While enduring the Big Ten Network's "Friday Night Tailgate" tonight, something interesting presented itself. They showed a clip of Joe Paterno at his finest, hosting Penn State's Friday night pep rally. He wasted little time in picking at an old scab. After singling out members of his '68 and '69 teams in attendance, the massive chip on his shoulder made itself known. After telling the crowd that the players were "screwed" out of a championship, he had this to say:"We had kicked the devil out of a couple people in bowl games, and the President of the United States at that time went down into Texas with a Southern Strategy and announced that Texas was the national championship (boos).Keep in mind that particular President last held office in 1974 and has been dead more than a decade
I'm sitting in my house, the phone rings, it's the White House.
The President would like you come down and we're going to give you a trophy for the longest winning streak in the country. Oooohhhh nooo. Oooohhh nooo. I told them to shove it! And that's true!"
I imagine the tenacity to hold that kind of grudge for that long and make it so fresh in the telling before thousands of people is part of what keeps Joe Paterno doing the near-impossible job of running a major college football program in his advanced age. He's irritating on his good days and much worse on others, but it's impossible not to respect the tenacity and occasionally get a good laugh at some of the history he's been a part of.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-30-2008 @ 3:54AM
mike graber said...
How do you know Joe Paterno is still angry about that? Didn't you say that clip was really really old, maybe I am just missing something because I am incredibly sleep deprived, but I don't see what leads you to believe that he is still super pissed off about that.
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8-30-2008 @ 4:06AM
Brian said...
The clip is from Friday night's pep rally, it is very recent.
Anyone who watches it would find it unmistakably clear Paterno is still angry.
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8-30-2008 @ 7:11AM
Roger said...
Joe reminds me of a grumpy old fart that wants to be given the spotlight, respect and admiration for his past service and accomplishments, regardless of the current circumstances. You know, like "can't let it go" politicians like Carter and Clinton.
On the other hand, he's had a great career in football that should be respected and admired.
Recently, however, he has lost control of his players and should quit before he loses it all.
He probably is demanding he be burid in the center of the field at Happy Valley and they play around his 50 ft. high tombstone.
8-30-2008 @ 8:14AM
WFY said...
Anybody who reads this post will find it unmistakably clear that the blogger did not take five whole minutes to research the topic.
8-30-2008 @ 7:29AM
Greg said...
Joe Paterno... the world needs more Joe Paterno's. The reason why he is pissed off is the fact that he is close to 80 years old
and alot of people don't truly realize what he has done for college football and what football is and means to the people of Central Pennsylvania.
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8-30-2008 @ 7:43AM
Mike said...
It was actually Nixon who proclaimed Texas national champions in 1969 after they beat Arkansas.
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8-30-2008 @ 8:10AM
Midnight said...
Everything evens out...P St. should have lost to the mighty Hurricanes in Tempe but lucked into the victory....so stop whinning.Go Canes!
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8-30-2008 @ 2:14PM
JB said...
Midnight how did Penn State luck into victory at the Fiesta Bowl idiot? Vinney was throwing the pics to Penn State defenders there was nothing lucky about that. Where are your Canes goin to Midnight, jail?
8-30-2008 @ 8:19AM
ace1922mark said...
Joe is old, a coward, and no longer runs a clean program. As a Commonwealth of PA resident, he is an embarrasment. We was outed back in the early 80's when the Orange Bowl asked him to accept a bid based on beating Pitt, he wouldn't do it.
He also wouldn't put the Rose Bowl symbol on his uniforms because it wasn't in the tradition of Penn State's uni's. When Nike PAID to be on there, though, well that was OK. What a piece of trash...
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8-30-2008 @ 2:08PM
Bill said...
See, Paterno had an undefeated team, too. And they were actually better than Texas. But they didn't have Bowl matchups back then to settle things.
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8-30-2008 @ 8:56PM
gd said...
Coach for your own sake please retire before you really comprimise your rep. Nixon did not vote Texas #1 the AP and UPI did. I hate to tell you but both Texas and Arkansas were better in '69, substantially. Quit being a whining baby its a poor example that PSU fans emulate. Please leave after the season, your mind is really going.
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8-31-2008 @ 12:16AM
cover-up said...
To those of you not old enough to remember the 1969 season , let me fill you in . Texas and Arkansas were both undefeated in a VERY strong ( at that time).Southwest Conference . There match-up was the final game of their seasons . Penn State was also undefeated at that time , but they played one of the SOFTEST schedules in the nation . They were an Independent at that time , and every week , another sisters of the poor would bite the dust . It was similar to watching Hawaii this past year . Because of their records back then , Penn State would get a decent Bowl Game every year , and old Joe Pa would figure out a way to win his one big game of the year . Texas #1 , Beat Arkansas#2 - 15-14 in one of the best games ever played , then went on to beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl . It was Notre Dames first bowl game after the school allowed them to resume playing them .
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9-02-2008 @ 12:55AM
John said...
I graduated UT Austin and remember the 1969 game well with Arkansas and Joe Blow's big comment about how his team should be #1.
He will never let it go much like the people of Arkansas who still talk about that game like it was yesterday and how they really beat Texas.
Yes they ran up and down the field but in the final minutes, Arkansas could not hold the Texas offense of Street, Koy, and Burtlesen, not to mention the O-line that had 5 All Americans...some of the greatest to ever play at Texas. Ted Koy was 2 time All American and Street and Burtlesen were All SWC. Behind Koy in the lineup was the yet-to-be legendary Steve Worster.
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9-02-2008 @ 12:31PM
Cheesehawk said...
Penn State was honoring the '68 and '69 teams this weekend. Do you think it would make sense to have a story to fire up the crowd? Nah, he just has an axe to grind.
7 undefeated seasons, 2 mythical national championships, in central PA. have your team go undefeated 7 times, and be recognized only 2, and see if that doesn't get under your skin.
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9-02-2008 @ 7:24PM
dr said...
I read Joe Pa's autobiogaphy back in the late 80's or early 90's. In the book he states that PSU had the offer to play in the Cotton Bowl, and that because he and the team felt like there was no way Ohio State would lose that year (surprise! they did!)that the team rejected going to the Cotton Bowl after the 1969 season because they had been to the Orange Bowl the previous year and had enjoyed a great time in Miami.
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10-22-2008 @ 10:15AM
Stephen said...
It is certainly good that they enjoyed the good time in Miami. Too bad they did not choose to settle the issue on the field in Dallas on New Years Day of '70. To whine that they got screwed almost forty years later when THEY made the decision to not play in the Cotton Bowl strikes me as borderline moronic.