AUDIO RECORDINGS AND TRANSCRIPTS

Do You Know Coach Paterno?
Media Day
The Return and Origin of a Little Thing Called Parity
The Evolution of the Offense

Football Fridays with Fran- 2008 Archives

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The Return and Origin of a Little Thing Called Parity

Audio Recording

Transcript: Parity--As that word applies to college football, get accustom to hearing more and more of it. You can thank Toledo, BYU, Central Michigan and Houston for that. Their recent upset wins over quality opponents, with probably more of the same to come, should put that word parity back into coach speak. The implication, the 85-grant limit has leveled the playing field. Prior to 1977, the number of grants awarded in any sport was strictly an individual-school or conference mandate. Do your own thing football U, or conference "you got to win." What about here? Well, there was an interesting arrangement at Penn State in the 50's and early 60's. With the conference not in place, to establish standards, the presidents of Penn State pitched Syracuse and West Virginia, mutually agreed to limit football scholarships at their schools to no more than 25 per year or 100 at one time. Under these restrictive standards, Penn State continued to enjoy football success. Not true across the board. Pitt for example had fallen on very difficult football times and had gone through coach after coach. So the quote rule was lifted. In came new coach, Johnny Majors and promptly awarded more than 100 grants to his first freshmen class, one of which was a kind named Tony Dorsett. Majors had been accustom to a no-limit situation having come from the Big 8. Now I am a friend of John Majors. He has always admitted that the liberalization of grant limits at Pitt helped significantly in building Pitt back to a national football power--being a good coach helped too. Well, in 1977, the NCAA decided to do something about "leveling the playing field," and stopped what had become a practice at some schools, that of stuck-piling players. A limit of the number of grants an institution could award in any given sport was enacted into law. Maximum grants for football--95. In a couple of years it went to 92. Now it's 85. Isn't it also interesting that subsequent to those NCAA grant limits, in 1977, it's Penn state that continues to enjoy football success, while some others have had some problems? This is Fran Fisher for gopsusports.com.

The Evolution of the Offense

Audio Recording

Transcript: Transcript to come...

Media Day

Audio Recording

Transcript: As usual I went to Penn State football pre-season Media Day. I think it was something like number 47 for me! WOW! I remember doing the picture thing with coach Rip Engle and players Bob Baker and Junior Powell in 1962. These two guys played high school ball in Lewistown so they are kinda'two of my favorites. I think there was maybe 15 or 20 media people there, mostly print, some radio. Don't remember any TV to speak of. No trouble at all getting interviews. This year? More than a hundred guys and gals. Big Ten Network cameras all over place; a dozen TV cameras on tripods, countless reporters with digital cameras wandering around the media room snapping coach Paterno from every possible angle, digital tape recorders lined up in front of Joe. Most of the people looked like they just graduated from high school. I felt like a Den Father! It really is a different time. Joe's a little different, too. Not quite as tolerant with the media as he used to be. Yeah, that may be something of an understatement. No doubt he misses his informal sit downs with guys like AP's Ralph Bernstein, Ronnie Christ, Bill Conlin. And, understand that early on in Joe's career he wanted and needed the ink and photo ops more than he does now. He was selling his"grand experiment" and that was a new fresh story line. Now that's old stuff and a "chink" in the Paterno armor is sometimes looked for. It may be different time, but like 47 years ago it's the same questions but from different people; same answers but delivered a little more testily at times. No matter what, Joe is and will always be great copy. Through all the coach-speak, whether or not his answers always fit the questions asked, or whether he prefers to talk literature, philosophy or does the nostalgia thing ... there is always a line or two that provide a lead. I'm looking forward to number 48. This is Fran Fisher for gopsusports.com.

Do you Know Coach Paterno?

Audio Recording

Transcript: I used to get around. Of course I used to be young, too. Whenever I found myself in a social environment outside of Happy Valley, and I would be introduced to someone and my association with Penn State was divulged, the subsequent conversation usually went something like this:
Q: Penn State! Do you know Coach Paterno?
FF: Yeah, and I know Graham Spanier, too.
Q: Spanier. Oh. Is he an assistant coach?
FF: I don't think so!

Back to the business of knowing Joe Paterno. I first met him in 1962, when he came to Lewistown with then freshman football coach Earl Bruce. Bruce was the guest speaker at the Lewistown Lions Club father-son banquet. I'm very proud to know him, but I'm not really sure I really, really know him. Accept for Sue, I'm not sure who does. What I do know is this: he's the guy who can totally captivate a Penn State audience; scream like a Banshee on the practice field; charm the socks off recruit's parents; deliver a reprimand (usually deserved) to whomever, whenever, wherever; wave the Penn State flag like no one else; be charming and engaging at times - distant and aloof at times. He has three loves: Sue and family, his players and coaches, Penn State; he has a thing for common courtesy, manners and hats (no hats inside, including elevators); his ethics and morals are beyond reproach. While my association with Joe has been mostly on a professional level, we have been together at social events, banquets and such. He's always glad to see me, knowing my presence means he's not the oldest guy in the room. There are three more things I think I know: Professionally: The best college football coach of all time. Personally: If ever I needed rescued for whatever reason I would not hesitate to call Joe. He's in the book, you know. When (or maybe IF) I go to the great beyond, it most likely will be St. Peter as he checks my resume who will say: Hmmm, Penn State. Did you know Joe Paterno? This is Fran Fisher for GoPSUsports.com. --NITTANY LIONS--

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