My Superhero

It was the Summer of 1996.  I was entering the seventh grade and beginning to form a sense of identity about myself as an athlete.

I was bigger and faster than most kids in my grade, or at least I thought I was.  I'm sure there were guys that were taller or stronger.  I'm sure there might be some that were faster.  At seventh grade, I was already roughly 6' tall and 200 lbs.  I could dunk a volleyball and felt I could hold my own with any kind of foot race.


I was a bigger football fan than I was a basketball fan.  I loved the gladiator-ness of football with the helmets, the hitting and tackling.  I found the idea of raw physicality, speed, and agility intriguing, especially since it seemed that my body was hurtling towards a larger than average body and frame that might make for a good player.  I honestly thought I could be one of those people.

However, the first opportunity to "prove" this for me would be in 7th grade basketball where, for the first time, cuts could be made, and there would be a chance that I may not get to participate in a sport that I had fallen more and more in love with.

Until this point my favorite NBA player had been Shawn Kemp. While he was on the Sonics, and I watched him play, I saw a specimen of an explosive athlete that was exciting in the way that he played. I wanted to do the things that he did, play above the rim and handle the ball with skill and flair.  I honestly think if Kemp had been able to control his urges better, he might have been a LeBron type player before LeBron.

Then Kemp got traded to Cleveland, got rather rotund and decidedly less explosive, and I was without a real rooting interest in the NBA.

And THIS is when I would be introduced to Kobe Bryant.

My parents had just gotten DirecTV, and the internet would come soon after.  We got a monthly physical TV guide book (they had those in '96), and Kobe made the cover, with the headline "Michael wasn't this good at 18."

You see, I was one of those kids that did NOT love Michael Jordan.

For my entire life, I had been told by the media of the time, friends, and seemingly every adult, that Michael Jordan was the best basketball player of all-time and perhaps the greatest athlete of all-time.  For years I was told just the idea that another player could ever be as great as him was unfathomable. 

I had a problem with these assumptions.  It made it seem like Jordan was so far beyond everyone else that they didn't matter in a team sport, and that it diminished everything anyone else did.

I had a problem with them because it completely discounted the possibility of a future where someone else could do things as well as the past, so why bother trying?

I loved the players that dared to try and be the next great thing.  The players that wanted to catch the ghosts of the greatest players of all time.

And no one exemplified that to me more than Kobe Bryant.

Now, I was already a voracious reader, devouring books, periodicals, comics, whatever contained an interesting story.  But now I was entranced by the real life story of a prodigy that came into the NBA from my home state and had a chance to become something incredibly special.

I read everything I could on his life in newspapers or Sports Illustrated, or ESPN the magazine.  I read the beat reports from the L.A. Times, the Sacramento Bee and the Dallas Morning News.  I watched his highlights anytime I could find some time on the internet. 

I read stories of his upbringing in Italy, his high scores on the SAT that would enable him to attend any University on his intelligence alone.  His maturity for a high school kid was mentioned by everyone, as was his almost supernatural confidence in himself and his future.

There was just something about the way he played the game that made you feel like you were watching something truly incredible.  Here was a kid, dominating against guys that were much older, but didn't back down.  More than that, it felt like everyone knew he was just getting started.  His blend of size, quickness, skill, and intelligence that he already had at 18 seemed like he would be destined to become one of the greats.

When I watched Kobe, I felt like I was watching a myth of a person become reality.  The skill, athleticism, work ethic.  It was a story of a legend.

As his career started and my life continued, I'll always remember where I was when certain things happened.

When he experienced all of his highs and lows, I was often experiencing my own.

When Kobe came in the league in 1996 he won the dunk contest.  I made and started on my seventh grade team.

In the summer of 2000, Kobe would win his first Championship.  I would start as a junior for my high school's varsity football team.

In 2002, The Lakers completed their three peat.  I would become a walk-on at Penn State football.

Oddly enough, even the struggles of Kobe mirror my own.

When Kobe was charged with sexual assault, I went through my first real encounter with disappointment when I felt I had to leave the Penn State football program to focus more on my studies and to give up on the dream of football being a real avenue for myself.

When Shaquille O'Neal was traded, and Kobe found himself trying to figure out his game without Shaq, I found myself struggling to form my identity without football. 

When Kobe found himself again in 2008, I had done the same.  Finding a job that I loved with a group of people I genuinely enjoyed working with.

In his final game as only he could, he gave everyone what they wanted one last time in a 60 point out of time performance.  It seemed to sum up everything about him in one night.  Two months later, I would be married to my loving wife.

To me, Kobe is personal.  And I've put off writing about him because he's so personal to me.  He was my hero since age twelve, when a young boy is allowed to have them.  I don't think my writing can ever do the justice he deserved when it comes to specifically inspiring me.  How his existence allowed me to dream through him.  How he allowed me to imagine the impossible through him.

I cried for the first time about two hours after hearing the news, just like I'm crying now as I write this.  It was the kind of tears that just can't stop and be held back even though you know it changes nothing.  They come no matter how hard you try to tell yourself,  "No."

But eventually, those tears subside, and you begin to think about all the good you have in your life that was brought before those tears started, and all the things that can happen in the future.

Right now, I think about the basketball program in my backyard, so to speak.   Penn State men's basketball program is going through something that I think is pretty special.  It is a team that, now, many think has a chance of advancing in the NCAA tournament.  It is led by senior Lamar Stevens, who hails from Philadelphia and also idolized Bryant and no doubt has his own unique Kobe stories.

I like to think that right now, if Kobe were to pick a team that exemplified him, he would pick this Penn State squad.  A squad that was talented, but still worked hard.  A team that might have failed before, but has learned from those failures.  A team that might be flawed, but might still be every bit a champion.

I will miss him, but I will not stop loving the positive things he brought to me and other people.

Loss And Opportunity. How Penn State Men's Basketball Can Get Back On Track

I went to the game with my wife and family this past Saturday, and was extremely excited to watch the game and cheer on the team.  As we settled into our seats, there was a definite air of optimism in the crowd that perhaps belied the level of intensity that would be required to win.

The energy from both the crowd and the participants started at a relatively low level.  It felt as though the crowd wanted to enjoy this game mostly from their seats, get a win, and move along with their afternoons.  Perhaps get home in time for the NFL or a gathering with friends or family for dinner. 

Then the missed shots began to happen.

Neither team was able to score for what felt like a near comical amount of time which was made even more awkward with the fans standing for the first 5 minutes for the "Stand for D" promotion.

From there, I don't think it serves much to go in depth with the obvious criticisms of what happened.

Missed shots, poor execution, a lack of energy at times. 

I don't know exactly what happened, but put simply, it was a bad game.

However, that will not deter me from continuing to support the team in a positive manner.  They are not even close to a finished product. 

Right now, the regular season for the team is just past the half way point.  They have all their goals ahead of them.

And believe it or not, they remind me exactly of where the football program was not so long ago.

After the football team lost big to Michigan in 2016, all the talk about Penn State was, this was going to be the same old Penn State program that we'd seen for the past two or three years.

From there, that particular team took on the challenge and got better during season and went on to win the Big Ten championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

On Wednesday the men's basketball team will travel to Minnesota with the opportunity to get a road win against a tough squad that just upset a highly regarded Michigan team.

After that, a huge home game against Ohio State, which will also more than likely, have a very large home crowd.

Starting this week, I expect to see a big push by the team to become the program of Penn State's future.  They'll show that they are willing to work extremely hard to be the best team they can possibly be and get a chance to play (and win) against the country's very best come March in an expected NCAA birth.

I know that some Penn State basketball fans have had this mentality for years, that the team will NEVER compete at the highest levels.  That while we might have a guy or two who may make it to the NBA, we can't recruit or develop talent like other programs.

It is time to change that narrative.

This coming week, I hope Penn State fans cheer them on for a road win on Wednesday, followed by creating the best home atmosphere for a basketball team that we've ever seen on Saturday.

The time is right to keep pushing our good habits and keep encouraging our movements along the path of success.  We cannot become bogged down by momentary failures and instead must trust in one another to support and improve every day.

Penn State is still climbing, and while it may have taken a short break at the middle rung, I'm sure that we are doing everything possible to take that next step.

We Are...Family

It started perfectly on a Blue White weekend for me. 

In that moment I felt free for the first time in years.

My First "Free" Family Gathering

For the past 13 plus years, I had given everything I could to the hospitality industry after graduating from Penn State.  For those that are unfamiliar, this required the sacrifice of weekend days and nights to satisfy the demands of the industry. 

I loved it, as for the most part, I was welcomed in with incredible open arms, and found I enjoyed bringing smiles to people's faces with simple conversation and a drink or food recommendation. 

I had worked my way up from the bottom to the top.  Starting as a doorman at a bar, to being a manager at two different restaurants, it had been a fun ride for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed the great majority of my time within the industry.

I wasn't perfect, but I feel that I made a positive impact in other people that I worked with.  I wanted to make my environment the best possible place that I could, and I believe that for a long period of time, I achieved that.

However, the demands of the late night and event weekends began to become a thing that would weigh on me, and the opportunity to do something different called. 

So I left the hospitality portion of the food and service industry. 

I took a position within Penn State that I'm incredibly happy with, working for a great nutritional study program that is looking to understand the health benefits of various foods.  The work is detail attentive, with a clean and relaxed environment.  I find it enjoyable and it allows me to pursue my other passions, my writing, and time with my family.

For the first time in 13 years, my work schedule would follow a Monday through Friday schedule, with weekends and holidays guaranteed off.

13 years with almost zero weekends is a long time.

13 years of declining tailgates and games due to work is a long time.

So to me, 2019 was special.

And that's what I want to write about today.  How the story of the 2019 Penn State football season has become a metaphor for the power of family, and that the traditions and decisions we make every single day add up to what we experience later.

And for me it began in mid April, during the Blue-White game.

It was roughly 66°, and seemingly warming up as a bright sun enraptured the valley.  I was relaxing with a Champs Bloody Mary and some Middleswarth BBQ chips, taking the moment in.  I felt free.  I had no responsibilities other than to spend time with family and enjoy a football game.  Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the sun seemed to last late into the afternoon.

While attending this event, I went to get a poster signed by the lineman, tight ends, as well as the wide receiver group for a friend of mine.  While in line, I talked to the strangers around me about their experiences as Penn State fans; about what it was like for them; who they cheered for and why.  Eventually I felt obligated to share my own experience as a former walk-on and told my stories about Joe, the bowl trip, and about nearly passing out from hyper-ventilating before running out of the tunnel for the very first time in full-pads. 

As we shared our experiences, I noticed the smiles. Not only was everyone in line smiling, but I was beaming as well.  It seemed as if life outside of this moment and all the stresses that are out there in the world, stopped, just for a moment, as we came together to talk about Penn State football.

I didn't want to let it go. 

I don't think anyone did.

I tried to take that energy that I felt on that day and just keep applying it, day in and day out.

This summer, I got back into routines of running, playing softball, writing and spending time with family and friends whenever I got the opportunity.

I wanted to just continue taking advantage and living in the moment.

As the opener against Idaho approached, I was in about a positive a place as I could be in recent memory.

Due to my status as a former Letterman on the football team, I am afforded a sideline pass to all home games, an incredibly thoughtful gesture by James Franklin and the athletic department to make former players feel extremely welcome to come back home.

To then witness as complete a domination of a team as I've seen from Penn State against ANY team, was incredible.  It was a full game, from starters to 3rd and 4th strings that played with a sense of passion, urgency, and fun that made them instantly likeable. 

From there, the season would continue and generally trend up.  In fact the season got better as the team continued to win in both close games requiring grit, as well as a few games where they were able to impose their will.

After an absolutely electric "White Out" event in Beaver Stadium helped to showcase a team playing its best on a big stage against a big time team, there may not have been a better high as a fan.  To experience it on the ground level, was something I'll never forget. 

But I'll also never forget that my sister and her husband came by our tailgate.  Celebrating with friends and family on birthdays or their first games.  The delicious hot soup as the October air became cold.  Cupcakes with blue and white paw prints, the group of undergrads doing shots of fireball and inviting the alumni to join. 

Or vice versa.

The team was undefeated, talented, pretty healthy, and seemingly improving game by game. 

Then the Minnesota game happened, and I don't need to rehash my thoughts on that.

A difficult win against Indiana, a hard fought, but seemingly inevitable loss to Ohio State, a lackluster in appearance victory against Rutgers. 

Then we got the news that instead of the Rose Bowl, or a trip to Florida to play an Alabama or Auburn team, Penn State drew the card of a NY6 kick-off game in the Cotton Bowl against an automatic qualifier in Memphis, who was the highest ranked and rated team in the "Group of Five" conferences.

Family Was An Important Factor In Enjoying Cold Weather Games

It had the makings of what could be a letdown in a lose, lose scenario.  Penn State would not get the opportunity to play another Power 5 opponent, and worse, by playing a highly competitive Memphis as a favorite meant that if they didn't make a good impression, then this entire season might be seen as underwhelming and even a disappointment.

But I didn't think about that as I watched the game on December 28th.  I thought about how much joy I had watching those games with my family and friends.  How on game days it brought the Penn State community together like nothing else. 




Over Christmas break, Penn State football, and the aspect of family would take shape in no better example than during my own Christmas Day adventure.

My wife and I were staying with my in-laws in Elmira, New York and I got up and started going through the morning routine.  Breakfast, small talk, phone scrolling, etc.  Then they went ahead to go to a church service.  I elected to stay behind and keep an eye on the dog, get a work-out in, and relax in my own way.  Perhaps I would get some writing done.

The workout went fine enough, and I was feeling pretty good about everything so far.  I showered, threw on some velvety soft fleece football pajama pants and a t-shirt.  I made my way to the door to get just a moment of fresh-air, shutting the door behind me to ensure that the small golden doodle I was entrusted with didn't flee.

And after that delightful inhale of 49° Christmas air, I turned to find that the door I had just stepped out of had locked behind me.

In my haste to get outside and take a moment of reflection, I had accidentally put my barefoot, jacket-less, still slightly damp-from-a-recent-shower self in a precarious position.  I was now alone, with only my cell phone as a way to contact anyone. 

After spending a few minutes attempting to text my wife and in-laws, I finally decided that my choosing to stay locked outside while within short walking distance to a neighbors house was a bit foolish, even though I was slightly unfamiliar with who the neighbors were exactly.

I made my gamble specifically thinking that since it was Christmas, who would seriously turn away a barefooted, clearly unprepared and under dressed man on such a big holiday? So I chopped my feet quickly down the steeply sloped and slightly frozen driveway and went to the neighbor across the street.

A young girl answered the door before I could knock, as the family had seen me running down towards their house and had worried that a more severe accident might have occurred.  Now while I recognized the girl, or thought I did, I wasn't absolutely sure.  I thought her name was Sydney, and she also helped let the dog out when my in-laws were gone.  However, due to my anxious state, and being cold, and in a kind of different environment I wasn't "sure, sure" and played it off until I heard someone else say her name again. 

At any rate, after explaining my predicament, the family welcomed me in with open arms, offering me some food and beverage while I waited. I took them up on some coffee.

Now whether it was the coffee, the sugar, or the Christmas air I don't know, but for whatever reason, we all just got to talking, and one of the topics that came up due to my pajamas was Penn State football.

My New Family For 30 Minutes.

I talked about how this year meant so much to me, because I could spend it with the friends and family.  It's a mutual interest in the culture of Penn State academics and athletics that people enjoy so much, and that just talking about an incredible positive year can evoke such warm feelings. 

I talked about how much I love to write these exact kinds of stories, using sports as powerful real life metaphors for the enjoyment of life.  That sports can be used as an extension of community to build and create things that are better for everyone.

Thirty minutes or so go by and finally my wife is able to call me after getting out of church. 

She asks if I'm okay, slightly concerned, but certainly slightly laughing at my plight.  I tell her that I'm fine, and that I'm truly happy just talking to some strangers about Penn State football.  Everything was perfect.



As I write this, Penn State has just recently won their game against Memphis, and solidified a great season all the way around.  There is clearly a lot of talent on the team on both sides of the ball and the level of depth is improving at an incredible rate due to player development.

But what I want to really focus in on was the entire Penn State culture of pulling together and doing things as a group to the very best of their ability.  Even when the going got tough, I never saw a player or coach not put their best foot forward in attempting to deal with the adversity.  I saw a love and a passion for the game and for life.  I tried to express that in the way I was able to cheer and talk about sports with my friends and family.

So this new year, I think about just doing my best to do the same.  To work together and conscientiously build for next year.  After all, the season never truly stops.  Right now, athletes are working out, looking at tape, and trying to figure out how to win, and how to be the very best version of themselves.  I think we as people should do the same.

Be kind to one another.

Share a hot dog or a soda.

Share a laugh and a hug.

Share the time at football games together as something special, and enjoy the company of your fellow man.

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.