Columns
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What Everyone Got Wrong About Penn State
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On Oct. 11, I wrote a column titled “Welcome to Rock Bottom, Penn State.” I typed it in the press box at Beaver Stadium after the Nittany Lions lost to Northwestern 22-21. I don’t disagree with anything I wrote in that article — James Franklin was fired less than 24 hours after it was published…
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Nebraska Didn’t Win the Battle, But Their Coach Rhules His Own Domain
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The minute Matt Rhule and his full Nebraska squad ran out of the visiting team tunnel in Beaver Stadium on Saturday, a little more than an hour before kickoff, the Cornhuskers’ head coach made a beeline for the middle of the field. Rhule was looking for Terry Smith, a fellow former Nittany Lion football player…
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Skip the Guilt, Not the Pie: Why ‘Saving Up’ for Holiday Meals Usually Backfires — and What to Try Instead
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Every year, as the holidays approach, I hear the same whispers in conversations:“I’m going to be good until Thanksgiving.”“I’ll start fresh in January.”“If I can just avoid the dessert table, I’ll be good.”“I just need to get back on track.” And I get it — with so many parties, treats and traditions, it’s easy to…
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Battista: We’ve Come a Long Way
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My wife and I (and our part-time author dog Barkley) trekked up to Pittsburgh recently to meet up with our youngest son Ryan (in town from Minneapolis for work) and to visit my parents While we were in Da’Burgh we had the opportunity to take a few strolls down memory lane. Wow, we’ve really come…
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PSUPoorman’s Top 10: Hiring Penn State’s Head Coach Is Only the Tip of the Iceberg
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The list of Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft’s coaching candidates keeps getting shorter. But the to-do list for Nittany Lion football’s yet-to-be named 17th fulltime head coach remains longer than ever. Ever, as in the history of college football. The last two Nittany Lion head coaches that Penn State hired were announced on Jan.…
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Matt Rhule: Coming Home to Beaver Stadium as Nebraska’s Head Coach
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You might have read about Matt Rhule. Yep, the guy who was rumored to be Penn State’s top choice to replace James Franklin as head football coach. In fact, you probably read about him every day from Oct. 12, when Franklin was fired, until Oct. 30, when Rhule’s contract extension at the University of Nebraska…
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Paterno: As Tumultuous Season Nears End, Penn State Team Deserves Fans’ Support
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Tuesday morning, we woke to the first snow on the ground of the season. Although the foliage season has passed its peak (like most of us of a certain age), there are still some leaves on the trees. And while the calendar doesn’t officially flip to winter for several more weeks, we know what’s coming.…
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Penn State Wrestling: Ironhead Expects Another Year of Greatness From Lion Dynasty
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It’s become a bit of a tradition—one that I don’t take lightly—for me to conduct a pre-season interview on Penn State wrestling with Jeff Byers. Known by his friends as “Ironhead,” Byers is a major on-air presence for Sports Radio 98.7 – The Fox and is the longtime radio voice for Nittany Lion wrestling. Our…
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Subu Vedam’s Status: Still in Custody, But No Longer a Lifer
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The news that Subu Vedam was grabbed by immigration authorities on the very day he was to be released from prison came as a shock to many of us who had supported his decades-long quest to clear his name. We had imagined him walking away from the brick walls and razor wire fences of the…
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Hook: Take It From Me, Pay Attention to the Little Things When It Comes to Your Body
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Words of wisdom: As far as your body goes, take the little things seriously. Why? I’ll tell you a story. But first I’m going to break every normal column-writing convention and tell you how the story ends before I even begin. Here goes… I had tonsil cancer and now it’s gone. Granted, I will have…