Jay Paterno, Barack Obama and the Really Bad Blog Idea

Jay Paterno has enough problems with the Penn State fan base.

Why he would want to make things even worse by getting publicly involved in politics is beyond me.

Paterno, the much-maligned son of Penn State coach Joe Paterno and one of the Nittany Lions' two offensive coordinators, has been vocal in his support for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama for months. But only recently has Paterno's political work crossed the line. And it's all because of a blog -- and his lack of common sense in dealing with fans.

Believe it or not, Paterno is now maintaining a blog on the Obama website. In it, he writes, of course, about all the reasons he believes Obama is the right man to lead the country and why voting for John McCain would be a grave mistake. It's basic political stuff. In a way, I commend Paterno for sticking his neck out there and supporting a guy he really believes in.

The problem is, Paterno's blog is not doing much to further political discourse. Instead, it's become yet another reason for his (many) critics to lambaste him. And that's exactly what they're doing, right there on the blog's comments section -- not about politics, really, but about football. Even worse, Paterno has taken the time to actually respond, defending his performance as offensive coordinator and his right to do whatever he wants in his "free time."

"Before I got involved in this campaign," Paterno wrote in response to one poster, "I resolved that my commitment to the campaign would not come at the expense of my family or job obligations. What I do with my free time is up to me."

That's true, of course. But Paterno should have known this blog of his would generate criticism, both of his politics and his leadership of the Penn State offense (of which there is much to criticize). He should have expected anonymous posters to write stupid things about him.

But he also should have been mature enough -- smart enough -- to not respond. Because now that he has, there's no telling how ugly the comments will get, and how long Paterno's blog-based debate will last.

Which has to make you wonder: Is this really the kind of publicity that Penn State, or Barack Obama, needs?