Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel defends Paterno at SEC Media Days

• Midwest Sports Fans
• Pinkel is likely wishing he had some help from the booth yesterday.

In a day meant to be about rivalries, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel’s decision to try and play the statesman ended up generating headlines. The Columbia Daily Tribune noted that Pinkel spoke to reporters at Southeast Conference Media Days yesterday about the late Joe Paterno, saying “to sit there and blame him for all this, I think is wrong.”

For a coach that knows all too well about the scrutiny of the media, Pinkel was attempting to make a point about how our culture is quick to condemn someone based on the latest news. His statement is after the jump.