Does Penn State need to be elite to be great?
My point was/is that I believe (because it's what I've witnessed) if football players are smart, conditioned, loyal and motivated, they will win games that they are not supposed to. I grew up with announcers broadcasting to the nation that Penn State teams were undersized, too slow, and/or outclassed - and so many of those times the Penn State kids would secure a win, through grit and determination, and over time, Penn State compiled such a wonderful legacy...
I wish that PSU was the perpetual MNC - and every (seriously. every year) I expect them to, somehow, challenge for the title (that's the Penn State I grew up with) - but I don't need championships to be a Penn State football fan.
So I wonder - what makes Penn State football great?
- a history of excellence - many wins and bowl games and undefeated seasons - 2 championships - great players in the NFL
- uniforms - although I begrudgingly accept the new "safer" helmets (ugg-lee).
- stadium - one of the most intimidating and magical places to play a football game.
- tailgating - the best tailgaters in the world. The diehard parking lot corps.
- songs, cheers, traditions - and by songs I mean our fight songs - I enjoy the novelty bits - but I'd be much more impressed if the whole stadium would sing Fight on State or The Nittany Lion together - that would rock.
- our predominant reputation of clean play -
- underdog. In case you didn't know it - Penn State is always the underdog, always.
- playing with heart - no matter what.
I wouldn't (and didn't) stop going to Penn State games if they were losing every week - however, I might not make the trip up for every home game if I thought they weren't even trying. In 2000 the team had a real "hang dog" attitude - on and off the field - it was painful to watch - there was no fire in their bellies - it was the beginning of the dark years - but it was also, to me the most disappointing because the players didn't seem to want to do anything about it.
I don't know - i'd gotten kind of caught up in the whole "we must win - or be doomed to obscurity forever" whirlwind - but I'm not so sure - I get ticked off when commentators say not so nice things about PSU- but what's new about that - and these days the "bad news" stories are way sexier than their good news counterparts.
Do I want PSU to win - yes, every day and in every way - but that's not what makes me like (okay love) them - I was a Penn State fan long before I had any appreciation for the nuances of the game. A 2 or more loss season was devastating - 1 loss was a disappointment - but not the end of the world. I look at PSU's record in the 80s and 90s and i think - good golly they won a lot of games - if only the 00s could have been like that.
Labels: It's Penn State Football Time




