Penn State hockey team wears '409' decals honoring Paterno wins (PHOTO)

To help commemorate the return of Joe Paterno's 111 victories — once vacated by the NCAA as part of sanctions leveled against Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse tragedy — the Penn State's men's hockey team wore “409” decals on their helmets Friday night as they took on Michigan State University in a Big Ten matchup.

The 409 represents the total number of victories Paterno had earned throughout his career before the 111 wins were wiped from the record books. 

The NCAA ruled on Friday to overturn sanctions eliminating 112 of the program's wins, after a proposed settlement among the NCAA, the university and Pennsylvania state officials.

Paterno's 111 wins restored his status as the winningest head coach in college football history and had most of Happy Valley in a celebratory mood.

Closer look at the 409 stickers Penn State hockey is wearing tonight pic.twitter.com/tNCf5W5CO6
— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) January 16, 2015

But the PSU hockey team's decision to wear the controversial 409 sticker had its critics on social media. 

So, will the Penn State administration tell the hockey team not to wear '409' stickers, or will they turn a blind eye?
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) January 16, 2015

After the game, head hockey coach Guy Gadowsky clarified that the idea to wear the decals came from the players — and was not a "student decision."

Penn State hockey coach Guy Gadowsky says the 409 stickers were largely a student decision but somewhat acknowledged complexity of the issue
— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) January 17, 2015

While the Paterno legacy earned a huge victory on Friday, the Nittany Lions hockey team fell to the Spartans 3-2 in a shootout on the ice.

Penn State basketball players will reportedly wear "409" T-Shirts on Saturday.

Plane flies over Penn State with warning: 'Take the Statue Down or We Will'

Joe Paterno's statue continues to be the center of controversy in the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case.  After calls from numerous high profile names— including Bobby Bowden and Warren Sapp— to remove the statue, a small plane flew over State College Tuesday afternoon dragging an ominous banner which read: "TAKE THE STATUE DOWN OR WE WILL."

A photo of the banner was posted on Twitter and no one has taken credit for the stunt or explained who the "We" refers to.

Paterno's statue stands outside Beaver Stadium and has become a symbol of the Penn State administration's tolerance of Sandusky's 12 years of sexual deviance over damaging the football program's image.

There has been no reports on who paid for the plane and the banner.

Bobby Bowden: Remove Paterno statue

They were old friends for over 40 years but now former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden says the statue honoring Joe Paterno outside Beaver Stadium should be removed.

Bowden, who said he still loves the late Penn State coach, says every time the statue is shown on TV,  people won't remember the good years surrounding the Penn State football program.

"They're only going to remember the things with [Jerry] Sandusky," said Bowden.  "I still love Joe, and I still love his family, but Joe made a mistake, like all of us do.  Bit this was a big one.  I'm so sorry it happened."

While the school debates whether or not they should topple the controversial statue, the Nittany Lions football team is trying to weather FBI Director Louis Freeh's investigation of the Sandusky child sex abuse scandal by not commenting.

The Orlando Sentinel has gone as far as to recommend that the NCAA remove 111 wins (since 1998) from the Division I all-time winning coach's record because Paterno was alerted to Sandusky's crimes and did nothing to curb them back then.

Could Tim Tebow End Up Hosting "Saturday Night Live?"

Rumors are swirling that the producers of "Saturday Night Live" want Tim Tebow to host the popular television sketch show less than a week after a four-minute skit on the show mocked his strong religious stance and had members of the Christian Right railing against the program.

Imagine, Tim Tebow becoming a possible, would-be savior of the stumbling network.  Talk about turning the other cheek.

If anyone can be a big draw it's the Denver Broncos quarterback.  Last week, the Tebow-led Broncos-New England Patriots game drew 30 million viewers according to USA Today— and it wasn't to see Bill Belichick's scowl.

Now, SNL wants to cash in on Tebow Fever.

The producers want Tebow to host the show as soon as the NFL season is over, according to  HollywoodLife.com.

"SNL realizes it would be a huge ratings and they are hoping he will say yes," said the website.  "Tim just can't and won't be able to do it while the season is still in play."

It also depends on how Tebow feels about being skewered on national television about his devout stance on Christianity.

Other NFL quarterbacks—like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have satirized themselves on the show in the past, but the material might be a little too racy for Tebow and his Christian image.

If Tebow accepts, it probably means last week's skit where actors portraying him and Jesus Christ in a locker room didn't offend him.

In the skit—which was all over the Internet— Jesus tells Tebow to tone down the praise and hit his playbook more than the bible.

The show was a big hit with viewers.

Conservative televangelist, Pat Robertson went ballistic about the sketch and called it, "anti-Christian bigotry that's just disgusting."

If Tebow does the show,  does it mean he is snubbing his finger at Robertson or just showing he has a sense of humor?

The most talked about player in the NFL has shown that he can take a joke after "Tebowing" was satirized everywhere.  He told reporters if people used the pose to pray and reflect, he had no problem with anyone doing it.

I don't think a little irreverent humor would bother Tebow and imagine how much Robertson's rants leading up to the show will boost the ratings.  Think of how many souls Tebow might convert then.

Lawyer Says Paterno Should Have Gone "Brooklyn-Italian" On Sandusky

During Mike McQueary's testimony Friday, at a preliminary hearing for two former Penn State officials accused of covering up sex abuse allegations, he said he went to Joe Paterno's home the day after the the alleged incident and said that what he had seen " was way over the lines, it was extremely sexual in nature."

Paterno, along with the defendants, Gary Shultz and Tim Curley have been criticized for never going to police about the 2002 charges.

The defense noted that McQueary admitted changing his description  of the shower encounter with a boy when speaking with Paterno— enough so that the coach didn't believe a crime had occurred but Shultz's attorney Tom Farrell took a shot at the head coach for not taking more action.

"Frankly folks, I'm an Italian from Brooklyn, and he may not have called the police but he might have done what I would have done," Farrell said at a press conference.  "Which is get the boys in the car with a few baseball bats and crowbars and take it to the fellow."

Ahh... reminiscing about the days of white suits, gold chains and Tony Manero.

None of the three men testified—Paterno is bedridden with a broken hip— but District Judge William C. Wenner read their grand jury testimony from January.

Paterno told the grand jury that McQueary said he saw Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant coach, doing something of a sexual nature with a youngster but that he didn't press for details.

Paterno told McQueary he would talk to others about what he'd reported.

Farrell may talk like some mook from Bensonhurst, but his name doesn't even sound Italian—it doesn't end in a vowel.

Jerry Sandusky's Lawyer Uses Gay Phone-Sex Line In Response To Charges

Accused child molester Jerry Sandusky's lawyer, Joe Amendola, quipped to reporters— after his client waived his right to a preliminary hearing— about a report which says a witness saw Sandusky rape a boy in a Penn State locker room then informed head football coach Joe Paterno and two university officials but failed to notify police.

If you believe that, said Amendola,  "I suggest you dial 1-800-REALITY."

Little did the often criticized lawyer know that he inadvertently gave a number for a real gay phone-sex line for "the hottest place for triple-X action."

Oh yes he did..

Amendola's public gaff occurred during a press conference outside  the Centre County Courthouse Tuesday where the lawyer tried to explain that the grand jury report which detailed the sex-abuse charges against the former Penn State defensive coordinator was flawed.

The report says the witness (Penn State wide receivers coach Mike McQueary) saw Sandusky—who faces more than 50 charges sex-abuse charges—rape the boy.

The lawyer's unfortunate choice of phone number is a gay-sex phone chat service.

"Get ready for bulging, bursting pleasure," the introduction for the phone service boasts.

Amendola seems intent on digging a big ditch for his client to climb out from and has been harshly criticized by other attorneys for his unorthodox counsel and advice.

The case has been a major blow to the school and brought shame to Paterno's program and Amendola's strategy is being scrutinized.

 The defense lawyer gave Sandusky permission to be interviewed by NBC's Bob Costas and The New York Times.  In those reports, Sandusky acknowledged showering with boys and other unsuitable activities.  He also admitted he liked being around young people.

"There will be no negotiations," claimed Amendola.  "This is a fight to the death."

Marci Hamilton, an attorney for a 29 year-old man who claims he was abused more than 100 times by Sandusky between 1992 and 1996, said she is baffled by Amendola's behavior.

"He's very unorthodox,' she said about Amendola allowing the interviews.  "I don't know if that's good or bad."