Sickness Benches JoePa

STATE COLLEGE, CENTRE COUNTY – Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno is under the weather, and it is serious enough for Paterno to cancel an “Evening with Joe” event in Philadelphia scheduled for Wednesday. However, he said if this was a game day he would be on the sidelines.

This is the fourth cancelation JoePa has had to make in the past several weeks because of his health. First Coach Paterno had been battling an intestinal flu. Then he had some dental work, and did not react well to the antibiotics doctors prescribed.

Those two have been a sort of double whammy for the coach.

Joe-pa, who turned 83 in December, visited with women participating at Penn State's female football camp last Friday. He told them while he is not feeling great, if he had to coach a game, he would be on the sidelines.

Also, people who have talked with the coach said he wants to get back to normal. The last weeks in June are usually pretty quiet for the coach.

Coach Paterno does not have any major appearances scheduled until August 2nd and 3rd. That is when he will be in Chicago for the Big Ten football kick-off meetings.