When Joe Paterno Grew Up, Basketball Was A "Jewish Game"

Wednesday, April 01, 2009


During last night's Penn State-Notre Dame N.I.T. Semifinal game, ESPN decided to sit down with Joe Paterno and the result is one of the most hilarious on-air interviews I've ever witnessed. After some Football questions, Bill Raftery decided to ask the Coach what he thought about College Basketball and this was his response (sorry for the video quality). Via HHR....



"They all talk about it as a Black Man's game now. Everyone says it's a Black Man's game. When I grew up it was a Jewish mans game."- Joe Paterno

Obviously Joe Paterno wasn't being derogatory in any way, but it's still awkward to hear someone who's 82 years old not being politically correct. The added clip of Joe Pa emulating the granny free throw was just icing on the cake.

JoPa Being JoPa (HHR)

7 Comments:

Please! You can't rewrite history just to be politically correct. Stop this madness it's destroying this country!!!!!!!

mort said...
Apr 1, 2009, 2:07:00 PM  

Why is it awkward to hear an 82 year old man not being PC?

Fitty67 said...
Apr 1, 2009, 2:07:00 PM  

I'm just shocked that he didn't shit his pants.

GMoney said...
Apr 1, 2009, 4:11:00 PM  

Too many people are taking what he said the wrong way. He didn't say "This is a black man's game." He said "I know a lot of people who say..." Like it or not, there's a big difference in what those two mean.

The goal shouldn't be political correctness. The goal should be confronting the problems and trying to fix them. The people Joe "knows" are the problem, not Joe. That's all I'm trying to say. I didn't intend to sound as simplistic or narrow as I did. Sorry.

Mike said...
Apr 1, 2009, 4:14:00 PM  

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I think he's saying, based on where he grew up, the game was primarily played by Jewish kids in his neighborhood. Thus, it has less to do with the game itself, and more to with the regional appeal.

Which, dear God, is so offensive I might just faint and die.

Anonymous said...
Apr 1, 2009, 5:11:00 PM  

Of course if Bobby Bowden had said this he would be painted as a racistand Anti-Semitic good ole boy and people would be calling for his head.

Anonymous said...
Apr 1, 2009, 7:57:00 PM  

First, the reason Bobby Bowden would be painted as a racist is because he has that goddamn Southern accent and everything his says sounds ignorant. Second, JoePa tells it like it is and doesn't make any apologies. I was watching the game and even thought I was surprised to hear him speak so frankly about race, it was refreshing. I can't speak for the game in the 1940s, but is basketball not totally dominated by black men today? How is that offensive?

Unknown said...
Apr 2, 2009, 1:23:00 PM  

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