Sports Illustrated

and Joe Pa
1960-Nov. 2009
Photographed by: Associated Press

Vol. 1 Issue 1

December 14, 2009

Marikaye DeTemple

1960s

(right) Assistant Coach Paterno at practice; 1960

(above) Paterno on sidelines with players during game; 11/2/1968 (Photo by James Drake / Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

(above) Paterno talking with Player during game; 1968)

(left) Paterno during game;1968

All photos on this page courtesy of Penn State Department of Public Information unless noted.

"We're trying to win football games, don't misunderstand that," said Paterno last week. "But I don't want it to ruin our lives if we lose. I don't want us ever to become the kind of place where an 8-2 season is a tragedy. Look at that day outside. It's clear, it's beautiful, the leaves are turning, the land is pretty and it's quiet. If losing a game made me miserable, I couldn't enjoy such a day. "I tell the kids who come here to play, enjoy yourselves. There's so much besides football. Art, history, literature, politics. The players live all over the campus. I don't want 'em to have a carpeted athletic dorm, or be bunched

in together where they can't associate with all types of students. When a kid takes a look around here and says, 'Gee, there's nothing to do,' I tell him I suppose there was nothing for the Romantic poets to do in the lake region of England. As far as getting an effort on the field is concerned, we stress the fact that this is the only time in a kid's life when 50,000 people are gonna cheer him. He can write the greatest novel ever, but 50,000 people aren't going to cheer him at once where he can hear it." - The Idea Is To Have Some Fun And Who Needs To Be No. 1

1960s: Joe Paternos name appears in 14 articles in Sports Illustrated

Breakdown: 7 Brief articles (often 200 words or less). Paternos name appears in brief references anywhere from one line quote to paragraph. Scorecard, Football Week Preview, Bowl previews, They Said It 4 SI articles not about Paterno, but he is referenced and/or quoted September 19, 1966: Jitterbugging To A Bowl th July 07, 1967: Replay of the 12 man September 11, 1967: The Big Ones Scouts Are Watching May 26, 1969: People 3 SI articles on Paterno or with Paterno as main source: November 11, 1968: The Idea Is To Have Some Fun-and Who Needs To Be No. 1 January 13, 1969: 12 X 4 = 48 Jayhawks On Four Plays October 27, 1969: State Stands Tall With The Aid Of Some Zap

And while the youthful keeper of all these characters, 41year-old Penn State Coach Joe Paterno, should be fretting about his team's possible climb toward No. 1 or an Orange Bowl bid, he stares at the boutique-colored leaves of the pastoral Alleghenies, thinks about romantic poets and longs to drive his kids over to Waddle or Martha Furnace or Tusseyville so they can sit down and talk to a cow.- Dan Jenkins: The Idea Is To Have Some Fun and Who Needs To Be No. 1 What they saw was a Penn State touchdown with 15 seconds left that made the score 14-13. At this point Joe Paterno, who will always go for broke, decided to try for two points. "If we couldn't win, we'd lose," he said later. - 12X4= 48 Jayhawks On 48 Plays We had fun, what the heck," -Paterno: The Idea Is To Have Some Fun and Who Needs To Be No. 1

"You know, there was enough glory in that game for both teams. No one should be ashamed. We were both great teams tonight."- Paterno: 12x4=4 Jayhawks On 48 Plays Joe Paterno, Penn State football coach, discussing one of his players of Italian ancestry: "It isn't that I like the boy because he's Italian. I like him because I'm Italian."- They Said It "I told our kids at halftime," said Paterno, "that I didn't know if we could score enough points, and if we didn't I wouldn't be unhappy. But I would be unhappy if everybody didn't go out there and give it all they had. You have to remember that not once, in the three years any of our players have been here, have we been behind by two touchdowns. It was something new to them."- State Stands Tall With The Aid Of Some Zap

Sports Illustrateds Coverage of Paterno from 1966-1969

By the time 1966 rules around Joseph Vincent Paterno had been in State College, Pa., coaching football at the Pennsylvania State University longer than Sports Illustrated has been in circulation. After 12 years of attempting to make a name for itself, SI earned its first profit in 1966, the year JoPa became the head coach of the Penn State football team. In 1966, Paternos name was inserted into SI from the start of the college football season. Paternos first reference (September 12, 1966) was in SIs They Said It section, a section that is short quotes. The quote SI used would show Paternos sense of humor and would was show a national audience for the first time a little about who he was. Joe Paterno, Penn State football coach, discussing one of his players of Italian ancestry: It isn't that I like the boy because he's Italian. I like him because I'm Italian. From that that September on through the remainder of the 1960s, Paterno was quoted, referenced, and featured in SI 14 times. Two of the articles showcased Paterno as the main source, and another was the first feature on Paterno and his philosophies of the game. The feature of Paterno appeared toward the end of the college football season. In 1968 Penn State football went 11-0, and went on to win the Orange Bowl. (which were both feats they would repeat in the 1969 season). This was the first time both Penn State and Paterno had the opportunity to be recognized nationally. Sports Illustrated jumped on the opportunity to find out a little about this new rising coach and his football team from the east. From 1966 through 1969, the access to Paterno was available. In most cases, the young head coach was directly quoted in the articles. While there was only the one full features on of Paterno, he was continually quoted discussion the team, past games, and people in general. Paterno in no accounts was portrayed negatively. The SI audience was given a small insight into who Joe Paterno was in the 1960s. They were being exposed for the first time to Joe Paterno the Penn State Football Coach, and in the process were beginning to see tidbits into Joe Paterno the person.

1970s
(top right) Paterno at Sugar Bowl; 12/31/1975 (Photo by John Iacono/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (Right) Paterno and Franco Harris after game; 1971 (Lane Stewart/SI) (bottom left) Paterno during game; 9/25/1970 Photo by Carl Iwasaki/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (below) Paterno with Chris Schenkel (ABC) before Sugar Bowl; 1/1/1973 (Photo by Rich Clarkson/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

It is arguable whether Joe Paterno, at 46, is an authentic folk hero. Possibly he is not. As everyone knows, he looks a bit like the third barber down in a hotel barbershop and he talks almost as fast and as much. His inflection is not precisely heroic, either. It is true that 20 years ago he bought a tape recorder and spent a lot of time trying to trap for himself the pear-shaped pronunciations of Rex Harrison, but he gave it up on a friend's advice that he just be himself, so the characteristics of a Brooklyn upbringing remain whenever he speaks. His eyesight is bad, so he wears thick glasses and he is proud of holding the rank of full professor on the Penn State faculty and he likes to

listen to Beethoven or Puccini when preparing game plans for the Penn State football team. If the question of his folk-herohood is raised, Joe Paterno leans forward intently, resembling some kind of skinny Italian owl through those spectacles and says, "Look, I'm reluctant for people to read too much into me. I get letters from people who seem to think that if only Joe Paterno can spend 20 minutes with a kid then his troubles will all be over. Nuts! People want to give me too much credit. I'm a football coach who has won a few gamesremember? Now what the hell does that mean? If I were an accountant no one would pay that much attention to me, right?" - William Johnson: Not Such An Ordinary Joe

1970s: Joe Paternos name appears in 36 articles in Sports Illustrated

Breakdown: 17-Brief articles (often 200 words or less). Paternos name appears in brief references anywhere from one line quote to paragraph. The Week, Scorecard, 19th Hole: The Readers Take Over, Scouting Report, Football week, They Said It 9- SI articles not about Paterno, but he is referenced and/or quoted December 13, 1971: Deck Your Shelves With Volumes Sporty On Soaring And Scoring And Toreadoring May 24, 1971: People July 23, 1973: A Case Of Volunteeror Else September 15, 1975: No Run-of-the-Mill-start January 12, 1976: Win a battle, lose a war September 27, 1976: Out To Make Three People Happy September 12, 1977: Hello, Big Time, So Long, Streak August 14, 1978: An Unfolding Tragedy December 25, 1978: One Bowl For No. 1: The Rest For Fun 5 SI articles about football that reference and/or quote Paterno September 14, 1970: Penn State October 05, 1970: For Easterners, Prospecting Doesn't Pay Off September 05, 1977: The Top 20 September 11, 1978: 2 Penn State November 13, 1978: A Lionized Defense 5 -SI articles on Paterno or with Paterno as main source October 25, 1971: Saved By The Itch To Switch September 24, 1973: State Proves East Is Not Least November 19, 1973: Not Such An Ordinary Joe March 15, 1976: Say 'cheese,' Mom And Pop September 25, 1978: Penn State States Its Case As is his custom, Paterno walked home from the stadium. John Underwood: A Lionized Defense It's an honest face. There's not much else it could be. It has a powerful, decent homeliness. He reminds you of, well, some paradigmatic brother-in-law. Joe Paterno looks the way he thinks. That is, unlike your typical head coach. D. Keith Mano: Say cheese. Mom And Pop "Frankly, we'll probably prove more about what kind of people we are when we lose. You know, the recoveryfrom-adversity bit and all that."- Paterno: For Easterners, Prospecting Doesnt Pay Off "Football is a product of a culture and it's got to adapt to society; society isn't going to adapt to football."- Paterno: Penn State

Sports Illustrateds Coverage of Paterno in the 1970s

At the conclusion of the 1969 season, the country had been shown that Penn State had some kids that could play football. After the two undefeated seasons, Sports Illustrated didnt miss a beat, printing Paternos name every year until 1979. By the end of the 70s Paterno had taken the Penn State football team to nine bowls, winning five of them, and had its third undefeated season in 1973. This success, while it didnt earn a national title, had Paternos name appearing 36 times in SI. The coverage ranged from quick references, to detailed references and quotes on topics other than Penn State football, to Penn State football stories, to articles on Paterno or with him as the main source. Paterno continued to allow access to both him and his team during the 70s. The coverage of both was significant, and Paternos name was readily accessible for a national audience to read. The articles with

Paterno as the main source were spanned throughout the decade giving the readers some new insight into Paterno every few years . Remaining consistent with the 1960s coverage, Paterno was not portrayed negatively. While some of his coaching decisions were questioned, and a full article was even devoted to some of those decisions (Saved By The Itch To Switch, October 25, 1971), Paterno was still a figure. Arguably Paterno the legend was beginning to transpire. His coaching philosophies, his tradition based attitude, even his thick-dark-rimmed glasses, were all beginning to be repeatedly be referenced and published. While the decade ending with SI leaving Paternos name out of print, Penn State Football and Paterno had already been brought to the SI readers attention.

(above) Paterno being carried off of field after Fiesta Bowl win, claiming second National Championship; 1/2/1987 (Photo by Mickey Pfleger/Sports Illustrated/ Getty Images)

1980s
(above) Paterno on the December 22, 1986 (Volume 65, Issue 27) cover of SI as Sportsman of the Year; (Ronald C. Modra )

(right) Paterno writing plays; 1986 (John Iacono/SI)

But legends have a confounding habit of showing up in strange shapes. And a funny thing happens when this one starts to say something. Two-hundred-eighty-pound linemen, college presidents, NCAA honchos, network biggies and even your basic U.S. vice-presidents cross-bodyblock one another to get near him. Good thing, too, because Joe Paterno, the football coach at Penn State University, can teach you some of the damnedest things. Rick Riley: Not An Ordinary Joe

"There is hypocrisy in me. And a little of the con man and actor, too. Look, I'm not trying to fool anybody. But I want things to be difficult. It's more fun to win with handicaps. If you have the best players and no problems and you win, that doesn't intrigue me."- Paterno: 'there Are A Lot Of People Who Think I'm A Phony And Now They Think They Have The Proof'

1980s: Joe Paternos name appears in 39 articles, and Paterno is on one cover of Sports Illustrated Breakdown:
13 Brief articles (often 200 words or less) Paternos name appears in brief references anywhere from one line quote to paragraph. Letters (to the editor), College Football, Scorecard, This Week, 19th hole: The Readers Take Over 7- SI articles not about Paterno, but he is referenced and/or quoted September 21, 1981: To-do Over What To Do November 09, 1981: Outstanding In Her Fields November 09, 1981: ...and Another No. 1 Bites The Dust August 12, 1985: Just An Awful Toll August 31, 1987: A Big Year For Big Green November 07, 1988: A Very Major Win September 04, 1989: Independents 18- SI articles about football that reference and/or quote Paterno December 07, 1981: It Was The Pits For Pitt September 01, 1982: 9 Penn State October 04, 1982; O.k.: Time To Fasten Those Seat Belts September 27, 1982: The Place Where He Belongs December 27, 1982: Don't Fool Around With These Cats September 01, 1983: 11 Penn State September 05, 1983: With The Greatest Of Ease October 17, 1983: They're Lion Low No More January 10, 1983: But How 'bout Them Lions? September 05, 1984: 11. Penn State November 11, 1985: Lionhearted, At Least November 03, 1986: A Midseason Run For Respect December 22, 1986: The Battle For No. 1 January 12, 1987: Guts, Brains And Glory August 31, 1987: 7 Penn State December 9, 1989: Just To Show He Cares 3- SI articles on Paterno or with Paterno as main source March 17, 1980: 'there Are A Lot Of People Who Think I'm A Phony And Now They Think They Have The Proof' December 22, 1986: Not An Ordinary Joe May 11, 1987: Too Much Nfl Testing 1 SI cover December 22, 1986
" Joe's different from the rest of us," Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer once said, and he's right. Not An Ordinary Joe When a kid plays football games before he attends a class, something is wrong."- Paterno: Not An Ordinary Joe Unfortunately, Paterno is one of only a handful of majorcollege coaches who genuinely care whether their players graduateeven when the players themselves are less than enthusiastic about the propositionwhile the NFL cares not a whit about the education of its fodder. Douglas S. Looney: Too Much Nfl Testing

Sports Illustrateds Coverage of Paterno in the 1980s

The 1980s were the time when Penn State Football could finally say they made it nationally, and that time was no exception for JoPa. In 1982 Penn State Football, for the first time, became National Champs. They would repeat this feat in 1986, which would also be the year Paterno was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. Paterno appeared on his first cover of SI on December 22, 1986, with his name appearing in print an additional 39 times throughout the decade, not missing a year. The coverage of Paterno was at its highest to this point and was slightly shifting from the previous decade. The 70s saw Paterno often serving as a reference in the smaller articles in SI, and less frequently in full stories. The 80s brought Paterno into more full articles. With Paterno named Sportsman of the Year, the coverage of Paterno shifted ever so slightly. The Sportsman of the Year article, Not An Ordinary Joe (Dec. 22, 1986) was full coverage on the coach, the man, and the legend. Writer Rick Riley in the article comes out and labels Paterno as a legend, which quite possibly could have been the first time this was done in print. Paterno was taking on a new role in the media. And while Sports Illustrated had already been showcasing Paterno as the face of Penn State Football, he was now becoming one of the main faces of college football. The access to Paterno remained high throughout the 1980s, which resulted in the high amount of full coverage of Paterno, and the lower amount of short simple references. In Too Much Nfl Testing (May 11, 1987), Paterno is a voice for college football demanding change. This is the first time Paterno is written about in SI discussing something outside of Penn State athletics. Paterno had in previous articles been referenced concerning the Grand Experiment and even his address to the Board of Trustees in 1983, however the NFL testing article depicted Paterno as a concerned coach. Writer Douglas S. Looney writes, Unfortunately, Paterno is one of only a handful of major-college coaches who genuinely care whether their players graduateeven when the players themselves are less than enthusiastic about the propositionwhile the NFL cares not a whit about the education of its fodder. While the 1980s came and went, Paterno saw significant exposure via SI and that trend would not soon end.

(left) Paterno yelling on sidelines during game; 10/15/1994 (Photo by John Biever/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

1990s
(above) Paterno on sidelines with players during game; 10/10/1992 (Photo by John Biever/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

(left) Paterno entering field with players before game; 10/1/1994 (Photo by Chuck Solomon/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

He found Penn State appealing on his visits there, particularly Coach Paterno"A fatherly figure," Katzenmoyer says. William Knack: Born To Be A Buckeye

"I owe it to everybody on the squad to try to get them in a game," he said. "If that ends up hurting us some, that hurts us some. There's nothing I can do about the irrationality of other people."- Paterno: Running on Empty

1990s: Joe Paternos name appears in 47 articles, and Paterno is on one cover of Sports Illustrated
Breakdown: 19- Brief articles (often 200 words or less). Paternos name appears in brief references anywhere from one line quote to paragraph. College Football, Fast Forward, Weve Got Mail, Hot List, Wish List, Pivotal Players, Telling Stat, Scorecard, Scorecard Poll, Letters, Cover to Cover, Top 10, Better Watch Out 14- SI articles not about Paterno, but he is referenced and/or quoted May 07, 1990: Out Of Their League? June 01, 1992: A Blockbuster Deal October 19, 1992: The Right Stuff! September 20, 1993: Who Is This Clown? August 30, 1993: The Great Bear Hunt June 27, 1994: A National Scourge November 21, 1994: Dan Kendra September 18, 1995: Thrown For A Loss December 25, 1995: No. 1 Vs. No. 2 October 14, 1996: Altered States November 25, 1996: Born To Be A Buckeye August 31, 1998: Crib Sheet February 01, 1999: Yo, Please Pass The Truth Serum December 20, 1999: Last Call 14- SI articles about football that reference and/or quote Paterno August 31, 1992: Cool, Refreshing Juice May 03, 1993: Unhappy Days In Happy Valley August 29, 1994: 6. Penn State October 24, 1994: The Lions Roar To The Fore December 26, 1994: The Lion King August 28, 1995: 7. Penn State September 02, 1996: Total Eclipse November 11, 1996: Wally's World September 29, 1997: Running On Empty August 31, 1998: 14 Penn State August 16, 1999: 1 Penn State August 16, 1999: 1 Lavar Arrington September 27, 1999: One For The Money Working under Paterno takes something out of a man, too. Sandusky was asked last week if he'll miss Joe Pa. "Well, not exactly," he said. "You have to understand that so much of our time was spent under stress, figuring out how to win. That takes a toll. We've had our battles. I've quit. I've been fired. I've walked around the building to cool off." Paterno says, "I'm not the easiest guy to work with." Millen puts it another way: "Figuratively speaking, that Paterno nose is everywhere." Jack McCallum: Last Call Paterno has decreed that Penn State will return to the fundamental, no-nonsense, black-shoe football that has won the Lions two national championships and 247 games during his tenure. He says that the team has responded well to his demands, but he also says that he doesn't expect the Lions to contend for the Big Ten title until 1994. - William F. Reed: Unhappy Days In Happy Valley

Sports Illustrateds Coverage of Paterno in the 1990s

The 1990s were an interesting time for Penn State, Paterno, and the Sports Illustrateds coverage of both. While Paternos name appeared in print 47 times, eight more than the previous year, and SI didnt have a year without printing the Paterno name, the coverage changed from that of the previous years. Paterno was not once the main topic or main source in any SI article. However Paternos exposure remained high, with him being a source or reference in 28 articles (the same as in previous decade). This was possibly a result of Penn States exposure being even greater than in previous years. In 1993 Penn State football competed for the first time in the Big Ten. In the following year they would go on to an undefeated 12-0 season, earning the Big Ten title, and winning the Rose Bowl. The 1990s though would showcase a consistent topic concerning Paterno. Talk had already begun as to when Paterno would retire. This in turn, with some poor choice of words by Paterno when he tired of being asked the same question repeatedly (Paternos 1990 comments about going home and beating his wife), brought Paternos name into articles that were not always so constructive for his image. The access and coverage to Paterno undoubtedly began to change during the 1990s. A few of the possible reasons for the change were: 1.) There was only so much to say about him. Sports Illustrated had already been covering him for the 24 years by 1990. 2.) The team didnt have too much excitement. They were finishing with similar results each season. 3.) Paterno was allowing less access and simply was to the age of retirement. One interesting article that shed some new light onto what it was like to work with Paterno was the December 20, 1999 piece on Jerry Sandusky retirment, Last Call. Sandusky, as well as other coaches, is quoted saying how it can be difficult to work with Paterno. And Sandusky flat out says he continued coaching at Penn State for so long because he thought he would get the opportunity to be head coach. Paternos exposure for another decade remained high during the 1990s. As a result of the shifting times, his own allowance for access, as well as the longevity of his career, Paternos name was printed, but for the first time not in the same light as the decades that had passed.

2000s
(above) Paterno in 2008 SI photoshot (Michael J. LeBrecht II/1Deuce3

(right) Paterno on the November 28, 2005 (Volume 103, Issue 21) cover of SI;

(below) Paterno during game; 10/12/2002 (Photo by Simon Bruty/ Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

That was classic Paterno--candid, confident, oblivious to the " Coach Paterno is like a presence over everything we do," she very notion of going out of style. Stewart Mandel: Joe says. "He has character, he has fire, he has a good heart. You Cool want to meet his standards."- Bobbie Jo Sullivan: Whats Up With Jo Pa? (Michael Bamberger)

2000s: Joe Paternos name appears in 54 articles, and Paterno is on one cover of Sports Illustrated
Breakdown: 27- Brief articles (often 200 words or less). Paternos name appears in brief references anywhere from one line quote to paragraph. Letters, Go Figure, Game Plan, For the Record, Punishment of the Week, Stewart Mandels Two-Minute Drill, They Said It, College Football, Inside: The Week in Sports, A Gold Old Fight, Now on Sioncampus.com, Fast Facts, Phil Taylors Sidelines, The Show, Leading off, Extra Points, Career Milestones, 6- SI articles not about Paterno, but he is referenced and/or quoted June 25, 2001; Sweat Shopping July 02, 2001; Mike Reid October 20, 2003; The Latest Wrinkle December 06, 2004; The Hot Seat January 14, 2008;A Bowl Season To Remember October 27, 2008; Joe To The World! 14- SI articles about football that reference and/or quote Paterno August 14, 2000; Joe Pa Knows Best? August 14, 2000; 19 Penn State August 12, 2002; 25 Penn State September 23, 2002; Happy Days Again? November 15, 2004; Unhappy Valley February 14, 2005; Altered State October 10, 2005; Young Lions November 28, 2005; All The Way Back August 21, 2008; Students Of The Game* August 21, 2008; Greatest Nittany Lions Of All Time* August 21, 2008; The Top 20 Greatest Moments* August 21, 2008; Leading Off* October 27, 2008; Coming Attractions November 03, 2008; We Are Defense 7- SI articles on Paterno or with Paterno as main source November 13, 2000; The Wins That Really Count October 28, 2002; What's Up With Joe Pa? October 13, 2003; The Lion In Winter October 17, 2005: Joe Cool August 21, 2008; A Good Joe (Reprint dec 22, 1986)* September 22, 2008; Never Can Say Goodbye October 26, 2009; Joe Paterno Top Of The World, Pa! 1 SI Cover November 28, 2005 "I'm not going to embarrass this university," he says, not angrily but with an edge in his voice, as if he could not imagine how anyone could miss the point: He still has something left to teach these kids. Times have not changed that much. "I think kids today, they are con*(August 21, 2008 Penn State issue)
fused," Joe says. "They long for some kind of discipline. They want something bigger than themselves, something bigger to be a part of. We can still offer that here."- Paterno: Joe Paterno Top Of The World, Pa! (Joe Posnanski)

Sports Illustrateds Coverage of Paterno in the 2000s

With a new millennium came new times for Paterno. Through only a month short of the end of the 2000s Paternos name has appeared in print 54 times in Sports Illustrated. That new millennium mentioned however, turned a new age of technologySI.com printed Paternos name an additional 101 times in stories that appeared online only. The trends in SI of Paterno being highly referenced or quoted in small tidbits remained. However, resorting back to the 1980s, Paterno was featured or the main source of seven SI articles. Whatever the reason for the lack of Paterno the person and coach coverage in the 90s, the writers of the 2000s found new things to write about Paterno. One thing the writers had to address was the football teams return for the first time since Paternos 1966 to a less than .500 season. The sub-.500 seasons the football team experienced in four of the five years starting off the new millennium, gave the writers a lot to write about concerning Paterno. The now consistently present topic was when/should Paterno retire. The portrayal of Paterno shifted to a more consistent representation of he needs to hang it up. While this was not always negative, the print next to Paternos name often read hes stayed to long. Articles entitled Joe Pa Knows Best? (August, 14, 2000), Unhappy Valley (November 15, 2004), and Whats Up with Joe Pa? (October 28, 2002), all graced the pages of SI and referred to Paterno and what he was doing wrong. Yet there was light at the end of that tunnel for Paterno. In 2005 Penn State Football seemed to be back on track going 11-1, earning the Big Ten title, and winning the Rose Bowl. In this time Paterno even managed to grace the SI cover for the second time on November 28, 2005. In August of 2008, SI released a series of issues showcasing college football. In the Penn State issue, Paternos name frequently appeared. Even though access to both Paterno and the team had been lessoned in comparison to that of previous years. One dramatic difference the 2000s brought about for SI and Paterno, was the image, both literal and figurative. Images of Paterno were readily available of Paterno throughout the 2000s, while the legend of Paterno, the image, is widely known and showcased. Most of the information referenced and printed in SI during the 2000s was not new findings and insights into Paterno. Not until the most recent publication on October 26, 2009, Joe Paterno Top Of The World, Pa!, where writer Joe Posnanski succeeded in presenting Paterno differently than his successors. Posnanskis portrayl, positive vs. negative, did not differ from prior articles, (the article was a positive piece on Paterno the man and his accomplishments), the style in which it was presented allowed the reader even more insight into the life of the man who has been covered 190 times in SI print, and an uncountable number of times in media print as a whole.

unofficial SI Fact:

39 different writers appeared in the byline in full articles about, or referencing, Paterno from 1966-Nov. 2009

Most common bylines:

Tim Layden-9 Rick Reily-7 Jack McCallum-6 Pat Putnam-5 John Underwood-5 Douglas S. Looney-5 Austin Murphy-5

(above) Paterno holding gates open during photo shoot at Beaver Stadium. 7/24/2009 (Photo by Peter Read Miller /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

(left) Penn State fans 9/27/2008 (Photo by David Bergman /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

Paterno & The Media December 14, 2009 Marikaye DeTemple mdd5065@psu.edu Final Project: Option 2