JoPoz does JoePa article in this week's SI
Done by the incomparable Joe Posnanski. Wonderful. If half the sports writers had one ounce of the talent of this guy, we'd be living in a golden age of journalism.
about 1 month ago
Cairo
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Awesome read...
Some really great insight there. I didn’t start until 2001 so I wasn’t aware of the Adam Talifero thing until he led the team out for the OSU game. But I had no idea how much that injury impacted Joe, but it makes sense thinking about what happened the next few years…
2003 was terrible, there’s not much more I can say about that. But the 2004 Wisconsin game really stuck out in my mind. I remember watching it with my then girlfriend and we we’re just astonished to see how many things had gone wrong. Mills injured. MRob with the concussion..a team prided on its defense that just couldn’t stop the run. It was awful. Then for Joe to hear that his son in law was seriously injured in an accident…it must have been ridiculous for him to handle all that. We know how Joe feels about the well-being of his players and to lose two outstanding guys like that and then have your son injured…well you get my point.
It makes 2005 that much more special. He’s never going to change, but someone who can will their way through the darkest moments of life can truly do anything.
by Artiefufkin10 on Oct 20, 2009 11:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
It was before the Miami game
that Adam led the team out of the tunnel.
The stadium was electric, team was fired up… and then Ken Dorsey and his ridiculously good squad full of future NFL studs promptly pushed a sharp needle into our balloon…
by jtw126 on Oct 21, 2009 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
how could I forget? that was my first game...
thanks for helping me relive that.
by Artiefufkin10 on Oct 21, 2009 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Required Reading For All BSD Members
Its worth setting aside 20 minutes to truly wrap your mind around the fact that this man is still alive, and you can still go see him.
"This is how I chill, ma'am"
by jacum2 on Oct 20, 2009 11:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
^ THIS!
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
by BlueWhiteLife on Oct 21, 2009 1:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wow!
What a fantastic read. Thank you!
by SurfingLion on Oct 21, 2009 12:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I vote for a bump to the main page.
We are gonna shock them with 5,000 mega watts of raw ROO POWER.
by psuwxman on Oct 21, 2009 12:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
^ and THAT!
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
by BlueWhiteLife on Oct 21, 2009 1:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Outstanding!
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
Vince Lombardi
by PaJoe on Oct 21, 2009 8:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Amazing read
Always crazy to think what this program and school would be like had he left for New England.
by Lion Eyes on Oct 21, 2009 11:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Cocciuto come un mulo
Wow, so many gems, from both Joes.
That is how you put an original twist on the JoePa is old saw!
Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey, played his first season in the NHL in 1946. Joe is older than Mr. Hockey. Arnold Palmer won his first Masters more than 50 years ago, back when the whole idea of golf on television seemed ludicrous. Joe is older than Arnold Palmer. Here’s another one: David Bell played 12 years in the major leagues and retired in 2006. His father, Buddy Bell, played in the bigs 18 seasons. His father, Gus Bell, played in the majors for 15 seasons and retired 45 years ago. Joe was born before Gus Bell. Joe was born before Shirley Temple, before Andy Warhol, before James Dean, before Buddy Holly, before Mikhail Gorbachev. People celebrate Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon 40 years ago; Joe is older than Neil Armstrong. People commemorate Martin Luther King Day; Joe was born before Martin Luther King Jr. Elvis impersonators still haunt the Vegas strip; Joe was born before the King of Rock and Roll.
And I never heard this story before; who does this?:
After they had seen each other for a while, he bought her a copy of Albert Camus’s The Stranger. He asked her to write a paper about it. He also read the novel and wrote a paper about it. Then they compared the papers—and he saw their worlds were aligned.
"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69
by jtothep on Oct 21, 2009 11:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
My ex-roommate
My ex-roommate from my first apartment after college had a girlfriend that, for their anniversary, wrote him a paper about Indiana basketball (he is an alum). With citations and a bibliography.
He should’ve gotten an Oscar for the way he accepted that garbage.
Luring recruits with my new "Posting HD" scheme since '08.
by 06Lion on Oct 21, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
hmm, my ex girlfriend
if she wrote a paper like that about JoePa (or even just PSU football) that probably would have helped things along a bit. Instead she just dismissed it all as “a stupid game” and got bitter and started fights whenever I watched/went to games. But if she had written a paper, she might have showed that she was willing to take interest in something I was interested in, and then perhaps read enough to learn why I was interested in JoePa so much.
by The JuggerNitt on Oct 21, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So you're single now?
"Want a donut go to dunkin donuts, want a linebacker go to Penn State."
- Cris Carter, NFL Draft, 4/25/09
by kmblue on Oct 21, 2009 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
^^^Go, JNitt, go! ^^^
Do you even know how money you are?
"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69
by jtothep on Oct 22, 2009 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wow, ex-girlfriend just got PWNED
I don’t know if I’d be able to tolerate someone like that for very long.
by dawsonPSU10 on Oct 22, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I bet the number of coaches who have read and read Camus...
is really, really small. This article not only explains Paterno, but explains why people, like me, who did not attend PSU, are fans.
Never mistake effort for achievement.
by Esteban d' Amur on Oct 21, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
To be fair
I’ve read Camus – I can’t blame coaches (or most people in general, for that matter) for not wanting to read it.
"In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
by IcersGuy on Oct 21, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well Camus can do...
but Satre, is smarter….
Someday quoting the Simpsons and Fletch will be the equivalent of quoting Hamlet. And on that day, I’ll finally be respected.
Beat Michigan.
by jesse. on Oct 21, 2009 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
That day is today.
Never mistake effort for achievement.
by Esteban d' Amur on Oct 21, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Expand my brain magic learning juice!"
Just thought that I’d throw out one of my favorites.
Also,
“Alcohol is the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems.”
Black Shoes. Basic Blues. No Name. All Game.
"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth."
by Roland86 on Oct 21, 2009 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's been St. Patrick's Day for hours and I'm still not drunk yet!
It’s never going to be nine o’clock.
"I thought the kid we were using had the potential to be a good quarterback, and I blew that one." - Joseph V. Paterno
by leeharvey418 on Oct 22, 2009 7:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
SAVE ME JEBUS!
Black Shoes. Basic Blues. No Name. All Game.
"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth."
by Roland86 on Oct 22, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think many coaches read anything other than playbooks...
True, Camus can be a bit much to digest.
Never mistake effort for achievement.
by Esteban d' Amur on Oct 21, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is that similar to the sign
at Iowa Gameday that said “Tebow hurt his arm doing the Stranger”?
One man doing the work of 100's for the good of 1000's
by rahpsu92 on Oct 21, 2009 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Stranger is one of my favorite books I've ever read
It’s very strange and very deep and philosophical, but I found some sort of connection to it, and loved it ever since.
by dawsonPSU10 on Oct 22, 2009 1:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That is a very good one, but someone needed to give
Camus a hug.
Never mistake effort for achievement.
by Esteban d' Amur on Oct 22, 2009 7:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wow
Before the season he was talking with one of his best players, and the player said, “You know what your problem is? You don’t relate to us.”
“Is that right?” Joe answered. “That’s not a problem. But you’ve got a problem. You don’t relate to me. And that’s a big problem.”
I sure think my life has few fewer problems after learning how to relate to Joe Paterno.
"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69
by jtothep on Oct 21, 2009 11:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Wow
heck, I needed a good cry anyway.
Lucky gun, fake fifth, 8XY bitch
Daryll Clark, The Penn State Football Story Is...
by letsgopsu on Oct 21, 2009 12:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I stlil dont know what Beemans gum is....
I know a lot more than they know. I'm going to do what I believe is in the kid's best interest. That's what this whole thing is about.-Joe Paterno
by JoePaPa on Oct 21, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He plays a great game....
with the media with his out of touch schtick. The truth
Nobody needs to know that during the off-season Joe called all his coaches together for their usual meeting.
And, first thing, he said, “Gentlemen, we need to start Twittering.”
One man doing the work of 100's for the good of 1000's
by rahpsu92 on Oct 21, 2009 1:53 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, he’d suckered me in with the whole “I like blueberries” thing. As soon as I read the “Facemask” line, I burst out laughing because I realized that I’d been played.
Well done, sir. Well done.
by esteele on Oct 21, 2009 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Awesome read
and worthy of a sugnature change
"Every player we have, someone—maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone—poured their life and soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world." - Joe Paterno
by Horse N Buggy on Oct 21, 2009 2:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
A Zugnature change?
Deus nobiscum, quis contra?
by chocochuck02 on Oct 21, 2009 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Excelent signature
Is it bad that I got a little choked up when I read that in the story? I don’t even have kids.
Zug be with you.
And also with you.
by NewJackCity on Oct 22, 2009 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nothing wrong with that.
It’s a incredibly well written and touching story of an absolutely incredible man who we should all aspire to be like.
by dawsonPSU10 on Oct 22, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And people wanted to get rid of JoePa?
Shame on them.
One of the best reads I’ve ever seen on Joe. Loved the stats on who he’s older than!
by Tailgate Shogun on Oct 21, 2009 5:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Who would have thought
That some one could actually make the “JoePA is OLD OMG!” thing interesting.
Black Shoes. Basic Blues. No Name. All Game.
"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth."
by Roland86 on Oct 21, 2009 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
not gonna lie...
…i teared up a bit. it was a fantastic read.
"They say in Happy Valley that if God wasn’t a Penn State fan, why is the sky blue and white?" Fortt said. "Who am I to argue with God?"
by amandakt on Oct 22, 2009 12:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
incredible article
Joe Pa is pure class.
We are not normal...WE are Legends...We are PENN STATE!
by hawaiipennstatefan on Oct 22, 2009 5:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
A good friend of mine from KC forwarded it to me
because he thought me and Mike might like it (as if we wouldn’t have already read it) AND because he happens to be personal friends with Joe Posnanski. Now THAT is cool.
by PSUWifey on Oct 23, 2009 9:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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