Posted on 08/29/2004 8:17:33 AM PDT by FlJoePa
The Lion in Late, Late Autumn By PAT JORDAN
Published: August 29, 2004
Zack Mills, a 22-year-old quarterback at Penn State University, and Graham Spanier, the elegantly dressed 56-year-old president of the school, are separated by a generation, but both are equally amazed by the youthful vigor of someone who is from another generation altogether, Joseph Vincent Paterno, Penn State's 77-year-old football coach. Mills says that Paterno can still drop to the floor and perform 20 push-ups and that the coach often takes part in drills with his linemen that result in a bloody nose. ''Nobody tries to hit him,'' Mills says. ''But accidents happen. It's funny to see a man his age running around like a kid.'' Paterno isn't trying to be funny. ''I'm young physically, so I can horse around in practice,'' he says.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Either way, you're still the best ever Joe. Go git' em!
Joe is one of the wonders of American sports. And a solid W guy, too. I love the man, but I do not think he will restore Penn State to its former status as a football power. And I'm a Nittany Lion too. But win or lose, he's the man.
What happened to the rest of Penn State. Most of the threads I see about it talk about political correctness run amock on that campus.
While I haven't attended classes there since the late 90's, I still would think that PSU is more conservative than most Universities.
Obviously, the fringe takes over and garners all the press. All the while, the real kids just go about their studies, their frat parties, trips to the skeller, etc.
I've been reading that same article for the past 20 years. Can't somebody tell me something new about JoePa? They even mention Peachy Paterno, sheesh!
Isn't it great?!
I'm afraid you're right. Back when I was there, in the early 70s, Penn State, though hardly conservative, wasn't nearly as liberal as other comparable schools. I remember Ralph Nader speaking on campus and complaining about that very fact. There was a large common-sense contingent, backed by alumni donors who tended to be conservative. Of course there is an unlimited supply of leftist academics to corrode universities everywhere, and they made their way to Happy Valley to make it just one more bastion of divorced-from-reality leftism.
Should have included this quote, though the trivia is fun.
"Our dearly departed friend bought a tabletop in 1991 for $1.00, proclaiming "I believe that the tables at "the Rathskeller" are wonderful pop-art iconic wood-sculpture which express the consciousness for the Pennsylvanians who have celebrated the ancient cermonies in your temple."
Ah, the eternal Skeller. Don't suppose they'd ever make a game about McLanahan's (if that's even still there.)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.