Something may be very wrong with Joe-Pa....

BeerBaron · 07-09-2010, 12:04 AM

Before I start, I just want to let you know that I don't want to come off as some sort of monger-er of rumors, but as a veteran poster here, I just want to pass along some inside information I've learned recently about Joe Paterno's (possibly) ailing health.

As some of you might know, I live and work in State College, PA....about a 10 minute walk from campus....and I was recently speaking (just earlier tonight actually) with a friend of my uncle's who works for the police department here...some kind of administrative role iirc.

He told us that the police department has been put on guard in case Paterno were to pass away in the very near future.

Within the last month or so, Joe Pa has been canceling appearances at a number of events in which he was scheduled to speak or be at it, including a number of alumni functions that he has always attended in the past. He was also supposed to speak at or have something to do with an event that took place when Nebraska entered the Big 10 and didn't....something that made a lot of people start to question what was really going on with him since that was something he never would have missed. The reasoning coming out of the university is that he is suffering from either the flu or some sort of lung condition or "an adverse reaction to dental anesthetics".... This I have a link for:

http://blog.pennlive.com/pasports/20...ow_health.html

But this guy in the police department was telling us that Joe-Pa actually suffered a stroke, and that the Penn State media has been keeping it on the downlow.

So, you may be asking something like "Why do the police need to know this? Why keep it on the DL?" Well, State College isn't exactly a huge city....it's not super small by any stretch of the imagination, but this police administrator I was talking to said that there's a fear within the university and department that if Joe Pa were to suddenly pass away, there could be a flood of over 1 million people into town for his services and to mourn and what not...and he explained the estimation too. On game days, the town usually gets around 200,000 or so people coming in. Over 100,000 in the stadium plus countless more tailgating around it and watching it from various places within the town. Add in the hundreds of thousands of other fans, alumni, past players, rival coaches/players, NCAA folks....it could easily be an overload to the city.

Also, the local hospital has been put on standby. My police source said that when Paterno was in the hospital last for a minor surgery (on his leg or something...) over a dozen staff members looked into his medical file just to check out his history and some leaked it...leading to several people being fired for a violation of the hippo.

So the hospital and police department are buckled down in case something bad were to happen in the near future....

This isn't like, verified info that I'm taking from a major media source, but I know this guy, I know his job, and I don't have any reason to disbelieve what he said.

I just wanted to pass along this info to you guys here. Hopefully this turns out to just be precautionary and Joe-Pa is on the sidelines ready to go this season. But if not...you now know why that may be earlier than most of the rest of the world.

dannyz · 07-09-2010, 12:06 AM

Who would they get to replace him.

BeerBaron · 07-09-2010, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannyz

Who would they get to replace him.

Well, right now they'd almost certainly promote someone within the staff since it's so close to the season.

Long term...I have no idea. It all depends on how everything would shake out.

brat316 · 07-09-2010, 12:21 AM

Thats crazy 1 million people. That campus would be crowded and traffic would sucks balls and parking ohh man.

BeerBaron · 07-09-2010, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhaarat316

Thats crazy 1 million people. That campus would be crowded and traffic would sucks balls and parking ohh man.

Campus is crowded and traffic sucks balls anytime the students are here anyway.....downtown is impossible to drive in. Game days are 150x worse......and if he died and that many people showed up....good god man.

We'd need the police departments from every town and city within 100 miles called in just to keep order. Hotels would be booked everywhere within 5 hours.

There's legitimate concern within the police department over this...it's kind of scary.

JHL6719 · 07-09-2010, 12:32 AM

I'm an ol' school college football guy... a life-long Bama guy and Bear Bryant disciple... some of the best games I've ever seen were between these two legends..... "The Goal Line Stand" in the '79 Sugar Bowl, etc...

I've always had nothing but the absolute UTMOST respect for Papa Joe, and the way he runs his program...coaches his players... and molds young men.

Paterno is the Last of the Mohicans, so to speak.... please, enjoy this great coach.... this great MAN while you still can.... I don't think we'll ever see another like him...

Hopefully, he'll pull through---- whatever this is.. and be back on the sidelines for more State College white-outs this fall....

When I think of college football.. the first thing I think of (other than The Bear) is Papa Joe... leading those white helmets... to me he's the face of college football... and what a terrific face it's been for 50 years....

Get well soon, coach.... we're all pullin' for you...

TACKLE · 07-09-2010, 02:13 AM

Wow! This is terrible. I really hope he pulls through.

Though I don't think it really surprises anyone that he might die before he retires.

RealityCheck · 07-09-2010, 11:09 AM

I don't want to be that guy, but... he should have been replaced ages ago.

FUNBUNCHER · 07-10-2010, 05:17 AM

LOL at the thread title!!

Yeah, something IS wrong with Joe Pa!!
He's an 83 year old HC!!!

A living legend, but the man has an ego that dwarfs Mike Jordan.

LizardState · 07-10-2010, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealityCheck

I don't want to be that guy, but... he should have been replaced ages ago.

Agree, but he has more clout than anyone in the whole state, who's going to make him retire if he doesn't want to?

Their much historied legendary program has had several incidents lately with off the field problems for some players, PSU fans have suggested his control hasn't been its usual self & the Nittany Lions have lost some of thier sterling reputation.

That's why I said in the 10 most hated teams thread he should look at what happened with Bobby Bowden forced out at Fla. St. -- I'll stick with that comment, that he should step down now while he's on top & go out a winner & living legend. Sports college & pro is full of stories of legendary HCs who hung on too long: Tom Landry, Johnny Vaught, Adolph Rupp, now Bowden. I would hate to see that happen to JoePa, who is the best living recruiter in college FB history (yes, even better than Mack Brown, Saban, Meyer, et. al).

Quote:

I'm an ol' school college football guy... a life-long Bama guy and Bear Bryant disciple... some of the best games I've ever seen were between these two legends.....

Me too old school college FB guy. If the stroke story & being close to death is true then his career could strangely parallel that of Bear Bryant, he hung on too long as well but then again they named the award for best college FB coach every yr. after him, who was going to force him to go if he didn't want to? Bryant only lived like ~ 2 mos. after he retired in '83.

PSU plays Alabama in Bryant-Denny Stadium this Sept. 11th. If JoePa isn't on the sidelines it will be a big disappointment, but not at the expense of his health. Again, if true he should retire. I know he wants to hold that job until he dies but that's just so much bombast, it's just not worth it.

HindSight · 07-12-2010, 08:10 AM

Oh no. Who will intentionally mispronounce the latest technology in press conferences now?

etk · 07-12-2010, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUNBUNCHER

LOL at the thread title!!

Yeah, something IS wrong with Joe Pa!!
He's an 83 year old HC!!!

A living legend, but the man has an ego that dwarfs Mike Jordan.

The reason he's still coaching is because football is his love and passion and he would be lost if he wasn't coaching. He's afraid that he'll die if he stops coaching.

My dad went to a PSU coaching clinic pretty recently and JoePa was very healthy then, so I don't believe this rumor.

Philliez01 · 07-12-2010, 10:02 PM

I wouldn't be shocked if the PD was on standby but from what I heard on local news, he's having "intestinal issues" but will be back in team activities soon. He's still a good coach, and while the off-field issues were bad, he's still great for the University and recruiting. Maybe not the best coach for football but still.

HindSight · 07-13-2010, 07:54 AM

He's still a good coach? He hasn't coached for years.

Philliez01 · 07-13-2010, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HindSight

He's still a good coach? He hasn't coached for years.

I said maybe not the best for football but as a tool/prop (terrible use of words I know, maybe figurehead is better) he is still great for the University.

HindSight · 07-13-2010, 02:56 PM

You also said "he's still a good coach." That's a hard thing to prove since he hasn't coached.....probably since 04.

yourfavestoner · 07-13-2010, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HindSight

Oh no. Who will intentionally mispronounce the latest technology in press conferences now?

I know this is a serious thread, but this thread actually made me laugh out loud at the office right now.

Sniper · 07-13-2010, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HindSight

You also said "he's still a good coach." That's a hard thing to prove since he hasn't coached.....probably since 04.

You're being generous. Probably the first time (and make it the last! :)) time that you've ever been generous to Penn State.

Philliez01 · 07-13-2010, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HindSight

You also said "he's still a good coach." That's a hard thing to prove since he hasn't coached.....probably since 04.

I know I said that. He's a good head coach in what he brings to the University. That's what I meant in my original post as I clarified later in the post that he's not for football only. As a figurehead "head coach" he's good. Xs and Os and all of the other actual football-related, on the field, stuff he hasn't done anything even before his injury a few years back.

He's simply a good reason to recruit, rile up the student section during rallies, a mythical type of person in terms of longevity and still synonymous with PSU football. It's the same thing Harry Kalas was to the Phillies baseball. As he aged, he wasn't too sharp with his broadcasting but you really can't let him go. He was still a good "broadcaster" in the sense of the title and existing in such capacity.

cdmPSU17 · 07-13-2010, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeerBaron

Also, the local hospital has been put on standby. My police source said that when Paterno was in the hospital last for a minor surgery (on his leg or something...) over a dozen staff members looked into his medical file just to check out his history and some leaked it...leading to several people being fired for a violation of the hippo.

Haha. Pretty sure its HIPAA. And god I hope this is untrue.

/at least until school starts. I wanna be there for the ensuing 2-week wake.

HindSight · 07-14-2010, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philliez01

I know I said that. He's a good head coach in what he brings to the University. That's what I meant in my original post as I clarified later in the post that he's not for football only. As a figurehead "head coach" he's good. Xs and Os and all of the other actual football-related, on the field, stuff he hasn't done anything even before his injury a few years back.

He's simply a good reason to recruit, rile up the student section during rallies, a mythical type of person in terms of longevity and still synonymous with PSU football. It's the same thing Harry Kalas was to the Phillies baseball. As he aged, he wasn't too sharp with his broadcasting but you really can't let him go. He was still a good "broadcaster" in the sense of the title and existing in such capacity.

That's not a coach. That's a mascot.