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September 3, 2003

by Jared Bean

From the Parking Lot:

If Nittany Lion fans think that the only action and passion was between the hash marks at Beaver Stadium, than they weren’t in the parking lots surrounding it on Saturday. The first game marked the beginning of the new experiment by the Athletic Office to change the way we park, and proved once again that this University is about nothing more than the money.

The parking system around Beaver Stadium has been evolving for many years. With the growth and success of the football program and the subsequent expansion of Beaver Stadium the excitement of growth surrounded Penn State Football. Unfortunately, with the growth also came the consequences. The average fan suffered because they were forced to leave the spots that they had called home, sometimes for many decades. Gameday lots were moved further away, and reserved spaces became the norm for those big donors. It wasn’t great suffering, but it was suffering that affected the traditions of the fans and families that helped build the program that Penn State has become. Sure, the Club Seat and Luxury Suite ticket holders give their money to a degree which we don’t, and they are rewarded with their 5 step walk to the stadium. But, to me, it doesn’t seem right.

The new parking system, in the eyes of the powers that be, was probably successful. But once again the average fan was disappointed. We were denied parking in the lot that was our home. We were misinformed by the athletic department as to where we could park, we were forced to move from our spot by University Police and ended up parking our cars in the quagmire that was Lot #13. All the while a member of the Athletic Department told me that these decisions weren’t about the money and were about ADA compliance. I’m no expert in the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but wouldn’t you think the spaces right next to the stadium would be the most accessible, instead of those across University Dr.? Sure, Herb. It’s not about the money.

Tempers were high from the very start of the day as people arriving into town realized they could not park where they had been parking for 20 years. Lot #9 (The designated ADA lot) remained two-thirds full at the end of the day, and the people who arrived early to enjoy the game were parked in the mud. This experiment failed. Unfortunately, it was not an experiment designed to prove or disprove a hypothesis. It was an experiment where the outcome was already determined in an office somewhere on campus, by men and women who probably have never experienced the traditions that many of us hold so dear. These traditions are more valuable to many of us than the wins and losses of our football team. And these “individual traditions” are never taken into consideration when these decisions are made. It really is just another sign of the course this athletic department has set. It just doesn’t seem right.

At the end of the day, as always, we will make do with what we have. We will try to find a new home and build on new traditions. It will probably work out fine. We will probably still have fun. But I urge all of you to remember to think about how decisions will affect everyone when they are implemented and maybe a compromise or another angle just might work better. Maybe then it will seem right.

From the field:

Luckily it seems like the players on the field seem a bit more focused than some of us in the parking lot. This week against Temple there were a lot of questions entering the game. I think a lot of those questions remain. Despite the vanilla offense and defense the Lions should have looked sharper. Maybe it was the new practice limitations that were implemented by the NCAA maybe it was the youth of this football team. Either way, this team needs to get better by the next game, and continue to do so throughout the season to see themselves bowling in December or January.

The highlight of the day for the fans was the much heralded debut of Austin Scott (RB #22) at running back. Penn State fans have always had a love of true freshman, especially running backs, and they showed their enthusiasm as he strolled onto the field for the first time, much to the chagrin of the grand JoePa himself. Mr. Scott provided some much needed excitement to the offense and the crowd, and everyone is hoping that he is the next great running back at Penn State.

This week’s test against Boston College will be a tough one for the Lions. We need to be more in sync on offense and start making plays on defense, or this will turn out to be a long season. Look for Zach Mills and his receivers to start clicking better. If the offensive line can stay healthy and get more rhythm they could grow into a good unit to block for Scott.

On the defensive side, expect to see more blitzing and schemes as the year progresses. Without behemoths like the Presidents (Kennedy and Adams) in the middle we’ll have to mix it up more and use our outstanding linebackers. The secondary is stacked with talent and playmakers but it needs to gel (and quick) or there will be big plays to come.

Overall, it’s just good to be back at Beaver Stadium. The grass looks great, the black Nikes pacing the sideline look great and hopefully by the end of this year our team will show us something. And maybe Mr. Scott will take us there.

Until next time…GO STATE!

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