Columns
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James Franklin’s 100 Games and Penn State Contract: I Crunched the Numbers so You Don’t Have to
in Columns, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State, Penn State Football, Penn State Sports, Sports—
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This was a big week, both good and bad, for James Franklin and Penn State. Franklin, who is in his eighth season at PSU, signed a six-year contract extension, pushing his deal with Penn State until Dec. 31, 2031. The Nittany Lions boss, who turns 50 on Feb. 2, 2022, also coached his 100th game…
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Nature’s Ways: Witch-Hazel — the Last Pa. Native Plant to Flower Each Year
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One doesn’t typically expect to see plants flowering outdoors at the time of year — except maybe potted mums. The last native Pennsylvania plant to flower each year is the witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), a small understory tree. The genus name Hamamelis means “together with fruit,” which refers to the flower blooming at the same time…
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A Border-Crossing Thanksgiving
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BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON – The U.S.-Canada border used to feel like a technicality. The person in the booth would glance at your driver’s license, ask why you were gracing their fair land with your presence and whether you were bringing in booze, bombs or other contraband, then wave you on through. That was before 9/11 and…
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A Passion for Sports and Entertainment in Happy Valley
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I had the honor of taking part in an exciting announcement last Tuesday afternoon at a press conference in the Beaver Stadium Media Center. Sitting alongside Happy Valley Adventure Bureau President and CEO Fritz Smith and Penn State Deputy Athletic Director Scott Sidwell, we publicly announced the formation of the new Happy Valley Sports and…
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Penn State Football’s Biggest Question Isn’t Franklin’s Future, but Its Own
in Columns, Latest Penn State News, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State, Penn State Football, Penn State Sports, State College, StateCollege.com—
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Let’s start with the mistake right off the bat. When talking about spending millions of dollars on facility upgrades and the various bells and whistles on James Franklin’s wish list, people view those things as a transactional reward given to Franklin. If he does this, then he earns that. In lieu of certain kinds of…
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9 Things to Know About a Potential New Deal Between James Franklin and Penn State
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After Penn State’s 28-0 victory over Rutgers on Saturday, James Franklin stood about 10 yards from the edge of Penn State’s south end zone and said he would talk about his future at Penn State – and perhaps elsewhere – at his weekly press conference this coming Tuesday afternoon. Neil Rudel of The Mirror in…
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9 Things That Explain Penn State Football in 2021, Including the Decline in the Running Game
in Columns, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State, Penn State Football, Penn State Sports—
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Penn State has played 600 minutes of football so far in 2021. That’s enough time to get a sense of who the Nittany Lions are and what they are all about. It has been an up and down season — on and off the field — and their 6-4 record is testament to that. Some…
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‘The Long Time of Goodbyes’
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As the leaves of October’s beauty give way to the barren chill winds of grey November, we are reminded of the cycle of life and the mortality that we all face as part of the human existence. And as one reaches a certain age, mortality’s distant horizon comes more and more into focus. Probably at…
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Let’s Get Specific
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A few weeks ago my wife and I paid a visit to Jody Whipple, a local registered dietitian/nutritionist and the co-owner of Strategic Orthopaedics. Our visit was prompted by my recent heart issue; our desire to get a handle on the what, why and how of my lifestyle; and to explore if there were changes…
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Penn State Football and Its Escalating Number of Narrow Losses: The Game Within the Game
in Columns, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State, Penn State Football, Penn State Sports, Sports News—
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Narrow defeats can be perplexing. Especially when they come in bunches, like they have for Penn State football in its second consecutive autumn of discontent. Just ask Jordan Stout, whose Saturday in Beaver Stadium was full of ups and downs, near-misses and maybes. “You know, I was on the sideline thinking the same thing myself,”…