Paterno: ‘Speech Slurred, Intellect Seemed Slowed’

Posted By Brooks
This week David Jones of the HARRISBURG PATRIOT-NEWS has a thoughtful piece on what appears to be the failing health of 83-year-old Joe Paterno.

Though putting it as delicately as possible, Jones description ofPaterno’s Monday appearance at Big 10 media day in Chicago was ominous.

On Monday at the first of two Big Ten FootballKickoff interview sessions, Joe Paterno looked pretty good to thedistant eye. Tanned, reasonably ambulatory. Some weight loss, butthat’s fine.
It was when the always quick-witted Penn State football coach opened his mouth that everyone here opened theirs. In surprise.
Paterno sounded very much like something he never has — an old man. It was stunning and melancholy and not a pleasant sound.

It gets worse.

Now, he shows no pain at all. It’s just that hisspeech was slow and slightly slurred, and his intellect seemed a littledulled and delayed — something that’s never, ever been true.
A lot has been made about three promotional dates Paterno missedin Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Hershey this summer. He spent a fewmoments trying to pooh-pooh concerns about his health but there werefew laughs, something there have always been here.
“What did Mark Twain say? ‘Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated’ or something?
“I didn’t miss any time. The problem I had was not havingcontrol over some things, and I had to be careful I didn’t get into asituation where I would embarrass myself. I couldn’t make some publicappearances. I didn’t want to be standing up here and then have toleave.”
Stomach ailments aside, he is 83½ and for the first time he looks it.

Jones was far from alone in his observation. Bernand Fernandez of the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS also noted Paterno’s seemingly uncertain health after the coach’s Monday appearance. And Ron Musselman of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, via the omnipresent Jay Christensen of Wiz of Odds, recently reported that Paterno has not recruited on the road since January, 2008.
Then there’s my own source, a prominent college football media member who was also in Chicago to observe Paterno. His thoughts:

“It was very sad. He talked very softly. Didn’t havehis normal fire and passon at all. I’d be shocked if he goes beyondthis year.”

Here’s video of Paterno’s Monday appearance:



Reports of Paterno’s demise over health concerns have circulated for decades, but this time feels different.
Hope we’re all wrong. Again.