Joe Paterno: Icon

Now I've read two lovely obituaries to Joe Paterno's legacy at Penn State, we at the View From North America would like to have a go at talking about Joe Paterno.

Joe Paterno: You are an icon. And here's why.....

Beaver Stadium is NOT named after Joe Paterno. It damned well should be, but it's not. Heck, even the statue outside the stadium's not too pompous - unlike the ones outside Texas Stadium that are bigger-than-life size and on huge plinths.

A LIBRARY WING at Penn State IS named after Joe Paterno. After all, schoolwork comes first for Paterno, then football. His Paterno Libraries endowment raised $4m. He also sunk $250,000 of his own cash to expand the old one. He didn't ask for a wing name. He got it.
Can you imagine how much pride it must have given him when Adam Taliaferro passed the bar?

Joe Paterno loves his students - almost as much (it seems) as he loves his kids. He cried during the 2003 filming of "The Season", ESPN's behind-the-scenes look at the Nittany Lions' season of that year, and said: "I love the kids" (or something like that). Heck - that alone made me a Penn State fan. He believes that every one of his kids are "good kids" - even when they get arrested. I'm sure he believes that still about Chris Bell, who he threw off the team in 2008 after pulling a knife on a team-mate.

Joe Paterno's loyal. I'd hate to think how many jobs he's been offered over the years at big-time colleges and NFL teams. Sure, in the stormy times Penn State was the loyal one (particularly after the awful 2004 season), but JoePa was pretty good for the university, wasn't he? By the time he retires, he'll have won every single game as coach of the Nittany Lions. His close friend Bobby Bowden didn't do that. Nor will Nick Saban, Urban Meyer or Steve Spurrier.

Joe Paterno does a lot for people in times of trouble. Not a lot of people know this, but a bunch of investors charged in turning around the fortunes of a US Steel-less Pittsburgh turned to Paterno to help bring technology companies into town. He did so, and that, according to the guy we met, really helped Pittsburgh to be tech hub it is today.

Joe Paterno's an icon because he's 80-odd and he's still out there, and he's not going to leave quietly. People might not like the Penn State Nittany Lions, but they sure as hell like Joe Paterno. Alabama fans, remember to pull your pant legs up in September 2011 when you come to town - it's JoePa's house after all (thanks, Nike!).

Joe Paterno's turned a program around. You can argue that the Nittany Lions was a pretty poor football school when he took over, but we're talking recent history, people. After 2004, everyone said Paterno was "done for", and screamed words like "retirement"and "old people's home". But since 2005, Penn State's won two Big Ten Titles, had two one-loss seasons and hasn't missed a bowl game, going 4-1 in the process, including victory over two SEC schools (LSU and Tennessee).
 That's a big dose of "shut the hell up" for all you haters out there.

Speaking of "shut the hell up", Joe Paterno's even more iconic because he ruined Jimmy Johnson's day as the head coach of Miami in the National Championship Game in 1986. Everyone thought he'd lose that game. He shut the media- and Las Vegas - up that day. Also, anyone who ruined the day of THAT Miami team is fine by me.

Joe Paterno recruits players the old-fashioned way. A spaghetti meal and a 'hang out' with the coach is simple, and awesome (then again, you can imagine him 'doing a Ron Zook and plying people with text messages?). That's why there's not a history of recruiting violations at Penn State. He's a class act. Unlike some coaches/recruiters we could mention. He also treats them the old-fashioned way - what other coach makes their team clean up a stadium after a game because of their poor off-season behaviour?

Joe Paterno, we love you. You are an icon. You're the reason I'm a Penn State fan. Let's hope you won't retire too soon, eh?