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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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