So, Joe's salary has been released - as documented in a very poorly written article now on pennlive (ht to Run Up The Score - check his site for a link to said article - as well as some other interesting news leaching from Central PA) - I will say that some of the posted comments are interesting though.
And as a result - PSU has a again drawn the attention of the tax blogging world. Kind of a nice commentary coming from a non-Penn Stater -
11/29/2007
Time to Laugh at myself
I posted back in early September that I thought that many teams would go undefeated this season (I'd been watching too much College Football Live on ESPN) and that the only way a one loss PSU would be able to be in the "national hunt" would be a playoff system (which is still what college football needs) -
So after chuckling a bit - I thought I'd check and see where PSU would likely be if they had "run the table" after that um loss.
With Elvis singing "If I can Dream" on the iTunes - I submit the following...
Using the AP poll as a reference, going into the game against um - PSU was ranked #10 - after the loss they plummeted to #21 (at the time, btw, Missouri was ranked #20)-
The next week (week 5) we were out (loss to ill) - but a lot of teams recorded their first loss of the year that week - most notably, Texas fell from #7 to #19 - so for argument's sake, let's say that PSU stays around #21 - #20.
Week 6 (iowa) - Texas and Florida lose again - Kentucky and Wisconsin lose - causing a major shuffle in the standings - Virginia Tech (5-1 at this point) is now #12 - so I'm going to catapult PSU up to #13 (which is where 2 loss florida was). The Lions had a good game against Iowa - and the voters think that PSU is back on track.
Week 7 - Penn State manhandles #19 Wisconsin at homecoming - LSU loses, Cal loses, and USC, despite a win, falls in the polls. This is the week that PSU leap frogs Va Tech (and others) and is ranked #9 - This is the first week of BCS rankings - I see PSU somewhere around #11.
On to Week 8 - PSU travels to Bloomington and wins a close(ish) game against the Hoosiers. South Florida (see ya!), South Carolina, and Kentucky lose - everyone moves up! - PSU is #6 in the AP and #8 in the BCS.
This is the big one - top ranked tosu travels to Happy Valley for the late night showdown. PSU's defense plays inspired football - corralling the buckeye running game and sacking Boeckman repeatedly - The Lion offense plays well and Morelli connects to Andrew Quarless for 3 touchdowns (LISTEN - this is the land of make believe and I can make things pan out any way I want them to!) PSU vaults to #2 in the AP and #3 on the BCS.
Time to concentrate - week 10 (purdue) - Boston College loses (of course, in my make believe world BC beats fsu) - Penn State is now #1 in the AP and #2 in the BCS.
Week 11 - Penn State travels down to Philadelphia and plays well enough to beat the Temple Owls - LSU wins - everything stays the same.
Week 12 (at msu) - PSU gets out to a 17 point lead and never looks back. LSU wins as well - no change.
Week 13 - PSU, sitting at home, content that they will be playing for the National Championship (albeit, against LSU) - sees Arkansas topple the Tigers - Penn State is now #1 in both the BSC and the AP polls. Amazing.
So, not only does PSU go to New Orleans - but Joe Paterno is now one win ahead of Bobby Bowden as winningest coach (as it is, Joe has cut the lead to 2).
of course this is all speculation and I didn't consult the BCS computer formulas/assessments - but I'd say that it's pretty close -
For me a more likely scenario would be our winning the games against um and ill and then losing to tosu - because that's the one game where PSU really got beat - but since it's pretend world (hatchy malatchy if you will) - and if I'm going to rewrite history, I may as well go whole hog.
So after chuckling a bit - I thought I'd check and see where PSU would likely be if they had "run the table" after that um loss.
With Elvis singing "If I can Dream" on the iTunes - I submit the following...
Using the AP poll as a reference, going into the game against um - PSU was ranked #10 - after the loss they plummeted to #21 (at the time, btw, Missouri was ranked #20)-
The next week (week 5) we were out (loss to ill) - but a lot of teams recorded their first loss of the year that week - most notably, Texas fell from #7 to #19 - so for argument's sake, let's say that PSU stays around #21 - #20.
Week 6 (iowa) - Texas and Florida lose again - Kentucky and Wisconsin lose - causing a major shuffle in the standings - Virginia Tech (5-1 at this point) is now #12 - so I'm going to catapult PSU up to #13 (which is where 2 loss florida was). The Lions had a good game against Iowa - and the voters think that PSU is back on track.
Week 7 - Penn State manhandles #19 Wisconsin at homecoming - LSU loses, Cal loses, and USC, despite a win, falls in the polls. This is the week that PSU leap frogs Va Tech (and others) and is ranked #9 - This is the first week of BCS rankings - I see PSU somewhere around #11.
On to Week 8 - PSU travels to Bloomington and wins a close(ish) game against the Hoosiers. South Florida (see ya!), South Carolina, and Kentucky lose - everyone moves up! - PSU is #6 in the AP and #8 in the BCS.
This is the big one - top ranked tosu travels to Happy Valley for the late night showdown. PSU's defense plays inspired football - corralling the buckeye running game and sacking Boeckman repeatedly - The Lion offense plays well and Morelli connects to Andrew Quarless for 3 touchdowns (LISTEN - this is the land of make believe and I can make things pan out any way I want them to!) PSU vaults to #2 in the AP and #3 on the BCS.
Time to concentrate - week 10 (purdue) - Boston College loses (of course, in my make believe world BC beats fsu) - Penn State is now #1 in the AP and #2 in the BCS.
Week 11 - Penn State travels down to Philadelphia and plays well enough to beat the Temple Owls - LSU wins - everything stays the same.
Week 12 (at msu) - PSU gets out to a 17 point lead and never looks back. LSU wins as well - no change.
Week 13 - PSU, sitting at home, content that they will be playing for the National Championship (albeit, against LSU) - sees Arkansas topple the Tigers - Penn State is now #1 in both the BSC and the AP polls. Amazing.
So, not only does PSU go to New Orleans - but Joe Paterno is now one win ahead of Bobby Bowden as winningest coach (as it is, Joe has cut the lead to 2).
of course this is all speculation and I didn't consult the BCS computer formulas/assessments - but I'd say that it's pretty close -
For me a more likely scenario would be our winning the games against um and ill and then losing to tosu - because that's the one game where PSU really got beat - but since it's pretend world (hatchy malatchy if you will) - and if I'm going to rewrite history, I may as well go whole hog.
11/28/2007
Blue White Roundtable - So I guess I have an opinion on that
They always seem to post one question that drags me into posting answers - what usually happens is that I'm in the process of leaving a comment and I think - darn it; i should just post my answer(s). And that's what happened today. Galen from The Nittany Blog wrote the questions this week. See if you can guess which query was the catalyst...
It appears that Penn State is a lock for the Alamo Bowl, at this point are you ready to jump on a plane and head to San Antonio or is this game a TiVo moment while you find better things to do like clean the bathroom?
I don't miss Penn State games - especially not bowl games. And it could be an interesting opponent - everything is interesting this season. Even though there have be outrageous upsets and all of the top teams have at least one loss - this season has really been about winning. There is a record number of teams that are bowl eligible - conferences such as the Big Ten have more bowl eligible teams than they have bowl affiliations (like you ever thought it possible) - it could be sad for some non-marquee schools that have winning records - but the chances are that a lot of very competitive teams are going to be playing football this winter.
Am I disappointed that PSU didn't play better during the season? - yes, of course I am - but I'm not a national championship/conference title or nothing kind of fan - I grew up with PSU being an independent - so the Big Ten really isn't that important to me (other than for pride's sake). Don't get me wrong - national championships are great (so are B10 ones) - but, while I do expect PSU to win every game they play, championships are just artificial labels doled out from those who don't play the game - All that said, PSU's losses this season were more of a disappointment because of the caliber of play and game plan - PSU coulda shoulda woulda one 3 of their losses if they'd played more disciplined football (which is ridiculous to have to say about a PSU team - but it's true) - I'm kinda glad (in a sad way) that we aren't saddled with just 2 losses - because this is a year for second chances and to be "this close" would be more painful.
So I guess my answer is - yes - I plan to watch the bowl game - whatever, and whenever it may be.
The rumor mill about the vacant Michigan coaching job is just getting started – who do you think ends up the next Skunkbear's head coach?
I've been following quite a bit of this - I'm a rumor fan - and this has been pretty good stuff. Who knows what will happen - no really - who knows? I assume that Les Miles is going to be dying his purple navy this summer - he seems like a tough coach - and when people were first talking about him I was a little jealous - we'll see.
Last week we had your list of the three players that vastly exceeded your preseason expectations, I'm a pessimistic prick (my friends call me captain morale) so name me the three players you had high preseason expectations for that have totally let you down.
btw - my exceeded players would be - Jeremy Boone (1st team big ten? wah? awesome.); Maurice Evans; and, Rodney Kinlaw/Evan Royster.
Disappointments? well, I hadn't put much stock in Anthony Morelli - nor Austin Scott - So while I was disappointed - I wasn't surprised.
Andrew Quarless would be one - his off-the-field antics may have been rather benign - but he, reportedly, has had consistent attitude issues (oh no) - and then when he did get back on the field, his play was disjointed and sloppy - penalties, missed blocks and assignments - Don't know if it was a sophomore slump, attitude or a fear of plowing into the sidelines that stunted his play - but it just wasn't what I'd expected.
Justin King's play concerns me greatly. He had been progressing quite well - in early 2006 I questioned his tackling abilities - but by the end of the season he'd delivered some serious pain. In the beginning of the season - no one threw in his direction - and then he got beat - badly a few times. The coaches suggested that it was because he hadn't been tested and he wasn't "hungry" to prove himself - well, offenses kept throwing his way - and he did not perform to the level that I had expected - he was often beat, fooled or just playing too far off the line to make a play. All of the tackling in the secondary was a concern - but Justin's technique/demeanor became almost desperate - it wasn't good - and yet - he has been named to the All Big Ten Team - I don't get it. I will say though - King is an excellent student athlete and he really does personify the idea of the Penn State player - I have really enjoyed his segments on the Penn State story - here's hoping that he can make his senior season something special.
All of the "fighters" are a disappointment to me - I really question who, if anyone, has control of this team. But to me the saddest result has been the change in Anthony Scirrotto - there's no doubt in my mind that the events this spring/summer have changed him as a person - and therefore as a player - one stupid incident can change everything. We saw a distracted Scotty Paxson play his senior year with charges hanging over his head - and it seemed to be the same for Anthony. Like Paxson - he had a few "moments" this season - but the spark was gone - hopefully he can resolve his legal issues this off season - and hopefully he'll be back and ready to play next year.
Lightning Round
The BCS is a total mess right now who ends up in the championship game?
I really can't fathom the idea of either west virginny or misery being national champion - but I think that it will be interesting any which way it pans out. the big east and big XII battling for the national championship wasn't beyond the stretch of the imagination at the beginning of the season - but the road taken certainly was. That said - I think that it will be WVU and tosu in the championship game.
Will the BCS shakeup this year finally cause coaches to start pushing for some sort of playoff (I'm looking in your direction SEC)?
No. There's some sort of craziness out there that is opposed to a college playoff - and I guess that the craziness is called money. The pundits (lee corso comes to mind) go on about how there can't be a playoff system - and that it would negate the regular season - I really have no idea how anyone can say this at all - let alone on national television and with a straight face. The conferences (which I guess is from where Galen's SEC comment stems) and the media are spewing pretty thick - but consistent propaganda - no playoffs.
The fans on the other hand, in every opinion poll/blog/editorial have strongly supported a playoff system - why? because it would be the best for college football and because every other dang NCAA sport (and football division) understands this. It's taken a long time (myself included) for college (Div IA) football fans to figure out that a playoff is the best way to determine a champion. Let the teams play it out.
Oh, but we fans have no clue regarding the day-to-day logistics of a major college football program - there is no democracy or mob rule in college sports - it's best to leave major decision making up to the people in the know - like Fed-ex and Citi-bank.
As far as the SEC goes, sure as a whole they weaseled out of the playoff question - but at least they brought it to the table. The idea that the president of the school that just won the BCS title would be a proponent of a playoff is revolutionary in that the pundits have time and time again said that the university presidents were the reason we don't have one.
what other BCS conference has publicly considered this issue? Certainly not Jim Delany and the Big Ten.
In honor of Black Friday, are you the type of guy that a) Christmas shops early and puts a lot of thought into your gifts b) waits until the last minute and buys whatever's left on the shelf c) gets everything from E-bay & Amazon or d) has a significant other that does all the shopping for you (bonus points if that significant other reads your blog)? well, I'm the kinda shopper who buys stuff all year long - stores it in "safe places" - can't find anything on Dec 23rd and then has to run out to the store to get more stuff - it makes the rest of the year kinda fun though- as i "find" things. I do make a lot of gifts (I'm a knitter) - so that takes a little planning - but I'm way behind schedule this year. As far as Galen goes - the fact that he's even thinking of a question like this in November suggests that he is not the "last minute guy" he professes to be.
It appears that Penn State is a lock for the Alamo Bowl, at this point are you ready to jump on a plane and head to San Antonio or is this game a TiVo moment while you find better things to do like clean the bathroom?
I don't miss Penn State games - especially not bowl games. And it could be an interesting opponent - everything is interesting this season. Even though there have be outrageous upsets and all of the top teams have at least one loss - this season has really been about winning. There is a record number of teams that are bowl eligible - conferences such as the Big Ten have more bowl eligible teams than they have bowl affiliations (like you ever thought it possible) - it could be sad for some non-marquee schools that have winning records - but the chances are that a lot of very competitive teams are going to be playing football this winter.
Am I disappointed that PSU didn't play better during the season? - yes, of course I am - but I'm not a national championship/conference title or nothing kind of fan - I grew up with PSU being an independent - so the Big Ten really isn't that important to me (other than for pride's sake). Don't get me wrong - national championships are great (so are B10 ones) - but, while I do expect PSU to win every game they play, championships are just artificial labels doled out from those who don't play the game - All that said, PSU's losses this season were more of a disappointment because of the caliber of play and game plan - PSU coulda shoulda woulda one 3 of their losses if they'd played more disciplined football (which is ridiculous to have to say about a PSU team - but it's true) - I'm kinda glad (in a sad way) that we aren't saddled with just 2 losses - because this is a year for second chances and to be "this close" would be more painful.
So I guess my answer is - yes - I plan to watch the bowl game - whatever, and whenever it may be.
The rumor mill about the vacant Michigan coaching job is just getting started – who do you think ends up the next Skunkbear's head coach?
I've been following quite a bit of this - I'm a rumor fan - and this has been pretty good stuff. Who knows what will happen - no really - who knows? I assume that Les Miles is going to be dying his purple navy this summer - he seems like a tough coach - and when people were first talking about him I was a little jealous - we'll see.
Last week we had your list of the three players that vastly exceeded your preseason expectations, I'm a pessimistic prick (my friends call me captain morale) so name me the three players you had high preseason expectations for that have totally let you down.
btw - my exceeded players would be - Jeremy Boone (1st team big ten? wah? awesome.); Maurice Evans; and, Rodney Kinlaw/Evan Royster.
Disappointments? well, I hadn't put much stock in Anthony Morelli - nor Austin Scott - So while I was disappointed - I wasn't surprised.
Andrew Quarless would be one - his off-the-field antics may have been rather benign - but he, reportedly, has had consistent attitude issues (oh no) - and then when he did get back on the field, his play was disjointed and sloppy - penalties, missed blocks and assignments - Don't know if it was a sophomore slump, attitude or a fear of plowing into the sidelines that stunted his play - but it just wasn't what I'd expected.
Justin King's play concerns me greatly. He had been progressing quite well - in early 2006 I questioned his tackling abilities - but by the end of the season he'd delivered some serious pain. In the beginning of the season - no one threw in his direction - and then he got beat - badly a few times. The coaches suggested that it was because he hadn't been tested and he wasn't "hungry" to prove himself - well, offenses kept throwing his way - and he did not perform to the level that I had expected - he was often beat, fooled or just playing too far off the line to make a play. All of the tackling in the secondary was a concern - but Justin's technique/demeanor became almost desperate - it wasn't good - and yet - he has been named to the All Big Ten Team - I don't get it. I will say though - King is an excellent student athlete and he really does personify the idea of the Penn State player - I have really enjoyed his segments on the Penn State story - here's hoping that he can make his senior season something special.
All of the "fighters" are a disappointment to me - I really question who, if anyone, has control of this team. But to me the saddest result has been the change in Anthony Scirrotto - there's no doubt in my mind that the events this spring/summer have changed him as a person - and therefore as a player - one stupid incident can change everything. We saw a distracted Scotty Paxson play his senior year with charges hanging over his head - and it seemed to be the same for Anthony. Like Paxson - he had a few "moments" this season - but the spark was gone - hopefully he can resolve his legal issues this off season - and hopefully he'll be back and ready to play next year.
Lightning Round
The BCS is a total mess right now who ends up in the championship game?
I really can't fathom the idea of either west virginny or misery being national champion - but I think that it will be interesting any which way it pans out. the big east and big XII battling for the national championship wasn't beyond the stretch of the imagination at the beginning of the season - but the road taken certainly was. That said - I think that it will be WVU and tosu in the championship game.
Will the BCS shakeup this year finally cause coaches to start pushing for some sort of playoff (I'm looking in your direction SEC)?
No. There's some sort of craziness out there that is opposed to a college playoff - and I guess that the craziness is called money. The pundits (lee corso comes to mind) go on about how there can't be a playoff system - and that it would negate the regular season - I really have no idea how anyone can say this at all - let alone on national television and with a straight face. The conferences (which I guess is from where Galen's SEC comment stems) and the media are spewing pretty thick - but consistent propaganda - no playoffs.
The fans on the other hand, in every opinion poll/blog/editorial have strongly supported a playoff system - why? because it would be the best for college football and because every other dang NCAA sport (and football division) understands this. It's taken a long time (myself included) for college (Div IA) football fans to figure out that a playoff is the best way to determine a champion. Let the teams play it out.
Oh, but we fans have no clue regarding the day-to-day logistics of a major college football program - there is no democracy or mob rule in college sports - it's best to leave major decision making up to the people in the know - like Fed-ex and Citi-bank.
As far as the SEC goes, sure as a whole they weaseled out of the playoff question - but at least they brought it to the table. The idea that the president of the school that just won the BCS title would be a proponent of a playoff is revolutionary in that the pundits have time and time again said that the university presidents were the reason we don't have one.
what other BCS conference has publicly considered this issue? Certainly not Jim Delany and the Big Ten.
In honor of Black Friday, are you the type of guy that a) Christmas shops early and puts a lot of thought into your gifts b) waits until the last minute and buys whatever's left on the shelf c) gets everything from E-bay & Amazon or d) has a significant other that does all the shopping for you (bonus points if that significant other reads your blog)? well, I'm the kinda shopper who buys stuff all year long - stores it in "safe places" - can't find anything on Dec 23rd and then has to run out to the store to get more stuff - it makes the rest of the year kinda fun though- as i "find" things. I do make a lot of gifts (I'm a knitter) - so that takes a little planning - but I'm way behind schedule this year. As far as Galen goes - the fact that he's even thinking of a question like this in November suggests that he is not the "last minute guy" he professes to be.
11/26/2007
Who can it, who can it be now?
All weekend the pundits were flipping and flopping around about the Heisman voting - depending on which game they were commentating - the endorsements shifted. Some say that Tim Tebow is just the best, and therefore he should win; others say that Colt Brennan, despite missing one game due to injury (concussion - wimp - see Tim Tebow) has the numbers and the talent that warrants the award; admitting that he had some "down games" still others said that Darren McFadden's "big games" so outshine any average performances that he is the natural pick; and there were those who said that the Mizzou/Kansas game was not only a battle for the Big XII North - but for the Heisman as well (Chase Daniel won that one).
Of course, every time they cut to Tim Brando - all I could think was - your school beat Alabama.
Of course, every time they cut to Tim Brando - all I could think was - your school beat Alabama.
Hope everyone had a Happy Turkey Day
mine was fine; thanks for asking.
I watched quite a lot of football this weekend (and sappy/crappy movies - I couldn't help myself).
Friday was a big day - #1 LSU fell (in triple overtime) to Arkansas - which left the BCS door wide open, again. I watched the beginning of the game and saw McFadden's two turnovers - I flipped away - but each time I came back - the score made no sense - Arkansas gutted out a win - McFadden (following his fumble troubles) had a banner day (even throwing for a td) against a usually miserly LSU defense - the kid can play.
Texas A&M toppled mighty Texas (and Coach Franchione promptly resigned - to pursue other interests).
And Hawaii finally beat Boise State - the game was close - but Hawaii played well at the end to assure victory - All the media talks about is Colt Brennan - but the team was pretty balanced on Friday -
On Saturday - "rival week" continued -
Florida pounded fsu - which makes me happy - but it's really scary to see how good Florida's potential is - they're just so young - as the announcers kept saying - this team is a likely pre-season #1. And I seriously wonder if Tim Tebow isn't a cyborg. How can he be so strong, smart and saved? He did suffer a broken hand (non-throwing) during the game - but, um, the injury occurred during uf's first touchdown drive - the first (Tebow would pass/run for 4 more tds) - the severity of the injury was not determined (ie revealed) until after the game - the kid maintains a 3.77 gpa and is the son of a minister/missionary. That's just not natural.
The Tennessee/Kentucky game was also fun - UT was winning most of the day - so I'd flip to the game periodically - just to see what was happening - and then suddenly - UK was right back in it - first and goal with just seconds on the clock - they ended up tying the game with a field goal - and sent the game into overtime - a very exciting overtime - during the second overtime - tennessee went first - and a UK defender intercepted an Eric Ainge pass - it appeared that UK was going to pull out the victory - on their possession, UK stalled and lined up to kick the winning field goal - UT wouldn't have it and they blocked the field goal (very nearly running back for a score) - both teams scored touchdowns in the 3rd OT - but UT converted their 2 pt conversion to win the game.
I'll admit that I flipped to the nd/Standford game a few times - sadly, nd won - but it wasn't without quite a few mishaps - which is always nice to see.
I watched quite a bit of the Missouri/Kansas game - and I found myself "exclaiming" every so often - both quarterbacks were excellent - some of the passes and catches that were made during that game were pure poetry. And there was some solid hitting on defense as well - the d-backs really delivered some rocking hits - it was a fun game to watch.
So, #1 and #2 (albeit to #4) lost this weekend - the BCS rankings leapfrogged Missouri to #1, with WVU and tosu following. Upcoming, the Tigers play against Oklahoma for the Big 12 championship and WVU plays pitt in their season finale - and tosu sits at home, playing Rock Band, and waiting to see if they'll be booking flights to Pasadena or New Orleans - must be nice.
I watched quite a lot of football this weekend (and sappy/crappy movies - I couldn't help myself).
Friday was a big day - #1 LSU fell (in triple overtime) to Arkansas - which left the BCS door wide open, again. I watched the beginning of the game and saw McFadden's two turnovers - I flipped away - but each time I came back - the score made no sense - Arkansas gutted out a win - McFadden (following his fumble troubles) had a banner day (even throwing for a td) against a usually miserly LSU defense - the kid can play.
Texas A&M toppled mighty Texas (and Coach Franchione promptly resigned - to pursue other interests).
And Hawaii finally beat Boise State - the game was close - but Hawaii played well at the end to assure victory - All the media talks about is Colt Brennan - but the team was pretty balanced on Friday -
On Saturday - "rival week" continued -
Florida pounded fsu - which makes me happy - but it's really scary to see how good Florida's potential is - they're just so young - as the announcers kept saying - this team is a likely pre-season #1. And I seriously wonder if Tim Tebow isn't a cyborg. How can he be so strong, smart and saved? He did suffer a broken hand (non-throwing) during the game - but, um, the injury occurred during uf's first touchdown drive - the first (Tebow would pass/run for 4 more tds) - the severity of the injury was not determined (ie revealed) until after the game - the kid maintains a 3.77 gpa and is the son of a minister/missionary. That's just not natural.
The Tennessee/Kentucky game was also fun - UT was winning most of the day - so I'd flip to the game periodically - just to see what was happening - and then suddenly - UK was right back in it - first and goal with just seconds on the clock - they ended up tying the game with a field goal - and sent the game into overtime - a very exciting overtime - during the second overtime - tennessee went first - and a UK defender intercepted an Eric Ainge pass - it appeared that UK was going to pull out the victory - on their possession, UK stalled and lined up to kick the winning field goal - UT wouldn't have it and they blocked the field goal (very nearly running back for a score) - both teams scored touchdowns in the 3rd OT - but UT converted their 2 pt conversion to win the game.
I'll admit that I flipped to the nd/Standford game a few times - sadly, nd won - but it wasn't without quite a few mishaps - which is always nice to see.
I watched quite a bit of the Missouri/Kansas game - and I found myself "exclaiming" every so often - both quarterbacks were excellent - some of the passes and catches that were made during that game were pure poetry. And there was some solid hitting on defense as well - the d-backs really delivered some rocking hits - it was a fun game to watch.
So, #1 and #2 (albeit to #4) lost this weekend - the BCS rankings leapfrogged Missouri to #1, with WVU and tosu following. Upcoming, the Tigers play against Oklahoma for the Big 12 championship and WVU plays pitt in their season finale - and tosu sits at home, playing Rock Band, and waiting to see if they'll be booking flights to Pasadena or New Orleans - must be nice.
11/21/2007
Football and Taxes
Life's two constants...
As many know, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that (the amount of) Joe Paterno's salary should be open to the public. This of course also means that PSU would be required to publish the salaries of all of their employees (including my mom!).
This story has even made it into the tax world - with the speculation that the publicizing of Coach Paterno's salary could spur further debate on the whole "are college sports not-for-profit organizations?" as reported on Taxgirl (a, you guessed it, tax blog).
As many know, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that (the amount of) Joe Paterno's salary should be open to the public. This of course also means that PSU would be required to publish the salaries of all of their employees (including my mom!).
This story has even made it into the tax world - with the speculation that the publicizing of Coach Paterno's salary could spur further debate on the whole "are college sports not-for-profit organizations?" as reported on Taxgirl (a, you guessed it, tax blog).
11/19/2007
Guess What?
I'm going to stop moping about Saturday -
One of the cruel truths about being an avid fan - is that when your team stinks - you rarely watch the re-cap/scores shows. If PSU wins, I'm on every channel - waiting for them to mention PSU's greatness - when they lose - it's time to flip to Gem TV.
So, many times when PSU loses, I miss out on scores of other games -
One I clearly missed was Alabama's match up against Louisiana-Monroe, at home. Bama, and their brand spankin' new highly compensated coach(ing staff) lost to the Warhawks 14-21. We may at Penn State complain that we can only beat the cupcakes, but at least we beat the cupcakes.
Louisiana-Monroe went into the game 4-6 with their other quality wins coming against ASU (no, not arizona, no not appalachian, Arkansas State), Florida Atlantic, (championship division) Grambling State and our common foe - Florida International - although these guys do have a better OoC schedule than PSU (who doesn't?) .
So, it's kinda like we beat Alabama on Saturday.
But seriously, the kids at L-M must be very excited - a hometown kid (a freshman) named Goodin rushed for the tying touchdown - and their quarterback, Kinsmon Lancaster threw (to Marty Humpfrey) for the winning td.
Tim McGraw and Tim Brando (of sports reporting fame) are notable L-M alums.
After all, losing to msu may be frustrating, but it's not a casatrophic event.
One of the cruel truths about being an avid fan - is that when your team stinks - you rarely watch the re-cap/scores shows. If PSU wins, I'm on every channel - waiting for them to mention PSU's greatness - when they lose - it's time to flip to Gem TV.
So, many times when PSU loses, I miss out on scores of other games -
One I clearly missed was Alabama's match up against Louisiana-Monroe, at home. Bama, and their brand spankin' new highly compensated coach(ing staff) lost to the Warhawks 14-21. We may at Penn State complain that we can only beat the cupcakes, but at least we beat the cupcakes.
Louisiana-Monroe went into the game 4-6 with their other quality wins coming against ASU (no, not arizona, no not appalachian, Arkansas State), Florida Atlantic, (championship division) Grambling State and our common foe - Florida International - although these guys do have a better OoC schedule than PSU (who doesn't?) .
So, it's kinda like we beat Alabama on Saturday.
But seriously, the kids at L-M must be very excited - a hometown kid (a freshman) named Goodin rushed for the tying touchdown - and their quarterback, Kinsmon Lancaster threw (to Marty Humpfrey) for the winning td.
Tim McGraw and Tim Brando (of sports reporting fame) are notable L-M alums.
After all, losing to msu may be frustrating, but it's not a casatrophic event.
So, a rather fitting end to the 2007 season
Penn State's offense scored a good number of points on Saturday - but not enough. They had a (despite what the announcers say) 17 (not 21) point lead at one time. They ran some crazy plays - a half back pass (which I'd been calling for all season - if I'd known that DWill can't throw the ball - I wouldn't have) - a fake field goal (which was brilliant, btw) - AND Sean Lee caught an interception - we should have known that something wasn't right in the cosmos.
For my part - I wore my new Pat Devlin Jersey (here's hoping that the kid doesn't transfer) - but I wasn't the perfect fanatical fan - I didn't watch much of the 1st half - I was entertaining my little goddaughter who, while she adores "Penn State! Nittany Lion!", hasn't really caught on to the whole watching football thing yet (she's 3). But we did manage to see a touchdown or two - unfortunately we missed the fake field goal - I was SHOCKED when I saw the replay. By halftime I was watching the game on my own - which, I've found isn't exactly conducive to actually watching the game - with remote in hand - every time I was annoyed by the play or the announcers, I'd flip the channel - which, at the end, was a lot. That final PSU drive was a heart breaker - they made some incredible/implausible plays early in the drive and then - at the 24 they stalled, as only a Anthony Morrelli led, Paterno coached, team can - it should/could have been a great highlight reel - but now I'm just ticked off.
I don't know if the defense was out coached or out classed - but they were not good. Special teams had some troubles - but who cares? the defense was letting the spartan o run and pass at will - it really didn't matter how many yards they had to go. They were knocking PSU's defenders off the line - bouncing off of tackles - running wide open in the soft secondary. There were many key plays where the PSU defense had read the play perfectly - they just couldn't make the play (that, I guess I can't, primarily, blame on coaching).
Joe's blown leads before - conservative 2nd half defense is not a new strategy at PSU - but on Saturday the D showed inability to stall the msu offense at all (reminiscent of tosu game). And there was no definitive winning drive by the offense -
Listen - I wasn't one of the people who thought that PSU was going to make any kind of a "run" this season - and I was very discouraged by the "off the field" incident(s) during the spring/summer of '07 - I've really been wondering who, if anyone has control of this team.
I'm ready for a change. My disdain for a certain coach down in the panhandle is finally being overshadowed by the realization that PSU needs to be revitalized and needs it soon.
For my part - I wore my new Pat Devlin Jersey (here's hoping that the kid doesn't transfer) - but I wasn't the perfect fanatical fan - I didn't watch much of the 1st half - I was entertaining my little goddaughter who, while she adores "Penn State! Nittany Lion!", hasn't really caught on to the whole watching football thing yet (she's 3). But we did manage to see a touchdown or two - unfortunately we missed the fake field goal - I was SHOCKED when I saw the replay. By halftime I was watching the game on my own - which, I've found isn't exactly conducive to actually watching the game - with remote in hand - every time I was annoyed by the play or the announcers, I'd flip the channel - which, at the end, was a lot. That final PSU drive was a heart breaker - they made some incredible/implausible plays early in the drive and then - at the 24 they stalled, as only a Anthony Morrelli led, Paterno coached, team can - it should/could have been a great highlight reel - but now I'm just ticked off.
I don't know if the defense was out coached or out classed - but they were not good. Special teams had some troubles - but who cares? the defense was letting the spartan o run and pass at will - it really didn't matter how many yards they had to go. They were knocking PSU's defenders off the line - bouncing off of tackles - running wide open in the soft secondary. There were many key plays where the PSU defense had read the play perfectly - they just couldn't make the play (that, I guess I can't, primarily, blame on coaching).
Joe's blown leads before - conservative 2nd half defense is not a new strategy at PSU - but on Saturday the D showed inability to stall the msu offense at all (reminiscent of tosu game). And there was no definitive winning drive by the offense -
Listen - I wasn't one of the people who thought that PSU was going to make any kind of a "run" this season - and I was very discouraged by the "off the field" incident(s) during the spring/summer of '07 - I've really been wondering who, if anyone has control of this team.
I'm ready for a change. My disdain for a certain coach down in the panhandle is finally being overshadowed by the realization that PSU needs to be revitalized and needs it soon.
11/16/2007
Fan Fare Friday
Pepper Shooters
28 Pepperoncini peppers (or hot cherry peppers)
1/4 - 1/2 pound sharp Italian cheese - provolone, asiago,
1/4 - 1/3 pound Proscuitto
olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Pick peppers (if you can) that are reasonably sized.
cut off the tops and clean out the seeds
cut cheese into 1/4'' x 1'' pieces (or whatever size works best with your peppers)
cut ham into slices
roll each piece of cheese in the ham and stuff into a pepper.
Line the peppers in a shallow, sealable dish
top with oil and vinegar (this is to taste - I usually go heavy on the vinegar)
Marinate at least over night.
28 Pepperoncini peppers (or hot cherry peppers)
1/4 - 1/2 pound sharp Italian cheese - provolone, asiago,
1/4 - 1/3 pound Proscuitto
olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Pick peppers (if you can) that are reasonably sized.
cut off the tops and clean out the seeds
cut cheese into 1/4'' x 1'' pieces (or whatever size works best with your peppers)
cut ham into slices
roll each piece of cheese in the ham and stuff into a pepper.
Line the peppers in a shallow, sealable dish
top with oil and vinegar (this is to taste - I usually go heavy on the vinegar)
Marinate at least over night.
Sometimes ESPN's ticker is not our friend
So.........................
Tons of not so happy news emerging from Central PA - Check out RUTS and/or BDS (and others for more of the sorted details (see links to the right).
Tons of not so happy news emerging from Central PA - Check out RUTS and/or BDS (and others for more of the sorted details (see links to the right).
11/14/2007
Finally, the Tailgate
Yum!
if anyone wanted to find us - we had the only PSU flag in parking lot "G".
don't disrespect the sign - I made it at around 11pm the night before on a cake board - with my goddaughter's crayola markers and colored pencils. I added some Martha Stewart glitter while in the parking lot - I'm going to guess that it might be a first for the Linc Parking Lot.
Philly's finest - DiBruno's meats and cheeses, Marciano's stuffed breads, homemade crostini, pepperoncini shooters, pasta salad, and white bean rosemary dip. Delizioso!
an assortment of delicious desserts featuring apple pie, brittle bars with extra chocolate chips and treats from Cafe Roma! Salute!
if anyone wanted to find us - we had the only PSU flag in parking lot "G".
don't disrespect the sign - I made it at around 11pm the night before on a cake board - with my goddaughter's crayola markers and colored pencils. I added some Martha Stewart glitter while in the parking lot - I'm going to guess that it might be a first for the Linc Parking Lot.
Philly's finest - DiBruno's meats and cheeses, Marciano's stuffed breads, homemade crostini, pepperoncini shooters, pasta salad, and white bean rosemary dip. Delizioso!
an assortment of delicious desserts featuring apple pie, brittle bars with extra chocolate chips and treats from Cafe Roma! Salute!
D-Con - America’s #1 Brand for Owl Control
Danny Connor finished the afternoon with 397 career tackles (he had 18 on the day - which was enough for him to be named Walter Camp and Big Ten Defensive Co-Player of the Week). He has also been named as a finalist for the Butkus Award.
Once again he was everywhere at all times (even on the big screen)
and looked like he could take on the whole team alone
Once again he was everywhere at all times (even on the big screen)
and looked like he could take on the whole team alone
So, I took a lot of pictures
at the game on Saturday. We were in the 2nd row in the endzone (just behind the S in "OWLS" or "EAGLES", if you looked closely) - and, if you've ever been to Lincoln Financial Field - you'll know that that means that we were right on the field - it was great.
Most of the pictures I took, were actually of the security guys and/or pylons (my "just hold up the camera and get the picture" angles aren't always the best) - but I did get a few interesting shots of the game and the band and the big giant scoreboard - and while sifting through the multitude of pixels I found one great shot.
Now you might think that this is an example of Anthony Scirrotto running away from the play (he's been fooled by the reverse) or an example of not offensive holding (do they need a moment) - no when you look through all of that - what you'll see is the genesis of a fumble.
and here's the recovery...
and Scirrotto trotting back toward the ball.
Most of the pictures I took, were actually of the security guys and/or pylons (my "just hold up the camera and get the picture" angles aren't always the best) - but I did get a few interesting shots of the game and the band and the big giant scoreboard - and while sifting through the multitude of pixels I found one great shot.
Now you might think that this is an example of Anthony Scirrotto running away from the play (he's been fooled by the reverse) or an example of not offensive holding (do they need a moment) - no when you look through all of that - what you'll see is the genesis of a fumble.and here's the recovery...
and Scirrotto trotting back toward the ball.
11/12/2007
11/09/2007
Brussel Sprouts!
When I was in elementary school (at the storied Park Forest Elem) they taught us (I believe it was 4th or 5th grade), after a rash of naughty language incidents, to say a vegetable name instead of a "bad" word when we were upset and/or frustrated. They said that using curse words showed a lack of vocabulary skills - I guess that's why Lady MacBeth howled "out! out parsnip spot!"
Anyway - I just read the weather report for tomorrow's game - both Accuweather and Weather.com - and all I can say is Brussel Sprouts and Fudge Muffins of love and happiness (a term I later added to my vocab).
It's going to rain - nearly all morning - and if you believe weather.com there are going to be showers around 3pm.
Bring the rain gear.
Anyway - I just read the weather report for tomorrow's game - both Accuweather and Weather.com - and all I can say is Brussel Sprouts and Fudge Muffins of love and happiness (a term I later added to my vocab).
It's going to rain - nearly all morning - and if you believe weather.com there are going to be showers around 3pm.
Bring the rain gear.
11/08/2007
Temple game Press Release
This, just out from Temple Sports Media Relations (yeah? who knew?)
Fan Advisory for Temple - Penn State Football Game!!!
For your information, Parking Lots will open at..... FIVE AM!
One parking spot per car - no extra spots will be sold for tailgating.
No overnight parking.
Parking is $11 per car and $22 for oversized vehicles (do these hubcaps make me look heavy?)
I actually called Cathy Bongiovi to confirm that tailgating will be permitted - she's the contact person - she was nice.
Per the press release...
This is the largest attended game in Temple football history. Fans are reminded to plan ahead.
Fan Advisory for Temple - Penn State Football Game!!!
For your information, Parking Lots will open at..... FIVE AM!
One parking spot per car - no extra spots will be sold for tailgating.
No overnight parking.
Parking is $11 per car and $22 for oversized vehicles (do these hubcaps make me look heavy?)
I actually called Cathy Bongiovi to confirm that tailgating will be permitted - she's the contact person - she was nice.
Per the press release...
This is the largest attended game in Temple football history. Fans are reminded to plan ahead.
PENN STATE v. michigan state game time set
PSU and msu will vie for the uber coveted Land Grant Trophy on November 17th at 3:30pm (EST) in East Lansing. The game will be televised by ABC (and their affiliates - that is, depending on where you live, the game might be on ABC, or it might be on ESPN - so check your local tv guide). Tip for everyone - do not buy a TV Guide when returning home from vacation or while on a day trip - it will be of no use to you other than the excellent articles and crossword puzzle (22 down, 5 letters, "addressee of Arnold Drummond's catch phrase...").
Check out more details - about the Nittany Lions' final regular season match up at GoPSUsports.com.
Just a few remembry photos from past match ups....
GO STATE BEAT THE spartans!
Check out more details - about the Nittany Lions' final regular season match up at GoPSUsports.com.
Just a few remembry photos from past match ups....
GO STATE BEAT THE spartans!
11/07/2007
Lost in the shuffle
of life that is Penn State football blogging is the fact that Sean Lee was named Big Ten Defensive Co-player of the week for his performance against Purdue.
And, Dan Connor has been named a semi-finalist for the Bednarik Trophy.
You can read about all of this and check out Joe's pre-Temple presser on GoPSUsports.com.
And, Dan Connor has been named a semi-finalist for the Bednarik Trophy.
You can read about all of this and check out Joe's pre-Temple presser on GoPSUsports.com.
Blue White Roundtable - North Philly Style
First off - YEA!!!! MICHAEL NUTTER!!!!!!
next - I thought I'd take a stab (no gun violence here!) at this week’s questions, which were artfully penned by William Yurasko.
1.) Please elaborate on whether you come away from the Purdue game encouraged or discouraged about the Nittany Lions?
Mildly encouraged as they won - but they number of penalties and sloppy play in the beginning of the game is alarming.
Evan Royster is great - Let's keep him healthy and we've got ourselves a running back - add in some Stephon Green next season and things could be good. The offensive line is playing really well - great on run plays and good on pass plays - of course they can give AM all the time in the world, but they can't make him throw the ball to Butler.
I want to see a trick play this season - I real one - like the one's that Galen ran his first season back - I am in no way a fan of gadget plays - but I'd like to see some razzle dazzle - we've got a lot of (reported) talent and speed - why not use it?
2.) Who was a better linebacker at this point in their junior seasons, Sean Lee, Dan Connor or Paul Posluszny?
This is an excellent question (and the reason I decided to post some bootleg answers this week) - Posluszny was co-captain his Junior year; which was quite the accomplishment. It was 2005 and the defense was really excellent - there was a lot of quality support from the secondary (at times) and great strength up front - He was a great leader and just a natural born football player - obviously, his one (possible) weak point was in pass coverage - but it really didn't matter so much.
Connor will always be remembered, in part, for his prank phone call incident(s) of 2005 - by 2006 he had shed the stigma and was really out of Poz' shadow. He's a key player linebacker - when his assignment is to stop something or someone - he does it. Connor seems to see everything before it even happens.
Lee is great - I love this kid and I love his attitude - He's a monster on the field - he really delivers a bone crushing hit - and causes more fumbles than anyone. He's quick and smart and has great vision. Sean's one fault? He can't catch the dang football! He'd probably be leading the team in interceptions if he could.
All three have a certain 6th sense about the game - and an unstoppable drive. It's such a tough choice - we've been so lucky to have these kids on our team(s). I'm going to go with Sean Lee - he has 3 more games to prove me right.
3.) How much of a fight do you expect Temple to put up since this their biggest home game in forever-and-a-day? Does Temple (3-6) have a shot at winning? Are you going to be at the game in Philadelphia?
I'm going to have to disagree with this being the biggest home game in "forever" for Temple - for what it's worth - they used to play some pretty formidable foes in the Big East - and sometimes with not horrendous results.
Last season's game against Temple was kinda sad. Penn State was a little lazy in their play - but the Temple kids just couldn't keep up with them speed or size wise. I'm really rooting for Al Golden to turn around the football program at Temple - and it seems that the University is making an investment in the team. Right before he got to campus, Temple lost 9 scholarships due to academics - He's really brought back the idea of the scholar athlete - and he's doing a good job in recruiting. For what it's worth, playing home football games in the Linc is pretty cool.
Temple is obviously improving, and as other teams have proven this season especially, you never underestimate your opponent - but I really think that PSU will win the game.
Yeah, I'll be there. I've been waiting since they announced this game 2 years ago for this tailgate!
Lightning round
Are you a fan of the Patriot-News sportswriter videos?
Can't say - I've never seen one. From the stills on other sites - they're quite the Beau Brummells.
Which basketball team will have a better season, the men or the women?
I'm hoping that both teams improve this season. I'm quite optimistic that the Women's team is going to well this season. While I can be a bit of a poohead when it comes to the men's team (we always hurt the ones we love) - I wish them tons of success -
Do you wear a Penn State jersey to games? If so, what number and why?
I have. But not this season. I have a blue #7 and a blue #82. The #7 was a gift from friends during Zach Mills' freshman season and I bought (yup, saved up my own money) the #82 when I was a kid and in love with Kenny Jackson.
next - I thought I'd take a stab (no gun violence here!) at this week’s questions, which were artfully penned by William Yurasko.
1.) Please elaborate on whether you come away from the Purdue game encouraged or discouraged about the Nittany Lions?
Mildly encouraged as they won - but they number of penalties and sloppy play in the beginning of the game is alarming.
Evan Royster is great - Let's keep him healthy and we've got ourselves a running back - add in some Stephon Green next season and things could be good. The offensive line is playing really well - great on run plays and good on pass plays - of course they can give AM all the time in the world, but they can't make him throw the ball to Butler.
I want to see a trick play this season - I real one - like the one's that Galen ran his first season back - I am in no way a fan of gadget plays - but I'd like to see some razzle dazzle - we've got a lot of (reported) talent and speed - why not use it?
2.) Who was a better linebacker at this point in their junior seasons, Sean Lee, Dan Connor or Paul Posluszny?
This is an excellent question (and the reason I decided to post some bootleg answers this week) - Posluszny was co-captain his Junior year; which was quite the accomplishment. It was 2005 and the defense was really excellent - there was a lot of quality support from the secondary (at times) and great strength up front - He was a great leader and just a natural born football player - obviously, his one (possible) weak point was in pass coverage - but it really didn't matter so much.
Connor will always be remembered, in part, for his prank phone call incident(s) of 2005 - by 2006 he had shed the stigma and was really out of Poz' shadow. He's a key player linebacker - when his assignment is to stop something or someone - he does it. Connor seems to see everything before it even happens.
Lee is great - I love this kid and I love his attitude - He's a monster on the field - he really delivers a bone crushing hit - and causes more fumbles than anyone. He's quick and smart and has great vision. Sean's one fault? He can't catch the dang football! He'd probably be leading the team in interceptions if he could.
All three have a certain 6th sense about the game - and an unstoppable drive. It's such a tough choice - we've been so lucky to have these kids on our team(s). I'm going to go with Sean Lee - he has 3 more games to prove me right.
3.) How much of a fight do you expect Temple to put up since this their biggest home game in forever-and-a-day? Does Temple (3-6) have a shot at winning? Are you going to be at the game in Philadelphia?
I'm going to have to disagree with this being the biggest home game in "forever" for Temple - for what it's worth - they used to play some pretty formidable foes in the Big East - and sometimes with not horrendous results.
Last season's game against Temple was kinda sad. Penn State was a little lazy in their play - but the Temple kids just couldn't keep up with them speed or size wise. I'm really rooting for Al Golden to turn around the football program at Temple - and it seems that the University is making an investment in the team. Right before he got to campus, Temple lost 9 scholarships due to academics - He's really brought back the idea of the scholar athlete - and he's doing a good job in recruiting. For what it's worth, playing home football games in the Linc is pretty cool.
Temple is obviously improving, and as other teams have proven this season especially, you never underestimate your opponent - but I really think that PSU will win the game.
Yeah, I'll be there. I've been waiting since they announced this game 2 years ago for this tailgate!
Lightning round
Are you a fan of the Patriot-News sportswriter videos?
Can't say - I've never seen one. From the stills on other sites - they're quite the Beau Brummells.
Which basketball team will have a better season, the men or the women?
I'm hoping that both teams improve this season. I'm quite optimistic that the Women's team is going to well this season. While I can be a bit of a poohead when it comes to the men's team (we always hurt the ones we love) - I wish them tons of success -
Do you wear a Penn State jersey to games? If so, what number and why?
I have. But not this season. I have a blue #7 and a blue #82. The #7 was a gift from friends during Zach Mills' freshman season and I bought (yup, saved up my own money) the #82 when I was a kid and in love with Kenny Jackson.
But where are the cow pastures?
So, as you all know, Penn State travels to Philadelphia to face the Owls of Temple this weekend.
The game is a 12 noon - at Lincoln Financial Field - 1 Lincoln Financial Field Way; Philadelphia, PA 19148. The Philly Sports Complex is in South Philadelphia and is accessible by both Route 95 and Interstate 76. Driving directions to the Linc can be found here.
Parking Maps can be found here.
For those of you taking public transportation (Yeah Septa!) take the Southbound ORANGE (Broad Street Line) subway to the last stop (Pattison Ave) and follow the crowds to the stadium (tailgate!) area. Trains run all day but for specific info check out the SEPTA website for departure times and other public transport information.
Parking Lots open at 7am - Per the Lincoln Financial Field website - the place to park is Lot K - which is right next to the Linc. For Eagles games this lot is reserved, but, apparently, not so for Temple games.
They're expecting 70,000 fans at the game - so I'm thinking that they'll need to open more parking lots.
Which is what we're counting on - because we'll be tailgating in the Wachovia Center Lots (that's the plan, anyway) - I'm hoping for E, F or G -
Our ETA is 0830 (WHAT! WHAT!?!) - and we'll be tailgating before and after the game (possibly during as well) - email for cell phone numbers for day of directions. We will have a 2theLion sign (or flag - depends on how motivated I get) - We will have the blue chipmunk flag - which actually might be a little (not much) unique (maybe?).
Everyone is welcome - We hope to see you there!
The game is a 12 noon - at Lincoln Financial Field - 1 Lincoln Financial Field Way; Philadelphia, PA 19148. The Philly Sports Complex is in South Philadelphia and is accessible by both Route 95 and Interstate 76. Driving directions to the Linc can be found here.
Parking Maps can be found here.
For those of you taking public transportation (Yeah Septa!) take the Southbound ORANGE (Broad Street Line) subway to the last stop (Pattison Ave) and follow the crowds to the stadium (tailgate!) area. Trains run all day but for specific info check out the SEPTA website for departure times and other public transport information.
Parking Lots open at 7am - Per the Lincoln Financial Field website - the place to park is Lot K - which is right next to the Linc. For Eagles games this lot is reserved, but, apparently, not so for Temple games.
They're expecting 70,000 fans at the game - so I'm thinking that they'll need to open more parking lots.
Which is what we're counting on - because we'll be tailgating in the Wachovia Center Lots (that's the plan, anyway) - I'm hoping for E, F or G -
Our ETA is 0830 (WHAT! WHAT!?!) - and we'll be tailgating before and after the game (possibly during as well) - email for cell phone numbers for day of directions. We will have a 2theLion sign (or flag - depends on how motivated I get) - We will have the blue chipmunk flag - which actually might be a little (not much) unique (maybe?).
Everyone is welcome - We hope to see you there!
11/06/2007
Tuesday Temple Tailgate Talk
Okay - so we're going to be tailgating at the PSU / Temple game this weekend.
While PSU is my (heart) team, I am a Temple fan and alum - I got my JD from Temple - way back when.
We have an old favorite drink - The Cherry and the White - we taste tested it this weekend...
The Cherry and the White
1 - 2 oz Vanilla Vodka
Cherry Cola
Cherry garnish
Add Vodka to Navy Blue Solo cup -
Fill with cherry cola, stir,
and enjoy!
While PSU is my (heart) team, I am a Temple fan and alum - I got my JD from Temple - way back when.
We have an old favorite drink - The Cherry and the White - we taste tested it this weekend...
The Cherry and the White
1 - 2 oz Vanilla Vodka
Cherry Cola
Cherry garnish
Add Vodka to Navy Blue Solo cup -
Fill with cherry cola, stir,
and enjoy!
11/05/2007
Tailgate - C'est Parfait - Parfay!
Delicious confections - wonderfully displayed on the Paterno tray.
Soupe a l'oignon - made with Tailgate Red, and love.
Roary, hanging out on the briefcase bar.
Who has the best non-award winning tailgate ever? The Shadow knows. And yes, that's me, holding up a football shaped dish. And yes, I did take about 15 pictures of the tailgate shadow.
Purdue game - fine; Purdue tailgate - magnifique!
Weather was great - food was fabulous - good parking spot and PSU won the game.
It was a great weekend.
I'll post some pix soon.
It was a great weekend.
I'll post some pix soon.
Temple Tickets
I just checked Ticketmaster and there are still "regular" tickets (ie sitting room) available for the Penn State/Temple game this Saturday.
11/02/2007
Leaving for State College tonight
for the last, sniff, home, wah, tailgate of the season.
Last night we finished up the at home preparation - onion soup and croutons - DONE; prep for red wine sauce- DONE; the most successful batch of gougeres in my storied history of making gougeres - DONE; packed gear - DONE.
Just going to run home during lunch to pack clothing and re-container some of the foodstuffs.
It's always bittersweet for the last tailgate - at least we have Temple next week!
Hope to see you this weekend.
Go Lions!!!!
Last night we finished up the at home preparation - onion soup and croutons - DONE; prep for red wine sauce- DONE; the most successful batch of gougeres in my storied history of making gougeres - DONE; packed gear - DONE.
Just going to run home during lunch to pack clothing and re-container some of the foodstuffs.
It's always bittersweet for the last tailgate - at least we have Temple next week!
Hope to see you this weekend.
Go Lions!!!!
Fan Fare Friday
An old favorite and always a big hit, no matter what the weather brings.- I find that the addition of bagel chips and cheesy crackers really makes it special...
Chex Mix
1 cup peanuts (dry roasted or “party”)
1 cup pretzels (small rod or Goldfish pretzels)
1 cup garlic-flavored bagel chips, broken into 1 inch pieces
1 cup Cheese Nibs (or cheese flavored Goldfish crackers)
3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
6 - 8 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Heat oven to 250. Melt margarine in large roasting pan in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.
And what to drink? why a purdue boilermaker, of course.
2 oz whiskey
10 oz beer
Fill shot glass with whiskey. Drop full shot glass into mug o' beer. Drink immediately.
Chex Mix
1 cup peanuts (dry roasted or “party”)
1 cup pretzels (small rod or Goldfish pretzels)
1 cup garlic-flavored bagel chips, broken into 1 inch pieces
1 cup Cheese Nibs (or cheese flavored Goldfish crackers)
3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
3 cups Corn Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
6 - 8 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Heat oven to 250. Melt margarine in large roasting pan in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.
And what to drink? why a purdue boilermaker, of course.
2 oz whiskey
10 oz beer
Fill shot glass with whiskey. Drop full shot glass into mug o' beer. Drink immediately.
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