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August 18, 2004
by Jared
Bean
Watch out Beaver Stadium.
We’re BACK!
Pack up the coolers and the
kids, stow the chairs and grills, board the dog. It’s time to
return to that most hallowed land: The parking lots of Beaver Stadium.
From the Parking Lot:
First of all, it’s
good to be back loyal readers. This is my first column since the end
of last season. There were of course several reasons why it has been
so long. First I just couldn’t face the negativity that surrounded
the 2003 Lion Campaign. I figured I’d let cooler heads prevail
and regroup with a preview of the Blue White Campaign. Then my life
changed and my wife and I welcomed our newest member of the family,
Evan, into this world. Needless to say a three month old didn’t
allow much time for writing PSU fluff.
But now “the boy”
is six months old, sleeping through the night, and old dad here is back
at the keyboard, rested and ready to contribute my two cents to the
cause.
Now it’s time for my
traditional rant about PSU and how they run things. To put it bluntly
the parking situation still stinks. Our hopes of returning to the most
storied lot at Beaver Stadium, Lot #9, were dashed with the arrival
of the 2004 Parking brochure. Lot #9 continues to be the repository
for the Physically Disabled PSU fans that can’t afford to give
enough money to park on pavement. Instead they are mired in a muddy
field once again, forced to wheel across the bare earth to “catch
the bus.” When will PSU and Herb Schmidt wake up and realize that
if you continue to treat your fans this way you are going to lose them.
Those big donors that pay thousands to park near the stadium won’t
be alive forever, and the future generations of potential cash cows
are the ones who want to park in Lot #9, and are the ones that this
University and this athletic program continually turn their back on.
Make it right. Give those people a chance to show their school spirit
and they will return the favor. And for God’s sake let the people
with the placard park close to the stadium on pavement! They deserve
it. Make sure you let Herb Schmidt know your feelings on parking and
other issues at Beaver Stadium by emailing him. He loves to here feedback
from the fans. Click Here to email him
at whs1@psu.edu.
However, despite their best
efforts, the Parking Folks can’t ruin a good football tailgate.
Hell, a bad team can’t even ruin a good football tailgate, but
more about that in “From the Field.”
As I’ve said before
the first Penn State game of the year, to someone who loves the “experience,”
is like New Year’s. It is, all at once, a new beginning, a renewal
of a life-long love, and a journey back to the University life that
seems more distant every year. It’s a perfect balance, the key
ingredient of which is the friends that you share it with. Who could
ask for anything more? This first game will be extra special for this
columnist, as it is the first regular season game our new son will make
the trip for; a new generation to complain about the parking, and enjoy
the day.
Now is the time to organize
the gear. If you are new to tailgating don’t forget to check our
tailgate essentials list.
And to put you in the spirit of the season remember to watch the gladiator
video, and read the poem from a few
years ago that has become classic to our group of tailgaters.
Let the tailgate begin!
From the field:
I wish the sentimentality
about the Nittany Lion Football team equaled that of the tailgate. There
are as many questions unanswered as there are excuses from the past
three years. Will anyone catch the ball? Will there be a featured running
back by the first game of the season? Will Dan Connor be the savior
that I hope he is?
From the offensive side of
the football I see a couple of promising things. First, the offensive
line should be more experienced. Also, the return of Paul Jefferson
at Fullback could provide the kind of impact that excites an entire
running game, something we definitely need with the many question marks
at receiver.
On the defensive side of
the ball the biggest questions in my mind remain at the coaching level.
Tom Bradley needs to institute different schemes that remove the predictability
from our defense. We have solid talent that needs to perform, and the
coaching staff needs to provide the team with the environment to shine.
The turning point for this
team could rest on the special teams. The heartbreak from seeing a blocked
punt, a returned kickoff, or another missed field goal, is too much
for the fans to take. This unit must get better. Period.
The one thing you can always
count on from the Nittany Lions is the wonderful humor of its coach.
He presents himself as simple as can be, but with the wit that makes
him JoePa. This was evidenced by reference in his Press Conference to
his frequent disagreements with Fran Ganter over play calling during
games and if it would continue with Galen Hall. Joe summed it up as
only he could: “I don’t care if God were making the calls,
I would have a couple of different agreements with him. He might even
disagree with me.”
At the end of the day this
team should perform and end up at 7-4 and make it back to a bowl game.
With very tough games on the road against Wisconsin, Ohio State, and
Boston College, PSU must protect its home turf. Losses at home are unacceptable
for any respectable college football program and have become a necessity
for this team to restore its rightful place at the top of the Big Ten
ladder. I look forward to giving my perspective throughout the year,
and I hope you enjoy it. If you have any comments for me, don’t
hesitate to contact me at beano@pennstatetailgate.com
See you at Beaver Stadium!
Until next time…GO
STATE!
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