I’m back from the Windy City.
After a few days in Chicago, I returned from my first trip to Big Ten Media Days with too much information for one edition of Morelli OnLion. So, over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll take an inside look at Big Ten Media Days.
JoePa in Chicago
Joe Paterno likes to teach on the football field. Last Thursday, gave a reporter a spelling lesson.
Asked if he would see how the season plays out and then make a decision about his future, Paterno spelled out the answer for a reporter.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. You want me to spell it? I d-o-n-t know. I don’t know how many times I can say it. I’m having fun, I’m enjoying
it. That’s the way it’s going to go,” Paterno said at the annual Big Ten Media Days, which were held at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.
The Nittany Lions are coming off back-to-back 9-4 seasons and have been 29-9 over the past three campaigns. Paterno harkened back to 2004, when Penn State brass tried to force him into retirement. Paterno, of course, shooed them away.
“A couple of years ago they were trying to get me to make a decision. I don’t think you ever want to put parameters on what you want to do. … If I don’t feel I’m doing a good job, I’ll know,” Paterno said.
Paterno is in the final year of his current contract and Penn State president Graham Spanier said that he will not be offered a new contract.
Position Changes?
It’s the time of the year when coaches tinker with starting lineups and make changes here and there.
Paterno said that he’s considering some position/lineup changes, but didn’t feel comfortable talking about those possible changes until he speaks with the players who are involved.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to the kids yet. We’re going to make some switches. We started staff meetings on Monday and then I had to come out here. We’ll try to finalize it. I told the squad we’re gonna make some switches, but you’re not going to read about it in the paper,” Paterno said.
Who’s the QB?
Paterno talked about the quarterback competition between Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin.
And oh yes, don’t forget about Paul Cianciolo.
“I’ve got three kids. I don’t think it’s fair that people just wipe him out. He’s a good football player,” Paterno said.
Again, Paterno stressed that he might opt to go with the two-quarterback system. Heck, he might opt to go with a three-quarterback system.
“We’ll see what happens. I don’t want you guys to think I’m being cute, that I know something that I’m not telling you. I don’t know what I’m going to do. That’s why we’re practicing. I’ve got kids working their butts off. We’ll wait and see what happens,” Paterno said.
The Spread
With eight of the 11 teams in the Big Ten running some form of a spread offense, Paterno was asked if he was surprised that so many teams have opted to go in that direction.
“When we got in the Big Ten I didn’t think that. But when you see what teams have done with the running quarterback and the whole bit … but you know two of the better teams in the Big Ten did not run a spread. Ohio State and Michigan did a pretty darn good job,” Paterno said.
Penn State quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno has said that the Nittany Lions will employ a “Spread HD” offense this fall.
Suspension Update
The status of suspended players Chris Baker, Navorro Bowman, Andrew Quarless and Phil Taylor remains up in the air. Paterno said that he’s not sure if they will be back when practice begins on Aug. 4.
“I’m waiting for grades. We’re in summer school. Some of those kids aren’t done until the 15th, 16th of August, so I really can’t tell you that,” Paterno said.
Since grades aren’t out until mid-August, Paterno said that he may let the suspended players get their workouts done in other ways.
“Some I may let come out and run around a little bit depending on the status of their grades,” Paterno said. “I haven’t gotten rid of anybody yet.”
Outside the Lines
The Penn State football program was featured on ESPN’s Sunday show “Outside the Lines” because of the myriad of problems the football program has endured during the past year.
With ESPN running promos for the show, Paterno was asked if he would like to issue a pre-emptive strike toward the show. He declined.
“No. I don’t know what to say. I don’t wanna do that. We’ve had problems. We are trying to handle them the best way we can,” Paterno said. “I don’t wanna get into that.”
Paterno did point out that players have been keeping their noses clean since the rash of incidents. He was asked if it was due to a new attitude or the current leadership on the team. He’s not sure, he said. However, Paterno said he is pleased to see that the players have apparently gotten the message.
“Keep your fingers crossed,” Paterno said with a smile.
Lasch Vandalism
Paterno talked about the vandalism that occurred at the Lasch Building while he was in Chicago. According to Penn State assistant athletic director for communications Jeff Nelson, a young man broke into the Lasch Building around 3:15 a.m. and caused approximately $5,000 in damage.
“My wife called me this morning and told me they vandalized the place. I know about it, but I don’t know any details,” Paterno said. “It’s unfortunate. It’s so unnecessary.”
Moment No. 5: Sandy Wins Title
Apparently Penn State junior gymnast Casey Sandy relishes the national spotlight.
At the 2008 NCAA Men’s Gymnastic Championships at Stanford University’s Maples Pavilion, Sandy won the all-around national championship on the first day of the meet.
The next day, he added five more All-America honors in five individual events, with top eight finishes in the floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault and parallel bars. His six All-American honors are the most by any Penn State gymnast at one national championship in the program’s storied history. Sandy now has seven in his career. He was second on the pommel horse in the individual event finals of the 2007
national championships.
The Brampton, Ontario, native placed second in the floor exercise, pommel horse and parallel bars, was sixth in the vault and eighth in the rings.
“He was amazing,” Penn State coach Randy Jepson said. “He competed in three events in under an hour and was an All-American on all three and then finished it out with two more All-American honors in back-to-back events. It is rare to find an athlete who can rise to the occasion like that but maybe once or twice in a coaching career.”
In addition to writing for gantnews.com, Chris Morelli is the editor of Blue White Illustrated, a magazine devoted to Penn State sports. He is also a regular on “Front and Center,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com.