NBC on Yahoo SportsMad Dash: Penn State fans planning 'Joe-out' in Paterno's honor
Happy days are back in Happy Valley for Penn State fans. The NCAA recently lifted the team's bowl ban, scholarships will be reinstated in 2015, and the Nittany Lions are 3-0 under the endless ball of energy that is new head coach James Franklin. So with spirits high, one group of fans has decided it's time to honor and celebrate Joe Paterno at this Saturday's game against UMass at Beaver Stadium. Instead of the "white-outs" the venue is so famous for, the group is proposing a "Joe-out," which is a little more difficult to pull off than waving white towels in the air.
The fans are undeterred, though, suggesting cardboard cutouts, JoePa masks, or even tribute hats for those that have them.
“He will forever stand as a great founder of our university, shoulder to shoulder with Atherton, Beaver, Pattee, Sparks and more. There will be other coaches, other presidents, other trustees and great men in Penn State’s future, but that does not mean we should forget this one man, who made Penn State great. My family and I eagerly await the future — but we will never forget to honor Joe,” said Susan Beck Wilson.
Penn State fans also have a "blue-out" to show support and raise money for victims of sexual abuse planned for the Nov. 29 game against Michigan. But the "Joe-out" is obviously a bit more polarizing considering the late Paterno lost his job because of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal of 2011. They're also apparently throwing around ideas for the number 409 on social media for this Saturday, the total wins Paterno had before the NCAA took 111 away in the wake of the scandal.
The event isn’t sponsored or sanctioned by the university. Stannell said it is also not meant to be spiteful or negative in any way to anyone.
“It’s honoring our past,” she said. “We are Penn State. If that’s not JoePa then who?
Well, she's not wrong, but whether it's a good idea is definitely up for debate.
In lighter news, Wake Forest isn't having remotely the same success at Penn State right now, and their latest recruiting trick probably won't help. The football program sent two recruits photoshopped People magazine covers alongside Kim Kardashian and Selena Gomez, and let's just say that the editing skills make the efforts cheesy, at best.
However, one cool artistic tribute is Marvel's recent announcement that Tim Duncan will appear in an edition of The Punisher, a comic that he happens to be a huge fan of, as evidence by the artwork on his knee braces. The teaser image is awesome enough that even people that aren't fans of comic books will be impressed.
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