Still crazy after all these years

Hello, I am taking some time off from the blogs. Crazy to do it during the exciting football season, but after 51,000 page views, I am slowing down for a time. Thanks for reading. Questions: hughconrad52@aol.com

... it's complicated The reason that Penn State gave for ending its great football rivalry with Pitt in 2000 was that since the Nittany Lions were now in the Big Ten, they had only three out-of-conference games to play. For the school to continue its revenue stream, it had to have two homes games to Pitt's one for the series to continue. Coach Joe Paterno knew that Pitt would never agree to that, but the truth is that Paterno was not being truthful about his reason for dumping Pitt. He had some legitimate grievances against Pittsburgh. The History Lesson A little history lesson will help. The Big East Conference was initially discussed in 1978 as a basketball conference because of new NCAA in-season regulations that would affect independents. Four teams were initially involved: Syracuse, Providence, St. John's and Georgetown. The ADs analyzed a number of criteria that would allow teams to enter the league. These included the quality of the men's programs

… right to restrict media access?   As the Pitt-Penn State series begins again on Saturday for the first time in 16 years, many members of the media took to Twitter and to their webpages and expressed their anger that Pitt Coach Pat Narduzzi has closed his locker room and his practices to any interviews. Narduzzi is taking this game seriously, and he is also being clear about what his team must do in order to compete for the ACC title. While this game is not an Atlantic Coast Conference [ACC] battle, he knows that the players must perform better than they did last week in a 28-7 victory over Villanova. "This one’s a little bit different,” Narduzzi said yesterday in his weekly press conference. “It’s an in-state rivalry. It’s ACC-Big Ten. Everybody in the country is going to be watching. The city of Pittsburgh, the state of Pennsylvania, there’s going to be a lot of eyes. That’s what makes it different … I’d like to be the only voice this week, eliminate all distractions.

… Dupree has surgery for sports hernia/abdominal Last year, a number 1 pick missed almost all of the 2015 season -- center Maurkice Pouncey -- just as he did in 2013, missing most of both seasons because of knee injuries. Pouncey has been a quality center along the lines of hall of famers Mike Webster and Dermotti Dawson. In terms of health, Pouncey has struggled. This has not been his fault. More bad luck than anything else, as it is with most of the number 1 picks. Jarvis Jones Another number 1 pick, outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, has missed 12 games in three years. That included missing nine in 2014. This is the last year of his contract, so he has some incentive to put together a great season. Ryan Shazier Another number 1 pick, inside linebacker Ryan Shazier, has missed 11 games in two years. That included seven in his rookie season of 2014. Shazier has shown sparks of excellence, but he needs a full, healthy season to bring it to full potential. David D

… but either team could win this matchup  Suffice it to say that neither Pat Narduzzi nor James Franklin were very happy campers on Saturday afternoon. True, Narduzzi's Pitt Panthers held on to defeat Villanova, 28-7, but the autopsy of this game will not be easy for the coaches or the players. Franklin also watched his Penn State Nittany Lions pull away in the second half for a 33-13 victory over Kent State of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). But, like most of his challenges in his first two years, Franklin has some intense work to do prior to the two teams meeting next Saturday at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Big plays Both of these teams were given a major boost by some great individual plays. Pitt sophomore kick returner Quadree Henderson took Villanova's second half kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. The Panthers led by just 14-0 af the half, so that gave them a three-touchdown lead. This was the second consecutive game that Henderson took one to the hou

… not the 1966, the 1876, or the 1776 teams  Coach James Franklin's 2016 version of the Nittany Lions will be unveiled at Beaver Stadium today, and excitement is in the air. The PSU administration did its best to take the focus away from the 2016 Lions this week, but they failed. The Nittany Lions will host Kent State in a 3:30 kick on the Big Ten Network, and fans are truly excited about the new offensive scheme that will finally be unveiled. Coach Morehead Franklin brought in one of the most creative offensive minds to direct the Nittany version of the spread. Joe Morehead had been the head coach at FCS Fordham where his offenses set new school records in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Morehead calls his offense the multiple spread, and the focus is on the running game. That will again be in the person of a back with the potential to be one of the best. Sophomore Saquon Barkley became the best rookie runner in the Big Ten last year, rushing for 1,076 yards to set a

… eager for Sept. 3  The scene is one that many will cherish. A running back who was the best in his conference, one who broke records set by the legendary Tony Dorsett, will charge onto the turf at Heinz Field. Another outstanding back for the Pitt Panthers, James Conner is eagerly anticipating Saturday's game after suffering through an hellacious year. In 2014, Conner won the ACC Offensive Player of the Year award in just his sophomore season. Going into the 2015 season, the sky was limitless. 2015 a tough year Then, he tore his MCL against Youngstown State in the first game of 2015, ending his season. Last December, he received worse news when doctors diagnosed him with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Emotionally, the year had to be depressing: From the top of the ACC to knee surgery and then to cancer. The 240-pound running back was forced to undergo chemotherapy, and it was successful as he is now cancer-free. "I'm ready for it all. I know my team's