Email "The Fan" | Visit "The Fan Archive"

September 30, 2003

by Jared Bean

Firstly, loyal readers, I write my deepest apologies. Last week, I was unable to complete my column by deadline and I feel miserable about it. The only thing I can do now is write even more this week. So here goes…

From the Parking Lot:

It has been two weeks of fun and games in the parking lot. There were reporters and rainstorms, victories and defeats, old friends and new.

There was excitement in the air two Saturdays ago wafting from “The Pavilion.” The press was around, after all. They were doing an in-depth exposé on sports boosters in NCAA football. Okay, it really wasn’t an exposé, and it was more of a fluff piece on tailgating. But, darn it, it made the news, with pictures and all.

The PennStateTailgate.com folks were interviewed and photographed by a team from the York Dispatch/Sunday News. The story ran on Sunday, September 28, 2003 in the York Sunday News. Mention of our intertwined lives, love of tailgating, and friendships dominated the discussion, and dominated the story. From my perspective, it was really exciting to share the “lifestyle” we love so much with others.

That day also marked a milestone in our tailgating experience. Our first deep fried turkey. Whoever invented this culinary marvel should be awarded with either the American Heart Association’s “Enemy of the State of Wellness Award” or a place on the Food Network’s “Top 5”. Our Executive Chef outdid himself with this bird and the crowd left happy and maybe a touch sleepy.

From reporters to rainstorms, this past Saturday the tables turned. The team lost, and on cue the weather turned to thunder and lightning a few hours after the game. The spirit in the parking lot is tested under these circumstances. For fans used to exiting Beaver Stadium victorious, it has been a tough few years. Many in the lots were talking about a memory most would rather forget. The November Saturday in 1999 that turned a program around. The loss to Minnesota on a last second field goal, after a 4th and 14, ruined what was until then a perfect season, and a remarkable football tradition. Many want to forget that game and also the one on Saturday. My advice, remember it. These are games Penn State used to win. These will be games that Penn State will win again. How soon those victories will once again fill our heads when we leave our seats, is the question that this coaching staff and team must answer for both the program and the fans.

For now, the Parking Lot seems to be the constant presence in a football program with a lot of questions to be answered. Make no mistake, we are an integral part of the tradition, and we will fight to bring it back. No matter where the athletic department parks us.

From the Field:

In the two games since my last column, it has become obvious that something is wrong. Penn State Football is in trouble. The talent remains, but the passion, the pride, and the heart seem to have been either lost or taken from this team. If taken, the coaching staff can be blamed. I remember a day when there was a swagger to accompany those plain uniforms, that teams across the country feared. There was a pride that emanated from the coaches and players alike. Today, there seems to be only frustration.

It all comes from the top. Joe Paterno has definitely shown fire the past two years, most notably by chasing down officials every other game. While there are concerns with the constant mistakes made by Big Ten officials, Joe needs to realize that the appearance is that he has lost control. When the head coach doesn’t show the restraint needed, it is not only the fans and media that notice. It’s the players. Which belies the question, is this passion being displayed to the team to develop their will to win, or only to show them how to complain.

The players can also teach the coaches a thing or two. At the beginning of the 2002 season Jimmy Kennedy, the behemoth who anchored the defensive line on last year’s team, came back to Penn State for his senior season, giving up what would have been a lucrative mid-draft NFL contract. One of the reasons he said he was coming back was to help restore a once proud program. This year’s players could learn from him. Someone on this team needs to become a leader on the field and in the locker room, and from the stands it doesn’t appear as if that has happened.

On the field, the calling of plays and execution remain a mystery. While we did win the ballgame against an undermanned Kent State team, it seemed like more of a chore than a chance to get back on track, and that proved true last Saturday against Minnesota. Decisions from the sidelines seemed unsure and rushed. Execution on the field seems the result of lack of enthusiasm and energy. Clock management issues have plagued the offense and the lack of adjustments has bitten the D. This all stems from coaching, and something better bring this team back from the brink. The indecision is so noticeable on the sidelines, that sometimes you think you are at a local high school, not in front of 108,000 people.

Frustration is a difficult emotion to handle. The life of a sports fan, however, has always been filled with it. This year the Lion Nation has felt their frustrations escalate. The glorious past seems to grow more distant with every bad decision, every bad call and every loss. The only people who can remove that frustration are the players and coaches of the Penn State Football program.

Until next time…GO STATE!

Email "The Fan" | Visit "The Fan Archive" | Home