I Nominated Wanny for the 1st Joseph V. Paterno Award

[frostlion]

http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-foo ... 10aac.html

I'm not exactly sure what impact Wanny has had on the community, state of Pennsylvania, or coaching in general, but even a blind hog should get an acorn once in a while.

[El-Moldo]

Does the V stand for vindictive?

[frostlion]

Why vindictive? Surely you're not talking about being vindictive towards Pitt??? Paterno is on record numerous times as advocating Pitt being asked to join the Big 10. If this were to happen it would be the greatest thing to happen to Pitt since they won their 543rd national title. How are those the actions of a vindictive man?

[El-Moldo]

Was Paterno the athletic director when PSU was REJECTED for admission to the Big East, back in 1985?

[frostlion]

If anyone should be vindictive towards Pitt, it should be the other Big East AD's, many of whom are on record as saying that not taking Penn State was the biggest mistake the Big East ever made. At least the Big East has West Virginia to thank. Where would Big East football be without West Virginia, who has been the only team in the conference to be anywhere near respectful and gain a national reputation?

[El-Moldo]

Maybe YOU need a lesson in Big East history like abpk. There were only EIGHT teams in the Big East when the members of the conference, which was basically a basketball conference, voted to REJECT Penn State's application for admission to the conference. Pitt was voted INTO the conference at the same time PSU was rejected. The vote was 5-3 against admitting PSU, and Pitt was not a member when the vote took place. THEREFORE Pitt did not vote against PSU. JoePa had proposed some kind of Eastern football league and wanted teams from the EAST to be part of it. They said no, and JoePa has been vindictive against Pitt ever since. And what's funny is, of the 8 original Big East teams, only Syracuse and BC played D-I football.

[frostlion]

Everyone knows that not voting Penn State into the Big East was the single biggest mistake in the history of the conference. Why heck, several years ago the Big East was going to beg Penn State to leave the Big Ten and join the Big East. The Big East was so desperate to shore up its football standing that they were completely willing to abandon their basketball only members!

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 07414.html

[El-Moldo]

That has been an argument over the years, that NOT admitting PSU was a mistake. BUT, money-hungry Penn State was against revenue sharing with the other members of the Big east at that time, so Penn State sealed their own doom regarding being admitted to the league. SIX votes out of 8 teams were needed to admit PSU to the Big east. One of those 3 "no" voters in the 5-3 ballot obviously realized that PSU was about the money, and PSU was turned down. The vote to reject PSU was in 1985. The first BE football season was in 1991. I'm not exactly sure why Paterno has been SO vindictive toward Pitt. Again, Pitt had nothing to do with PSU being rejected by the Big East in 1985. Pitt was being voted on at the same time. And for 6 years after being admitted, Pitt played an independent football schedule. Paterno STILL could have tried to establish an Eastern "football" league. For some reason, when it didn't materialize, he took it out on Pitt and has held a grudge against them for many, many years, And you know, renewing the Pitt/PSU series is STILL a MONEY ISSUE in the eyes of Penn State, just like it was when PSU was denied admission to the Big East conference in 1985. And denying local fans of partaking of a great rivalry is STILL a money issue with Penn State.

[#1_plumber_coach]

Well yea, it would be about the money...duh? Why would PSU agree to revenue sharing when PSU fans would be filling up at least 80% of the stands?

[El-Moldo]

So you're saying that PSU would be filling up 80% of the stands in basketball???? Like at road games vs Providence or Georgetown??? At PSU now, 50% of the BJC is empty during b-ball season. If their basketball program had matured in the BE over the last 25 years, the place would be full....We're talking 1985 here, when the Big East was basically a b-ball conference. There was NO BE football when PSU was rejected by the BE. At that time, only Syracuse and BC played D-I football then. Penn State always wants THEIR share, or should I say more than their share.