I heard from a very reliable source (for the sake of this post we will call him/her Deep Throat) that JOEPA HAS HIP SURGERY SCHEDULED FOR THIS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH.

You may have heard the rumors that his wife has asked the family to come into town for this weekends game because he is going to retire.  It is true that she has asked the family to come into town, but not for a retirement, but because he will have the surgery.

He feels that if he has it done immediately, he will have almost six full weeks to recover before the bowl game, and then he plans on hitting the recruiting trail pretty hard.

As for Joe retiring after this season, my source says that there is 0% chance that he will unless something goes radically wrong with his surgery/health.  He plans to coach at least 2 more years, and apparently after the season that they have had Graham Spanier has given up trying to force him out and will allow him to coach until he is ready to step down.

So the story is Joe Won't Go.......and I am so happy about it!!!!!

 

Obama, McCain on what to change in sports

Presidential candidates talk to "Monday Night Football" on eve of election The Associated Press updated 8:01 p.m. ET, Mon., Nov. 3, 2008

WASHINGTON - Democrat Barack Obama tells ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” it’s time for college football to pick a champion with a playoff system while Republican John McCain wants to put an end to performance-enhancing substances.

On the eve of the election, the two presidential candidates were interviewed via satellite by ESPN’s Chris Berman. The taped interviews were to air during halftime of game between the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Both candidates were asked to name one thing they would change in sports.

“I think it is about time that we had playoffs in college football. I’m fed up with these computer rankings and this and that and the other. Get eight teams — the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a National Champion,” Obama said.

College football uses a Bowl Championship Series system, commonly known as BCS, that is based on computer rankings.

McCain said he would “take significant action to prevent the spread and use of performance-enhancing substances. I think it’s a game we’re going to be in for a long time. What I mean by that is there is somebody in a laboratory right now trying to develop some type of substance that can’t be detected and we’ve got to stay ahead of it. It’s not good for the athletes. It’s not good for the sports. It’s very bad for those who don’t do it, and I think it can attack the very integrity of all sports going all the way down to high school.”

Not lost on the candidates, who have spent millions on campaign advertising, is the ratings for Monday Night Football. ESPN said this year’s Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys telecast on Sept. 15 attracted cable’s largest audience ever — 13 million homes and 18.6 million viewers.

Obama had another sports encounter Monday when he recognized a familiar face while stopping by a local campaign office in Charlotte, N.C.

“It’s M.L. Carr!” Obama exclaimed, clearly excited to spot the former Boston Celtics’ star.

“The next president, the next president,” said Carr, who lives in Boston but said he was in Charlotte for a visit and heard about Obama’s stop.

 

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

URL: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27524802/

 

"I think I am going to have to have something done, but I'm going to find out what (the doctors) think has to be done and, maybe, get it done as soon as the season is over so I can get on the road and go out and recruit," said Paterno, who will turn 82 before this season concludes.

Does that sound like a plan for somebody who is planning to step down? Paterno's current contract expires after the final game of this, his 43rd season as the head coach in Happy Valley. But when asked about the 2009 campaign, he responded, "Have I ever said I wasn't coming back?"

See full article:

http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2008/10/29/sports/local/srv0000003913764.txt

I swear, someday, I hope a very long time from now, when they are throwing the dirt on to JoePa's casket, he will be throwing it back!!!!

JoePa.....Terno!!!!!   JoePa.....Terno!!!!!    JoePa.....Terno!!!!!

 

Walters: Is Penn State best at midseason?

Our midseason awards: Ohio State-USC has been worst game of season MIDSEASON AWARDS By John Walters updated 1:31 p.m. ET, Sun., Oct. 12, 2008

 

Even Arena Football League baron Jon Bon Jovi would admit that the 2008 college football season is living up to expectations. As we hit the midseason mark, we present awards and recall our favorite moments. Who says you can’t go back?

Who’s No. 1? Penn State
Who else is 7-0? Only two other teams (Utah and Ball State). Who else is ranked in the top ten in both scoring offense and scoring defense? Nobody! Who else has the all-time wins leader in FBS history as its coach? Nobody!

It may be true that the Nittany Lions lack an attention-grabbing rivalry a la Michigan-Ohio State or Oklahoma-Texas (psst, JoePa: there’s a school in Pittsburgh — I can’t quite recall the name — that may be interested in renewing one), but they routed Wisconsin in Madison, 48-7, and pistol-whipped Oregon State, who would later upset USC, by 31. This decal-deficient team has offensive playmakers galore in quarterback Daryll Clark, tailback Evan Royster, and wideouts Deon Butler and Derrick Williams. The defense has been stifling despite the season-long absence of its heart and soul, linebacker Sean Lee, due to injury.

Picture this: The Nittany Lions win the national championship. Coach Paterno, 82 years old and 59 seasons in at Penn State as an assistant or head coach, enters the office of the athletic director. “So about that contract extension …”

 

Full article at:

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27149214/

 

 

This was found on the U. of Michigan Maize n Brew    website.  Someone should have told them that you   shouldn't F _ _ k with the Lion.  Oh, now its on..........

Penn State University
Traditional Mascot: The Nittany Lion

Worst Mascot Ever

State fans: I took a lot of heat for this when it first went up, I'm mocking the physical costume here. I'm aware of Mt. Nittan, history, etc. The mascot in its current form blows. No one will ever convince me that this is a mascot you can be proud of. Is it a bear, a cat, a rabid monkey? Who knows. The Penn State mascot is the stupidest looking mascot in the Big Ten, and possibly all of college sports. I have nothing against Penn State, their team, their students, but their team mascot, to borrow from Nathan, absolutely sucks. On top of that, being a lion would imply having teeth. Including last year, Penn State has posted just two winning seasons in their last six years. Much like Michigan's steady decline to the rest of the pack, several recent losing seasons make it safe to say no one fears Penn State the way they used to. While the magic isn't entirely back, Penn State showed some fangs rallying to last year's 12-1 record. So long as Paterno has a fresh set of human brains to consume before sunrise every day this will be a competitive team. Still, the luster has faded to the point where a lion just doesn't fit the bill anymore.

PSU was a tough team to re-mascot because all the Grandpa Simpson and zombie joke have already been used. You can compare PSU to United Airlines, Cadillac, and Cigarettes pretty easily as all are American icons of a bygone era that will never go away, but certainly aren't as cool as they used to be. What do you call a program steeped in tradition but a gradually fading image and prognosis? I'll tell you what you call it:

Modern Team Mascot: Buford T. Justice


Madder than hell. Older than dirt. Living in a world that passed him by. Once the King, now forced to chase punks in their fancy horseless carriages or the rest of the Big Ten. Ever since joining the Big Ten, it seems like PSU's always chasing the Bandit or everyone else to the top of the Conference. Invariably, when they finally catch the Bandit something goes wrong and he, or their season, gets away. It doesn't matter, he'll stay west bound and down and tail grabbin your ass as long as there's a pulse beating under his badge.

Well. That's it. Administration officials, you are welcome to adopt any of these suggestions as your new mascot. If you've got some better mascots, I'd love to hear them.