Penn State-Alabama Memories: That 1990 Win Was Special

It’s funny.  I’ve seen Penn State play in a lot of phenomenal football games since 1990.  In fact, I’ve missed only four of the 244 games Penn State has played anywhere in the country since September of 1990. 

There have been a lot of fantastic games in that time frame, many with national championship implications. 

But when I am asked my favorite game of all time, I always say Penn State-Alabama at Tuscaloosa in 1990. 

It was a 9-0 win on three Craig Fayak field goals.  This game had no national championship implications.  In fact, when we played that game, neither team was ranked in the AP Top 25.

Penn State Football: Anticipation and Apprehension Characterize September

For several weeks now, my husband Terry has been counting the days until the first Penn State football game.  He has learned, though, not to share his daily, and sometimes hourly, count with me. 

I dread his count because the beginning of the football season also means the end of summer. 

That means that I have fewer days before my teaching job starts again. 

It's not that I don't love my job.  It's just that I love my summers as well.

With Nebraska Added, Will Penn State Fans Finally Embrace the Big Ten?

It’s been two decades since Penn State joined the Big Ten.  Yet there are times when I have a sense that many Penn State fans long for the days when we weren’t so completely tied to Big Ten conference opponents and dynamics.  I have the impression at times that many Penn State football fans haven’t yet totally embraced the entire Big Ten.   Or they believe that Penn State should have joined the Big East or possibly the ACC. 

This instinct comes through especially as I read people argue about which division Penn State belongs to in the future Big Ten. Some of the comments, for example, on Bleacher Report discussions about Penn State are vehement about Penn State being an Eastern team.  Some people can’t imagine Penn State in a different division than Michigan or Ohio State, as if they are the only competition that matters. 

I am hoping that with Nebraska joining the Big Ten, Penn State fans, especially if they wind up in the same division as Nebraska, will finally come around to embracing the Big Ten in its entirety.

Penn State Ladies' Football Camp: A True Immersion Experience

Note:  This is a long article.  An in-depth description of my experience at this camp.  My goal is to take you there with me as I describe my day.  Enjoy!

Coach Joe Paterno was proven wrong.  When he first heard of the idea of a Ladies’ X's and O’s football camp at Beaver Stadium, his initial reaction was, “You’ve got to be kidding.  You’ll have three women show up.”

As he made a surprise visit yesterday to observe practice drills and wish all of us well he quipped, “I didn’t realize we had that many kooks around.”  For a brief clip of Joe Paterno’s remarks, and some video of the game, click here.


This was typical Joe Paterno: down to earth, speaks his mind.  But you could tell from the broad grin on his face that he was delighted with the successful turnout.  His appearance was unanticipated, but it was not a total surprise.  How could he resist?

We were making history as the first group of females to ever play on his beloved and well-protected field at Beaver Stadium—a venue that is known more informally as “the house that Joe built.”

Penn State vs. Alabama Memories: Gracious Hospitality by Tide Fans Overcomes Miserable 1988 Loss

Somewhere, in the deep recesses of some file folder in our basement, or perhaps it was just thrown out when we moved, is a business card from an Alabama fan we met in 1988. 

He resided in Dothan, Alabama, a retired ophthalmologist.  He and his wife were sitting next to us at breakfast at the Courtyard by Marriott south of Birmingham, Alabama.  They were clad in crimson and white.  We were clad in blue and white. 

We started chatting about the Alabama-Penn State game that was to occur that afternoon at Legion Field.  Neither they nor we could predict who would win.  We cordially wished each other the best, knowing very well that neither of us really meant it.  It was typical cordial college football fan banter before a big game among opposing team fans. 

Terry and I had been wondering what the best way was to get to the game.  So we figured this couple might know and asked them if they knew of a shuttle bus that would get us to Legion Field.

They told us they weren’t sure.  Then they left the table to go to the breakfast buffet.  When they returned, they said, “Why don’t you come with us?”  We’re going by ourselves and the entire backseat is empty.”

Game Strategy or Kisses and Hugs? How Do You Help Females Develop a Passion for and Knowledge of Football?

In football, X’s and O’s refer to specific plays that are used in executing an overall offensive and defensive strategy for a game.  Males often learn the X and O game tactics through their own youth play experience, formal or informal, whether in backyard games, in junior high or high school, or beyond.  For many men, knowing football X’s and O’s is a part of growing up, a decidedly male thing in an overwhelmingly male sport.

For most women growing up, X’s and O’s are more associated with affectionate symbols for kisses and hugs sent on letters to friends as teenagers.  X’s and O’s as game strategy is more often an alien concept than something that is truly understood.  Most women have never tried to play football.  They’ve never seen a playbook.   If they learn it, it’s through osmosis from the sidelines or from watching TV commentary on games.  If they’re lucky, someone knowledgeable about football will explain the game to them.

The Halo Effect of Coach Joe Paterno: Respect

I hung up the phone stunned. I had just asked the Rev. Charles MacEachern (Charlie) to officiate at our wedding. He was the retired pastor of my family church in Massachusetts, a friend. The year was 1987.

Charlie asked about Terry. I started with, “Terry is an avid Penn State football fan.” His response was, “Carolyn, that’s all I need to know. Anybody who’s a fan of Joe Paterno will make a great husband.” He immediately agreed to marry us.

“Joe Paterno is my hero,” Charlie explained. “He doesn’t compromise academics to win. He does college football the right way.”

Marketers would call this reaction the “halo effect.” Because Paterno had this halo surrounding him, the halo was transferred to Terry. I could describe Terry in a lot of ways, but “angel” wasn’t exactly on the tip of my tongue.

Loyalty at Penn State is Very Clear Cut: Money Talks

If you read the Centre Daily Times online and follow Penn State football religiously, you know that there has been a rather heated discussion about the Beaver Stadium Seat Transfer and Equity Plan. This plan, scheduled to be implemented in 2011, essentially will re-assign seats based on the seats’ “worth”. That is, chair-back seats on the 50-yard line will require an annual donation of $2000 per seat (there are very few of these). Seats between the 25-yard lines will require $600 per seat. Seats between the 10-25 yard lines will require $400 per seat. All other seats – other than the student section, the visitor section, and the club seats – will require a $100 donation per seat. That's just for the right to buy tickets.

Part of the plan also is the relocation of the student section. Right now the student section starts in the middle of the end zone and extends to the 40-yard line in the East stands. Students work their way up – freshmen sit in the end zone, sophomores in the corner of the end zone, juniors between the 0-20 yard lines, and seniors have the best seats. In the new configuration, students will be in the entire bottom level of the south end zone, and have some sections between the goal line and the 10-yard line in both the east and west stands. 

The visitors will be moved from the northeast end zone corner of the stadium to the very last rows in the Lion’s Den in the end zone – up in the “nose bleed” section. People sitting in those last rows will have to be relocated.

Okay, that’s hard to visualize, so look at the picture to the left. It’s a bit small, but it’s the best I can do. The blue seats are $100 seats. The red seats are $400 seats. Black are $600 seats. Green are $2000 seats. White are student section, and pink are visitors. The purple first tier in the south end zone are club seats, under separate contract, so not subject to this plan.

Does this plan make sense? According to most of the comments posted on the Centre Daily Times website, Penn State is being accused of all sorts of greed and other nasty intentions. People are claiming that they are not being recognized for their years of loyalty.