Tag Archives: sports

Most Exciting Game – Ever!

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The first football game I watched this season was the Fiesta Bowl last night. I’m convinced that it is The Best football game I’ll ever see.  Boise State (the good guys) beat Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime.  Writers will be scrambling for adjectives to describe the range of emotions both teams experienced during the four hours of drama.  21 points were scored in the last 86 seconds of regulation play!!  You can read a recap here.  After the daring and dramatic two-point conversion, using a trick play, Boise State remained undefeated.  Their QB grew up 1 1/2 hours away from our home, so there is some euphoria over a local boy turned hero. 

The player who ran in the winning play, Ian Johnson, was being interviewed immediately after the game. A cheerleader was nestled under his arm, grinning and looking at the camera.  My daughter-in-law looked at me and asked what I had been wondering, “Do you think that’s his girlfriend or just some cheerleader who wants more air time?”   Next thing, as the nation is focused on him, he takes a knee and asks her to marry him!!  “Uh, I can’t be sure, but it looks like she’s his girlfriend,” I replied. 

So ends my sports blog. Tomorrow: Diet advice from St. Augustine.

My day as a Penn State Fan

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Last Saturday we went to a Penn State football game.  I donned a borrowed sweatshirt and slipped into the life of a Penn State fan.  I learned the liturgy of PSU football, tutored by my beloved niece Anne.  First off, Joe Paterno is “Joepa”.  One of the chants is “JoePa” with the other side responding “Terno”. There is an abiding affection for this man that permeates everything within a 100 mile radius. 

 

 

 

 

This wall has a quote: “They ask me what I’d like to be written about me when I’m gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach.”

 The stadium holds 100,000 + people.  By the time the band comes onto the field, the stadium is packed with people.  The drum major wuns out and does a flip on the field.  He jumps high enough to make the flip without the plumes on his hat touching the ground.  The tradition is that if he makes the flip without muffing it, PSU will win the game.

The players do not have their names on the backs of their jerseys to emphasize that they play as a team.  My brother’s extended family is very closely connected to PSU; consequently we had great seats on the 45 yd line, 15 rows up.  Sometimes I look straight ahead at the line of scrimmage.

 

 

 

 My brother’s family are friends with two of the players.  They’ve had them down to the farm, fed them, and encouraged them.  It was fun to cheer for specific players and to follow them.  The final score was PSU 33 Northwestern 7.  Hooray!!