Sunday Sermon: Get Behind Me Saban

And it was written,

And the old miss answered, "Get thee behind me, Saban, for it is said, 'only Rebel not ye against the Lord.'"
--Luke 4:8 and Numbers 14:9

Oh, how the mighty hath fallen!

Look at this place!  Not an empty pew to be seen!  I have never seen so many repenters at one time!

So many denominations in one place!  Baptists, Episcopalians, Ducks, Aggies, Huskers, Sooners, and Elephants alike!

Come now and here the word!

And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up horned frogs upon the land of Oklahoma.
--Exodus 8:7

Repent!

And the Spartans laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
--Genesis 42:26

Repent!

And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of purple, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof.
--Numbers 4:11

Repent!

As we look down the list of those anointed teams, we see much suffering and gnashing of teeth.

#1 F$U managed to avoid the upset omen, beating the Demon Deacons 43-3.  Ironic isn't it?  Demon Deacons.  In this church???

#2 Oregon got upsot by Arizona 31-24 on Thursday night, a premonition of pain to come.

#3 Alabama got spanked by the Ole Miss, losing 23-17.

Not to be outdone, #4 Oklahoma lost to TCU 37-33.

#5 Auburn prevailed over #15 LSU.

#6 Texas A and M was beaten by #12 Mississippi State.  Lot's of rejoicing in that state today!

#7 Baylor took care of Texas 28-7.

# 8 UCLA lost to Utah 30-28.

#9 Notre Dame used some Irish luck to overcome the #14 Stanford Cardinal 17-14.

#10 MSU outlasted #19 Nebraska 27-22.

Fifty percent of the Top 10 teams lost yesterday.

#16 USC went down to Arizona State 38-34.  Arizona is another state rejoicing today!

#17 Wisconsin fell to the Northwestern Wildcats 20-14.

#18 BYU fell to Utah State on Friday night.  Still no one paid attention to the signs!

All told, ELEVEN top-25 ranked teams choked yesterday, with the five of those ranked in the Top 8.

What can we learn from this?

Pride goeth before destruction?  (Proverbs 16:18)

The people ranking these teams don't really know what they are doing?

It's a really good thing Penn State didn't play this weekend?

It ain't over till you actually play the games?

And we will part with the wisdom and "been a dick shun" of ESPN's premier prognosticator, Mark (Dis)May:

GO STATE!  BEAT THEM!

NCAA Meeting

Please Note:  This video is RATED R (sexual language.)  Don't blame me.  I didn't make the video.  But I really enjoyed it!

Rutgers Apology

From the Scarlet Knights website:

On behalf of Rutgers University and the Athletic Department, we would like to apologize for the regrettable actions of a handful of Rutgers fans on Saturday that do not convey the message of good, competitive spirit that we look forward to having with our new Big Ten rival Penn State University.

Some of the signage and t-shirts that we have been made aware of were both inappropriate and offensive.

I have spoken with and apologized to the Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour and I would like to apologize equally to the Penn State University fans, as well as Rutgers fans that were subjected to this classless display that does not represent the ethos of our university, athletic department or fan base.

The two inappropriate pictures that appeared briefly on our Facebook page as part of a 200-picture montage were immediately removed when we were alerted to their content.

It is unfortunate that the actions of a few spoiled an otherwise historic and record-setting night that Rutgers fans provided for our first Big Ten football game.

Julie Hermann
Rutgers Athletic Director

Sometimes there is a fine line between humor and insensitivity.  I think that some Rutgers fans crossed that line.  But some think I cross the line sometimes.  Oh, well.

In a related story, New Jersey has renamed the town of Piscataway . . .

And apparently, a picture of Franklin heading to New Jersey on a recruiting trip has surfaced . . .

We can only hope the Land Grant Trophy on the back falls in the river!

Foe Pause: Knightly News Edition

With the lifting of the major NCAA sanctions this week, the fan excite-o-meter has gone from BLUE to SCARLET!

Penn State will be footloose and sanction free for the first time since 2011.

The betting line is 3 points, with the Lions favored to out-joust the Knights.

Penn State leads the all-time series 22-2, with the last meeting being the infamous 59-34 win at Giant Stadium where Mike McQueary audibled late in the game and threw a TD pass that made then head coach Doug Graber feel like Joe was running the score up on him.  The Scarlet Knights only wins came in 1988, a 21-16 game during Joe Paterno's first losing season of his career, and 1918 when Rutgers won 26-3.  Hugo Bezdek was the coach and Penn State played 4 games that season, going 1-2-1.

This is not the history of a rivalry.

Rutgers is 2-0 with a 41-38 win on the road over Washington State and a 38-25 victory over Howard.

So what else do we know about this school in New Jersey?

Ray Rice graduated from Rutgers.  Just throwing that out there.  Not Rutgers' fault.

Louis Freeh is a graduate of Rutgers.  Not Rutgers' fault.

Rutgers was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766, making it the eighth oldest college in the United States.  The school was renamed Rutgers in 1825 when Colonel Henry Blake Rutgers donated enough money to get the school named after himself.

Rutgers is considered the Birthplace of College Football, as the first intercollegiate "football" game was won 6-4 by Rutgers over Princeton in 1869.  It was also the first game telegraphed.  It reportedly lasted six weeks,  when horseback riders were sent out carrying advertisements to the citizens of New Jersey during time outs.  This was the birth of the 30-hour time out.

This is their first year in the Big Ten conference.

I look to see a more focused Penn State team take the field against the Knights.  Franklin appears to be a very goal oriented individual, and the Lions now have something to play for.  And while a Final Four appearance is highly unlikely, a run at a Big Ten Title could be achievable.

Of course, that starts with a W Saturday night in prime time.

Unless Rutgers was sandbagging it against WSU and Howard, they do not appear to be defensively capable of holding the Hack Attack at bay.  But they are averaging 39.5 points per game themselves.  On paper, this could be a high scoring affair, but I suspect the Penn State Defense is the best defense they will face to date.

Prediction:  Penn State wins . . . 31-17.

GO STATE! BEAT KNIGHTS!

Football Funny

Foe Pause: Akron Edition

So here we are (PENN STATE!), ready to face Akron this Saturday in a noon showdown at Paterno Field inside Beaver Stadium.

What do you know about the Zips?

I don't know about you, but when I hear "Roo" this is what comes to my mind . . .

From Wikipedia, we learn about the history of the Zips:

The Zips name is unique in college athletics and comes from "zippers", rubber overshoes made by the BF Goodrich Company that were popular in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1925, a campus-wide contest had been conducted to choose a nickname for the university's athletic teams. Suggestions submitted by students, faculty, and alumni included Golden Blue Devils, Tip Toppers, Rubbernecks, Hillbillies, Kangaroos, and Cheveliers. The winner, freshman Margaret Hamlin, received a prize of $10 for "Zippers". Athletic director Kenneth Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to Zips in 1950. The university's mascot is "Zippy", a kangaroo. Zippy is one of only a few female college mascots in the United States.

Female?  I did not know that.  I'm not about to check and verify that fact either.

Of course, until this week, I did not know that Terry Bowden was the head coach of the Akron Zippers.

Fear the Terry-tubbie!

Okay, seriously, we have a game against Akron that some have called a "trap game."  You know the deal.  Team Goliath comes off a big emotional win.  Goliath is favored to beat David by a large margin.  Doesn't take David seriously.  David takes advantage of the situation and down goes the giant.  KaPow!  Upset.

But what Goliath didn't have, was a coach like James Franklin.  Driven.  Ambitious.  Energetic.  Let's go to the tape on this:




 This is HIS home opener.  Sure, the team snaps the ball, kicks the ball, throws the ball, catches the ball, tackles and blocks.  The team wins the game.  But this 2014 Nittany Lion football team is HIS team.  The beauty of this . . . he doesn't think of it that way.

If you ever asked Paterno about his 409 wins, he wouldn't talk about his wins.  He was always uncomfortable with that conversation.  He would talk about Penn State's wins.  He didn't win any games.  Mike Reid won games.  Chuck Fusina won games.  Kerry Collins and Ki-Jana Carter won games.  His teams won games.  That's the kind of coach you want leading your team--one who knows deep down that his wins and the team's wins are one and the same, but he only sees the team.

Last Saturday, the team just won the game, and Franklin's looking for Ficken!  He's got a million things to do, but he stops to engage the loyal fans that came to watch in a WE ARE PENN STATE cheer.  The only time coaches like that look in the mirror is when the team fails--because they failed.

There will be mistakes.  Maybe another INT.  Maybe some more fumbles. Clock mismanagement.  Maybe a blown coverage. Akron did pass for over 400 yards against Howard.  Howard who?  Stern?  Hughes?  The Duck?  I'm not really sure, but some sportswriters think that means they are going to score a lot of points against Penn State this week.   We shall see.

Akron did put up 41 points.  Their QB Pohl threw three touchdown passes in his first five throws.  They didn't score again until the third quarter.  All but seven points were scored in the first quarter of each half.  Looks like one of the keys to this game is not to let them zip out to a fast start.  Better yet, I hope Penn State scores early (and often).

I'm reluctant to say this will be a rout, because we just don't know that much about these two teams after one week of play.  But I do think we cover the spread in a win.

GO STATE!  BEAT ZIPS!

Definition of Pitt Football

From Sports Illustrated's Campus Union . . . 100 Things We're most Excited for in the 2014 Season . . .

82. Pittsburgh’s attempt to enter ACC contention There are certain college football teams that exude confidence, precision and ferocity. Oregon is a screaming attack fighter. Alabama is a fearsome, unyielding tank. Pitt, on the other hand? Pitt is an overweight mail clerk rolling backwards down a hill in an office chair. Wide receiver Tyler Boyd is pretty good, though.

Pitt Football . . . Are you ready to RUMBLE?

Tae Bo Tuesday

Bo Pelini, head coach at Nebraska, took his cat to their spring game. In and of itself, not a big deal. But he apparently took the cat through the tunnel onto the field and held Mr. Bigglesworth aloft.

Well, we can't pass up this opportunity, can we?



Separated at Birth?

RAFINI !



Or maybe this rings a familiar note . . .

Bo-feld                                                                 Blofeld

 

 

Big Fifteen?

The University of Illinois is feeling lonely in Illinois.

According to timesunion.com,

Two state lawmakers are proposing a plan to have another of Illinois' state colleges designated a Big Ten school.

The legislation is sponsored by Republican Sens. Matt Murphy and Michael Connelly. It would study the feasibility of having another of the state's nine public universities join the conference that also includes Penn State, the University of Michigan and Purdue University.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is currently the state's only Big Ten state school.

Murphy says the university has become so competitive that Illinois students with good grades and test scores often see their applications declined, causing them to travel to other Big Ten schools out of state.

That's not how it works.  That's not how any of this works.

Obviously, they are not legislating adding a school to the Big Ten against the conference's will, but isn't that the ultimate goal--to add a school?  How much is this feasibility study going to cost the average Illinois tax payer?  Wouldn't it make more sense to ask the Big Ten if there are any other existing schools in Illinois that could become members?  If the conference just laughs, then there's your feasibility study right there.  Hell, give me $100,000 contract and I'll give you a feasibility study!  (And while it's cheaper than the Freeh Report, I guarantee it will hold more truth!)

Wasn't the University of Chicago a founding member back in the days of leather helmets and no forward passes?  Maybe they are still available.

Here is a list, from Wikipedia, of public universities in Illinois:

Chicago State University
Eastern Illinois University
Governors State University
Illinois State University
Northeastern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
     -Southern Illinois University Carbondale
     -Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Illinois system
     -University of Illinois at Chicago
     -University of Illinois at Springfield
     -University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Western Illinois University
     -Western Illinois University-Quad Cities

 

 I'd vote for Governors State University just because of the cool name, and it doesn't have Illinois or Chicago in its name.  And it's in University Park, IL.  How cool is that?!  Their school colors are black and orange, so it would be like Halloween all year long.  And when it comes to athletics:

Students at Governors State University can participate in a number of intramural sports. All students are encouraged to participate. Available athletic programs include men’s and women’s intramural basketball, handball, racquetball, soccer softball, table tennis, and women’s intramural volleyball.

Watch out for that table tennis team!  A new Big Ten sport!

Maybe they ought to be looking into ways to assure more residents of a spot in the Big Ten school(s)--Northwestern apparently has been excluded from the discussion because it is a private school--they already have.  But wait!  Maybe they don't want more in-state residents, since the cost of tuition is $14,000 higher for out of state students! 

Silly me.  It would be cheaper just to add Northeastern Illinois to the Big Ten.

Lions of the Pennsylvanian

*SIGH*

Adapted from THE BORN LOSER . . .

May I Have This Dance?

What day is it?

Come on Mike, I know you can hear me!

A little Hump Day Humor . . . from the Florida Gators, who lost to Georgia Southern this past weekend.

Sunday Sermon: The Evil of Temptation

Welcome once again to the Irreverent Church of the Gridiron.

Whether you are a Missouri fan looking for solace and answers, or an Alabama fan giving thanks for the Blessings of Saban, all are welcome here at our little church in cyberspace.

Our bible study for this week includes these verses:

Miami 24:21 - And a hurricane shall blow through the Forest, leaving behind a Wake.

Duke 13:10 - And lo, the Hokie falls before the Blue Devils.  If there be a more overrated team in the land, only the Lord knows it.

Minnesota 34:23 - Make ye an ark of Gopher Wood.  Beat the husker of corn with gopher wood.  Gopher wood is good.

But today's sermon will focus on the age old sin of temptation.

Let's be honest.  We are all dogs humans.  We are all sinners.  So it be with the referee.  Anyone who thinks there is a totally unbiased referee out there probably also believes in fair trials, honest politicians and tooth fairies.

I am not suggesting that there is some heinous conspiracy here.  I'm not suggesting that O$U actually pays referees to "throw" games or flags.  I'm not even suggesting that the Big Ten does that either.

But if you don't think that each referee knows where his paycheck is coming, and that said employer benefits from a team like O$U winning each week, then I suggest you put your tooth under the pillow tonight and expect to pay your rent tomorrow with the results.

It's simple mathematics and money.  If O$U wins out, there is a chance they could be in the title game, which opens a spot in the BCS money pot for a SECOND conference team to get a SECOND payout.  If O$U goes down, so does the chance of TWO teams cashing out big paychecks in the BCS payday.  Again, if you don't think the referees "know this" (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), then you are either still in diapers or have been living under a rock.  By the way, you could save 15% on car insurance by switching to Geico.

Why are the referees employed by the conference they are policing?  Isn't there a conflict of interest there?

If the NCAA survives into the future as a viable organization, and that truth is open to a lot of debate, then it should take charge and eliminate, as much as possible given that we are dealing with humans, the temptation to throw a flag or not throw a flag.  After all, some of God's greatest gifts are unthrown flags.

The NCAA should "charge" member institutions for providing referees.   This charge would be approximately equivalent to what conferences as a whole are now paying, distributing across their membership. 

From this pool, the NCAA will provide referees to games.

If a referee is an alum of a given school, they should be excluded from games that involve that school, or games whose outcomes could impact that schools ranking.  Geographic considerations would be important.  A ref living in State College should never be calling games involving Big Ten teams.  It's that simple.

Moreover, a system of checks and balances should be implemented.  After each game, each coach gets a chance to rate each refs performance.  This rating will actually impact the refs paycheck--bad ratings earn less money than good ratings.  Refs can challenge a bad rating by a coach which could be reviewed by an independent board of former coaches and referees.  That way, there would be actual consequences for bad calls, encouraging refs to not only be impartial, but also to strive harder to actually be correct.  Coaches could also base their ratings on flags not thrown--ie complaining about holds that were not called, and these could be reviewed later for confirmation or not.  Referees who continually get low ratings would be replaced.  And to be fair, if a ref challenges a low rating and is exonerated by a review board, the coach/school that gave the low rating could be penalized, so as to prevent coaches from arbitrarily giving bad ratings to refs they "may not like," or as a knee jerk reflex to a bad loss.

Again, no system would be perfect.  Mistakes are made that have nothing to do with bias.  The ref has two eyes and can't see everything.  But the impact this has on the outcomes of important games, and the amounts of money riding on those games, begs for a better, more impartial system.

That's our view from the pulpit.

Go Forth and Spread the Word.  If you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter!

Amen!

Sunday Morning Service: Just Good Business Edition

Welcome to the Irreverent Church of the Gridiron, all ye sinners and fumblers.

Listen now for the Word!

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

 

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

 

Bret Bielema followed his heart to Arkansas, and the Razorbacks lost 52 to NOTHING.  Hallelujah!  The tide is high and rolling on.

 

Silas Redd followed his heart to San Francisco Los Angeles, and the Irish defeat the Trojans 14-10!

Johnny Football signed autographs for money, and Texas A and Texas M was smote by Auburn, 45-41.  Perhaps smite is a bit strong for a four-point victory, but we like the words smite and smote here at the Irreverent Church of the Gridiron!

 

SMITE THEM!

 

And it was so.

 

But in those days, the wolverine will rise back up and smite the Hoosier, for no one knows just what a Hoosier is, and few care for either of them.  If Jonah were alive, he would be seeking shade, while he waits for God to smite the wolverines again, but he would have waited in vain, for God cast his mercy on the wolverines of Nineveh Ann Arbor.  They prevailed 63-47.  (Did they leave our congregation to join the Big 12?  Perhaps the actual number of teams in our congregation confused them?)

 

The Valley of the shadow of defeat is littered with the corpses of the mighty.  LSU falleth before the Tiger of Auburn, 27-24.  Even the Bulldog of Georgia is not sacred anymore, as he fell to the Commodore of Vanderbilt, 31-27.  And the mighty Cardinal of Louisville fell on the sword of the Knight from Orlando, as UCF knocked Louisville from the ranks of the unbeaten with a score of 38-35 in Papa John's own temple.  And last, but not least, Clem's son was slain with the jawbone of a Seminole, as Florida State won 51-14.  And there was much gnashing of tiger teeth and pain and suffering followed them all the days of their trip home.

 

Other verses you may want to check out this week . . .

 

Missouri 36:17 - Lo, and the Gator became bait.  And its hide a really trendy purse, with matching boots!

 

Syracuse 0:56 - Beware the Ramblin' Wreck, lest ye lay an egg.

 

Temple 33:14 - And the Army bowed before the blind Owl.  Even a blind owl finds a mouse once in a while.

Oregon 62:38 - And the duck will walk with the cougar, but the cougar will tremble in fear.

 

In our humble little congregation (I swear we only have 10!), the mighty Badgers overcame the Illini 56-32.  The Spartans struggled but managed to beat the Boilermakers 14-0.  Even the Bible can't explain that!  The Buckeyes beat the Hawkeyes 34-24.  And the Golden Gopher handed Northwestern its third straight loss, defeating the Wildcat 20-17.  Perhaps Fitzgerald should not have mocked the Lion when he said that Syracuse should have beaten Penn State.  Self-righteousness follows the pride that goeth before a fall!

 

Which brings us to our sermon, today. 

 

MONEY.

 

Have you read about the grumbling at Grambling?  They fired their coach.  The players have walked out.  They forfeited a game against Jackson State.  What is going on here?

 

According to the scrolls from ESPN (All Hail Lee Corso!):

Grambling State football players complained of mold and mildew on equipment and in facilities, having to pay for Gatorade out of their own pockets and even said which assistants they thought would make a good interim coach after the firing of Doug Williams.

"It's horrible," [University President] Pogue said of the situation in an interview with ESPN. "Grambling is the institution when it comes to athletics. Whether Eddie Robinson -- there are legends abound. So it's horrible when the focus is in the negative on athletics."

The players' letter says "there are certain factors that are hindering us from reaching our goals" and then elaborates on many of them.

The athletic complex "is in horrible condition, and has many hazards that may contribute to our overall health," the letter says. "First, the complex is filled with mildew and mold. Mildew and mold can be seen on the ceiling, walls and floor, and are contributing to water leaks because of faltering walls and ceilings."

"The uniforms are poorly cleaned and contribute to the multiple cases (of) staph infection," the letter reads. "Several players have been infected with staph multiple times."

A group of 26 photos obtained by Gomez from an unnamed Grambling State player appears to illustrate some of the players' complaints.

Several of the photographs show walls and ceiling tiles and even player equipment that appear to be covered in mold or mildew.

 

Isn't it ironic that the city of Grambling actually petitioned the NCAA to vacate some of Paterno's wins so that Eddie Robinson could once again be the wins leader, John Gagliardi notwithstanding? Is this smiting the result of their prideful lust?

Perhaps.  But as in most cases, it usually is a matter of following the money.

[School Spokesman] Sutton added that buildings throughout campus, including the library, have similar problems because of neglect, and that the conditions football players have complained of are symptomatic of problems campus-wide stemming from substantial budget cuts.

"If people want to get this fixed, there are two things they can do: Make a donation to the Grambling Foundation and the other is lobby legislators to fund Grambling at the level it should be funded," Sutton said.

Sutton specified that the 57 percent cut in state funding, which has occurred over the past several years, has affected the entire campus, and that athletics was spared significant cuts until this academic year.

"When you have your budget slashed by 57 percent, you have to make choices," Sutton said, adding that the school would "love" to fly the team to distant road games, but that Grambling was contractually obligated to take its band, cheerleaders and dance team on those two trips. He said those obligations led to the difficult choice to put everyone on buses.

How long will it be before Pitt players have to walk across Pittsburgh to get to "their" stadium?  I particularly like the answer that the ONLY "ways" to fix the problem are to GET MORE MONEY.  Apparently paying the University president 57% less is NOT an option.  Or the head football coach.  Of course, they have a good example in Congress to follow.

Will Grambling raise their debt ceiling and play football this weekend?

Will the players continue to shut the Grambling football program down in protest?

Only time will tell.

But don't let this homily on the sin of money interfere with you being generous when I pass the collection plate around.  Hallelujah!

Till we congregate again, go fourth and long!  May all your fumbles be recovered.  May all your catches be in bounds.  Have a blessed week!

Unscientific Data

Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged

It's Sunday, and time to cleanse our football sins at the Altar of the Irreverent Church of the Gridiron.

Look at this place!

Packed with Irish fans who skipped Mass last night to watch Notre Dame beat Arizona State. 

The Baptismal font overflows with tears of Iowa State, Penn State and Northwestern fans.

The Hoosiers virginal win, sanctified by the Big Ten Network, will be christened with their tears.

Listen now, as we read from Referees 12:1-2, for the Word of the Ref:

The instant replay process operates under the fundamental assumption that the ruling on the field is correct. The replay official may reverse a ruling if and only if the video evidence convinces him beyond all doubt that the ruling was incorrect. Without such indisputable video evidence, the replay official must allow the ruling to stand.

Thanks be to the Ref!

The fundamental assumption is the infallibility of the Ref.  The call on the field, in real time and without the benefit of slow motion, high definition, and multiple angles, must be better than the eyes of the beholder in the booth.  Does this make sense?




What is indisputable?  Indisputable to whom?

How can a panel of sports announcers and perhaps hundreds of thousands of fans see a replay one way, while the Ref can see it another?  No one is unbiased.  We are all sinners!

The referee on the field must be right.  Yet, he is a sinner like all of us.  Replay is his chance to repent--to turn from sin and make the correct call.

From SBNation:

You be the judge. ESPN's cameras turned up about three different angles, none of which showed with 100 percent certainty that the ball came out, but it appeared most impartial observers agreed there was enough evidence to overturn the ruling. Looks out [sic] to me. It's very close, though.

Judge not refs!  Lest Ye Be Judged!

Amen.

Sunday Morning Service

Did you write the book of plays?

And do you have faith in Joe Pa's ways?

If the Lion tells you so.

---From The Day the Lion Cried

Bielema Kneels at the gates of Hog Heaven

Welcome to the Irreverent Church of the Gridiron, your humble source for Sunday Morning Quarterbacking and football-related sermons.

Yesterday, Georgia defeated LSU 44-41 in a thriller of a football game in front of a packed crowd of red-clad parishioners.  We can only assume the game was played at Georgia.  That and the Big G on the field were giveaways.

But a packed stadium is no longer the norm.  Not at Beaver Stadium.  Not in Georgia.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

Declining student attendance is an illness that has been spreading for years nationwide. But now it has hit the Southeastern Conference, home to college football's best teams and supposedly its most fervent fans, giving athletics officials reason to fret about future ticket sales and fundraising.

As it turns out, Georgia students left empty 39% of their designated sections of Sanford Stadium over the last four seasons, according to school records of student-ticket scans. Despite their allocation of about 18,000 seats, the number of students at games between 2009 and 2012 never exceeded 15,000.   

Winning isn't even necessarily a solution. The average student crowd to see last year's Georgia team—which finished the season ranked No. 5—was almost 6,000 short of maximum capacity. Even at Alabama, 32% of student seats went unused by students between 2009 and 2012, when the Crimson Tide won three national championships. Alabama coach Nick Saban wrote a flattering letter last week in the student paper to recruit students back. 

At Penn State, the decline in attendance affects not just the student section, but season tickets and single game sales as well.  Even in the dark years of 2003-4, Penn State filled the stadium most weekends, or at least broke the 100K mark.  But that was before STEP and a different economy.  STEP and economic pressures, among other things, are keeping the fans at home in front of their HDTVs.

Even more concerning than declining attendance, is declining participation in high school athletics.  According to this article in the Altoona Mirror . . .

The small-school scourge devoured Rockwood High School's football program this season.

After entering a preseason scrimmage against Tussey Mountain with just 12 players on its roster, and losing one more during that game with a shoulder injury, Rockwood made the decision to cancel its 2013 season before it even began.

Whether Rockwood, a District 5 program that competed in the WestPAC conference, will revive its football program in the future remains to be seen.

But one thing is certain - Rockwood is not alone in its struggle to field adequate football numbers. 

Ferndale, a District 6-A school, had just 20 players out for football this year, and its program is hanging by a thread. Johnsonburg, a District 9 school, eliminated its football program for the 2013 season and decided on a co-op arrangement with Ridgway.

Do the math.  If this decline is spread across small schools across the entire country, that means fewer students that colleges have to recruit.

Has college football--and perhaps scholastic football in general--jumped the shark?

Only time will tell.  I don't think the empty seats at Beaver Stadium will change in the near future--although an opponent like THEM and Nebraska will likely fill the stadium.  When Purdue rolls in to take on the Lions, though, there will be plenty of room to spread out.  I'd recommend bringing a pillow, but that is not allowable thanks to the new stadium bag policy!  Funny thing . . . I can take my PSU seat cushion with pockets to a St. Francis game, but not to a Penn State game.  There is something very wrong here, but no one is willing to do anything about it. 

Keep the faith, Lion Faithful!  That is all I can say.

Sunday Verses:

The Buckeyes Win?  Isn't that Special?

From Buckeyes 31:24--

The REF is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green fields: he alloweth me to hold Badgers.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of self-righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of defeat, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy flag and thy whistle they comfort me.
Thou preparest a celebration before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my helmet with buckeyes; my Gatorade cup runneth over.
 Surely ESPN and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of Pope Urban for ever.

From Sooners 35:21--

Make a joyful noise unto ESPN, all ye teams.
Serve Bob Stoops with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Irish are evil.
For the Sooners are good; their defense everlasting; and this win endureth to all generations.

Spreading the Word:

Temple (0-4) fell to the Vandals of Idaho.  Talk about losing their religion.  Owl be darned.

Arizona State defeated Southern Cal 62-41.  As a result, Lane Kiffin was fired.  I'm not sure this is good news.  Lane Kiffin was the best thing that could happen to USC in my opinion.  They deserved each other.

UCF failed to upset South Carolina, falling 28-25.  Not a bad showing, though, against a ranked team. 
Purdue fell to Northern Illinois . . . by a score of 55-24!  No spoilermakers here.

Iowa beat Minnesota 23-7.  Our strength of schedule is getting killed here!

West-By-God-Virginia beat ranked Oklahoma State 30-21.   Apparently there is a Santa Claus, West Virginia, even if I can't find it on the map.

Former PSU QB Bench started for the USF Bulls.  He went 13 of 27 for 188 yds, one TD and one INT in a losing effort to Miami (FL).  The final score:  49-21.

Johnny Football (Texas A & M) defeated Bret Bielema (Arkansas) 45-33.  I don't think Bret managed to get his autograph.

And top-ranked Alabama shut-out Ole Miss 25-0.  They could have beaten Young Miss and Swiss Miss as well.

The Benediction:

Go now into the world.  Throw Long and Prosper.  And please, God, let Penn State beat Indiana.  Amen.

Weekly Game Guide: Bye Bye Week Edition

Penn State has a bye this week.

But Virginia Tech is taking on Georgia Tech tonight, currently leading the Rambling Wreck 14-3.   GaTech was favored by 7.5 points.  Go figure.  Still rooting for Georgia Tech in the second half.

In the Big Ten this week . . .

The Ohio $tate $eyes take on da Badgers of Wisconsin.  The bucks are favored by 7, apparently regardless of quarterback.  Actually, the way the bucks have been scoring, one might wonder if Braxton lost his job.  Probably not.  Either way, gotta root for da Badgers.

Iowa, who lost to Northern Illinois is favored by 1 over the Gophers in Minnesota.  Go Gophers!

Speaking of Northern Illinois, they are favored by 3.5 over Purdue.  I'll give you a minute to stop laughing.  Seriously, it's not like a MAC team can't Toledo a team like Penn State . . .but to go into the game FAVORED?  That's a whole new level of disrespect right there.  GO HUSKIES!  No.  Strike that.  Although it would be funnier than hell.  We have to play Purdon't later this year, so we might as well root for them, right?  GO BOILERS!  No.  Wait.  Who cares?  GO HUSKIES!

Illinois is favored by 24.5 over Miami (OH).  Whatever.

Apparently, this is an official bye week in the Big Ten for half the current teams.  Penn State, Indiana, Michigan State, THEM, Northwestern, and Nebraska are all off this weekend.

Not to be left out, future members Maryland and Rutgers are off this week as well.  Strange things going on.  Has anyone seen College Football Gameday stocking up on black coffins and body bags too?

In Other Games:

Central Florida is a 7 point dog to South Carolina.  GO KNIGHTS!

Georgia is a 3 point fave over LSU.  GO BULLDOGS!

And on the Lighter Side:

I won't post a picture here, but you can check it out over here, if you want.

On a punt return during the Cardinals loss to New Orleans, the tip of Rashad Johnson’s left middle finger was lopped off when the safety tried to tackle running back Darren Sproles.

Afterwards, the 27-year-old went to the Arizona sideline and took off his glove. The tip of the finger was still inside the glove, according to NFL.com, and Johnson continued to play.

Whoa!  Let's not put labels on people here. . .

He's a Zombie!

Facing off With Bill O'Brien

From a BWI poster.

We Are . . .

Penn State!

Is there any other response?

Apparently, there is, at least in Orlando, Florida.

My family and I spent a couple of days at Universal Studios Florida while vacationing at Disney World.  One of the attractions at Universal Studios is a simulation-type "ride" called Disaster!  As an aside here, any attraction billed as a "ride" should actually be a ride, but we did end up in a doomed subway car that shook, so I guess that was pretty much the ride right there.  But I digress.

A few members of the audience are selected as cast members, and everyone proceeds through a process of filming a disaster-type movie.

After the casting session, the "associate director" instructs the audience that when he yells "We Are . . ." the audience is supposed to respond by yelling back, "Moving On!"  And then you actually move on to the next segment of the "ride." 

Was this guy hired by the Board of Trustees?

Of course, much to the horror of my teenage children, I yelled out "Penn State" the first time he yelled "We Are."  Well what would you have done?  I actually said it every time he yelled it, but at a low enough level that my wife and children wouldn't be embarrassed and desert me.

It's actually very ironic that the response they were looking for was MOVING ON and the film is a disaster flick.

What think you?