Others Don't Dare Go There, but We Will

Yea, Joe Paterno really doesn't play those low blocks like he used to, does he? As we first suspected, Paterno is hurt and hurt bad. What was initially described as some kind of strain has become a broken shin bone in his left leg and ligament damage to his left knee. More medical information will be released Monday and we can promise you this: It won't be good. This is about spin control, ladies and gentlemen. One look at the video below (kudos to the terrific The M Zone for finding it on YouTube) and word that Paterno flew home privately from Madison ahead of the rest of the team were enough to tell us his injuries were serious. But guess what? Temple is coming to town, and that's an automatic victory, so Paterno plans to "coach" on Saturday, Nittany Lion officials say. After all, he is only four victories behind Bobby Bowden, so you can't pass up an opportunity to notch an easy one in the victory column now, can you? Paterno on the sidelines? We'd be stunned. (What do his doctors say about this?) Maybe — maybe! — the press box. Seriously, we want the best for Paterno, and right now health should be No. 1 on his list, not some stupid football game. Now before you flame us, we've taken a tour of the Penn State boards and yes, some Nittany Lion fans are talking openly about the possibility of Paterno stepping down. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley is regarded as the odds-on favorite to replace Paterno, but before we go that far, let's hope Paterno recovers from his injuries. One last thing: Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State for digging up the photo of the Paterno statue — complete with bandage and sign — outside Beaver Stadium.