Given all that continues to unfurl in the Penn State case, it is unfathomable that a proper biography could come out now about Joe Paterno.

Yet Simon & Schuster is going ahead with Joe Posnanski’s book, Paterno, which is set to be released Aug. 21. However, don’t expect to see Posnanski do a full-blown book tour.

From a story in the New York Times:

Now Simon & Schuster is limiting interviews with Mr. Posnanski and scaling back a planned book tour. Anne Tate, a spokeswoman for the publisher, said in an e-mail, “We’re sensitive about putting our author in forums where he might be viewed as a stand-in for his subject.”

Jonathan Karp, the publisher of Simon & Schuster, said in an interview that the release of the Freeh report had complicated matters for the book.

“It’s made people angrier at Joe Paterno,” he said. “And that has made it a more difficult environment to publish a biography about Joe Paterno.”

Later:

Mr. Karp heatedly defended his author, pointing out that the book had been under a strict embargo and that review copies had not been distributed. Few people, he said, have read it.

“I will say this — I think there has been a lot online about this book,” Mr. Karp said. “And I’m amazed by some of the vitriol with regard to Joe Posnanski, who is a truly gifted writer. People can pass all the judgment they want about Joe Paterno, but Joe Posnanski deserves a chance to be read.”

But this doesn’t bode well for sales:

Michael Fox, the owner of Joseph Fox Bookshop in Philadelphia, has not read “Paterno,” but he knows he does not want to order a single copy.

“I just don’t want it on my shelf,” Mr. Fox said last week. “It’s distasteful and it’s not up to date. I’m sure there’s a lot of college football fans who want to read about the greatest coach of all time. But it’s not something I want to have in my store.”

According to the story, Posnanski was paid $750,000 to write the book. At this point, he has to wonder if it was worth it.