Paterno: just chill out

I'm starting to wonder if Joe Paterno himself was snuck out the window of 4103 Nittany Apartments the night of the Blue White Game. At the "Evening with Joe Paterno" event in Arlington this Tuesday, Paterno was quoted as saying this about the recent drug bust at some of his players' apartment. (Note: None of the players were present at the apartment, and we now know they are in no legal trouble)

"That's been blown way out of proportion," Paterno said at a function with more than 400 Penn State alumni and boosters in the Washington, D.C., area. "It's a party, and my guys horsing around with marijuana? You know, we test them all the time. And the four kids who were renting the apartment were not in the apartment when the police got in there."

Is Paterno completely justified in saying that? Certainly. But is it downright shocking that he's been so level headed about the whole incident so far? A bit.

We're used to the "You damn kids!" version of Paterno of old. However, more recently, he's been holding less of a hair trigger. I'm not trying to fish for something that isn't there. But I just think it's important to note that Paterno still has complete control over what goes on with his team, and his handling of the last two incidents (this, and Navorro Bowman*) in this way, shows an element of pragmatism that seems to be lost in modern college football.

*It's also important to note that Paterno said he planned a meeting today with Bowman. Hopefully we hear some decent news out of that. I personally don't think Paterno would have a "meeting" with Bowman if he was just going to kick him off the team. Looks like a good 'ole suspension is in order. Could have been worse.