I've have been informed of a major development involving the Penn State football program.
Parking Prices.
Yes, parking prices in the lots surrounding Beaver Stadium are about to soar without nary an official word from the Penn State athletic office. The following price increases may seem like an underhanded attempt to swipe more money from an already very-giving alumni base, but if you look deeper you can determine the real reason behind the major price hike is simple:
Institutional control of the crowds OUTSIDE Beaver Stadium.
If you want for parking on GAME DAY in the lots surrounding Beaver Stadium, the price will increase from $20 to $40 this season, according to a source. However, if you go to or call up the athletic department offices (NOT the ticket offices) at the Bryce Jordan Center you can get a parking pass for just $10.
Simple math shows that a season ticket holder can make a phone call to pay $70 for season parking or fork over a total of $280 to pay at the "gate" so to speak.
The reasoning is that Penn State wants to advocate pre-paid parking over paying at the lot because it is trying to discourage individuals from paying for parking, tailgating all day and NOT going into the games. In simple terms, they are trying to bring in more football fans and keep the belligerent drunks out of the surrounding lots.
Drunks are still welcome...but it will cost them. This is a smart tactical move by the university and athletic department, but for those season ticket holders who enjoy the atmosphere AND love rooting on their Nittany Lions INSIDE Beaver Stadium, a little communication before kickoff could go a long way.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
College Athletes, College Athletics Have Lost Their Way
Paul Pierce wears denim jeans that cost more than my life. Kobe Bryant sports t-shirts pricier than my suits. Chris Johnson slowly puts on gym shorts each morning that equate to a week's worth of groceries for most.
These players brand a style, a sporting mentality of wearing nice clothes while driving nice cars en route to nice restaurants. This is old news. Or is it?
Pierce does not wear Kansas digs (at least in public). Johnson does not don shorts with a Wildcat...rather a Swoosh. Hell, Bryant had the right idea...he didn't go to college.
You and I, sipping our morning coffee in an office where diplomas serve as identity placards, are proud of our college experience. We wear school colors, escape back to the "experience" whenever work allows, illustrate our professorial knowledge whenever warranted.
College athletes could care less. And I mean that in the nicest possible way with the complete understanding it is a sweeping generalization.
That is until you look at Reggie Bush. Until you stare far down at the depths his greed and self-righteousness have sank the school and athletic program that helped mold his name.
That is until you read the stories dotting ESPN's front page on a daily basis about illegal activity between athletes and sports agents. The stories range from monetary exchange to elaborate gifts like Cadillacs and three-story mansions for college students, a sector of society more known to drive beat-down Hondas and feast on an endless supply of pizza.
Not these athletes, whose god-given talents are cash cows for athletic programs without proper compensation in return. (I'm purely speaking on their behalf as a devil's advocate with that point. Back to your regularly scheduled premise). These student athletes have one eye on the field/court and another on its by-product, a life of financial freedom in the professional ranks. But the overarching question remains, "if one eye is on the field/court and another is on the future, aren't these student athletes blind when it comes to school loyalty?"
YES. And why shouldn't they be. After all, many athletic personnel cuddle these athletes, fail in opportune "teaching moments" and for lack of a better phrase, let the kids run the asylum. The athletes have no fear of getting caught because there is little to no individual punishment for their actions.
True, Reggie Bush is holding his breath on the Heisman Trophy, but he is making millions in the NFL while USC recently took the brunt of his negligence in a wide-ranging probation punishment that includes the loss of scholarships and a two-year bowl ban.
The hammer may soon come down on North Carolina, behind alleged improprieties involving high-profile draft picks Marvin Austin and Greg Little. Nothing has been proven but we known where there is smoke...there is a liar.
Players lie to cover their tracks. Agents lie to get players into these predicaments. Athletic and on-field personnel lie because their jobs depend on winning...and winning depends on talent...and talent, well, talent is busy getting an early glimpse of luxury.
It's a nasty cycle where coaches who enforce strict compliance and recruit college players lose jobs. Agents that follow NCAA rules and don't use unlimited funds and connections to tempt players lose jobs. Players that focus on their initial job in college...you know, going to college...lose jobs (aka their chance at "the life").
College athletics is a job-churning slaughter house full of big money, big temptation and too many kids trying to be adults and adults trying to be kids. You might as well take the names and logos off of these jerseys/uniforms and start professional feeder programs in Chapel Hill and Ann Arbor.
It's all window dressing for a multi-million dollar industry without a shred of dignity. It's disgusting, and until the NCAA cracks down on each and every case of negligence (jury is still out whether USC was an example or an exception to the rules), Kobe Bryant had it right.
He didn't pretend to be something he wasn't (and something hundreds of football and basketball stars masquerade as on a daily basis). A college athlete.
These players brand a style, a sporting mentality of wearing nice clothes while driving nice cars en route to nice restaurants. This is old news. Or is it?
Pierce does not wear Kansas digs (at least in public). Johnson does not don shorts with a Wildcat...rather a Swoosh. Hell, Bryant had the right idea...he didn't go to college.
You and I, sipping our morning coffee in an office where diplomas serve as identity placards, are proud of our college experience. We wear school colors, escape back to the "experience" whenever work allows, illustrate our professorial knowledge whenever warranted.
College athletes could care less. And I mean that in the nicest possible way with the complete understanding it is a sweeping generalization.
That is until you look at Reggie Bush. Until you stare far down at the depths his greed and self-righteousness have sank the school and athletic program that helped mold his name.
That is until you read the stories dotting ESPN's front page on a daily basis about illegal activity between athletes and sports agents. The stories range from monetary exchange to elaborate gifts like Cadillacs and three-story mansions for college students, a sector of society more known to drive beat-down Hondas and feast on an endless supply of pizza.
Not these athletes, whose god-given talents are cash cows for athletic programs without proper compensation in return. (I'm purely speaking on their behalf as a devil's advocate with that point. Back to your regularly scheduled premise). These student athletes have one eye on the field/court and another on its by-product, a life of financial freedom in the professional ranks. But the overarching question remains, "if one eye is on the field/court and another is on the future, aren't these student athletes blind when it comes to school loyalty?"
YES. And why shouldn't they be. After all, many athletic personnel cuddle these athletes, fail in opportune "teaching moments" and for lack of a better phrase, let the kids run the asylum. The athletes have no fear of getting caught because there is little to no individual punishment for their actions.
True, Reggie Bush is holding his breath on the Heisman Trophy, but he is making millions in the NFL while USC recently took the brunt of his negligence in a wide-ranging probation punishment that includes the loss of scholarships and a two-year bowl ban.
The hammer may soon come down on North Carolina, behind alleged improprieties involving high-profile draft picks Marvin Austin and Greg Little. Nothing has been proven but we known where there is smoke...there is a liar.
Players lie to cover their tracks. Agents lie to get players into these predicaments. Athletic and on-field personnel lie because their jobs depend on winning...and winning depends on talent...and talent, well, talent is busy getting an early glimpse of luxury.
It's a nasty cycle where coaches who enforce strict compliance and recruit college players lose jobs. Agents that follow NCAA rules and don't use unlimited funds and connections to tempt players lose jobs. Players that focus on their initial job in college...you know, going to college...lose jobs (aka their chance at "the life").
College athletics is a job-churning slaughter house full of big money, big temptation and too many kids trying to be adults and adults trying to be kids. You might as well take the names and logos off of these jerseys/uniforms and start professional feeder programs in Chapel Hill and Ann Arbor.
It's all window dressing for a multi-million dollar industry without a shred of dignity. It's disgusting, and until the NCAA cracks down on each and every case of negligence (jury is still out whether USC was an example or an exception to the rules), Kobe Bryant had it right.
He didn't pretend to be something he wasn't (and something hundreds of football and basketball stars masquerade as on a daily basis). A college athlete.
Single Game Football Ticket Sales Start Monday
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., - Penn State fans will have the opportunity to purchase single game tickets for the upcoming football season starting on Monday, July 26. The sale will begin at 10 a.m. exclusively at www.GoPSUSports.com.
Tickets are available for all seven games in Beaver Stadium, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary as home of the Nittany Lions. There is a limit of two tickets for the Oct. 9 Homecoming contest with Illinois (12:00 p.m.) and the Oct. 30 primetime clash with Michigan (8:00 p.m.).
Tickets are available for the Nittany Lions' Big Ten home games with Northwestern (Nov. 6) and the Senior Day contest with Michigan State (Nov. 27). Penn State opens its 124th season by hosting Youngstown State on Sept. 4 (12:00 p.m.) and also entertains Kent State (Sept. 18, 12:00 p.m.) and Temple (Sept. 25, TBA) prior to opening its 18th Big Ten season.
Should any tickets remain after August 1, single game tickets can purchased via phone starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 2, as well as on www.GoPSUSports.com. Fans should call 814-865-5555 weekdays from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
All tickets made available will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis until no tickets remain.
Nearly 93,000 public and student tickets having been sold for the upcoming campaign, with approximately 95 percent of 2009 season ticket holders renewing their seats for this season.
The anticipation of the upcoming season has also resulted in a strong demand for tickets to the Nittany Lions' five away games, with four already sold out. Penn State's allotment for the following games is exhausted: Alabama (Sept. 11), Iowa (Oct. 2), Minnesota (Oct. 23) and Ohio State (Nov. 13).
Tickets are available for the Nittany Lions' fifth game away from Happy Valley, the Nov. 20 contest with Indiana at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. Penn State will be playing in metropolitan Washington, D.C. for the first time since the 1993 season. All ticket orders for the game can be made at www.GoPSUSports.com/tickets or by calling 814-865-5555 weekdays from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Penn State is 51-13 (79.7) since the start of the 2005 season, tied for the nation's No. 7 winning percentage over that span, under Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. The Nittany Lions return 36 letterwinners for this season, including 13 starters, as well as 10 players that have starting experience.
Tickets are available for all seven games in Beaver Stadium, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary as home of the Nittany Lions. There is a limit of two tickets for the Oct. 9 Homecoming contest with Illinois (12:00 p.m.) and the Oct. 30 primetime clash with Michigan (8:00 p.m.).
Tickets are available for the Nittany Lions' Big Ten home games with Northwestern (Nov. 6) and the Senior Day contest with Michigan State (Nov. 27). Penn State opens its 124th season by hosting Youngstown State on Sept. 4 (12:00 p.m.) and also entertains Kent State (Sept. 18, 12:00 p.m.) and Temple (Sept. 25, TBA) prior to opening its 18th Big Ten season.
Should any tickets remain after August 1, single game tickets can purchased via phone starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 2, as well as on www.GoPSUSports.com. Fans should call 814-865-5555 weekdays from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
All tickets made available will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis until no tickets remain.
Nearly 93,000 public and student tickets having been sold for the upcoming campaign, with approximately 95 percent of 2009 season ticket holders renewing their seats for this season.
The anticipation of the upcoming season has also resulted in a strong demand for tickets to the Nittany Lions' five away games, with four already sold out. Penn State's allotment for the following games is exhausted: Alabama (Sept. 11), Iowa (Oct. 2), Minnesota (Oct. 23) and Ohio State (Nov. 13).
Tickets are available for the Nittany Lions' fifth game away from Happy Valley, the Nov. 20 contest with Indiana at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. Penn State will be playing in metropolitan Washington, D.C. for the first time since the 1993 season. All ticket orders for the game can be made at www.GoPSUSports.com/tickets or by calling 814-865-5555 weekdays from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Penn State is 51-13 (79.7) since the start of the 2005 season, tied for the nation's No. 7 winning percentage over that span, under Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. The Nittany Lions return 36 letterwinners for this season, including 13 starters, as well as 10 players that have starting experience.
PSU, Navy to Renew Gridiron Series in 2012
Another of Penn State's traditional opponents is returning to the 2012 football schedule.
Penn State Director of Athletics Tim Curley and Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced today that Nittany Lions and Midshipmen will meet on Sept. 15, 2012 in Beaver Stadium. Penn State and Navy have played 37 times previously, but the squads will be meeting for the first time since 1974.
The previously announced Temple at Penn State game in 2012 has been moved to Sept. 22. The Nittany Lions will visit Virginia on Sept. 8, 2012.
"We are excited to have Navy returning to the Penn State football schedule," said Curley. "Navy was our season opening opponent a number of times in the 1960's and '70's and we've had many memorable games against the Midshipmen. Navy has a great football tradition and has returned to being one of the top programs in the nation during the past decade. We're looking forward to having Navy playing again in Beaver Stadium."
Penn State holds an 18-17-2 edge in all-time series games, which began in 1894 with a 6-6 tie in Annapolis. The Nittany Lions are 7-3 vs. the Mids in State College and 2-1 in neutral site games, while Navy owns a 13-9-2 advantage in Annapolis.
The Nittany Lions and Mids met 12 times from 1961-74, with Navy serving as Penn State's season opening game eight times from 1961-71. The last game in the series was on Sept. 21, 1974, as former Penn State assistant coach George Welsh led the Mids to a 7-6 upset over the No. 8 Lions in State College.
"Playing Penn State again will bring back many memories for our alumni and friends of Navy Football," said Gladchuk. "The opportunity to visit one of the most impressive stadiums in all of college football and take on the challenge of this storied program will be very inspiring to our coaches and student-athletes."
Penn State will visit Alabama on Sept. 11 (7 p.m., ESPN) and host the Crimson Tide in 2011 in the renewal of another series with a long-time gridiron opponent. The Nittany Lions will play Virginia in 2012 and '13 and Rutgers in 2014 and '15. During the past decade, Penn State has had non-conference series with Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, Virginia, Boston College, Notre Dame and Syracuse.
Penn State is 51-13 (79.7) since the start of the 2005 season, tied for the nation's No. 7 winning percentage over that span, under Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. The Nittany Lions return 36 letterwinners for this season, including 13 starters, as well as 10 players that have starting experience. Penn State opens the season Sept. 4 vs. Youngstown State in Beaver Stadium (12 p.m., Big Ten Network) and visits 2009 BCS national champion Alabama the following week.
Penn State Director of Athletics Tim Curley and Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced today that Nittany Lions and Midshipmen will meet on Sept. 15, 2012 in Beaver Stadium. Penn State and Navy have played 37 times previously, but the squads will be meeting for the first time since 1974.
The previously announced Temple at Penn State game in 2012 has been moved to Sept. 22. The Nittany Lions will visit Virginia on Sept. 8, 2012.
"We are excited to have Navy returning to the Penn State football schedule," said Curley. "Navy was our season opening opponent a number of times in the 1960's and '70's and we've had many memorable games against the Midshipmen. Navy has a great football tradition and has returned to being one of the top programs in the nation during the past decade. We're looking forward to having Navy playing again in Beaver Stadium."
Penn State holds an 18-17-2 edge in all-time series games, which began in 1894 with a 6-6 tie in Annapolis. The Nittany Lions are 7-3 vs. the Mids in State College and 2-1 in neutral site games, while Navy owns a 13-9-2 advantage in Annapolis.
The Nittany Lions and Mids met 12 times from 1961-74, with Navy serving as Penn State's season opening game eight times from 1961-71. The last game in the series was on Sept. 21, 1974, as former Penn State assistant coach George Welsh led the Mids to a 7-6 upset over the No. 8 Lions in State College.
"Playing Penn State again will bring back many memories for our alumni and friends of Navy Football," said Gladchuk. "The opportunity to visit one of the most impressive stadiums in all of college football and take on the challenge of this storied program will be very inspiring to our coaches and student-athletes."
Penn State will visit Alabama on Sept. 11 (7 p.m., ESPN) and host the Crimson Tide in 2011 in the renewal of another series with a long-time gridiron opponent. The Nittany Lions will play Virginia in 2012 and '13 and Rutgers in 2014 and '15. During the past decade, Penn State has had non-conference series with Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, Virginia, Boston College, Notre Dame and Syracuse.
Penn State is 51-13 (79.7) since the start of the 2005 season, tied for the nation's No. 7 winning percentage over that span, under Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. The Nittany Lions return 36 letterwinners for this season, including 13 starters, as well as 10 players that have starting experience. Penn State opens the season Sept. 4 vs. Youngstown State in Beaver Stadium (12 p.m., Big Ten Network) and visits 2009 BCS national champion Alabama the following week.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Paterno, 3 Players to Represent PSU at Big Ten Kickoff Festivities
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - Coach Joe Paterno and a trio of standout student-athletes will represent Penn State at the 39th Annual Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon Festivities, August 2-3 in Chicago.
Pre-season All-Americans Evan Royster (Fairfax, Va.) and Stefen Wisniewski (Bridgeville) and junior cornerback D'Anton Lynn (Celina, Texas) will join Paterno at the prestigious event. Activities will be held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago as the Big Ten prepares for its 115th season of football competition.
The Kickoff activities will include news conferences with every Big Ten head coach and players from each squad. Interviews with print and electronic media will take place on both days. The Kickoff Luncheon is August 3, with a crowd of more than 1,500 expected to attend.
The Big Ten Network will provide extensive coverage of Big Ten Kickoff activities. The network is available to 75 million households on 300 cable and satellite providers in the United States and Canada, but is not available on Adams, Armstrong, Blue Ridge and MetroCast cable in Pennsylvania.
The Nittany Lions are entering their 18th season of Big Ten competition. Penn State has earned one of the nation's Top 10 records since the start of the 2005 season, posting a 51-13 (79.7) mark, tied for No. 7 nationally. The Nittany Lions posted their second consecutive 11-2 record last year, finishing No. 9 in the Associated Press poll, earning their 23rd Top 10 finish under Coach Joe Paterno. The Nittany Lions are 10-3 in post-season contests since starting conference play in 1993.
In his 45th season as head coach of the Nittany Lions, Paterno owns a 394-129-3 (75.2) career record. In his 61st year in Happy Valley, the Hall of Fame coach is the all-time victories leader among major college coaches and is six victories away from becoming just the third coach in NCAA history with 400 career wins. Paterno has led Penn State to two national championships (1982, '86), five unbeaten and untied seasons (1968, '69, '73, '86, '94) and is the all-time leader in bowl appearances (36) and wins (24-11-1). He has guided the Nittany Lions to 17-7 record in New Year's bowl games.
Paterno has produced more than 350 NFL players, 77 first team All-Americans, 44 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 15 National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Scholar Athletes and 18 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners during his illustrious career. He has been selected the AFCA Coach of the Year an unprecedented five times, including 2005, when he led the Lions to an 11-1 record and the Big Ten and FedEx Orange Bowl titles. Paterno has been named Big Ten Dave McClain Coach of the Year three times, including 2008, when he led the Nittany Lions to an 11-2 mark, the Big Ten title and a berth in the Rose Bowl.
A senior tailback, Royster has been one of the nation's premier tailbacks the past two seasons, rushing for 1,169 yards in 2009 to earn first team All-Big Ten accolades. He was selected a 2010 third team pre-season All-American by Phil Steele's. In 2008, Royster was among 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award and earned second team all-conference accolades after gaining 1,236 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns.
Royster enters this season with 2,918 career rushing yards, good for No. 8 in the Penn State record books. He needs 481 yards to break Curt Warner's school record of 3,398 yards, set during the 1979-82 campaigns. Royster needs just 82 yards to become the sixth Nittany Lion to eclipse 3,000 yards on the ground. During the 2009 season, he started all 13 games, gaining 1,169 yards, second-highest in the Big Ten, on 205 carries and scored six touchdowns. His 5.7 average was best among the Big Ten rushers with at least 110 carries. Royster was sixth on the team with 16 receptions for 187 yards, scoring twice. He led the team with 1,364 all-purpose yards (104.9 ypg), ranking No. 3 in the conference through the regular season.
Royster delivered six 100-yard rushing games last season, led by 137 yards in the 20-0 win over Minnesota. He has 12 century-busting games in his career and the Nittany Lions are 12-0 when he breaks 100 yards. The former Westfield High School All-Met selection is on schedule to graduate in August in Management Information Systems.
A senior guard, Wisniewski has been named a 2010 first team pre-season All-American by Sporting News, Phil Steele's College Football Preview and Lindy's Football Preview thus far. He also is a candidate for the Rotary Lombardi and Outland Trophy. Wisniewski earned third team All-America and first team All-Big Ten accolades in 2009, starting all 13 games at center for the Nittany Lions. He moved back to guard during spring practice, where he started 12 games in 2008. He has started 25 of 26 games the past two seasons.
A secondary education major in the Schreyer Honors College, Wisniewski spent last year student teaching 10th-grade English at State College Area High School. He was selected a 2009 first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American®, as he added to his 2008 second-team honor. Owner of a superlative 3.92 grade-point average, the squad's highest mark, Wisniewski will have an opportunity in 2010 to become Penn State's first three-time Academic All-American®. A U.S. Army All-American at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, he earned a perfect 4.0 GPA the last three semesters and is on schedule to graduate in December.
A junior, Lynn earned a starting assignment at one of the cornerback posts and held onto it throughout the 2009 season. He garnered honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades and was instrumental in Penn State's Top 10 defense. Lynn made 35 tackles (26 solo), eighth on the team and tops among cornerbacks. He recorded 3.5 tackles for loss, including half a sack against Iowa, and five pass breakups. Lynn was highly productive for a secondary that began the 2009 season with four new starters. He recorded a career-high eight tackles (five solo) in the 34-13 win at Northwestern, helping hold the Wildcats to less than half their season scoring average.
Lynn was an Associated Press Class 3A first-team all-state selection at Celina High School in Texas.
Penn State returns 36 letterwinners and 13 starters for the 2010 campaign, as well as 10 players with starting experience. The Nittany Lions host Youngstown State on Sept. 4 (12:00 p.m., Big Ten Network) to open the season and visit 2009 BCS National Champion on Sept. 11 (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Pre-season All-Americans Evan Royster (Fairfax, Va.) and Stefen Wisniewski (Bridgeville) and junior cornerback D'Anton Lynn (Celina, Texas) will join Paterno at the prestigious event. Activities will be held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago as the Big Ten prepares for its 115th season of football competition.
The Kickoff activities will include news conferences with every Big Ten head coach and players from each squad. Interviews with print and electronic media will take place on both days. The Kickoff Luncheon is August 3, with a crowd of more than 1,500 expected to attend.
The Big Ten Network will provide extensive coverage of Big Ten Kickoff activities. The network is available to 75 million households on 300 cable and satellite providers in the United States and Canada, but is not available on Adams, Armstrong, Blue Ridge and MetroCast cable in Pennsylvania.
The Nittany Lions are entering their 18th season of Big Ten competition. Penn State has earned one of the nation's Top 10 records since the start of the 2005 season, posting a 51-13 (79.7) mark, tied for No. 7 nationally. The Nittany Lions posted their second consecutive 11-2 record last year, finishing No. 9 in the Associated Press poll, earning their 23rd Top 10 finish under Coach Joe Paterno. The Nittany Lions are 10-3 in post-season contests since starting conference play in 1993.
In his 45th season as head coach of the Nittany Lions, Paterno owns a 394-129-3 (75.2) career record. In his 61st year in Happy Valley, the Hall of Fame coach is the all-time victories leader among major college coaches and is six victories away from becoming just the third coach in NCAA history with 400 career wins. Paterno has led Penn State to two national championships (1982, '86), five unbeaten and untied seasons (1968, '69, '73, '86, '94) and is the all-time leader in bowl appearances (36) and wins (24-11-1). He has guided the Nittany Lions to 17-7 record in New Year's bowl games.
Paterno has produced more than 350 NFL players, 77 first team All-Americans, 44 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 15 National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Scholar Athletes and 18 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners during his illustrious career. He has been selected the AFCA Coach of the Year an unprecedented five times, including 2005, when he led the Lions to an 11-1 record and the Big Ten and FedEx Orange Bowl titles. Paterno has been named Big Ten Dave McClain Coach of the Year three times, including 2008, when he led the Nittany Lions to an 11-2 mark, the Big Ten title and a berth in the Rose Bowl.
A senior tailback, Royster has been one of the nation's premier tailbacks the past two seasons, rushing for 1,169 yards in 2009 to earn first team All-Big Ten accolades. He was selected a 2010 third team pre-season All-American by Phil Steele's. In 2008, Royster was among 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award and earned second team all-conference accolades after gaining 1,236 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns.
Royster enters this season with 2,918 career rushing yards, good for No. 8 in the Penn State record books. He needs 481 yards to break Curt Warner's school record of 3,398 yards, set during the 1979-82 campaigns. Royster needs just 82 yards to become the sixth Nittany Lion to eclipse 3,000 yards on the ground. During the 2009 season, he started all 13 games, gaining 1,169 yards, second-highest in the Big Ten, on 205 carries and scored six touchdowns. His 5.7 average was best among the Big Ten rushers with at least 110 carries. Royster was sixth on the team with 16 receptions for 187 yards, scoring twice. He led the team with 1,364 all-purpose yards (104.9 ypg), ranking No. 3 in the conference through the regular season.
Royster delivered six 100-yard rushing games last season, led by 137 yards in the 20-0 win over Minnesota. He has 12 century-busting games in his career and the Nittany Lions are 12-0 when he breaks 100 yards. The former Westfield High School All-Met selection is on schedule to graduate in August in Management Information Systems.
A senior guard, Wisniewski has been named a 2010 first team pre-season All-American by Sporting News, Phil Steele's College Football Preview and Lindy's Football Preview thus far. He also is a candidate for the Rotary Lombardi and Outland Trophy. Wisniewski earned third team All-America and first team All-Big Ten accolades in 2009, starting all 13 games at center for the Nittany Lions. He moved back to guard during spring practice, where he started 12 games in 2008. He has started 25 of 26 games the past two seasons.
A secondary education major in the Schreyer Honors College, Wisniewski spent last year student teaching 10th-grade English at State College Area High School. He was selected a 2009 first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American®, as he added to his 2008 second-team honor. Owner of a superlative 3.92 grade-point average, the squad's highest mark, Wisniewski will have an opportunity in 2010 to become Penn State's first three-time Academic All-American®. A U.S. Army All-American at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, he earned a perfect 4.0 GPA the last three semesters and is on schedule to graduate in December.
A junior, Lynn earned a starting assignment at one of the cornerback posts and held onto it throughout the 2009 season. He garnered honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades and was instrumental in Penn State's Top 10 defense. Lynn made 35 tackles (26 solo), eighth on the team and tops among cornerbacks. He recorded 3.5 tackles for loss, including half a sack against Iowa, and five pass breakups. Lynn was highly productive for a secondary that began the 2009 season with four new starters. He recorded a career-high eight tackles (five solo) in the 34-13 win at Northwestern, helping hold the Wildcats to less than half their season scoring average.
Lynn was an Associated Press Class 3A first-team all-state selection at Celina High School in Texas.
Penn State returns 36 letterwinners and 13 starters for the 2010 campaign, as well as 10 players with starting experience. The Nittany Lions host Youngstown State on Sept. 4 (12:00 p.m., Big Ten Network) to open the season and visit 2009 BCS National Champion on Sept. 11 (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Penn State Week of Big Ten Network
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; - The Big Ten Network will air five consecutive days of the Nittany Lions' most memorable victories and events from the past year and campus programming during Penn State Week, July 26-30.
The Nittany Lion basketball, Lady Lion basketball, football, men's gymnastics, women's soccer, men's and women's track and field/cross country and women's volleyball teams will be among the squads featured during Penn State Week. The network also will air Penn State institutional programming, including President Graham Spanier's program, "Expert Opinion," episodes of "We Are: The Millenials" and the highly-acclaimed documentary, "Making The Blue Band."
The Big Ten Network televised more than 500 athletic events in 2009-10, including more than 100 events featuring Penn State. The network is available to approximately 75 million homes through agreements with more than 300 cable, satellite and telco providers in all 50 states and Canada. The network is available on cable in 46 states and 19 of the top 20 U.S. markets.
The Big Ten Network, though, is not carried by Adams, Blue Ridge and MetroCast cable in Pennsylvania. The network also is not available to Armstrong Cable customers in western Pennsylvania and suburban Youngstown, Ohio. A combined total of more than 35,000 Penn State alumni live in communities served by the four cable providers, in addition to thousands more fans and current Penn State students.
The Nittany Lions' football season opener with Youngstown State (Sept. 4) will air exclusively on the network and will be the first of the more than 100 Penn State events that will air on the Big Ten Network in 2010-11. Additional football games will air exclusively on the network this fall, in addition to the women's volleyball, soccer and field hockey events announced earlier this month.
In addition to numerous games, Penn State conference championships in men's gymnastics, women's soccer and women's cross country/track and field will be featured during Penn State Week. Among the highlights of Penn State Week on Big Ten Network:
The Nittany Lion basketball, Lady Lion basketball, football, men's gymnastics, women's soccer, men's and women's track and field/cross country and women's volleyball teams will be among the squads featured during Penn State Week. The network also will air Penn State institutional programming, including President Graham Spanier's program, "Expert Opinion," episodes of "We Are: The Millenials" and the highly-acclaimed documentary, "Making The Blue Band."
The Big Ten Network televised more than 500 athletic events in 2009-10, including more than 100 events featuring Penn State. The network is available to approximately 75 million homes through agreements with more than 300 cable, satellite and telco providers in all 50 states and Canada. The network is available on cable in 46 states and 19 of the top 20 U.S. markets.
The Big Ten Network, though, is not carried by Adams, Blue Ridge and MetroCast cable in Pennsylvania. The network also is not available to Armstrong Cable customers in western Pennsylvania and suburban Youngstown, Ohio. A combined total of more than 35,000 Penn State alumni live in communities served by the four cable providers, in addition to thousands more fans and current Penn State students.
The Nittany Lions' football season opener with Youngstown State (Sept. 4) will air exclusively on the network and will be the first of the more than 100 Penn State events that will air on the Big Ten Network in 2010-11. Additional football games will air exclusively on the network this fall, in addition to the women's volleyball, soccer and field hockey events announced earlier this month.
In addition to numerous games, Penn State conference championships in men's gymnastics, women's soccer and women's cross country/track and field will be featured during Penn State Week. Among the highlights of Penn State Week on Big Ten Network:
Friday, July 9, 2010
LeBron's Definition of Legacy Muddles "King" Mantra
So the permanent ink LeBron James bares liking him to royalty is going to be one of those tattoos you regret years down the road -- like the lifelong symbol of love people imprint for who turn out to be ex-mates.
If he is does not see the backwardness of the brand he's built and the decision he made Thursday night in Greenwich, CT than he is as naive as the proposition of a one-hour television special devoted to a huge ego he then deflated with the phrase heard 'round the globe:
"I'm going to South Beach."
Confused? You should be. James talks one way out his mouth and the other out his ass, which is a nicety for saying he is full of s%^&.
He has cultivated the brand of a superstar, a global sports icon known as "The King" through creative cutthroat marketing and the skill level to back up such a lofty image. His six-team free agent circus was royalty on 'roids, as teams in some cases flew thousands of miles to beg an NBA player to play for a max contract in their city of residence.
The spectacle took over ESPN's airwaves, turned The Worldwide Leader into a true sideshow with its journalistic credibility held hostage, and seized social media by the throat. If you weren't tweeting #LeBron, you were non-existent for the last month.
He spun the global interest into a 1-hour television publicity stunt and further enhanced his brand as the NBA's biggest cash cow.
He then -- approximately 27 minutes into "The Decision" -- turned around and bit off the hand that fed him...his own. Why cultivate an image as the man then scoot off to Miami to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on Wade's team...in Wade's city?
He no longer is the king, but rather the highly-talented Jester who must defer to Wade's throne. When asked questions about "the last shot" and "team hierarchy" he spoke in platitudes without much of an answer besides the canned response of wanting to win a title.
Truth be told, if James was so concerned about winning a title before, as many reported, "he is 31 with bad knees" then the place was Chicago, where he could have played with a 23-year-old rising star at the point, one of the league's few remaining rebounding/defensive post men in Joakim Noah and one of the game's best finishers around the rim in newly-signed Carlos Boozer.
Yes, he would have played in Michael Jordan's shadow, but James could have maintained and even increased his brand in one of the game's largest media markets and put his own stamp on a team that would have instantly become the favorite in the Eastern Conference.
True he is now playing with an NBA Finals MVP and a two-time All-Star, but the rest of the roster is bare with nary a point guard (Mario Chalmers is a better two-guard) or interior depth in sight. And how many basketballs can one team use? Is James willing to average 10-to-12 points less per game to keep everyone happy? If he is, great--but that again doesn't fit with the brand he has spent the better part of seven years creating.
Reality is James left "home" and decided against Chicago because he wanted to play with his friends and because, as hard as it is to say, he had uncertainty about his ability to completely carry a team to a title. There is no other rationale to explain the decision for a superstar in the prime of his career to pass off imprinting a building legacy in Cleveland or winning multiple titles of his own in Chicago.
MJ didn't want to play with Isiah...he wanted to beat him. Magic didn't want to join forces with Bird...he wanted to take the title from him. LeBron is a farce. Not for leaving Cleveland, but deciding it was easier to ride D-Wade's coattails than shape his own franchise, his own legacy.
Doesn't sound like royalty to me. Too bad that tattoo is permanent.
If he is does not see the backwardness of the brand he's built and the decision he made Thursday night in Greenwich, CT than he is as naive as the proposition of a one-hour television special devoted to a huge ego he then deflated with the phrase heard 'round the globe:
"I'm going to South Beach."
Confused? You should be. James talks one way out his mouth and the other out his ass, which is a nicety for saying he is full of s%^&.
He has cultivated the brand of a superstar, a global sports icon known as "The King" through creative cutthroat marketing and the skill level to back up such a lofty image. His six-team free agent circus was royalty on 'roids, as teams in some cases flew thousands of miles to beg an NBA player to play for a max contract in their city of residence.
The spectacle took over ESPN's airwaves, turned The Worldwide Leader into a true sideshow with its journalistic credibility held hostage, and seized social media by the throat. If you weren't tweeting #LeBron, you were non-existent for the last month.
He spun the global interest into a 1-hour television publicity stunt and further enhanced his brand as the NBA's biggest cash cow.
He then -- approximately 27 minutes into "The Decision" -- turned around and bit off the hand that fed him...his own. Why cultivate an image as the man then scoot off to Miami to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on Wade's team...in Wade's city?
He no longer is the king, but rather the highly-talented Jester who must defer to Wade's throne. When asked questions about "the last shot" and "team hierarchy" he spoke in platitudes without much of an answer besides the canned response of wanting to win a title.
Truth be told, if James was so concerned about winning a title before, as many reported, "he is 31 with bad knees" then the place was Chicago, where he could have played with a 23-year-old rising star at the point, one of the league's few remaining rebounding/defensive post men in Joakim Noah and one of the game's best finishers around the rim in newly-signed Carlos Boozer.
Yes, he would have played in Michael Jordan's shadow, but James could have maintained and even increased his brand in one of the game's largest media markets and put his own stamp on a team that would have instantly become the favorite in the Eastern Conference.
True he is now playing with an NBA Finals MVP and a two-time All-Star, but the rest of the roster is bare with nary a point guard (Mario Chalmers is a better two-guard) or interior depth in sight. And how many basketballs can one team use? Is James willing to average 10-to-12 points less per game to keep everyone happy? If he is, great--but that again doesn't fit with the brand he has spent the better part of seven years creating.
Reality is James left "home" and decided against Chicago because he wanted to play with his friends and because, as hard as it is to say, he had uncertainty about his ability to completely carry a team to a title. There is no other rationale to explain the decision for a superstar in the prime of his career to pass off imprinting a building legacy in Cleveland or winning multiple titles of his own in Chicago.
MJ didn't want to play with Isiah...he wanted to beat him. Magic didn't want to join forces with Bird...he wanted to take the title from him. LeBron is a farce. Not for leaving Cleveland, but deciding it was easier to ride D-Wade's coattails than shape his own franchise, his own legacy.
Doesn't sound like royalty to me. Too bad that tattoo is permanent.
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