Interesting Q&A w Coach Paterno (FWIW He Still Hates ND)
I was poking around and came across this recent interview with JoePa. It's a pretty good read and reminded me of many of the reasons he's unique and special besides his 44-year win-loss record.
And, oh yeah, he still does not want ND in the B10:
I think Notre Dame had a shot at it. I think there are some other schools that would be better, to me, for the whole situation. That would be a place like Rutgers, which would bring the New York-New Jersey television market into the Big Ten (Network). It also would help recruiting. Notre Dame would not be one of my top picks.
Joe Paterno, 7/25/2010
The best part about the above quote is that it's from his answer to a question about Nebraska joining the B10. The reporter never even mentions ND.
Part I:
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=236852
Part II:
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=238477
EDIT: I just saw they posted the second half of the interview and I added the link above. And now that I have read it, the priceless quotes are actually in Part II.
Mine says Michigan 38, Notre Dame 0
that day was glorious...
August 2nd, 2010 at 12:44 AM ^
I shouldn't even ask, they were both so glorious!
...find. Between Barry Alvarez's and JoePa's comments about expansion to the east, it's pretty clear expansion is not over, and the focus will be NYC.
In countless threads over the past several months we've seen significant skepticism about Rutgers and Syracuse and their relative (in)ability to deliver the NYC market (UConn won't cut it academically so don't go there). The MGoUser analysis has been interesting and enlightening, but soon we'll have insight into the Big Ten's analysis -- and that analysis will surely serve to confound many preconceived ideas about the value to the conference of various schools.
I agree with you on UConn, but I also actually question the logic of Rutgers. Unlike Nebraska, I would rarely if ever go out of my way to watch a Rutgers game unless they were playing UM and, frankly, UM v. Rutgers probably would be just another placeholder game to me rather than a game I truly looked forward to seeing. And maybe Rutgers looks like the best choice on paper due to its proximity to NYC, but there has to be something inherently flawed with any analysis that results in expanding the conference with placeholder games that even your own rabid fanbase has to make an effort to get excited about.
See, you say that, but there are a lot of Big Ten alumni on the East Coast who would be there.
August 1st, 2010 at 11:15 AM ^
I admit I am looking at this way too much from the perspective of someone who lives in the Midwest and can drive to all the home games and many of the away ones, but I still do not see the attraction of Rutgers. Wouldn't it be better for you (or UM alums living in the Northeast) for UM to do what ND has been doing and schedule some neutral site games at the Meadowlands or Yankee Stadium or even FedEx in Md or Lincoln Financial in Philly? For one thing, you probably would have access to more and better tickets. Navy is a respectable team and could be an occasional opponent. And although Army may not be a great football team anymore, it does have an aura of history and a "cool" factor you just don't get with Rutgers. It also would be fine to play Rutgers or UConn once in awhile as a non-conference tilt, but to add them to the B10 and have to play them every year, it just doesn't do anything for me. I do see your point, though, and I agree the B10 teams (including UM) need to find a way to play more games in the Northeast on a regular basis.
But if we really want to pick up the NYC area then we would have to get Adelphi Univiersity and Brandeis. It would have to be a bye week if Rosh Hashana falls on a Saturday though for the latter.
I like J. Paterno's saying about nosy boosters:
We want your money, but we don't want your two cents.
That's priceless.
Ha! That's what being a legend will do for you...
If RR is ever able to make a statement like that at UM and get away with it, you'll know he's been hugely successful here.
August 1st, 2010 at 10:10 AM ^
He must be friends with Yogi Berra
That's great. Next time I hear from my OSU fan/surgical tech brother in-law about some hot shot doctor that he works with who donates "big money" to the university that
A) Wants Rodriguez gone at the end of the season
B) Thinks Harbaugh is a better coach
C) Has "inside knowledge" that RR is in fact already done and Harbaugh will be the next coach
D) Quit donating until RR is fired
I will refer to this quote.
Notre Dame is still the program to go after. All that talk about their NBC deal and remaining independent will only last a little longer. Notre Dame is going to be the 13th or 14th team to join the big ten. I hope we get Pitt or Mizzou as the other.
Well, that makes at least two of us.
/EDIT: Just read the articles. Damn, he's such a class act. Can I root for Joe Paterno and not for Penn State? Is that allowed?
I dont want ND in the BIG10. They have been offered and rejected on more than one occasion. There are many teams that wish they were offered by the BIG10. However, if you want to win the NYC market, ND would probably be the best choice. Forget that they do have alot of alumni in NYC. Almost every Catholic who went to a smaller non-competitive football school cheers for the Irish. Trust me I know, I am Catholic and its a requirement to cheer for ND. I think I have to go to extra confessionals because I hate ND.
Rutgers can bring in the market only if they are good. I dont think their games are all sold out. I am not sure if its worth it to take Rutgers and Syracuse to try to MAYBE capture the NYC market.
August 1st, 2010 at 10:24 AM ^
Mizzou and Pitt. I dont think it is worth going after schools like Rutgers and Syracuse just to attempt to land the New York Market. Mizzou and Pitt have solid football programs and fit in the Big Ten profile. That would be 14 teams and thats enough. Forget about Notre Dame.
August 1st, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^
Why Pitt? No offense to anyone, its a great school but doesnt add to the footprint that the BIG10 is focused on right now.
August 1st, 2010 at 10:42 AM ^
...Old School. No cell phone, doesn't use a computer, writes long hand letters to recruits.
Here's what he has to say about his QB situation.
Playing Alabama, Iowa and Ohio State this season on the road isn't fun. But are you still having fun on the job?
This year is going to be a real challenge. We have to get a quarterback. We have to be careful we don't give whoever it may be too many things to do. We want him comfortable. We look like we're going to be pretty settled defensively. We have to get a guy under center or in the huddle who doesn't get panicky when things don't go right or who doesn't take a loss when he doesn't have to. Tuscaloosa is a really tough place to play. I've been down there and won a couple. We have to make sure we have a guy who's prepared for the noise. We have a job to do. We have good kids and they'll get better. We'll be a good football team. Whether we'll be a good team early is debatable.
When it comes to choosing a quarterback, do you consider the intangibles more important than pure talent?
I think you have to start with that. There's no sense in playing a kid with talent who can't read (pass) coverages, who's careless with the football or who doesn't know when to get rid of it. He has to get in the huddle on second-and-10 and say, "We have to get six on this." You have to have a guy who takes charge of the team. That has to come first. Then you can build on that. We have kids with talent. It isn't a question of talent. It's a question of experience and leadership.
August 1st, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^
I found this to be a funny Joe Pa story that in no way deserves it's own thread. While I had my internship at NASA Glenn I went to a seminar about antimatter hosted by Norman Freed, an associate dean of science at Penn St and a Physics prof. So Norman is explaining how at Penn State they were able to develope an antiproton penning trap (which is a pretty big deal) and they were in the student news paper for it. Well apparently Joe Pa reads the news, s a few days later Joe Pa, who lives a few houses down from Norman Freed, comes up to him and says "Hey Norm, what the heck is that crazy contraption you guys are messing with over there?" Norm begins to explain it, and Joe Pa subtly interupts "Will it help us win any football games in the fall?" Norm answers "No" with a laugh, and Joe Pa just goes "Ah!" and does the little slap at the air in disagreement thing he does and walks away. Apparently Joe Pa has a bit of sense of humor around the neighborhood as well. I also found it cool that he reads the student paper.
Pictured below is the antiproton penning trap he was talking about
August 1st, 2010 at 11:24 AM ^
Having lived in the New York area for most of my life I can say fairly certainly that the majority of people really don't care about Big East football, especially Rutgers. Syracuse would probably have the biggest following. ND actually probably draws the most interest from the NYC area out of any of the possible expansion teams.
August 1st, 2010 at 11:38 AM ^
I know how to use a cell phone. I don't know how to use these phones that they use to take a picture. I'm walking around the campus or walking down the park in the back of my house, and somebody runs out carrying this little thing that looks like a cigarette lighter and takes a picture.
August 1st, 2010 at 11:44 AM ^
If we get the trifecta of BC, Rutgers, and UConn, we might get the entire NE market. Given the number of Big Ten alumni in NYC, they might come our for a Michigan-UConn game (more for Michigan than UConn).
JoePa made an interesting point about the propensity for coaches to move on to other pastures.
You see people getting fired who have done a good job. You have a couple good years and all of a sudden someone else comes around with a little better deal and you start thinking, "If I stick around here, they're going to fire me in two years, anyway; I might as well move."
Now, I don't know that RichRod wouldn't move on once he has some real success at Michigan. I know that was a major complaint about him when he was hired.
But I think Michigan has something pretty precious here. There has to be a perception among coaches that Michigan will give you a fair shake. (I would argue that Moeller was fairly sacked. Maybe he didn't deserve it. But he left himself open to it. OT: I so wish he'd gotten a real chance with the Lions.)
Bottom line is, hopefully RR does enough to stay til '11, and then beyond. Sack him after three years, and other top coaches are going to be very leery.