I trudge out, the sun hitting me just enough to remind me I'm alive. I'm still a little sore from my short run that I did the other day, but I feel good and energetic as the solar warmth touches my face.
The music is pumping through my Bluetooth headphones thanks to the incredible technological advancement of modern society.
In my hand I carry a device capable of streaming music over vast spaces without any physical cord connecting it.
I am feeling lucky, and I'm feeling good.
Still the first few steps around the block are among the hardest, going immediately uphill. My body not yet completely warmed up save for some minimal stretching, each stride feels like a slow, methodical ache.
When I reach the top of the first hill, I feel better; balanced and ready to really face the rest of the run, knowing full well the most difficult part is yet to come.
Soon I have a gradual and easy descent that helps to widen my stride further, and with the wind at my back, makes me feel a bit more confident as I close in on the upcoming climb.
As I tap the STOP sign at the bottom of the hill and change direction to climb, my mind wanders to the Penn State basketball team.
Here I am, just your average guy trying to get in shape and attain a healthy lifestyle, my lungs and legs beginning to feel the fire and fatigue associated with failure, and I think of what is thought of as the lowest performing athletic team at my Alma Mater.
I use them for motivation.
I think about how they've been beat up by their fans, by their coaches and by each other, yet they keep fighting.
They keep pushing in hopes that if they push hard enough, they push long enough, then they will succeed.
It's not easy to do it in the face of failure, to admit that you haven't been at your best, but sometimes it's those trials that give rise to a new sense of strength and determination.
I near the top knowing that I will reach the summit, not simply because of ability, but also self determination and motivation.
I'm headed back down now, and I have a sense of calm, but I realize that the climb has definitely taken a toll on my legs and the run isn't quite over yet.
I have made it to the local park that sports a track that I like to briefly run on. It's flooded and still has remnants of ice and snow that demands my attention. The song "Apollo" by St. Paul and the Broken Bones plays loudly in my ears.
My feet are cold and mud trudges on to my sweat pants, and I'm thinking about what to write about these days and what matters to me.
And I think about the hills.
These hills will always be there in life. Some will be steep and some will be shallow, but there will always be an up and down nature to our experiences on this earth.
I'm almost back to my house now, fatigued and soaked with sweat, but I feel good too. As though I'm ready to keep climbing and finish the journey that was started.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Friday, February 1, 2019
Take Good Care by The Revivalists. An album for people who want to feel good.
While released in early November, I'm just now getting around to listening their latest full album Take Good Care.
What I found was an album that's positive and full of confidence without being braggadocios. To me the Revivalists are hitting a the right notes and hitting them hard. The feelings of soul music, southern swamp rock, and new age Americana all come home in a gorgeously produced soundscape.
While the album opens with a softer intro pack, it quickly opens up into a quick pacing sing-along rock song that encapsulates the whole album.
"All My Friends" is about being rebellious and confidant, while at the same time knowing that the relationships that have been forged that truly keeps them afloat and positive. While the voice and lyrics shape a lot of the sound, you can't but also hear all of the surrounding band pieces working together to push the song along.
Quickly following that is a delightfully sultry number in "Change" that is starts slow and quiet but after about a minute breaks down into a solid rock song with images of alcohol and drugs balanced with ego and money.
After this I found myself a bit bored by the next three tracks. They aren't bad songs, perfectly fine little numbers that slow down the energy of the album and tried to add some musical variety and depth while remaining true to their roots. They still "fit" in the album but aren't as memorable as some others. Where as "All My Friends" and "Change" might be played at a party or a workout, you might play these songs during an afternoon lunch for background music but they lack the energy that I think the band really excels with.
The pace gets picked back up with songs like "Oh No" and "You and I" and while there are a few more slower paced songs they still unpack nicely.
Then, at nearly the end of the album the band unloads "Celebration". If there is a song that will undoubtedly fall into the category of "songs to be played by every wedding band capable going forward", pay attention to "Celebration" a song that sounds so quintessential to weddings that you swore you've heard it before. There is nothing new in the song, nothing particularly incredible musically other than the fact that it just seems so perfect in terms of how a wedding celebration should sound.
All in all, if you want to listen to a band that is producing great independent and soulful rock, you really need to Take Good Care.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
The Ex-Athlete.
I am no longer the Penn State athlete I used to be.
I'm almost 35 now, and I can't run or jump like I used to. I'm not as strong, and my body has definitely turned a little more puffy in places.
I have a chronic arthritic condition in the form of gout, a horrible disease that attacks my joints, inflaming them to the point of prescription medicated pain relief.
Anytime I do decide to compete in a pick-up basketball, softball, or base level adult competition, my brain starts to fire, like I'm ready to go, but the body can no longer do the things that it used to do.
It hurts to feel this way for the first time. To really feel as though your days of being a Penn State athlete are over. That you may never be what you once were.
Right now, it's January 2nd, the day following a Penn State loss to Kentucky in football, and I feel a bit depressed. The team I used to be a part of had an unsatisfying year, as the goals that were set for the team, didn't get achieved.
If Keegan-Michael Key was here, he'd be saying that right now I'm feeding the negative wolf.
It's time to start feeding that positive wolf again.
While I am not the Penn State athlete I was, I am STILL a Penn State athlete.
Being a Penn State athlete after college may be more important than being one while in school. We become the examples that the next generation of student athletes will decide on whether or not to emulate.
I may never be the athlete I was, but because I was that athlete, it has helped me become the person I am today.
I'm able to pick myself up after getting knocked down. I'm able to set goals and take the necessary steps to achieve them. I understand that with the help and support of others, I am capable of more than I am on my own.
I am humble in knowing that while I may have some unique talents or skills, that doesn't make me a better person than someone else.
Life can be a difficult thing to navigate. Try though we might, bad luck and bad decisions are nearly inevitable to avoid. However, thanks to my opportunities as a student-athlete, I feel that I'm better equipped to attack my problems with a balanced approach and perspective.
While I can no longer dunk a basketball or run a 4.9 forty-yard dash, I am the guy that will willingly stay late to help with work, volunteer at a church or lend an ear to someone else's plight.
I am not the athlete I used to be, but I'm not the same person either.
I've grown by leaps and bounds over that 18 year old version of myself. I have pushed myself into leadership positions in the workforce, got back up after personal tragedies, and given love and support to my friends and family. To me this is what being a Penn State athlete means when you can no longer physically do the things you used to be able to do. To do more as a person with your time and spirit than with your body.
I'm almost 35 now, and I can't run or jump like I used to. I'm not as strong, and my body has definitely turned a little more puffy in places.
I have a chronic arthritic condition in the form of gout, a horrible disease that attacks my joints, inflaming them to the point of prescription medicated pain relief.
Anytime I do decide to compete in a pick-up basketball, softball, or base level adult competition, my brain starts to fire, like I'm ready to go, but the body can no longer do the things that it used to do.
It hurts to feel this way for the first time. To really feel as though your days of being a Penn State athlete are over. That you may never be what you once were.
Right now, it's January 2nd, the day following a Penn State loss to Kentucky in football, and I feel a bit depressed. The team I used to be a part of had an unsatisfying year, as the goals that were set for the team, didn't get achieved.
If Keegan-Michael Key was here, he'd be saying that right now I'm feeding the negative wolf.
It's time to start feeding that positive wolf again.
While I am not the Penn State athlete I was, I am STILL a Penn State athlete.
Being a Penn State athlete after college may be more important than being one while in school. We become the examples that the next generation of student athletes will decide on whether or not to emulate.
I may never be the athlete I was, but because I was that athlete, it has helped me become the person I am today.
I'm able to pick myself up after getting knocked down. I'm able to set goals and take the necessary steps to achieve them. I understand that with the help and support of others, I am capable of more than I am on my own.
I am humble in knowing that while I may have some unique talents or skills, that doesn't make me a better person than someone else.
Life can be a difficult thing to navigate. Try though we might, bad luck and bad decisions are nearly inevitable to avoid. However, thanks to my opportunities as a student-athlete, I feel that I'm better equipped to attack my problems with a balanced approach and perspective.
While I can no longer dunk a basketball or run a 4.9 forty-yard dash, I am the guy that will willingly stay late to help with work, volunteer at a church or lend an ear to someone else's plight.
I am not the athlete I used to be, but I'm not the same person either.
I've grown by leaps and bounds over that 18 year old version of myself. I have pushed myself into leadership positions in the workforce, got back up after personal tragedies, and given love and support to my friends and family. To me this is what being a Penn State athlete means when you can no longer physically do the things you used to be able to do. To do more as a person with your time and spirit than with your body.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Going Over The Wall. Reach Out Across the Aisle This Holiday Season.
I like to think of myself more of a libertarian, and the idea of spending money to build a wall to keep people out is about as wasteful a way for our government to spend our tax dollars. Spend them on schools, use them to help alleviate medical costs, use them to help train and educate our work force, or help veterans adapt to life after service, but don't use them to build walls that keep people out.
As a Government shutdown looms, and a storied marine leaves his post over a disagreement with the Commander in Chief about the role of the military and their mission we should take a long moment to reflect about what our country is, what it should be, and how can we get closer to that ideal.
Most of us have chosen over the past few years to try and ignore that real divide when we sit at our tables. Maybe we shall speak into an echo chamber, but when we know that on the other side sits an opposing view we clam up rather than try to come together.
I believe that America should be the home of the brave. That we aren't scared about the outside world because at the heart of the idea of America is that are a welcoming Country, one that will take in the refugees of ANY country knowing full well that there are chances that people could act in a heinous way. America should be a country that will not fear the outsiders, that will take in people from all countries and make it as easy as possible for all to live under the same roof.
This is what I believe America should be. Land of the free, and the home of the brave. I think that all of mankind should be free to do as they wish, travel as they please, and not fear the wrath of an intolerant and controlling government.
This is what I believe America should be. Land of the free, and the home of the brave. I think that all of mankind should be free to do as they wish, travel as they please, and not fear the wrath of an intolerant and controlling government.
I've always felt the biggest reason for Americas greatness has been that we've been able to include such a diverse group of cultures and people who have been either displaced or have come to seek a better life for themselves.
When 9/11 happened, I believe America began to act in perpetual fear about Terror and the outside world and has responded by placing and funding arbitrary projects in response to our fear. We wasted trillions of dollars and sacrificed thousands of lives to "feel safer" in the Iraq War when in reality terror attacks have been mostly contained by the incredibly hard work of the CIA and FBI. There have been far more acts of domestic violence and crimes rather than ones committed by people coming in from another Country.
Right now you were to bet on the next mass shooting, act of terrorism or act of almost ANY crime IN America, it is FAR more likely to be the product of someone who was born and raised in America.
Before we spend so much money exploiting people's fear of an outside or an unknown why don't we use Government correctly and honestly based on data and science?
We need to address as a community the differences between us, and honestly it should happen in person. The internet and social space can be fun, and at times useful but at some level it cant be trusted more than a full human interaction.
If we have differences of opinion it would be far more beneficial to speak to those differences in person. Tone and non-verbal cues as well as the ability to speak in real time is the way to settle disputes, not the written word.
This coming Holiday we will see our families as Americas future is literally on the balance. I would urge families to put their smart phones away and talk honestly about that future.
Try these questions.
How should we spend our tax dollars? Who do we respect as people to represent our beliefs? Are we scared or less trustful of people who don't share your ethnicity, religion, geographical upbringing?
Rather than talk about how things are or the sins of the past, talk about how we would want them to be. Focus on where we are similar. I'm betting that on both sides of aisle legalized marijuana is an agreeable topic. Cheaper, affordable healthcare. Taking care of our schools and roads and limiting the use of our military to things that are pertinent. Almost all of us desire peace.
If we are the country that aspires to truly be that place where all men and women are treated equal and fair, then we must be a country that accepts all people, no matter where they're from or what they believe, welcome them into our home, and talk to them without fear, and without hate.
Though I have disagreed myself from time to time on the internet with various friends and family, I love you all, just as I know deep down you all love me. And that gives me all the confidence in the world to speak about the future of this great country.
If we are the country that aspires to truly be that place where all men and women are treated equal and fair, then we must be a country that accepts all people, no matter where they're from or what they believe, welcome them into our home, and talk to them without fear, and without hate.
Though I have disagreed myself from time to time on the internet with various friends and family, I love you all, just as I know deep down you all love me. And that gives me all the confidence in the world to speak about the future of this great country.
Monday, December 3, 2018
That Time Penn State Played Alabama on a Snowy Night In Pittsburgh. The Case For Playoff Expansion.
It's all I can do to not yell at the television that the answer is so obvious that I don't understand why the concept hasn't been made reality yet, other than the current scenario without doubt favors the SEC and the South in general.
I still think the best option is get auto bids by power 5 Conferences with 3 At Large bids as well.
There is far more money in a playoff scenario. That would bring your must watch games (minus alma maters) to 7.
This year might also have been the PERFECT year to do it.
My seeding would go as follows.
1. Alabama vs. 8.Washington
2. Clemson vs. 7. Georgia
3. Notre Dame vs. 6. UCF
4. Oklahoma vs. 5. Ohio State
1. Alabama vs. 8. Washington (Hypothetical Location: New Orleans)
In this scenario the very first game you get is the best team from the "best conference" vs an incredibly maligned yet still potent power 5 Conference Champion, who is in based on their autobid and seeded due to their low ranking among the polls. Would Washington pull off this upset? Probably not. But I garuntee this game is better than Washington vs Ohio State, and with an opportunity to still play either Oklahoma or Ohio State, followed by a National championship against either Clemson, Notre Dame, against SEC rival Geogia or the biggest underdog to make it, UCF, the stories just get better.
2.Clemson vs 7. Georgia (Hypothetical Location: Phoenix)
Two percieved powerhouses go toe to toe. Georgia is perceived by some in the south as maybe the second best team in football. Even though they lost to LSU and Alabama, they are thought of by many as a very tough and physical team. Clemson meanwhile hasn't played a particularly close game all year and looks every bit ready to prove that it belongs right with 'Bama and further from the rest of the pack
3. Notre Dame vs UCF (Hypothetical Location : Philadelphia)
The battle of No conference vs small conference champion. This game has all the makings of everyone asking if the other team is real or not. Right now, nobody really knows, and after this game that might still be the case. If Notre Dame wins, they would play the winner of Clemson/Georgia and beat a "real team" The same might also be true for UCF, but UCF as an extreme underdog and unlikely story is going to hold that nations attention for as long as it's in the playoff. If they manage somehow, someway to beat Notre Dame, then beat or play competively with Clemson/Georgia it will continue to erode the bias of conference superiority.
4.Oklahoma vs. 5. Ohio State (San Diego)
The two likely best teams outside of Clemson and Alabama get to prove whose better. Similar to Clemson and Georgia, this puts two heavy weights together and we get to see who comes out on top. There is bad blood with the histories of OSU beating Oklahoma 45-24 in 2016, only to lose to them a year later and have Baker Mayfield plant a flag in Columbus. This year would be the ultimate rubber match.
This year might also have been the PERFECT year to do it.
My seeding would go as follows.
1. Alabama vs. 8.Washington
2. Clemson vs. 7. Georgia
3. Notre Dame vs. 6. UCF
4. Oklahoma vs. 5. Ohio State
1. Alabama vs. 8. Washington (Hypothetical Location: New Orleans)
In this scenario the very first game you get is the best team from the "best conference" vs an incredibly maligned yet still potent power 5 Conference Champion, who is in based on their autobid and seeded due to their low ranking among the polls. Would Washington pull off this upset? Probably not. But I garuntee this game is better than Washington vs Ohio State, and with an opportunity to still play either Oklahoma or Ohio State, followed by a National championship against either Clemson, Notre Dame, against SEC rival Geogia or the biggest underdog to make it, UCF, the stories just get better.
2.Clemson vs 7. Georgia (Hypothetical Location: Phoenix)
Two percieved powerhouses go toe to toe. Georgia is perceived by some in the south as maybe the second best team in football. Even though they lost to LSU and Alabama, they are thought of by many as a very tough and physical team. Clemson meanwhile hasn't played a particularly close game all year and looks every bit ready to prove that it belongs right with 'Bama and further from the rest of the pack
3. Notre Dame vs UCF (Hypothetical Location : Philadelphia)
The battle of No conference vs small conference champion. This game has all the makings of everyone asking if the other team is real or not. Right now, nobody really knows, and after this game that might still be the case. If Notre Dame wins, they would play the winner of Clemson/Georgia and beat a "real team" The same might also be true for UCF, but UCF as an extreme underdog and unlikely story is going to hold that nations attention for as long as it's in the playoff. If they manage somehow, someway to beat Notre Dame, then beat or play competively with Clemson/Georgia it will continue to erode the bias of conference superiority.
4.Oklahoma vs. 5. Ohio State (San Diego)
The two likely best teams outside of Clemson and Alabama get to prove whose better. Similar to Clemson and Georgia, this puts two heavy weights together and we get to see who comes out on top. There is bad blood with the histories of OSU beating Oklahoma 45-24 in 2016, only to lose to them a year later and have Baker Mayfield plant a flag in Columbus. This year would be the ultimate rubber match.
Don't get me wrong, I think some of the current bowl games will be fun, but I think this is better. The idea of underdogs winning,and proving perception to be wrong. You have more of that drama in an expanded playoff than you do without it.
This is my dream. That there is an 8 game playoff with the first round having a regional home field advantage as much as possible. I want Southern Teams to prove their metal in the elements of the north to prove they can adapt back to playing in excellent conditions and away from their indoor practice facility.
The spots would be chosen ahead of time to allow the games and venues to properly prepare for the playoff event similar to how it works now, only the regions now include cold weather venues.
This is my dream. That there is an 8 game playoff with the first round having a regional home field advantage as much as possible. I want Southern Teams to prove their metal in the elements of the north to prove they can adapt back to playing in excellent conditions and away from their indoor practice facility.
The spots would be chosen ahead of time to allow the games and venues to properly prepare for the playoff event similar to how it works now, only the regions now include cold weather venues.
Say a magical season happens, and Penn State led by Micah Parsons, Ricky Slade and Tommy Stephens, plays it's way to a 1 seed undefeated and looking every bit a deserving of a top seed though they survived a few close games to say Ohio State and Michigan State.
Alabama is loaded and started as Pre-Season favorites, but they trip in a game at Texas A&M and lose a crushing, competitive championship game by 10 points to Florida who has already lost 2 twice; once to Florida State or Miami, and once to LSU.
When it's all said and done, the landscape could look something like this
1.Clemson 13-0 vs 8. Michigan 10-2 (At Large) in SE US (Charlotte, Memphis, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, etc.
2. Penn State 13-0 vs. 7. Alabama 10-2 in NE (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Cleveland, New York, Boston etc.
3. Oklahoma 12-1 vs. 6. Houston 12-0 (Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Chicago, Denver)
4. Standford 12-1 vs 5. Florida 10-2 (Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle)
In this particular scenario, Pittsburgh, Pa would get to see Alabama play in the snow against the Blue and White in what could be potentially a real "White Out" scenario.
To me this jumps off the charts with exciting match-ups and follow up match ups. Let's say PSU wins and has to play Oklahoma, followed by Clemson? If Clemson loses to Michigan, that means an underdog WILL come from the other side meaning Standford, Florida or Michigan could play for the title. The story lines become so much better, than championship, far more earned.
What this does is create so much more interesting conversations and stories. I also includes incentives for far more people to stay enthused about the game and their schools.
I understand that change is hard and slow. Logistics of so many things need to get worked out, but the system as it currently stands is simply not up to par, and we as fans, as well as the participating schools deserve a more fair and inclusive system.
Here's hoping that at the end of this playoff contract, we expand and finally get it right.
When it's all said and done, the landscape could look something like this
1.Clemson 13-0 vs 8. Michigan 10-2 (At Large) in SE US (Charlotte, Memphis, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, etc.
2. Penn State 13-0 vs. 7. Alabama 10-2 in NE (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Cleveland, New York, Boston etc.
3. Oklahoma 12-1 vs. 6. Houston 12-0 (Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Chicago, Denver)
4. Standford 12-1 vs 5. Florida 10-2 (Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle)
In this particular scenario, Pittsburgh, Pa would get to see Alabama play in the snow against the Blue and White in what could be potentially a real "White Out" scenario.
To me this jumps off the charts with exciting match-ups and follow up match ups. Let's say PSU wins and has to play Oklahoma, followed by Clemson? If Clemson loses to Michigan, that means an underdog WILL come from the other side meaning Standford, Florida or Michigan could play for the title. The story lines become so much better, than championship, far more earned.
What this does is create so much more interesting conversations and stories. I also includes incentives for far more people to stay enthused about the game and their schools.
I understand that change is hard and slow. Logistics of so many things need to get worked out, but the system as it currently stands is simply not up to par, and we as fans, as well as the participating schools deserve a more fair and inclusive system.
Here's hoping that at the end of this playoff contract, we expand and finally get it right.
Friday, November 30, 2018
James Fanklin and Trace McSorley: The Fearlessness of Penn State Football.
Franklin's first two years seem so distant now don't they? Do we really remember how difficult things were at the time? We opened the season in 2015 with a loss to Temple and lost 4 straight to end the season. Christian Hackenberg was a senior who was under pressure constantly and seemed to be a shell of the player that played the past two years.
There were many who felt Franklin had ruined Hackenberg's career and was going to ruin Penn State.
It seemed as though Penn State was at a bit of a crossroads, where our negativity about the future of the program, and specifically whether we could trust Franklin and his incoming choice for quarterback, a six foot, two hundred pound athlete that most other schools looked at as a potential safety.
Then in 2016, they lost to Pitt, they barely beat Temple, and they got throttled by Michigan, and it seemed like everyone wanted to blow it all up again. There were a lot of fans who were filled with doubt and filled with anger.
Trace McSorely and James Franklin were not among those people.
They preached a message of positive reinforcement, that things were going to get better and that they were doing everything they could to put a winning effort on the field.
If you are a Penn State fan you probably remember Saquon Barkley winning the Minnesota game with an overtime touchdown, but you might forget the entire team effort that brought the team back from an early ten point deficit, and then later again, push themselves with under a minute to go to tie the game and force the overtime in the first place.
In that game, Trace McSorely accounted for 335 passing yards and 73 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
That would become the game that everyone pretty much agrees that things changed for Penn State. It became part of the validation that the program was actually tracking upwards and that the work Franklin and his staff were putting in was going to bear fruit.
One of the first things I noticed about Trace was his decision making. Early in his career, the offensive line struggled as injuries and depth became an issue for the unit. However, Trace often successfully adapted by throwing the ball away rather than taking sacks, or making ill advised throws.
As the offense evolved over time, Trace then started making big plays down field with the help of other big time players and an increasingly talented and deep offensive line.
Signature wins against Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State would ensue, and a sense of being completely back and potentially competing for a National Championship became a real possibility.
This year, has been without a doubt a difficult year at times for the Nittany Lions, with close losses to Ohio State and Michigan State at home and a blowout loss on the road to Michigan. For the second year in a row, goals of playing for a National Championship were dashed in the middle of the year, allowing for finger-pointing and self-pity in a fan base that is as passionate as they come.
With lesser leadership, perhaps that would allow for a disappointing end to the year, one in which the team might not show up to defeat teams such as Wisconsin or Maryland.
Instead in both cases the team responded with great efforts, cementing a nine win season with the opportunity to win at least ten games for the third consecutive year. Instead the team responded to the leadership and came away looking like a team that absolutely has the talent and confidence to continue their climb back into the national conscience.
The two things that I like about Trace McSorley are his willingness to run, and his willingness to throw the ball deep.
Those are the plays that show a lack of cowardice, and a confidence in his teammates as well as himself. The risks are obvious, that deep throws are, by nature, a bit more prone to fall incomplete or intercepted than shorter throws. Scrambling runs open himself up to contact and injuries.
Yet McSorley routinely ran and threw and did everything he possibly could do to help his team win games. In his final contest in Beaver Stadium, McSorley did the same. Throwing for 230 yards and running another 64. The game wasn't close but his play style was exactly the same as the coach that recruited and trusted him against Minnesota two years ago.
Fearless.
There were many who felt Franklin had ruined Hackenberg's career and was going to ruin Penn State.
It seemed as though Penn State was at a bit of a crossroads, where our negativity about the future of the program, and specifically whether we could trust Franklin and his incoming choice for quarterback, a six foot, two hundred pound athlete that most other schools looked at as a potential safety.
Then in 2016, they lost to Pitt, they barely beat Temple, and they got throttled by Michigan, and it seemed like everyone wanted to blow it all up again. There were a lot of fans who were filled with doubt and filled with anger.
Trace McSorely and James Franklin were not among those people.
They preached a message of positive reinforcement, that things were going to get better and that they were doing everything they could to put a winning effort on the field.
If you are a Penn State fan you probably remember Saquon Barkley winning the Minnesota game with an overtime touchdown, but you might forget the entire team effort that brought the team back from an early ten point deficit, and then later again, push themselves with under a minute to go to tie the game and force the overtime in the first place.
In that game, Trace McSorely accounted for 335 passing yards and 73 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
That would become the game that everyone pretty much agrees that things changed for Penn State. It became part of the validation that the program was actually tracking upwards and that the work Franklin and his staff were putting in was going to bear fruit.
One of the first things I noticed about Trace was his decision making. Early in his career, the offensive line struggled as injuries and depth became an issue for the unit. However, Trace often successfully adapted by throwing the ball away rather than taking sacks, or making ill advised throws.
As the offense evolved over time, Trace then started making big plays down field with the help of other big time players and an increasingly talented and deep offensive line.
Signature wins against Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State would ensue, and a sense of being completely back and potentially competing for a National Championship became a real possibility.
This year, has been without a doubt a difficult year at times for the Nittany Lions, with close losses to Ohio State and Michigan State at home and a blowout loss on the road to Michigan. For the second year in a row, goals of playing for a National Championship were dashed in the middle of the year, allowing for finger-pointing and self-pity in a fan base that is as passionate as they come.
With lesser leadership, perhaps that would allow for a disappointing end to the year, one in which the team might not show up to defeat teams such as Wisconsin or Maryland.
Instead in both cases the team responded with great efforts, cementing a nine win season with the opportunity to win at least ten games for the third consecutive year. Instead the team responded to the leadership and came away looking like a team that absolutely has the talent and confidence to continue their climb back into the national conscience.
The two things that I like about Trace McSorley are his willingness to run, and his willingness to throw the ball deep.
Those are the plays that show a lack of cowardice, and a confidence in his teammates as well as himself. The risks are obvious, that deep throws are, by nature, a bit more prone to fall incomplete or intercepted than shorter throws. Scrambling runs open himself up to contact and injuries.
Yet McSorley routinely ran and threw and did everything he possibly could do to help his team win games. In his final contest in Beaver Stadium, McSorley did the same. Throwing for 230 yards and running another 64. The game wasn't close but his play style was exactly the same as the coach that recruited and trusted him against Minnesota two years ago.
Fearless.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Thank You, Stan Lee.
I clenched my hands, summoning energy from the sun, growing more and more powerful by the second. My enemies had me surrounded, but they didn't know that they were about to be engulfed in a huge storm of psionic energy that would tear them apart.
"I said...GET BACK!"
I throw my hands up to the sky, releasing a wave of solar gathered power all across my backyard, destroying the robots who had come to lock me up, for fear that I was not safe, and that my abilities needed to be suppressed.
Of course all of this was imagined; just a chance to go outside and pretend that I was one of the heroes I found in another Marvel comic book.
On Monday, Stan Lee, one of the greatest creative minds of the past 50 years passed away. Scrolling through social media as well as National Headlines, it becomes clear that the characters that he helped to create have left a colossal imprint on the psyche of America.
While in the DC universe Superman and Batman may be the most recognizable Super-Heroes of all-time, I fell in love with the creations of Spider-Man, The Hulk, and then finally the X-Men.
To me it was the X-Men cartoon that really made me fall in love with this fantasy universe. I had always enjoyed the idea of fantastical heroes, but something about the X-Men drew me in more than the rest, and I think that something was in how they were made.
I was different from most kids due to my relative size. I was bigger than most and that made me an outcast at times. I wanted to fit in, but on some level it always felt like someone would point out something that made me different, that made me not like the rest of the group.
I think that's why so many kids enjoyed those comics, that they always saw a little bit of themselves in the actual build of the characters. They also saw those characters then battle adversity and eventually succeed.
For most people who are left out of the mainstream, that was a big message. That even though some people may not like you because you're different, that doesn't stop you from doing the right thing and becoming successful at your own right.
Growing up can be hard at times, but I'll always have Stan Lee to thank for making my life a little easier.
"I said...GET BACK!"
I throw my hands up to the sky, releasing a wave of solar gathered power all across my backyard, destroying the robots who had come to lock me up, for fear that I was not safe, and that my abilities needed to be suppressed.
Of course all of this was imagined; just a chance to go outside and pretend that I was one of the heroes I found in another Marvel comic book.
On Monday, Stan Lee, one of the greatest creative minds of the past 50 years passed away. Scrolling through social media as well as National Headlines, it becomes clear that the characters that he helped to create have left a colossal imprint on the psyche of America.
While in the DC universe Superman and Batman may be the most recognizable Super-Heroes of all-time, I fell in love with the creations of Spider-Man, The Hulk, and then finally the X-Men.
To me it was the X-Men cartoon that really made me fall in love with this fantasy universe. I had always enjoyed the idea of fantastical heroes, but something about the X-Men drew me in more than the rest, and I think that something was in how they were made.
I was different from most kids due to my relative size. I was bigger than most and that made me an outcast at times. I wanted to fit in, but on some level it always felt like someone would point out something that made me different, that made me not like the rest of the group.
I think that's why so many kids enjoyed those comics, that they always saw a little bit of themselves in the actual build of the characters. They also saw those characters then battle adversity and eventually succeed.
For most people who are left out of the mainstream, that was a big message. That even though some people may not like you because you're different, that doesn't stop you from doing the right thing and becoming successful at your own right.
Growing up can be hard at times, but I'll always have Stan Lee to thank for making my life a little easier.
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