A new season is soon upon us!

Earlier this month, I lamented about what felt like my waning interest in Penn State football. I'm pleased to discover that it wasn't a permanent loss of interest, because with August steadily coming to a close and the arrival of September right around the corner—not to mention several mornings where it actually felt cool and crisp like fall!—my yearning for college football has been resurrected in earnest!

Some might consider this next statement sacrilege, but I don't really plan to attend any games this year, and I'm kind of glad. Like I mentioned earlier, the game-day experience in Happy Valley has become too intense for me in recent years, and now that I finally have Big Ten Network, I can watch the games from the comfort of my own couch! I haven't renewed my local chapter membership yet, but I'm still giving some thought to watching a game or two from a viewing site this year. The last time I went to one must have been in 2007 (I think it was a late September game at Union Jack's in Bethesda).

People ask me all the time if Joe's gonna hang it up, because at 84, he's obviously no spring chicken anymore. (In fact, one co-worker even circulated a hilarious Onion article to that effect.) I wonder the same thing frequently (if Joe will retire anytime soon), because I had the opportunity to see him exit the stadium by one of the loading docks last season, and he was visibly more frail and deliberate than I'd ever seen him. I hate saying this, but he looked his age. He looked old. Time will obviously tell with Joe, though it's obvious the university is planning ahead for his eventual replacement (vis-à-vis the very controversial STEP program).

In any case, it's only nine days by my count that Joe leads the Penn State football team out onto the field, and I can hardly wait!

The two-year anniversary of a beautiful memory

Piggybacking on yesterday's post where I noted how Michigan football can't get its shit together, I decided to mark the two-year anniversary of a beautiful football memory. (Better turn up your volume, though.)



Though if you prefer the famous radio cry (at regular volume), here it is. Seriously, how you can not love that final shot of the stunned, silent Big House that's been brought to its knees?

A couple thoughts at the end of August

On the way home tonight, my mind began to glow with whirling nodes of thought, careening through a cosmic vapor of invention! Or quite simply, a few thoughts crossed my mind.

In no particular order:

1. I heard on NPR that another "failed bank," this one in Minnesota, shut down. Since almost all banks nowadays are covered by FDIC, I'm amazed that with all the bank bailouts and closures that took place over the last year, that there hasn't been a full-on bailout of FDIC! Or that the damn thing just hasn't run dry completely. Seriously, with all the money lost in those failed banks, just how much insurance can the FDIC really provide? As they say, money doesn't grow on trees, and the FDIC doesn't necessarily have access to limitless capital.
   
   
2. It seems like, almost on a dime, the seasons are changing. This morning it was almost dark when I got up for work (not at all unlike a fall morning), and on the way home, the sky had taken on a quality that I can only describe as autumnal. It was simply an aura that was conveyed by the heavens that the seasons had begun to change, damn near on the dot—i.e., the last day of August, that figurative month of Sundays (since it's the last month of summer). I kid you not, it even smelled like fall along the GW Parkway! Won't be long now before I don a light jacket and the leaves begin to change color.
   
   
3. Michigan's football program really can't get its shit together. This doesn't cause me any displeasure, mind you, because Michigan has rightfully earned its place as one of the top opponents that Penn Staters love to hate. But when you're caught practicing well beyond the NCAA-regulated hours, how sad is it that the whistleblowers to the Detroit Free Press are your own football players?
   

Just to get myself in the mood for football season . . .

Baltimore/Washington among the worst team owners

At the same time, I was surprised yet not surprised to hear that both Ted Lerner and Peter Angelos made the list of Sports Illustrated's Top Five Worst Team Owners, and least for baseball. Ted Lerner, the owner of the Washington Nationals, clocked in at #5. Hardly surprising, since the Lerner family has been terribly reluctant to spend a dime on quality talent, never mind the fact that a good team would pay off big time in the long run.

And Peter Angelos? He takes the #1 spot for the worst baseball owner in SI's eyes.

When the Baltimore lawyer took control of the team in 1993, it was a year removed from its Camden Yards debut with a stacked roster Angelos allowed former GM Pat Gillick to build. The O's went on to make the first of two consecutive ALCS appearances just three years later. Then Angelos began his notorious meddling, firing popular manager Davey Johnson, burning through another five managers, killing trades proposed by his GMs and stripping down one of baseball's proudest franchises. The O's haven't finished above .500 in 11 seasons since their last playoff appearance.

You know, it really amazes me how much vitriol there is in Baltimore against Angelos. In Washington, the anti-Angelos sentiment goes without saying, since he tried to move heaven and earth to keep baseball out of Washington. But it's oddly refreshing to know that Orioles fans dislike him, too.

By the same token, Redskins owner Dan Snyder didn't fare much better in SI's poll. He came in at the #3 worst owner for NFL teams.

Snyder is a good businessman and spares no expense with one of the most profitable franchises in sports. But maybe that's the problem: The young billionaire runs the team more like a first-time fantasy-football manager. Among the most expensive outlays: nearly $225 million committed to LaVar Arrington, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Laveranues Coles and Adam Archuleta. Though those mistakes were at beginning of Snyder's tenure, Washington still hasn't come anywhere near the Super Bowl and has had five head coaches during his decade of ownership. Think Snyder learned his lesson? This past offseason, he locked up three players -- Albert Haynesworth, DeAngelo Hall and Derrick Dockery -- for a combined $162M.

Almost makes you wonder if Washington fans yearn for the days of Jack Kent Cooke again.

Were Mel Brooks and Jack Kent Cooke in cahoots?

Being a Mel Brooks fan, I noticed something recently while listening to the radio: the fight song for the Washington Redskins is similar to the theme song for Blazing Saddles! It's very subtle, but unmistakable! Compare, if you will.

Redskins fight song

Blazing Saddles theme song

Which leads me to believe . . . were Mel Brooks and Jack Kent Cooke secretly in cahoots?

Can Snyder and MacFarlane trade venues?

A random thought occurred to me this morning as I heard more about how the DC United might be moving its venue from RFK into PG County: why don't the DC United and the Washington Redskins swap stadiums?

Think about it for a second!

The Redskins already play in PG County, and Dan Snyder has indicated that he's pondering moving the Redskins back to the RFK site—in a new stadium that he would hopefully build with his own money, thus curtailing all the bullshit grandstanding from the DC Council. And since the DC United is looking to move to PG County, it would make sense to go where a venue already exists and has proven itself (accessibility issues notwitstanding).*

Hell, maybe Victor MacFarlane can even come up with a better variation of Raljohn! ;)

* I considered suggested the site of the former USAirways Arena, but I think a shopping mall sits at that spot now.

Have you stopped and smelled the roses today? (II)

The official announcement was made today, even though most of us already knew it: Penn State will be heading to the Rose Bowl on January 1, and is set to face off against USC.

While I'm disappointed that we didn't finish the season undefeated, I'm nevertheless pleased that we've secured a spot in this most prestigious of bowl games. I now find myself wondering if it'll be a crazed, tear-your-hair-out game like the 2006 Orange Bowl, or a walkover like most of our games have been this season. What's even more ponderous is whether JoePa, despite his claims to the contrary, will step down after the bowl game! I still think he should go while on top, and a Rose Bowl win would give him that opportunity.

Right now it's looking like I'll be watching the game from North Carolina—so I'd best make a good impression on the Ohio State fans I'll be staying with that week!

Have you stopped and smelled the roses today?

On a brutally cold Saturday night, I got to witness my Nittany Lions perform three tremendous feats: beat the ever-lovin' shit out of Michigan State, win the Big Ten title, and embark on their path to the Rose Bowl!

I think everyone of Penn State blood deserves to sing this today, loudly and proudly!



Pictures from Saturday's game shall hopefully be posted to Flickr soon.

Another season has come and gone

It just suddenly occurred to me today . . . football season is almost over!!! And I find myself asking, where did the time go?

Looking back on this season, I can definitely say it's been a full and eventful one. Clark has proven himself to be a very worthy quarterback, with great potential for the future. The 10-year humiliation was finally broken by a glorious home trouncing against Michigan. And naturally, JoePa is still god among the Penn State brethren, age and press-box seating notwithstanding. Our hopes of an undefeated season were sadly dashed by Iowa, of all people (though as I continually remind people—and myself!—this is the same team that beat us 6-4 a few years back), but even if we finish out the season with an 11-1 record, I can still live with that.

I was able to make it to two games this season (my father and I went to the season opener against Coastal Carolina at the end of August, and Nora joined me for the Michigan game in October), and I'll definitely be attending the final game against Michigan State tomorrow. I just hope that we can pull out a victory so that a) we don't lose too much steam after the loss to Iowa, b) we finish pretty close to the #1 spot, and c) JoePa can possibly retire after this near-perfect season. I've always advocated that Joe go out on a high note, at the top of his game (pun intended!), and this would be the perfect opportunity for him to do so.

It still saddens me that football season will be over in less than 36 hours, but all things considered, it's been a hell of a season! And you can't ask for anything more than that.

At least USA Today got it right

With last night's jaw-dropping finish to the Texas-Texas Tech game, I had my fingers crossed that Penn State would advance to the #2 or even #1 spot in the polls. But it would appear that we're #2 in only the USA Today poll; the AP Top 25 poll has us still at #3. I have to wonder if maybe the bye week went against us, since both Alabama and Texas Tech (obviously) played this weekend.

We have a bye week?

Wait, Penn State has a bye week this week? My god, what will I do with myself??? Oh wait, I'm getting my car fixed. That's what I'm doing with myself.

But like noon kickoffs, it feels like a long time since Penn State's had a bye week during a regular season. And I have to admit, it kinda feels nice to have one Saturday off. It gives me a chance to unwind a little, get some things done, and watch some other games on TV (or at least as many as one who doesn't have ESPN anymore can).

With only three games left this season and coming off two huge wins in as many weeks, it's good to take a breather.

The one-year anniversary of a beautiful memory