Penn State Hockey Helmets With '409' Stickers Stir Controversy

Penn State University has sparked controversy after its hockey team took to the ice on Friday with “409” decals on their helmets representing the number of career wins by late football coach Joe Paterno.

The NCAA and the university had reached an agreement to restore the wins that were discounted as part of sanctions related to the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The wins made Paterno the winningest college football coach in history.

Former Penn State assistant football coach Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of sexual abuse in 2012.

Penn State's athletic director Sandy Barbour called the decals “inappropriate and insensitive” in a tweet, igniting a flurry of criticism on Twitter. Barbour later apologized for the tweet during an interview on WBLF Radio.

"I'll use my own words. It was inappropriate and insensitive of me to do that from a tweet standpoint," Barbour said, according to Penn Live.

Hockey coach Guy Gadowsky said the stickers weren’t about Sandusky’s victims, CBS Pittsburgh reported. “News came that they were happy about, and it was all for support of them, nothing else, nothing more.”

Twitter users had mixed reaction.

Penn State hockey team wearing '409' helmet stickers in game over weekend is incredible. Ever think about paying tribute to victims instead?

— Colin Dunlap (@colin_dunlap) January 18, 2015

Most teams wear helmet decals to recognize the afflicted, not those who enabled the afflictions. #ShameOnPennState http://t.co/MDAr5tEfki

— Neate Sager (@neatebuzzthenet) January 17, 2015

And it is official: PSU AD @SandyB_PSUAD calling 409 "insensitive" is now part of official narrative. Thanks so much! http://t.co/fLt4GSFtKY

— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) January 19, 2015

Does NO ONE in the PSU athletic department see why this might be a bad idea??? http://t.co/2fcpA8NFl0 Guess not... pic.twitter.com/6RKj8cdmkh

— LostLettermen.com (@LostLettermen) January 17, 2015

Great to have those wins restored #409 now Penn State it's time for us to honor our legendary coach and put the statue where it belongs.

— Stephon Morris (@S_Morris12) January 16, 2015

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