Still crazy after all these years

… may have to make it an electoral issue this fall Whenever athletes compete, regardless of their age or gender, all they ask is a level playing field so that each can have a reasonable chance to win. Everyone should have the same chance of fielding a competitive team. That is why on a national level the NCAA has Divisions I, II and III. That is why within those divisions, they have individual conferences that have schools that put the same amount of money — comparatively — into athletics. In addition, that is why in high school athletics, state and district competition is divided into classes based on enrollment numbers. When I was in high school in the 1960s, we had A, B, and C in Pennsylvania. This changed to AAA, AA, and A, and then AAAA was added. Then they added six classifications to that. The logic is simple: Teams with more potential athletes will be able to field more competitive teams than those with fewer athletes. For instance, I graduated from a very small high school...

… Penn State asks for a little time Betting on professional sports is not a major societal concern in most respects, though gambling itself is one of those things that is somewhat criticized by Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Nonetheless, it is happening now with much of that controlled by organized crimes forces in New York, New Jersey, and Nevada. That is not about to change because of any action taken by any state. Ultimately, big-money forces, aka organized crime, will take over each state, as they have right now. In my home town, a local man ran numbers using one of the local clubs as his meeting place for many transactions. So, even though not legal, it has been around for years. However, legal betting on college athletics raises another problem. It is called “fixing,” “bribes,” and “big-money.” That is why Penn State President Eric Barron proposed to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board that a moratorium be set for games involving colleges in the state for as long as two y...

… was a live-in advisor at the fraternity On paper, Tim Bream has an impressive resume. Actually, very impressive — up to a point. That seems to be when Bream’s life appears to careen out of control. Bream, who resigned as Penn State trainer in Feb.,  was a graduate of Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, specializing in athletic training. He then attended West Virginia as a grad assistant trainer, where he received a master’s degree in Physical Education with an emphasis on Sports Science. All of this information is from his bio on the Penn State athletic site. He then worked his way up the ladder impressively, working at Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and finally at the University of Richmond, where he was the Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer. Then he received his big break, being name as Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Chicago Bears in 1993, and four years later, Head Athletic Trainer. He was with the Bears for 19 years when inexplicably,...

… how do athletes manage to slide off when they are guilty? ESPN reported earlier this week that Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston was going to be suspended for at least three games this season. The reason is that he has violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy with his behavior toward a Uber driver in 2016. Citing “league sources,” the network said, “Although the alleged incident occurred in March 2016, it did not surface until BuzzFeed reported the accusation in November 2017 . The NFL initiated its investigation -- with [Lisa] Friel at the forefront of it -- and the Buccaneers have been waiting to hear from the league." According to the Uber employee, “... Winston ‘just grabbed my crotch’ and kept his hand there for several seconds as they waited in a drive-through lane at a Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona, in March 2016. The quarterback was banned from Uber after the driver filed a complaint with the ride-sharing service. However, no police charges were fil...

 … owner, management personnel Major League Baseball does not have a true revenue-sharing program as the National Football League does, meaning that small market teams will always be challenged to compete with the wealthy. However, the Milwaukee Brewers are demonstrating that with some important components, small market teams can compete with the likes of the Chicago Cubs, those that have deep pockets. The Pittsburgh Pirates are using that time-worn excuse that they have to unload their big salaries if they want to win, and continue to slide under .500, heading for another poor season. Why the difference? Owner and G.M. make the difference To understand why the Brewers are leading the NL-Central at the present time, you have to look at how they have come this far. Last year, they pushed the Cubs to the brink as they won 86 games despite having the smallest payroll in MLB. That change did not occur by accident. The managing owner and G.M. are former New Yorkers, Ivy-League educa...

… Jung Ho Kang case disturbing This should have been an example of an American president railing against an immigration system that allows criminals to enter the country and be given a work visa. Except that in this case, it was the Trump administration that granted a baseball player who was convicted of three criminal charges in his home country of South Korea to enter the U.S. In addition, this man was charged with sexual assault in Chicago in a case that was never resolved. So much for the tough new immigration laws. Yet, that is what happened with a major league baseball player named Jung Ho Kang. According to a MajorLeagueBaseball.com story in late April, “… Kang was granted a work visa by the United States government and re-entered the U.S.” Yes, granted a work visa by the United States government . After three convictions for driving under the influence, one of which he was sentenced to jail but had the sentence suspended, the U.S. allowed him to sign another work visa. After ...

… she suggest the flea-flicker Doug Pederson remembers Carol Cullen well. When Pederson was an assistant coach with the Eagles under Andy Reid for four years, Cullen was the Executive Assistant to the Head Coach who typed out the game plan each week for the coaches. Cullen had been with the Eagles for 30 years under seven head coaches. However, fired Coach Chip Kelly fired Cullen without specifying his rationale. “Chip just said my job was no longer needed," Cullen told ESPN. "It was very difficult. I had no idea it was coming, so it was very emotional for me. And it took me a while to get over it and get used to another life, really, because when you work in football like that, it's not 9 to 5 -- it's seven days a week, and I loved every minute of it." Pederson never forgot her, though, and when Kelly was fired shortly after firing Cullen, and Pederson was hired to take his place, the Eagles coach continued to talk to his old friend. The Flea-Flicker When Cu...

… yes, but he was just being honest He was one of the greatest running backs in Penn State football history, so why would Saquon Barkley denigrate his alma mater? That is what some Penn State fans are thinking as the first-round draft pick of the New York Giants makes his rounds of the media in preparation for his first season in the NFL. Barkley was interviewed on Twitter by Whistle Sports, and one of the questions had to do with rivalries. In essence, he said that he was thrilled to be playing the Philadelphia Eagles as a member of the New York Giants because it would be a true rivalry. It also meant something more since he is from the Lehigh Valley area of Pa., north of Philly. Here is the relevant text of his reply to the question of rivalries: "Which team has a rival that dates back to 1933? That’s easy, NFL. The Eagles we go against? Oh, my God. Giants vs. the Eagles. Philadelphia is not so far where I’m from, so that game is like a homecoming game for me. Rivalry games ad...

... he has brought them back to prominence A friend and fellow alumnus of Penn State told me prior to the 2016 football season that 2018 would be the make or break season for Coach James Franklin. Little did he know that the 2016 was that season, two years earlier, and Franklin’s responded well after a tough start. However, it proved how one game can not just turn around a season, it can turn around a career. One game can save a career The Nittany Lions had lost a close game to the Pitt Panthers in Pittsburgh, 42-39, in the second game of the 2016 season and were then pummeled by Michigan, 49-10, on national television two weeks later. With their record at 2-2, and after posting disappointing 7-6 records his first two seasons, the Nittany faithful were rambunctious. Had the school made a terrible decision in hiring him to replace Bill O’Brien after he bolted to the NFL? On blogs, many fans were guessing who would replace Franklin after he was fired at the end of the season. The Lio...

… injuries have slowed him Heralded first-round pick from 2013 Austin Meadows has tantalized Pirates fans for years, and finally, he was called up in May with an opportunity to perform on the big stage. The left-handed outfielder delivered, hitting four home runs, three doubles, a triple, and stealing three bases in his first 13 games. In addition, he was hitting over .400 in those first days, going an incredible 433/.433/.867 in his first 29 opportunities at the plate to be named Rookie of the Month in the National League. Even Manager Clint Hurdle was impressed. Meadows’ “performance was eye-catching,” Hurdle told reporters after watching the rookie. Performance Meadows was called up when center fielder Starling Marte was place on the 10-day disabled list. The original plan was to send Meadows back to AAA Indianapolis after Marte returned. Hurdle had said as much, according to Elizabeth Bloom of the Post-Gazette. Even though Marte immediately re-claimed his position, the manag...

… more than just a great player The best college football defense that I have ever seen was the 1968 Penn State Nittany Lion squad. I am biased because I was a student there at the time. However, it featured two players who were not just All-Americans but who went on to become All-Pros in the NFL. One of them was a defensive tackle named Mike Reid, who played his high school football for the Altoona Mountain Lions. There, he was a 235-pound fullback before becoming a 265-pound defensive lineman at Penn State. Not only did he become a first-team All-American as a senior, he won the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the top interior lineman in the NCAA, and the Maxwell Award, given to the player of the year. Reid finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy that season. He was also a heavyweight wrestler there for a time. Penn State also went undefeated that year and could have played for a national title were it not for a mistake made by Coach Joe Paterno. Sad story there. P...

… “we’re moving on” In just his second season as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Doug Pederson has established himself as one of the top coaches in the NFL. His squad captured the Super Bowl in Feb. after losing their franchise quarterback, a feat in itself. Directing the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over the Patriots, the first in franchise history, has already made him a hero in Philadelphia. In this case, though, he has earned another form of respect. Pederson was a little-known NFL quarterback in his playing days, playing a supporting role to Brett Favre in Green Bay, where he held for extra points. He was a member of the Super Bowl XXXI squad, and he is one of a small number of people who have won a Super Bowl as both a player and a coach. Example of being classy First, I am a Pennsylvania football fan, but root for the NFL team in the west, not the east. Nevertheless, when he took over the Eagles two years ago, I started to pay attention to what he was doing. I knew that...

… good hire for A.D. Heather Lyke Some Pittsburgh basketball fans cannot recall the thrilling games that were held at the Peterson during the Jamie Dixon era. From 2003 until 2014, they place was rocking, giving it national credibility. In 2010, the Panthers finished in the Elite Eight in the country, which whet the appetite of students and fans throughout the country. It was a heady time for Pitt. Now, after finishing the 2017-18 season with a pitiful 0-18 record in the ACC, then firing the coach, the Panthers have to regroup. Athletic Director Heather Lyke struggled with her first major hire, but she came out of it with an outstanding hire. Jeff Capel Finally, Lyke settled on a coach with great ACC connections and with a pedigree from one of the most prestigious basketball schools in the country. In the past few years, he served as the top assistant coach to Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, the top coach in the land over the past 30 years who called the hire “amazing.” Pitt fans hope Coach ...

... put your grade on the draft While Mel Kiper may go on and on about how well a team does in its contemporary draft, the truth is that the quality of an NFL draft class can only be determined five years later. So, if that is true, how good was the Steelers’ 2013 draft? A dream or a dud? The picks: 1. Jarvis Jones, LB 2. Le’Veon Bell, RB 3. Markus Wheaton, WR 4. Shamarko Thomas, S 4. Landry Jones, QB 5. Terry Hawthorne, WR 6. Justin Brown, WR 6. Vince Williams, LB 7. Nicholas Williams, DE When you have a productive Pro Bowl player like Le’Veon Bell in it, the draft cannot certainly be a bust. Bell has had significant character issues and may sit out this year, missing part of others because of drug issues. However, this was a very good second round pick. Vince Williams is starting at LB, and while not on the level of Lawrence Timmons, a former first-round pick, he is adequate and good for a sixth rounder. Other than that, it was a veritable bust.  Other than Le'Veon Jarvi...

… he should send Bob Nutting a thank you card In 2011, Gerritt Cole was the number one pick in the Major League Baseball draft. The Pittsburgh Pirates thought of him as their savior. Instead, the Houston Astros now regard him as their savior even though they hardly needed to be save, winning the World Series last year. Right now, he has a 6-1 record with a 2.20 ERA, which was 1.8 last week and is 1.18 below his lifetime average. He was number 1 in FanGraphs pitching. He defeated the Diamondbacks as he struck out 16 and allowed just one hit in a complete game. MLB.com called it “one of the 15 best nine-inning starts in history.” One website described the performance and Cole thus far, “Cole’s outing Friday was certainly his best of the season (and probably the best of any pitcher this season), but it was no aberration. On the year, the 27-year-old righty boasts a 1.42 ERA in seven starts, with MLB bests in strikeouts (77) and FIP (1.55). He has quite possibly been the best pitcher in...

... Barkley will have to reverse Nittany Lion history When people watch film clips of former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, they simply drool over what he can do. He is fabulous on film. So much so that the New York Giants selected him as the second player chosen in the 2018 NFl draft. Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman was effusive in praising the running back prior to the draft. After all, Barkley has demonstrated that he could do it all. Has he ever seen a player with such skills? "In 10 years, no … He can string together moves and get in and out of stuff ... He's unique. There's no doubt about it. He's big. He's powerful. He can step on the gas at different levels of speed. And, he catches the heck out of the ball, and he sees the blitz pickup. He's unique." So, if that is the case, why are so many people criticizing the Giants’ selection? First, there is the history factor, and Penn State running backs, even those who were top five o...