The Will Cain Show and America's White Supremacy Problem.

We need to address the very real violence in this country being carried out by fascists and white supremacists.

Right now, I assume that some people in this country think it's a joke.  That it's a bunch of hysterics being put up by people on the left and that there isn't actually a problem at all.

I know that the people of Charlottesville Virginia don't think it's a joke.  They watched as out in the open, white supremacists openly came together and killed a person protesting the occupation of the town.

The killing of two people on a train in Portland, Oregon where they were stabbed by a white nationalist after they defended two women who were the victims of an unconscionable verbal assault.

The people of Pittsburgh don't think it's a joke after a white supremacists attacked the Tree Of Life synagogue, murdering 11 innocent people out of pure hate.

The town of Gilroy California where a white supremacist killed three and injured 17 more.

The city of El Paso, where 22 people were killed, another 24 injured in the name of a white supremacist and far right conspiracy of a white genocide and replacement.   The exact same theory that inspired the Christchurch, New Zealand shooter who killed 51. 

Dylan Roof who took the lives of 9 praying southern Christians for no other reason than they were black, and to specifically spark a race war.

Now is the time for those well versed in what the far right and white nationalist are doing, to talk to the public about what is going on in our country.


However, instead, I got an ill-informed sports centric Texan giving his off the cuff opinion whether or not he thought those cadets were giving what has now become a sign for the white power movement and the trolling of others.

I assume Will Cain probably isn't aware of the long history of the far right recruiting racist sympathizers in the military going as far back as the civil war.  He probably doesn't know about George Lincoln Rockwell, who founded the American Nazi party, Louis Beam a member of the KKK who advocated leaderless resistance, but he might know a little bit about some guy named Timothy McVeigh.

I assume Will Cain has still done absolutely zero work in researching and understanding hate and extremism in America.  Because why would he want to?  This kind of thing is very depressing, it would be better to pretend it was never there and we can all go back to just like football.

Hell he's there to talk about sports.  He shouldn't even have to.

But then, sports and the world of far right extremism collided in the Army-Navy game.  And Will had to go and talk about it. 

Because Will's role on ESPN it seems is to play the conservative pundit at the network, the general tenor of his show is that where he bemoans the politics and culture getting in the way of sports and enjoyment of the game (even though he is the one that constantly brings up the material.)  I assume he does this appeal to approximately half the country.  It's no different than what Fox News does.  Give the base it's red meat.

However, in this particular exchange, Will Cain steps way out of his depth.  And while I can gather that someone at the show had the good sense to at least tell Will that maybe he shouldn't go so deep into this pool, Will instead says that there is a 2% chance that those cadets had any clue about the high-jacked hand sign.

This is dangerous because it completely misses the points of evidence that the military has had a problem with white extremism, and it's had it for a while.  He essentially tells his thousands of listeners that the military doesn't have an extremist problem, that white nationalism isn't a problem in America and that this is just some PC culture nonsense.

This bothers me.

This bothers me because people die to White Nationalism and extremists in this country. 

Black people are targets. 

Hispanics are targets. 

Jews are targets. 

LBGTQ are targets. 

Anyone perceived to be allied with them are targets.

This past October, Christopher Paul Hasson pleaded guilty to charges stemming from domestic terrorism.  He is a White Nationalist and Neo-Nazi.  He is also a veteran of the military, in this having served with Marines, the Army, and the Coast Guard.  He also believes in the white genocide conspiracy.

Right now, as I'm typing this, there is incredible evidence that Stephen Miller, the person that designed a system to rip apart families at the border as they ask to become citizens is also a believer of the white genocide conspiracy theory.

I understand for some people, maybe white nationalism and terrorism isn't scary.  That they know they're safe.  But for so many others, that have lived through lives of persecution, the idea of hate gaining traction once again is a serious one. 

So I come back to Will Cain.  Like I said, he likely has no earthly idea of the ideology of hate and it has worked in America.  He is like most white christian male figures, blissfully unaware of the connections between our military and hate groups such as Nazi's and the KKK.

We need to become more aware.  We need to understand that the white supremacists have existed within our military, withing out communities and within our leadership structure and it needs to be addressed by people who understand it and have researched the issues.

Yet Another Case For An Eight Team Playoff. The Story That Will Continue Until The Demands Are Met.

There is no reason for either Ohio State or LSU to play any starters or their starting QB next week.  It simply isn't worth it.

And that is why the four team playoff system needs to be improved to an eight team model.

Think about LSU and Ohio State, who right now are thought of as beyond reproach. 

With all due respect to the defending undefeated champs at Clemson, even though I think they're capable to repeat, right now I would think both the Buckeyes and the Bayou Bengals would be considered bigger favorites.  If they lost a game they can reasonably say, "Look at our resume. You already know how good we are; we have already been undefeated to this point, and would you seriously leave us out for losing the championship game?"

If Georgia blows out LSU, or wins a contested game, does anyone seriously think LSU wouldn't still make the playoffs?

If Ohio State loses in a revenge game against Wisconsin, wouldn't most voters STILL put the Buckeyes in as having one of the most historically dominant regular seasons in modern history?

There is nothing for those schools to gain by playing their talent and risking injury.  They have essentially locked up those two spots.

Which then goes to my next question. So long as Georgia wins, what's to stop voters from saying "Yeah, they won by essentially a forfeit by the opponent, but they only have one loss, and they were already ranked as the 4th team, so nothing really changed."

Let's say just for the sake of argument you get this Armageddon scenario.

Ohio State 34
Wisconsin 35

Georgia 31
LSU 27

Baylor 27
Oklahoma 24

Virginia 30
Clemson 21

Oregon 49
Utah 45

Now please, tell me the final four you think would be picked?

I got LSU, Ohio State, Baylor, and Georgia. (You might be able to sub Clemson into the Baylor/Georgia spot depending on how the games played out.  You can also swap this scenario if Oklahoma beats Baylor instead.)

What you will never be able to do is shake the already proven resumes of LSU and OSU.  From offensive and defensive statistical marks to wins over quality opponents, they have played from start to finish the best football of the season, and it's not really all that close.


Does anyone realistically think Ohio State and LSU aren't still playing in either the Peach or the Fiesta Bowls?  I don't.

Now let's say some teams decided to rest starters instead, and the margins become a bit more pronounced.

Ohio State 21
Wisconsin 41

Georgia 56
LSU 17

But now the other games are blow outs, in the OPPOSITE direction, meaning big chalk.

Baylor 15
Oklahoma 42

Clemson 38
Virginia 10

Utah 56
Oregon 21

To me, I still think OSU and LSU were the best two teams all year.  Do I really care about one more game they call a "championship?"  In the past they haven't.  Past playoff participants have been looked over such as Ohio State and Penn State. 

Why should this be any different?

Honestly the ONLY scenario I can see the LSU or Ohio State not making the playoff is IF their best players get hurt during the game forever altering their team AND they get blown out.  That's about it.



The eight team playoff has been suggested before, and without fail, it seemingly keeps falling on deaf ears. Imagine we had that 8 team playoff and for the first round you can have a home field advantage.  That's right, it won't be on a "neutral field" but at somebody's backyard.  The next round could be bowl games.

Now should the "nightmare" scenario unfold, the scene might look something like this.

(Imagine a bracket.)

1. Clemson
8. Memphis (The highest ranked from the "Group of Five") (In Clemson)

4. Wisconsin
5. Georgia (Georgia would have to come visit the Big Ten Champions in Wisconsin, likely in December.)

2. Oklahoma
7. Ohio State 

3. Utah
6. LSU

I love this potential scenario as it would reward champions, without disallowing for a heck of a season by a LSU or Ohio State.  It would incentivize a hard fought championship game, as a home field would be a huge motivating factor.

I am not looking forward to this Saturday's games, as I'm not anticipating the final outcomes to matter much in terms of actually affecting the playoff race.

Better For The Struggle

I remember the beginning of this season. 

It started so perfectly.  It was warm and sunny, the greens and blues looking so vibrant you thought you were walking through a heightened version of reality. 

We started the season with a boom.  A drubbing of Idaho where it seemed like every single move the team made was the right one. 

The team came out to a thunderous ovation and played like the game against this smaller program mattered to them.  That it was important to do all the little things right on a glorious afternoon and show just how good and talented this team was.

I happened to be on the sideline, using my letterman's pass when Justin Shorter caught his first pass of the young season for a first down.  The first thought that struck me was that the guy looked every bit of 6'5" and could run like a gazelle.  He seemed like an ideal future target for the new starting quarterback to work with.  One of the people working sound for the broadcast commented how unfair it looked to have someone that big run that fast. 

The sideline felt alive, like something about this team was just different.  The electricity of youth, and the fun and enjoyment of the game was palpable.  Players smiling, enjoying themselves, believing and trusting each other.  It looked like the future wasn't around the corner.  The future was right here and right now.

Over the coming months, I was able to watch every single home game in person, and most of every away game on a television.  (There was a beautiful wedding I attended that briefly broke up the streak until we could find a streaming service during cocktail hour.)

The night-time event against Buffalo where the team was down at half-time, and they came from behind and blew them out. 

The Pitt game, where it rained to start and came with a bit of a delay, ended with a satisfying win that closed the door on another chapter of an instate series. 

Then came the domination of Maryland and Purdue.

The hard fought win in an incredible and hostile environment against Iowa.

The insanity of the White-Out against a very strong Michigan team. 

The growth displayed against Michigan State in a cold and wet game that showed the toughness and resiliency of a young group that was continuing to play one game at a time.

Even after the disappointment following a tough loss in Minnesota and a hard earned a win against Indiana, I found myself happy and cheering the successes rather than wallowing in anger about the failures.

Through it all, this has been one of my favorite seasons to watch of Penn State football. 

I love the passion and tenacity of this team.  Game in and game out, I have seen a group of people that absolutely care about the product they put out on the field.  I see a group of people that play for each other and trust each other.  I see the team that I want to cheer for.

That is not to say this team is all love and no physicality.  This is a team that I've had a lot of pleasure watching become physically dominant.  Football is a game that is essentially controlled and choreographed violence, coming together in a competitive fashion.  To be good at the game, a certain level of physical prowess and mentality of finishing are extremely important.

The offensive line is finishing blocks.  The defense pushing would-be blockers into the backfield.  Running backs finishing by falling forward and with authority.  Receivers and tight ends high-pointing balls and making plays after the catch.  In this regard I feel Penn State has made large strides forward overall. 

I want to acknowledge that it hasn't been all roses. Obviously there have been difficulties along the way.  It is fair to have some criticisms.  There have been times that are obviously frustrating. 

We are better for those struggles.

This Saturday Penn State will get an opportunity to play what many believe to be either the best or second best team in the country.  Perhaps they are.  But in any event, we will get an opportunity to play against that team and see how our brand, our style, and our players will compare.

Embrace that moment and enjoy it!  After all, that's the whole purpose of the season from a player's perspective.  To challenge yourself week in and week out to perform your best against the best teams in the country.  It is a game, and if you didn't have fun, what was the point? 

I am writing this article to try and share my own excitement.  My own optimism.  I want other fans to watch this game from the vantage point not of trepidation or pessimism, but one of thankfulness that we get to watch some incredible young people doing incredible things.

Why We Cheer.

I watched with a heavy heart as Penn State's undefeated season ended un-miraculously in Minnesota. 

I watched in a living room with some friends, munching on your traditional pizza and wing affair with some chips/salsa and beverage accompaniments.  People were mad. 

By the end, if you read your news feeds through social media, it seemed apparent that the same fans that had been cheering so loudly just a few days earlier, were questioning the entire direction of the team.

The frustration came quickly.  Seemingly, within the first five minutes we were watching Penn State give up touchdowns, and more shocking, it seemed relatively easy.  As though Penn State didn't realize just how good their opponent was.  In fact, I think the team's reaction may have resembled the collective fan base. 

That fan base, which absolutely includes myself, had started to really come around to thinking that this team had a real chance at being something special, about being a potential National Championship team.  They had gotten through the three game stretch that was expected to trip them up.  Now coming off of a seemingly perfectly timed bye week they would go up against an undefeated Minnesota team, and at least from the fans perspective, show them who was boss and move on to the next week.

But that didn't happen.

To put it bluntly, from what I saw, we were simply outplayed.  Everyone and everything played at least some factor.  Whether it be from a defensive point of view, an offensive point of view, special teams, coaching and things that were under their control, I don't think anyone can be satisfied with what happened Saturday.  They shouldn't be.

However that just means it's another chance to get better.  It's time to practice with more focus, with more intention.  Keep doing the little things, and do them well.

Don't give up and wait until next year, because there is a whole lot more to this team than that. 

While Minnesota may have ended the possibility of an undefeated season, it does not mean the end of the season entirely.

Each year is its own entity; its own story and characters.  This year is no different, and as this year's tale of the football team continues, I'll be looking forward to the growth of the team.  There are still so many tests to come.  How will the team respond the very next week?  How will they respond the week after that? How will this particular group of young people, grow up right in front of our eyes? 

Right now as I write this, late on a Tuesday evening, for the players, they need to have already moved on.  But it's important I think for the fans to move on as well.


This is a new opportunity. It's another chance to join up with our family home here in Happy Valley.  To cheer the kids and the coaches who represent the best values of Penn State athletics. 

Excellence in the classroom. 

Being involved in the community. 

Being great at a sport and competing for championships.

That is what Penn State athletics is all about, and that hasn't changed.  It has, by all accounts, been overwhelmingly embraced by every staff member and every athlete.

That's the reason I cheer for them.

We don't cheer them because they're winning or losing. 

We cheer them because of how they play the game.  We cheer them because they play hard.

We cheer them because they play with class (and are disciplined when they don't).

We cheer because they're just as likely to help an opponent up as they are a teammate. 

We cheer because they care about the culture and the people they represent at Penn State.

We cheer because they remind us of the best of us.

9 Good Songs by Bands You (probably) Never Heard Of.

Just some songs I've been listening to on my Spotify's Discover Weekly.  These were the songs that stood out to me.  I hope you enjoy them in the same spirit as I did.  If not, sorry.  Just listen to more Lizzo (Who I also love). 


1.  Telepathy-Doom Flamingo

First time ever hearing the band, and I gotta say I dig their style, with this song.  It's a cruising Miami synth rock jam covered with beautiful vocals.  If you don't feel like your in an 80's action movie, then you're listening to it wrong. 

2. Surf Style-New Beat Fund

Some elements of ska, reggae, hip hop, combine to a chill after hours beach scene song.  A kinda of abrasive start is followed by smooth flowing, cannibus inducing odyssey.  You can hear the weed in the background.  Nothing crazy but not a bad song to play on vacation and your enjoying some vice.

3. Lonely-Joe Hertler and The Rainbow Seekers

Really enjoyed the groove on this.  It has a sort of "Dancing in the Street" sound to it that harkens to some disco and soul roots.  Some elements of funk and rock as well.  For some reason, I just picture some guy with long hair and bell bottoms singing this out.  The real thing isn't much different as I googled the group up.  Definitely a song that'll make you want to dance at a party.

4.  Do Me Like That-Penguin Prison

I've actually have heard of Penguin Prison before.  When I started listening on Spotify one of the first recommended songs was "Don't Fuck With My Money" which I thought was just too damn hooky to pass up.  Do Me Like That fills that same young alt pop vibe similar to Smallpools, Passion Pit and Walk The Moon.

5.  Hearts Out-Sun Parade

This track starts out so slow that I almost skipped it entirely, as I had a bad streak with a bunch of misses that I wanted to like that just didn't fit for me, including one with the song title of "Pennsylvania" that I wanted to put in this just because of the title.  What starts out as one of the simplistic melodic songs with an enchanting refrain, continues to roll along at an increasing break neck speed to a cataclysmic ending. 

6. Summertime-Becca VanDerbeck, Matt Heath, Noel Goff

Just a feel good tune to play for summer.  Really enjoyed the chorus that is so simplistic, but when heard, can't help but bring a bit of optimism to your day.

Drifting through the days without a care in our mind
Leaving all our worries and our troubles behind
Doing what we please without a reason or rhyme
Thank God for the memories and the summer time
7.  Fantasy-Eternity Forever, Ben RosettOk, this song almost didn't make it because the vocals really through me off at first listen, I just didn't think it worked with the stunning quality of the guitar work.  However on a second and third listen, it just kept standing out.  As the tempo pushes through the middle and end of the track it becomes more enjoyable.

8. Salt (Nlmg)- Ben Hon, Daniel Loumpouridis

A bit of a haunting song that slyly hints at lust and love.  There's a sense of danger with the tone, but it still keeps a soft enough side that it blends into something altogether unique.  I really enjoyed the imagery in the lyrics the come through brightly in a few sections. 

9.  You''ll Never Work In This Town Again- BirdgangsSomething that rocks a little harder.  This week was light on the rock scene, so I was happy to find something that went a little deeper and felt a bit bluesier.  Felt like something that could have been made by The Black Keys or Jack White.

Why I Support Bernie Sanders.

To me the problem starts with ourselves.

We need to believe in ourselves and in each other and the greed of the billionaire class needs to end with it.

When a system rewards people to the extent that is has enabled them to become wealthier than the average American to the extent that an extremely small group holds the majority of the wealth.   It is morally wrong.  One person has never EVER been worth that much more than their fellow citizens right to food, to health care and education.  It is absurd that we allow for such vast sums of wealth to be be amassed by the very few at the expense of the many and the poor. 

The world can be a harsh world, but in America, I was taught they we take care of one another, and the sins of our terrible past can only be healed by kindness to those that we don't even know.  If there is a strand of unity to what is happening right now in this country it is that the system is wrong and we need substantial reform now.  The will of the people is not being heard, and even worse, it is being distorted to the benefit of the billionaire class. 

This manifests itself in a number of ways, but lets just start with healthcare.  Right now in this Country, healthcare is more expensive than anywhere else in the world.  What do we have to show for it?  Pretty much nothing.  Our patients don't heal any faster, they aren't admitted or discharged at a better rate.  In essence right now, the biggest drain on America is how the private sector has exploited healthcare to the detriment of the population at large.

Right now the US does not require paid employee maternity leave.  This is in contrast to EVERY other country in the developed world.  While it may suggest a slight cost to a bottom line (or really, the exorbitantly wealthy) in the short term, it is to the benefit of the people and the state to have substantial paid maternity leave.

When a handful of people have so much money they treat 1 million dollars the same way the average American treats a single dollar, then we have a problem with income inequality so drastic that it literally creeps it's way into everything else.  Almost every single problem we have stems from this inequality.  I believe at this stage of our existence, health care is a human right.  It is shameful that we have exploited people's desire to be healthy and live for profit.

We need to address climate change in a real and meaningful way.  It is clearly NOT a hoax, a term usually reserved for UFOs and mythical monsters.  The rising sea levels and temperatures are already leading to migration and environmental issues on a huge scale.  I believe it would be foolish to not prepare and do more to help prevent or at the very least mitigate what looks like the crisis of the next 30 years.

We need to fund and change our education system and incentivize more people to become teachers and compensate them as the professionals they are. In the classroom we need to value creativity and the arts, data and statistical analysis based math curriculum's and have programs to keep kids involved after school.

We need to look at how the abuse of free social media platforms have transformed our political process and the difficulty in discerning what is true and real.  Right now it is easy to buy targeted ads and spread disinformation for the right price.  If a politician, a Super PAC, or a foreign government wanted to buy false advertising and target those that would be most susceptible, they can.  That is a deadly recipe for a democracy.

We need to expunge criminal drug records and fully legalize and regulate cannabis as soon as possible.  It is no more harmful than the effects from tobacco and alcohol, both of which I believe can be harmful to youths, but can also be responsibly enjoyed by adults who choose to take on the health consequences.  Further, it introduces a new industry into the marketplace providing jobs and opportunities to citizens.

I think we need to rethink how our democracy works in general reforming the very structure that results and terrible tribalism and partisanship.  I believe we exist in a duopoly that has stifled the real will of its citizens and that both the democratic and republican parties should be broken up.

I support reasonable gun control laws.  I support a woman's right to choose.  I support police reform.

I believe that radicalization of people of all ways of thinking is a deadly serious problem and that we need to do more to thwart efforts of white supremacists and nationalists who are causing the spread of hate and violence.

I'm not crazy.

I think change should be gradual, thought about and implemented prudently.

If you were to ask me what candidate best represents your world view and what you hope would be the best version of a future for America, it is still one Bernie Sanders.

I don't really care for the party politics, I think they divide us more than anything else.  I try to think about the real problems of the world and what is the best way to solve them.  Others can disagree, and perhaps I'm wrong about certain things.

To me, I believe Bernie cares more about the working class than any other candidate in memory, including Obama.  That he isn't working for corporations, special interests, or to enrich himself.  He honestly wants the best for all of humanity.


To me, that means he gets my vote.

Critiquing Without Attacking.

After defeating Michigan, I was in a bit of a euphoric state, and while others were left thinking about the mistakes, I was happy with the end result and looked forward to what I'm sure will be another tough week.  It felt good, but for sure there were plenty of moments where we didn't execute well enough to win. 

For some fans, they were extremely critical, one going so far as to say we won in spite of Franklin.

And that's something I'd like to take just a quick second to remind us (myself included) just how hard this really is.

Penn State is in the midst of what could very well be a special season resulting in our first playoff birth (Michigan State).  As the eyes start to look to who will remain undefeated (Michigan State), and who can play spoilers (Michigan State), Penn State is the realistic underdog to start taking the reigns in the college football world. 

We are really just looking at them as players and not as real people with real lives outside of the game.

Those kids that just delivered an electric experience to a whole bunch of people are in class today, in meetings today, going through practice today, studying tonight and probably taking some tests and writing some papers as well. 

They are being asked to keep with a great tradition of people who are able to balance both major collegiate athletics with major collegiate academics.

One of the lessons I've learned both from coaches and professors alike is the importance of being consistent.  Trying to be great the day after you pass that first big test.  It's not enough just to pass, but something you should try to achieve again on the very next test and the next.  The test, in some ways, is in being consistent, and that can be applied to nearly everything in life as a model of self-improvement.

Over the past few weeks I've seen some commentary in newspapers, message boards, and social media from some fans that level their critiques of the team in an extremely personal and negative way.  I find it to be pretty divisive language and not something that I would endorse to help make us better as a team or a community.

To me, it does no good to be critical of a coach or kid at a personal level.   They are people, and from what I can tell, they are good people trying their best to represent themselves, their families, their coaches in the best possible light.  They have embraced a positive culture in which they can combine many forms of competition to bring out the best in themselves and each other. 

If you have a critique about something specific in a game, think about how you would talk about it as if you knew them personally and wanted them to get better. 

If you thought the line didn't get off blocks as well as you'd hoped, or they called more pass plays then you would have, that's fine, but to use hyperbole to express complete outrage does a disservice to the greater aspect of what is happening with Penn State football.  Instead, just rationally explain that you wished the team ran the ball better, and maybe stuck to more run plays in the late second to third.

A simple criticism doesn't have to involve animosity or sarcasm. 

While on the topic, I think it's important to realize that two guys, who should absolutely go down as legends here for their time, both bought into Franklin's system.  We can't lionize those guys and not also give credit to Franklin for finding them, as well as a TON of others, and convincing them that Penn State was right for them.

At 7-0, the team will rightfully be considered as one of the top programs in the country.  Whether or not they stay there will be up to them and their opponents.  And that begins today, trying to do the little things to make them ready to pass the very next test.  (Michigan State).