Today's announcement by Senator Jake Corman (R-PA) that the NCAA has repealed the sanctions against Penn State, including restoring the 112 wins the football team achieved during the years 1998-2001, was a pleasant surprise.
111 of those wins were achieved through the coaching of Joe Paterno. One of those wins was achieved through the coaching of interim head coach Tom Bradley after Coach Joe Paterno was summarily fired on November 9, 2011 by the Board of Trustees.
But let's not forget that these wins belonged primarily to the players, not the coaches. And so especially for the players, I am happy.
Photo panorama - View From Our Seats - Penn State vs Iowa 2011 - by Carolyn M. Todd
Showing posts with label Penn State football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Penn State football. Show all posts
Friday, January 16, 2015
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Penn State Football: These "Irish" Eyes Teared Up As Penn State Pulled Out a Tight Win
The tears flowed freely this weekend, and most of them were tears of sorrow, not joy. They first came on Friday when someone posted a 17 minute video of the pep rally in Dublin, a pep rally in an unfamiliar location but with a very familiar format.
My husband Terry and I had attended so many in the past at away games and bowl games all over the country. The pep rallies all seemed the same after a while, but there in Ireland, it was decidedly different. The enthusiasm of the Penn State crowd was contagious and it reminded me that of course I would have been there "if only"...
My husband Terry and I had attended so many in the past at away games and bowl games all over the country. The pep rallies all seemed the same after a while, but there in Ireland, it was decidedly different. The enthusiasm of the Penn State crowd was contagious and it reminded me that of course I would have been there "if only"...
Friday, July 25, 2014
Paterno Legacy by Jay Paterno: A Must Read!
I was lucky enough to learn that the Barnes and Noble bookstore in State College had a few copies of this book before anyplace else in the country. I was able to drive down to the bookstore and pick one up right away. Never mind that I almost got a speeding ticket on my way to pick up the book...luckily the police officer that stopped me was kind!
Once I acquired it I couldn't put it down, even though I went through an entire box of tissues while reading it. There are painful moments, rich moments, humorous moments. It is very well written.
Once I acquired it I couldn't put it down, even though I went through an entire box of tissues while reading it. There are painful moments, rich moments, humorous moments. It is very well written.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Two Ways to Honor Joe Paterno This Summer
When I think of Joe Paterno and his impact on Penn State University, I think primarily about his commitment to developing young men - his football players - into educated and responsible citizens who contribute greatly to the world we live in.
Yes, Joe also won a lot of football games - 409 to be exact - but in fact Joe didn't win a single one of those games by himself. His players were the true winners. What Joe did so beautifully over 61 years of service to Penn State as a coach was to establish the right conditions and discipline for those team members to excel.
And to excel while earning their degrees at a demanding university that cuts no slack to athletes. I know, because I teach at Penn State and have to fill out forms on athletes' progress in my classes - they are very tightly monitored to make sure they are attending classes and succeeding in the classroom. Regardless of their position on the team, if a football player is slacking off in the classroom, Joe Paterno would tell you "Flunk him. It will teach him a lesson." I know because this situation happened in my classroom and that is exactly what Joe Paterno told me.
Joe Paterno and his wife Sue were also great humanitarians. They gave back (and his family continues to give back) to Penn State University and to numerous Pennsylvania charities. Economically, the success of Penn State football during Joe's tenure contributed greatly to Centre County businesses and tourism and certainly the quality of life.
For these reasons, the efforts to Honor Joe through the film "The People's Joe" and through a very exciting bench sculpture project "Joe's Bench", planned for downtown State College are worthy of your support.
These projects are designed to be projects by the people and for the people. Many sculptures are created due to the generosity of a few large donors with deep pockets, but the intent here is to reach out to all who want to share in the story and pay tribute to a man who truly deserves our respect.
Recently, I was visiting the City of Amsterdam, and while wandering through the Red Light District, happened upon this bench which pays tribute to Lieut-Colonel Alida Margaretha Bosshardt, a Salvation Army leader who was known as the "Angel of Amsterdam". I didn't even know who she was at the time, but felt compelled to sit on this bench and curious enough to find her biography online.
Just think...how cool would it be if we had something like this in State College to honor a man who would never want to be described as an angel, but who had such an impact on so many lives through his work?
To find out more about the film and bench projects and to contribute $1, $5, $25, $100 or more towards this effort, visit igg.me/at/joesbench
And please...spread the word....this project will happen only with broad-based support.
Yes, Joe also won a lot of football games - 409 to be exact - but in fact Joe didn't win a single one of those games by himself. His players were the true winners. What Joe did so beautifully over 61 years of service to Penn State as a coach was to establish the right conditions and discipline for those team members to excel.
And to excel while earning their degrees at a demanding university that cuts no slack to athletes. I know, because I teach at Penn State and have to fill out forms on athletes' progress in my classes - they are very tightly monitored to make sure they are attending classes and succeeding in the classroom. Regardless of their position on the team, if a football player is slacking off in the classroom, Joe Paterno would tell you "Flunk him. It will teach him a lesson." I know because this situation happened in my classroom and that is exactly what Joe Paterno told me.
Joe Paterno and his wife Sue were also great humanitarians. They gave back (and his family continues to give back) to Penn State University and to numerous Pennsylvania charities. Economically, the success of Penn State football during Joe's tenure contributed greatly to Centre County businesses and tourism and certainly the quality of life.
For these reasons, the efforts to Honor Joe through the film "The People's Joe" and through a very exciting bench sculpture project "Joe's Bench", planned for downtown State College are worthy of your support.
These projects are designed to be projects by the people and for the people. Many sculptures are created due to the generosity of a few large donors with deep pockets, but the intent here is to reach out to all who want to share in the story and pay tribute to a man who truly deserves our respect.
Recently, I was visiting the City of Amsterdam, and while wandering through the Red Light District, happened upon this bench which pays tribute to Lieut-Colonel Alida Margaretha Bosshardt, a Salvation Army leader who was known as the "Angel of Amsterdam". I didn't even know who she was at the time, but felt compelled to sit on this bench and curious enough to find her biography online.
Just think...how cool would it be if we had something like this in State College to honor a man who would never want to be described as an angel, but who had such an impact on so many lives through his work?
To find out more about the film and bench projects and to contribute $1, $5, $25, $100 or more towards this effort, visit igg.me/at/joesbench
And please...spread the word....this project will happen only with broad-based support.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Penn State Football: Orange Ex'Cused as the Penn State Football Nation Shows Some Love
It wasn't always pretty, and it came down to the final minute or so, but Penn State got the job done, beating Syracuse 23-17. And so the second season under Coach Bill O'Brien gets off to a roaring start, under the shaky (at times) leadership of a true freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg who is still learning the game but obviously has great potential. At the end of the game, O'Brien relied on the defense to secure the win, not daring to risk another offensive turnover in a game that had plenty of ups and downs for both teams.
This was a most unusual game for me and especially for my husband Terry. We weren't actually there. For the first time since September 1990 my husband Terry was not able to make a Penn State game in person, and the last game I missed was September 2001, a game in Iowa City that Terry went to but I stayed home due to a sick animal.
This was a most unusual game for me and especially for my husband Terry. We weren't actually there. For the first time since September 1990 my husband Terry was not able to make a Penn State game in person, and the last game I missed was September 2001, a game in Iowa City that Terry went to but I stayed home due to a sick animal.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
A Great Retrospective on the 2012 Penn State Football Season
Yesterday, Penn State sports historian and author Lou Prato stopped by our house to visit Terry. It was a great visit, and we spent time discussing our separate journeys to becoming devoted Penn State football fans. Lou, with his years of experience as a journalist and in broadcast news, has tons of stories not only about his work with Penn State sports, but his coverage of other teams like Ohio State and Michigan. Hilarious.
Lou learned that our story is different than a lot of Penn State fans. Our devotion to Penn State had nothing to do with attending school here, and so Terry told him about how he evolved from Ohio State to Missouri to Penn State. And I told him about my complete lack of devotion to football before I met Terry. Also as I will tell my students tomorrow when classes begin, the reason I'm here teaching at Penn State's Smeal College of Business is due to Penn State football. It's not the other way around.
One of Lou's tasks yesterday was to autograph his new book, entitled, "We Are Penn State: The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions". You can purchase it here. It's a very good read. I finished it in a day. Its hard to put down once you get started.
While Lou certainly has a point of view about what happened to Penn State as a result of the aftermath of the Sandusky scandal, especially the damages done to the football team and the Penn State brand by the Freeh Report and the NCAA sanctions, he does not dwell too long on those issues in the book. He has written about those topics elsewhere, such as in his columns in Blue White Illustrated.
Rather, this book is almost entirely about the 2012 team who stayed when the NCAA sanctions said they could leave at any time without penalty. It's about this remarkable group of football players whose emotional leaders were seniors Michael Mauti and Michael Zordich, and their brand new coach, Bill O'Brien, and how they kept Penn State football alive and helped us all smile again.
Lou learned that our story is different than a lot of Penn State fans. Our devotion to Penn State had nothing to do with attending school here, and so Terry told him about how he evolved from Ohio State to Missouri to Penn State. And I told him about my complete lack of devotion to football before I met Terry. Also as I will tell my students tomorrow when classes begin, the reason I'm here teaching at Penn State's Smeal College of Business is due to Penn State football. It's not the other way around.
One of Lou's tasks yesterday was to autograph his new book, entitled, "We Are Penn State: The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions". You can purchase it here. It's a very good read. I finished it in a day. Its hard to put down once you get started.
While Lou certainly has a point of view about what happened to Penn State as a result of the aftermath of the Sandusky scandal, especially the damages done to the football team and the Penn State brand by the Freeh Report and the NCAA sanctions, he does not dwell too long on those issues in the book. He has written about those topics elsewhere, such as in his columns in Blue White Illustrated.
Rather, this book is almost entirely about the 2012 team who stayed when the NCAA sanctions said they could leave at any time without penalty. It's about this remarkable group of football players whose emotional leaders were seniors Michael Mauti and Michael Zordich, and their brand new coach, Bill O'Brien, and how they kept Penn State football alive and helped us all smile again.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Penn State Football: "Life Comes At You Fast", and Sometimes It Isn't Pretty
It is with a great deal of sadness that I announce that as of this coming football season, the attendance streaks at Penn State football games for my husband Terry and myself will end. For Terry, it was 282 games in a row. The last game he missed was the Penn State - USC game in Los Angeles in 1990. For me, it was 146 games in a row. The last game I missed was the Penn State - Iowa game in 2001 in Iowa City. The games we attended were anywhere in the country: home, away, and bowl games.
Somehow, none of that matters now. It's just a game, after all. Right???
Well, maybe.
There was a sign I saw recently in a medical office: "Life is just a game. Football is serious business." For us, it certainly has been that way. It dominated our lives each fall, and, well, I expect there to be a big hole now.
Unfortunately, I know how it will be filled, and finding time to tend to what needs to be done over the coming months will be a real challenge.
Somehow, none of that matters now. It's just a game, after all. Right???
Well, maybe.
There was a sign I saw recently in a medical office: "Life is just a game. Football is serious business." For us, it certainly has been that way. It dominated our lives each fall, and, well, I expect there to be a big hole now.
Unfortunately, I know how it will be filled, and finding time to tend to what needs to be done over the coming months will be a real challenge.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Penn State Football: Is This The Feeding Frenzy the NCAA Wished For?
Is this what the NCAA intended last year when, as part of the NCAA sanctions announced a year ago, they reduced scholarships for Penn State football by 20 scholarships per year for four years, and they allowed current Penn State football players to leave for other schools without penalty?
Fortunately many of the schools represented here in this mascot collection exercised restraint last summer on recruiting current PSU football players, and the one school that did not, Illinois, does not have a mascot so is not in these photos. Chief Illiniwek, now gone, was never a mascot. He was a spirit, I was told when I tried to acquire one the first time Penn State played Illinois in Champaign.
Sure looks like the NCAA wanted a recruiting picnic full of mayhem
that would cripple if not destroy Penn State forever. A feeding frenzy
of sorts.
And even if none of these schools pictured here directly tried to destroy Penn State, they are in fact represented on the NCAA Board and Executive Committee that discussed, approved and authorized the sanctions announced by Dr. Mark Emmert on the basis of a management advisory opinion piece called the Freeh Report rather than follow its own investigation rules.
Fortunately, few players transferred, thanks to the quick thinking leadership of the 2012 football team senior leaders, and the fact that the new coaching staff at Penn State, led by Coach Bill O'Brien, had earned the team's respect.
However, with 80 scholarships gone over the next four years, I can't help but think that Penn State's ability to be competitive over time, even with the most brilliant coaching staff around, will be crippled.
The feeding frenzy might not be so dramatic as it was last summer, but if nothing is done about these draconian scholarship reductions, sanctions that are particularly punitive to current students and players who had nothing to do with Sandusky's criminal behavior, it will be felt over time.
Fortunately many of the schools represented here in this mascot collection exercised restraint last summer on recruiting current PSU football players, and the one school that did not, Illinois, does not have a mascot so is not in these photos. Chief Illiniwek, now gone, was never a mascot. He was a spirit, I was told when I tried to acquire one the first time Penn State played Illinois in Champaign.
Photos by Carolyn M. Todd. All Rights Reserved.
And even if none of these schools pictured here directly tried to destroy Penn State, they are in fact represented on the NCAA Board and Executive Committee that discussed, approved and authorized the sanctions announced by Dr. Mark Emmert on the basis of a management advisory opinion piece called the Freeh Report rather than follow its own investigation rules.
Fortunately, few players transferred, thanks to the quick thinking leadership of the 2012 football team senior leaders, and the fact that the new coaching staff at Penn State, led by Coach Bill O'Brien, had earned the team's respect.
However, with 80 scholarships gone over the next four years, I can't help but think that Penn State's ability to be competitive over time, even with the most brilliant coaching staff around, will be crippled.
The feeding frenzy might not be so dramatic as it was last summer, but if nothing is done about these draconian scholarship reductions, sanctions that are particularly punitive to current students and players who had nothing to do with Sandusky's criminal behavior, it will be felt over time.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Penn State Football: On Losing Your Voice When It Comes to Sandusky
Media critic John Ziegler had it right in his newly published online book, "The Betrayal of Joe Paterno", which I recommend that you access here at his website www.framingpaterno.com. In Chapter 5, entitled "The Firing", Ziegler describes the late night decision of the Board of Trustees to fire Joe Paterno via cell phone at 10 p.m., and then the ensuing "riot" downtown after it became known.
This riot of a few thousand people who were downtown when they heard the news consisted of a trash can fire and the toppling of a news van that created serious damage to the van. But because all the national media were present, the images became something much more like a full scale riot in the minds of the public.
Never mind that five times as many students turned out two days later for a candlelight vigil on the lawn of Old Main to pray for victims of child abuse, and students and alumni in the next several weeks also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for child abuse prevention causes at that Saturday's game and beyond. That didn't get nearly the publicity or the press images.
This riot of a few thousand people who were downtown when they heard the news consisted of a trash can fire and the toppling of a news van that created serious damage to the van. But because all the national media were present, the images became something much more like a full scale riot in the minds of the public.
Never mind that five times as many students turned out two days later for a candlelight vigil on the lawn of Old Main to pray for victims of child abuse, and students and alumni in the next several weeks also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for child abuse prevention causes at that Saturday's game and beyond. That didn't get nearly the publicity or the press images.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Penn State Football: Will Bob Costas Create New Discussion on Sandusky Case?
Tomorrow night, on Wednesday May 29 sportscaster Bob Costas will air a
long-awaited discussion about the Sandusky scandal. He has been
rumored to have second thoughts after the Paterno family commissioned a
report authored by former US Attorney General Richard Thornburgh
regarding the Freeh Report's inadequacies.
According to ESPN: "In addition to Thornburgh, former FBI supervisory special agent and former state prosecutor James Clemente, and Dr. Fred Berlin, a treating physician, psychiatrist, psychologist and expert in sexual disorders and pedophilia at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine, contributed independent evaluations of the Freeh Report." The report was entitled "The Rush To Injustice Regarding Joe Paterno."
According to NBC's Vice President of Communications Adam Freifeld, “(The Freeh Report) will be the focus of Costas Tonight tomorrow at 11pm ET following hockey on NBCSN.”
Is this good news or bad news for Penn State fans waiting to hear some positive news about the role of Joe Paterno in this scandal? It remains to be seen what Costas will say and what he will conclude.
One has to ask about the timing of this broadcast. The show is not exactly prime time coverage!
Those of us who have lived through this saga remember all too well how overly-consuming the media coverage was in November of 2011. Prime time coverage was not a problem when it came to media suggestions that former Penn State head coach and college football icon Joe Paterno was somehow at fault for not stopping Sandusky's crimes.
As to any effort at vindication, it appears to me that the media has given such news second fiddle at best.
Here is what John Ziegler, independent documentary film maker and creator of the website www.framingpaterno.com has to say:
"Having spoken to Bob Costas twice about the facts of the case and the nature of the show he might do on this, I am confident that he will take a fair and objective second look at the facts here. Unfortunately, he will not be taking an advocacy role here and the size of that audience at the time with limited time to promote won't be ideal."
Bob Costas' show will air on NBCSC immediately after the hockey program is concluded. That is anticipated to be about 11 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
According to ESPN: "In addition to Thornburgh, former FBI supervisory special agent and former state prosecutor James Clemente, and Dr. Fred Berlin, a treating physician, psychiatrist, psychologist and expert in sexual disorders and pedophilia at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine, contributed independent evaluations of the Freeh Report." The report was entitled "The Rush To Injustice Regarding Joe Paterno."
According to NBC's Vice President of Communications Adam Freifeld, “(The Freeh Report) will be the focus of Costas Tonight tomorrow at 11pm ET following hockey on NBCSN.”
Is this good news or bad news for Penn State fans waiting to hear some positive news about the role of Joe Paterno in this scandal? It remains to be seen what Costas will say and what he will conclude.
One has to ask about the timing of this broadcast. The show is not exactly prime time coverage!
Those of us who have lived through this saga remember all too well how overly-consuming the media coverage was in November of 2011. Prime time coverage was not a problem when it came to media suggestions that former Penn State head coach and college football icon Joe Paterno was somehow at fault for not stopping Sandusky's crimes.
As to any effort at vindication, it appears to me that the media has given such news second fiddle at best.
Here is what John Ziegler, independent documentary film maker and creator of the website www.framingpaterno.com has to say:
"Having spoken to Bob Costas twice about the facts of the case and the nature of the show he might do on this, I am confident that he will take a fair and objective second look at the facts here. Unfortunately, he will not be taking an advocacy role here and the size of that audience at the time with limited time to promote won't be ideal."
Bob Costas' show will air on NBCSC immediately after the hockey program is concluded. That is anticipated to be about 11 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Penn State Football: It's About That Culture Thing
Why did Louis Freeh determine that Penn State had a so-called "football culture"?
In his report, Freeh states the following key finding:
"In the Fall of 2000, a University janitor observed Sandusky sexually assault a young boy in the East Area Locker Building and advised co-workers of what he saw. Also that evening, another janitor saw two pairs of feet in the same shower, and then saw Sandusky and a young boy leaving the locker room holding hands. Fearing that they would be fired for what they saw, neither janitor reported the incidents to university officials, law enforcement, or child protective agencies."
Later in his report, Freeh describes an interview with one of the janitors involved: "Janitor B explained to the Special Investigative Counsel that reporting the incident 'would have been like going against the President of the United States in my eyes.' 'I know Paterno has so much power, if he wanted to get rid of someone, I would have been gone.' He explained, 'football runs this University,' and said the University would have closed ranks to protect the football program at all costs."
And so according to Freeh, even though a more senior janitor discussed with these two janitors how to report what they saw, the two janitors involved decided that because they were fearful of losing their jobs, they would not report a tremendously awful crime. Or at least that's what they told Freeh twelve years after it happened.
In his report, Freeh states the following key finding:
"In the Fall of 2000, a University janitor observed Sandusky sexually assault a young boy in the East Area Locker Building and advised co-workers of what he saw. Also that evening, another janitor saw two pairs of feet in the same shower, and then saw Sandusky and a young boy leaving the locker room holding hands. Fearing that they would be fired for what they saw, neither janitor reported the incidents to university officials, law enforcement, or child protective agencies."
Later in his report, Freeh describes an interview with one of the janitors involved: "Janitor B explained to the Special Investigative Counsel that reporting the incident 'would have been like going against the President of the United States in my eyes.' 'I know Paterno has so much power, if he wanted to get rid of someone, I would have been gone.' He explained, 'football runs this University,' and said the University would have closed ranks to protect the football program at all costs."
And so according to Freeh, even though a more senior janitor discussed with these two janitors how to report what they saw, the two janitors involved decided that because they were fearful of losing their jobs, they would not report a tremendously awful crime. Or at least that's what they told Freeh twelve years after it happened.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Penn State Football: Solid Performances in a Tumultuous Year
This has been an emotional couple of weeks for any Penn State football fan.
The 2012 season ended in a fine way, with a superb win against Indiana, and then a tense, passion-filled finish in overtime against a tough Wisconsin team. In the last two games we saw Matt McGloin and Allen Robinson tie or break offensive records. At the Indiana game we saw linebacker Michael Mauti get injured. And we all cried as he was driven off the field in a cart.
At the Wisconsin game we saw the 31 seniors who stayed despite the NCAA sanctions come out onto the field to be honored.
We watched the year 2012 be put up on the east suites wall in honor of them, something that is normally reserved for undefeated years or championship seasons.
The 2012 season ended in a fine way, with a superb win against Indiana, and then a tense, passion-filled finish in overtime against a tough Wisconsin team. In the last two games we saw Matt McGloin and Allen Robinson tie or break offensive records. At the Indiana game we saw linebacker Michael Mauti get injured. And we all cried as he was driven off the field in a cart.
At the Wisconsin game we saw the 31 seniors who stayed despite the NCAA sanctions come out onto the field to be honored.
We watched the year 2012 be put up on the east suites wall in honor of them, something that is normally reserved for undefeated years or championship seasons.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Penn State Football: Will Renewing Old Rivalries Be Worth It for Penn State?
Especially if the old rivalries do not include Pittsburgh?
With yesterday's announcement that Maryland will be joining the B1G conference in 2014, and with today's announcement that Rutgers will also join, I have been amused by some of the comments on my Facebook home page deriding the additions.
I suppose, if you were looking at these additions from solely a football point of view, and if you weren't one to travel to watch games in person, you might ask, "What's the point?". Penn State has played Maryland in football 37 times. The record against Maryland is 35 wins, one loss, and one tie.
The last time Penn State lost to Maryland was in 1961. One might look at this move and say that Penn State had found another team to beat up on every year. In fact that's what numerous people are saying. Ho hum. So what?
With yesterday's announcement that Maryland will be joining the B1G conference in 2014, and with today's announcement that Rutgers will also join, I have been amused by some of the comments on my Facebook home page deriding the additions.
I suppose, if you were looking at these additions from solely a football point of view, and if you weren't one to travel to watch games in person, you might ask, "What's the point?". Penn State has played Maryland in football 37 times. The record against Maryland is 35 wins, one loss, and one tie.
The last time Penn State lost to Maryland was in 1961. One might look at this move and say that Penn State had found another team to beat up on every year. In fact that's what numerous people are saying. Ho hum. So what?
Monday, November 12, 2012
Penn State at Nebraska: A Rivalry Mired in Controversy Intensifies
There is no turning back the clock. Not to 1982, when #2 Nebraska played #8 Penn State and lost its chance to play for a national championship due to an errant call on the sidelines.
How do I know that call was errant? A call that Penn State and Nebraska fans have been arguing about for thirty years? What Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald called the "Crooked Sideline"?
Mike McCloskey is the tight end who caught the ball out of bounds that led to Penn State's touchdown and win as time ran out.
At one point in my professional career, before I arrived at Penn State, I happened to talk with someone at work about Penn State football. This man had been a college football official in 1982. I don't even remember his name. But I remember the conversation as if it were yesterday.
How do I know that call was errant? A call that Penn State and Nebraska fans have been arguing about for thirty years? What Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald called the "Crooked Sideline"?
Mike McCloskey is the tight end who caught the ball out of bounds that led to Penn State's touchdown and win as time ran out.
At one point in my professional career, before I arrived at Penn State, I happened to talk with someone at work about Penn State football. This man had been a college football official in 1982. I don't even remember his name. But I remember the conversation as if it were yesterday.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Penn State Football at Purdue: A Damp Cold Day Didn't Dampen Penn State
Self, take note. Next time the weather calls for 30% chance of rain and mid-40's temperatures, pay attention. Assume it will feel like 25 degrees. Because at Ross-Ade stadium it did. In fact it rained quite hard that morning and on the way to the game. I was prepared with rain gear and lots of layers plus a wool hat but needed better protection for my feet and hands.
I hadn't packed my warm toasty waterproof boots nor my Goretex waterproof mittens. Those would have helped immensely! I should also know better. No matter how many games I've been to over the years, that first really cold game of a season always seems like one that I'm not quite prepared for. The Purdue-Penn State game was the first really cold game of the season. And I was very fortunate that it didn't rain during the game. It could have been worse.
I hadn't packed my warm toasty waterproof boots nor my Goretex waterproof mittens. Those would have helped immensely! I should also know better. No matter how many games I've been to over the years, that first really cold game of a season always seems like one that I'm not quite prepared for. The Purdue-Penn State game was the first really cold game of the season. And I was very fortunate that it didn't rain during the game. It could have been worse.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Penn State Football vs Ohio State: Adversity Reigned in Loss to Buckeyes
Earlier this week I was invited on the student-run radio show Motown Mornings to make a prediction for the Penn State-Ohio State clash at Beaver Stadium.
I'm not one to usually predict scores, in fact yesterday morning I was feeling a bit like I might have jinxed the game by predicting that Penn State would pull off a 30-27 win. The actual score was 35-23 for Ohio State.
I was in the right neighborhood on total points scored. But not on the final outcome.
There were, however, a couple of key observations I made on that interview that turned out to be true.
I'm not one to usually predict scores, in fact yesterday morning I was feeling a bit like I might have jinxed the game by predicting that Penn State would pull off a 30-27 win. The actual score was 35-23 for Ohio State.
I was in the right neighborhood on total points scored. But not on the final outcome.
There were, however, a couple of key observations I made on that interview that turned out to be true.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Penn State Football: A MOST Satisfying Win at Iowa and a Call to Action
The gold "America Needs Farmers" campaign rally towels were on every seat, including the seats where the Penn State fans were congregated. Mixed in with Penn State fans were numerous Iowa fans. Evidently Penn State had returned some of its seat allotments, and we were unlucky enough to have four Iowa fans - two couples - in front of us swinging their towels with gusto, so our view from the stands for this game looked something like this:
It's not that we minded too much. Once the score became 24-0 at halftime, and then 31-0 and 38-0 the towels were swung with somewhat less enthusiasm and less often. One couple stopped swinging their towels when a towel hit my face and I asked them to please stop, which we very much appreciated. The other couple kept up their non-stop enthusiasm well into the fourth quarter, as Iowa scored two late touchdowns and I ducked a lot to avoid being swatted. But they also left before the end of the game, well before Iowa's last touchdown made the score 38-14 in favor of Penn State.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Penn State Football at Iowa: It's Time to Win at Kinnick Stadium
It's been a long dry spell at Kinnick Stadium, and I'm not talking about the weather. In fact, as I write this, it is a misty morning in Iowa City. The prediction for later today is for clouds giving way to sun and a high of 60, low of 40, winds of 5 mph with gusts up to 7 mph. Right now at 9 a.m. it feels just a bit raw and damp outside.
Yesterday it was windy enough that I started to worry about what I had brought to wear to the game. So I went to the mall across from the hotel to buy yet another layer of fleece and some light gloves to complement my hooded sweatshirt and light jacket.
With the game starting at 7 p.m. we could be wearing cotton shirts at 3 p.m. and wishing for down jackets at 11 p.m. So layering seems the best approach.
Yesterday it was windy enough that I started to worry about what I had brought to wear to the game. So I went to the mall across from the hotel to buy yet another layer of fleece and some light gloves to complement my hooded sweatshirt and light jacket.
With the game starting at 7 p.m. we could be wearing cotton shirts at 3 p.m. and wishing for down jackets at 11 p.m. So layering seems the best approach.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Twenty-Five Years of Marriage...and Penn State Football!
On October 10 my husband Terry and I celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. It was a somewhat subdued celebration. We exchanged sweet anniversary cards in the morning, went out to dinner that evening. That was about it. No big fanfare. As it has been since we were married in 1987 on a perfect fall foliage weekend in New England.
That's just the way we are. We don't really exchange gifts or do anything really big on these types of occasions. Our attitude is that if there is a particular pleasure that either of us seeks we don't need to wait for a special occasion. We talk about it and then just do it if we can.
Also, on our anniversary, I had a full schedule of classes and a meeting. It was the middle of the week.
Still, 25 years is a milestone in so many ways, especially when your marriage is also the start of a very long relationship with Penn State and its football team that has impacted so much of your life, including your career.
That's just the way we are. We don't really exchange gifts or do anything really big on these types of occasions. Our attitude is that if there is a particular pleasure that either of us seeks we don't need to wait for a special occasion. We talk about it and then just do it if we can.
Also, on our anniversary, I had a full schedule of classes and a meeting. It was the middle of the week.
Still, 25 years is a milestone in so many ways, especially when your marriage is also the start of a very long relationship with Penn State and its football team that has impacted so much of your life, including your career.
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