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Why Pitt still irks Paterno

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If Joe Paterno had had his way, Penn State, which had been an independent, would have been at the forefront of forming an Eastern football conference in the early 1990s. When that fell through, and Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference in 1993, a lot of the Nittany Lions' traditional rivalries ended. With Penn State readying for Saturday's trip to Syracuse and its first game with the Orange since 1990, JoePa recalled that near-miss. "Syracuse and a couple of other schools were all wrapped up in Big East basketball, but I thought I had pulled it off," Paterno recalled. "Then Pitt backed out. "Contrary to what anyone tells you, the Big East tried to get us to go into it, just for basketball. I wanted an all-sports conference, but I couldn't quite swing it. We had to make up our minds because we were going to be left out in the cold unless we [joined a conference]. So we took a shot at the Big Ten. The Big Ten took us, and that was the end of it." Paterno still harbors hard feelings toward Pitt for wrecking plans for what he described as a "nice little eight-team" league that would have included seven Eastern schools and Atlantic Coast Conference defector Maryland.

Philadelphia Daily News

Joe Paterno, AP Joe Paterno, AP
September 11, 2008  09:09 AM ET

Nice work, sPitters. Now you're relegated forever to football purgatory and those beautiful "yellow-outs" at Heinz field on Wednesday night.

Comment #2 has been removed
September 11, 2008  09:25 AM ET

Joe, really, no one cares man....someone unplug him

September 11, 2008  09:40 AM ET

One of the reasons Penn State stopped playing the 'Cuse is because the 'Cuse actually got good. They used to play home and home series all the time. Once SU finally became competitive Penn State wanted two home games to one home game for SU. When the 'Cuse balked good ole Joe had his excuse to stop the series. I'm shocked (shocked!) that now that SU sucks again Penn State will play them. Pretty funny actually...

September 11, 2008  09:42 AM ET

Other things that irk Paterno: color TV, his spastic colon, women voting, women working, women driving, the internet, enlarged prostates, push button phones, driving exams, incontinence, contracts, boosters, trustee's, students, the media, colonoscopy's, prearranged funerals, insurance premiums, setting his vcr, away games, and public bathrooms.

September 11, 2008  10:54 AM ET

I don't think Pitt likes you either, Joe.

September 11, 2008  11:01 AM ET
QUOTE(#5):

Other things that irk Paterno: color TV, his spastic colon, women voting, women working, women driving, the internet, enlarged prostates, push button phones, driving exams, incontinence, contracts, boosters, trustee's, students, the media, colonoscopy's, prearranged funerals, insurance premiums, setting his vcr, away games, and public bathrooms.

AWESOME MEEEEYAGEEEEEEEEEEE

September 11, 2008  11:02 AM ET

Paterno always fails to mention that Penn St. would've been the featured TV team every week, and would collect 75% of the football TV money, while basketball money would've been split evenly. I guess that when I get to be 81 I'll have forgotten a few things too.

September 11, 2008  12:22 PM ET

if any Pittsburghers remember The Decade (a bar), they had a life size Joe Pa that read "Italian or Iranian?"............................The good old days

September 11, 2008  01:19 PM ET
QUOTE(#5):

Other things that irk Paterno: color TV, his spastic colon, women voting, women working, women driving, the internet, enlarged prostates, push button phones, driving exams, incontinence, contracts, boosters, trustee's, students, the media, colonoscopy's, prearranged funerals, insurance premiums, setting his vcr, away games, and public bathrooms.

BEST. COMMENT. EVER.

September 11, 2008  01:36 PM ET

Last time Penn St came to SU.........they got whooped!!!!!!!!!!!
(now its just a mediocre team against the country's worse team)

September 11, 2008  01:39 PM ET

Right Pitt fans...you guys are so much better off where you are right now. I mean, your team has been so successful in the last two decades...JoePa wishes he was coaching the Panthers and not the Lions.

Seriously, your hatred for this man just proves he owns you and always has. I'm sure he isn't mad that Pitt beat them the last time they played...Penn State owns the series and Pitt will always be the little b**ch in Pennsylvania.

September 11, 2008  01:41 PM ET

Oh, and for everyone knocking the fact that PSU scheduled SU only when they are bad...get your facts straight. This series was scheduled the same year that SU won a bowl game. How were PSU and Paterno supposed to know SU would be this pathetic in 2008?

September 11, 2008  01:43 PM ET

Other things that irk Paterno: color TV, his spastic colon, women voting, women working, women driving, the internet, enlarged prostates, push button phones, driving exams, incontinence, contracts, boosters, trustee's, students, the media, colonoscopy's, prearranged funerals, insurance premiums, setting his vcr, away games, and public bathrooms.

Your forgot one, Miyagi: Lame posts by MrMiyagiJr.

September 11, 2008  01:52 PM ET

Oh and jackman...last time Penn State played at Syracuse PSU won 34-12. You clearly don't know your football facts either.

September 11, 2008  02:31 PM ET

Hey Pitt fans: at least we beat our scheduled cupcakes...pretty sure Oregon St would put a hurting on Bowling Green just like Minnesota did...Fire your coach, become a significant program, and then talk.

September 11, 2008  03:24 PM ET

It looks like mattinohio has a mancrush on grandpa....love me daddy!!! LOL

September 11, 2008  03:42 PM ET

Not at all metro, just a mancrush on the truth.

September 11, 2008  03:50 PM ET

Joe Pa said he would play Pitt, But it would have to be 2 at PSU for every 1 at Pitt.
PSU "has to have 7 home games every year" according to Joe.
He said the same thing with SU

 
September 11, 2008  04:39 PM ET

George! Where's the love man?

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