Columns
-
NCAA Women’s Frozen Four Comes to Hockey Valley
—
by
In this 50th anniversary year of Title IX, it’s only fitting that Penn State, a pioneer in promoting women’s athletics, is hosting the Frozen Four Women’s NCAA Ice Hockey Championships this weekend at Pegula Ice Arena. This is your opportunity to see some of the top players in the country playing for a national title…
-
In the Face of Inhumanity, There Is Only One Side to Take
—
by
In his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Holocaust survivor, author and activist Elie Wiesel wrote what he felt as a boy being taken into “the Kingdom of Night”: “I remember he asked his father: ‘Can this be true? This is the twentieth century, not the Middle Ages. Who would allow such crimes to be…
-
Penn State Wrestling: Jeff Byers Offers His Pre-NCAA Predictions, Plaudits & Perspectives
—
by
If you think of Penn State wrestling from an audio perspective, it’s all about the radio voice of Jeff Byers. For the last 33 years, Byers has offered ecstatic appreciation for Nittany Lion successes while also being undeniably fair toward the opposition. Raised in the State College area, “Ironhead” loves Penn State, but it’s quite possible…
-
What Part of War Isn’t a Crime?
—
by
Tucked in amid the coverage of the invasion of Ukraine is the question of whether Russia is committing war crimes. You think? What part of Mad Vlad’s three-week-old assault on his “brother Slavs” isn’t a war crime? What part of any military aggression isn’t a crime against humanity? Watching the carnage in Ukraine has me…
-
Situational Awareness with a Dose of Common Sense
—
by
Driving to and from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina for our recent spring break trip, we spent over 24 hours on interstates and highways. During a rather congested stretch of highway in Virginia (with a 70 mph speed limit), I noticed up ahead that the driver of a large RV pulling a Jeep Grand Cherokee…
-
Can Penn State Quarterback Sean Clifford Be the Next Kenny Pickett?
—
by
Compare Sean Clifford’s three years as Penn State’s starting quarterback with Kenny Pickett’s first three as the starter at Pitt and you come away thinking two things: 1.) The numbers are eerily similar. 2.) If Clifford is going to pull what Pickett did in 2021 – take a strong jump in production, wins and draftability…
-
Remembering Penn State Springs of Yore
—
by
If you are reading this in Happy Valley, you know we’ve arrived at spring break. There are suddenly about 45,000 fewer humans around. In New York City, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh that wouldn’t be noticed, but around here that’s close to half the population. It’s as if the Marvel Avengers came to life and Thanos snapped…
-
Penn State Spring Practice Kicks Off Another Reboot for James Franklin, as Coaches and Staff Continue to Come and Go
in Columns, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State Blue-White Game, Penn State Football, Penn State Sports—
by
James Franklin is rapidly approaching his 3,000th day at Penn State, which is March 30. When he was introduced as the Nittany Lions’ head football coach on Jan. 11, 2014, Penn State was undergoing turbulent times. Rod Erickson was president. David Joyner was athletic director. Penn State was under heavy NCAA sanctions. And Franklin was…
-
Spotlight PA to Launch State College Bureau, Partners with StateCollege.com to Provide More Local Accountability Journalism
—
by
During the past two and a half years, with the enduring and generous support of Pennsylvanians across the state, we have built Spotlight PA into one of the most successful local journalism endeavors in the United States. But the challenges before us are immense, and we cannot rest.
-
A Legend Walks Away
—
by
In college sports, because players come and go every three of four years, successful and respected coaches become the unchanging presence and face of their teams. The ones who stay and succeed become intertwined with their school and transcend time. For Alabama football it was Bear Bryant, for Tennessee basketball it was Pat Summit or…