The Questions Keep Coming for Paterno

The reporter-coach exchange of the weekend goes to David Jones of the Patriot-News and Joe Paterno of Penn State.

Jones and Paterno went at it after the columnist asked the coach if his contract situation would impact recruiting. Here is part of the exchange:

Paterno: "I think we've had a heck of a year recruiting. That's your problem."

Jones: "It's not your problem?"

Paterno: "Naw, it's not my problem. Why is it my problem?"

Jones: "The fans support this program."

Paterno: "You're succumbing to the Web site mob. And that's what it is. Those people who write in and don't sign their names."

Jones: "Well, a lot of players would want to know who the coach is in two years. Don't you agree with that?"

Paterno: "Don't you think that they talk to me about that? I tell 'em this: Some of the guys who tell them I may not be here are washing streets and doing dishes and things like that, all right? I don't get into that.

"I tell them exactly what I think: 'I'm here. I hope I'm going to coach while you're here; I may not. God only knows what's going to happen with me.' ... We have a whole mess of kids up here today. We must have 50 high school juniors here. Take a look at this place and say, 'Hey, this must be one heck of a place.'

"And if I walked down the stairs, they may not even know me."

Jones: "They won't know you?"

Paterno: "They may not."

Paterno, 81, said it with a straight face.

The coach later told Jones: "Do me a favor. Go get an anonymous trustee who doesn't have the guts to use his name."

This was in reference to Jones' paper first reporting that an anonymous trustee expressed concern about Paterno's players continuing to get into trouble.

Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.