, Spanier gets to invite the brightest football minds in the country to his office to talk football, and everyone is happy. There would be a slight bit of chaos for a few weeks while they went through the interviewing process, but things would settle down immediately after a new coach is named.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

Hail to the Lion!

by BSD on Mar 26, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions

The only problem I have with the extension

and then him retiring after this year anyway is that it makes him look like Dickweed Rodriguez, "Yeah, I'm gonna be here for life. Nope. Now I'm out the door." Sells our credibility, and Joe's, short by signing a contract he has no intention of honoring. I don't think a faux extension is the way to go. And what are next year's recruits supposed to do if they think JoePa is going to be the coach beyond 2008 because his contract is extended beyond then? I just wish Curley or Spanier had the nuts to address this. I'll tell you what, with them upping ticket prices (like they do every year, except this year it was $3.00 per ticket instead of $2.00 per) and donor levels to the Nittany Lion Club as well, and with people continuing to get pinched by gas prices, groceries going up, and inflation across the board, there are going to be a lot of people who are going to have to think twice about reaching into their wallets if we have another way-less-than-stellar recruiting class because of the uncertainty regarding the head coach. I mean, enough people are struggling with money and bills now. And I'm sure I'm going to get hounded for being a fair weather fan on this (I'm not saying my contributions will stop, but they will for a lot of people), but people love a winner: the return on investment is adequate if we're winning. If we're not getting the recruits, more than likely we won't win. And then who is going to donate that much money to watch us play .500 football or worse?

by Ab4PSU on Mar 26, 2008 3:44 PM EDT reply actions

I disagree

Lloyd Carr basically did the same thing. Nobody is looking back calling him an ass for it. If anything the Michigan faithful are glad he's gone and thrilled to have RichRod.

With RichRod leaving that's different because he said he was a WV man for life and then he left for another program. Joe is not going to go coach anywhere else. He's retiring, and nobody is going to look down on an 82 year old guy for retiring. Even if he does it on short notice. When you get to be that old you've earned the right to wake up one day and say "I don't want to do this anymore." And nobody blames you for quitting.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

Hail to the Lion!

by BSD on Mar 26, 2008 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, but

the difference between us now and Lloyd Carr was that while there was rampant speculation that last year would be Carr's last year, he never came out and said he wanted to continue to coach for 2 or 3 more years, which JoePa has stated. So who knows what is really going on. I guess the thing that's killing me is the uncertainty. If they want to resign Joe, do it: I'm okay with that. If not, then what are they planning next? Or do Spanier and Curley have their thumbs up their asses? I do think Joe does actually want to be done. With all the troubles off the field and the latest signing period and spring practice starting, you don't hear anything out of Joe. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Good or bad. Why do you think there is so much silence? That bothers me more than anything.

by Ab4PSU on Mar 26, 2008 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions

The Silence

I think from Joe's perspective he just doesn't want 2008 to be one huge farewell tour. He hates being the center of attention in that way with people fawning all over him.

I think the other part of it is that he wants to choose his successor like Rip Engle did in choosing him. I'm sure Spanier will include Joe in the process and value his input, but at the end of the day Spanier is going to go with the guy he wants and that probably bugs Joe a little bit.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

Hail to the Lion!

by BSD on Mar 26, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions

What's the difference between PSU and Utah?

We're both schools that have had one good football coach, and were successful while he was there. Of course we've had Paterno for more than forty years, but the concept is the same.

The old money programs, Michigan, Oklahoma, Nebraska, USC, Texas, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama, etc. all transitioned away from their first good coach and kept it going. Most of them did it eighty years ago, but all of them did it. Even when these teams are bad, you know they are going to be back, because they are programs, not a cult of personality devoted to one guy.

The last step in the evolution of Penn State football is going from Joe Paterno's team, to a team that Joe Paterno was the coach of. Alabama is bigger than the Bear, Notre Dame is bigger than Knute Rockne. It remains to be seen if Penn State is bigger than JoePa.

Joe Paterno's legacy, among other things, should be taking a middle of the road program, and turning it into a college football blue-blood. It's would be a tremendous achievement, but we're not there yet. We have to take the last step without him.

For the Glory National Champions 1982, 1986, 1994,

by jesse. on Mar 26, 2008 3:46 PM EDT reply actions

I guess what I'm try to say is

Is that for the old man's accomplishments to mean anything, your loyalty has to be to the program, not to the old man.

For the Glory National Champions 1982, 1986, 1994,

by jesse. on Mar 26, 2008 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions

VERY WELL SAID!!! EXCELLENT OBSERVATION!!!

by Ab4PSU on Mar 26, 2008 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Pittsburgh Media

I think its pretty obvious why Cook and Smizik have a sudden intrest in Penn State football.

The Panthers got bounced in the tournament, and neither would dare be critical of Pitt bball.
Pitt football sucks
They'll be beating the Pens and Pirates like a dead horse soon enough.
Covering WVU in the sweet 16 would incite riots on Grant St.

So what is there? Ahh, yes, fill this week of nothingness in between the fall of Pitt and the Pirates opener/Pens clinching of the Atlantic division with some good old fashoined PSU bashing.

God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...

by Adam Bittner on Mar 26, 2008 3:46 PM EDT reply actions

Here is how

it is going down

CAGE MATCH...no rules Spanier vs JOEPA winner take all and will reign over the land of University Park with an iron fist...loser obviously becomes the others "bitch" and must have the duty of cleaning up jaypa's messy diapers

by Lion Alum on Mar 26, 2008 3:59 PM EDT reply actions

No Contest

Even at 82 years old, Joe would go Chris Baker on his ass and tear him up.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

Hail to the Lion!

by BSD on Mar 26, 2008 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions

No Contest 2

Fifty bucks on JoePa

by nittnut on Mar 26, 2008 6:58 PM EDT reply actions

For God sake

give the man another 4 year contract. It eliminates all the uncertainty. Let him coach as long as he wants. He's got longevity in his genes and he can still get it done on and off the field. Spanier is clueless. He has no idea who he's messing with.

by Umberto on Mar 26, 2008 7:10 PM EDT reply actions

JoePa retirement

Don't be surprised if Joe pulls a Bobby Knight. That way he assures Tom Bradley the head coaching job mid-season with Jay moving up to Offensive Coordinator, Glen Hall retiring etc, etc. Of course it would require that the team has no shot at a National Championship. Oh, and Spanier gets outmaneuvered so he can't do his national search.

by bluebelldude on Mar 26, 2008 10:31 PM EDT reply actions

I agree

with the original post that the only thing to be reasonable certain of is that Joe's got a good reason for hitting the mute button.

Everybody has their favorite scenario for succession (I like naming Bradley as the next in line and then letting JoePa coach as long as he wants ala the Colts), but the fact is unless your last name is Paterno or Spanier, no one has any clue what's going on. Patience is a virtue.

by spakajewia on Mar 27, 2008 10:13 AM EDT reply actions