Still No Penguins

Earlier, I posted No penguins till Saturday? Well, Saturday came and went, and . . .

Still.

No.

Penguins.

Tuukka Rask turned away 29 shots on goal and blanked the Penguins in the opener of the Eastern Finals. The Penguins hit the post six times, but not one found it's way in. It was a combination of bad bounces, and Rask playing out of his mind that earned the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the series.



We need some of whatever he's smoking!

Having a week off apparently didn't help the Penguins. The timing was just a bit off, and whether that was just dumb luck or the lengthy down time off remains to be seen.

Game two will commence Monday in Pittsburgh.

Crosby lost the jaw protector. Seriously? Why take the chance? Didn't improve his play. Put it back on.

Now is not the time to panic. They just have to get back to their game and match the physicality of the Bruins. Fights aside, I think they did match intensity and toughness last night, but just couldn't make the shots when they had the opportunities.

Pittsburgh has not been behind in any play-off series this year so far. It will be interesting to see how this team faces some mild adversity. They also have not lost two consecutive games in the play-offs yet. I look for the Pens to come out on fire and even the series tomorrow night.

No Penguins Till Saturday . . .

What A Wonderful Phrase!

Memorial Day

I Want to be a Blackhawk!

What's really sad, is that she lost her job over that slip of the tongue.

That's kind of taking things to sexcess, if you ask me.

The Penguins have a commercial (it's actually an ad for UPMC) . . . you can't skate like they do, you can't hit like they do, and you can't shoot like they do . . . but you can be treated by the same doctors.

For the Blackhawks . . . you can't score like they do.

GO PENS!

So Long, Suhey!

The alumni have spoken.  Both incumbents, Stephanie Deviney and Paul Suhey were ousted from the Board.  All three of the candidates endorsed by PS4RS won. (Note to future hopefuls . . . get on the good side of PS4RS.)

Here are the results of the voting with around 33,000 votes cast:

1.  Barbara L. Doran, '75, New York, NY ? 15,085
2.  William F. Oldsey, '76, Basking Ridge, NJ ? 13,940
3.  Edward "Ted" B. Brown, III, '68, State College, PA ? 11,403
4.  Paul V. Suhey, '79, Boalsburg, PA ? 4,521
5.  Ted J. Sebastianelli, '69, State College, PA ? 3,188
6.  Robert C. Jubelirer, '59, '62 JD, Boalsburg, PA ? 3,030
7.  David K. Mullaly, '69, '72g, Annapolis, MD ? 2,996
8.  Kathleen A. Pavelko, '75, '79g, New Cumberland, PA ? 2,732
9.  Vincent J. Tedesco, Jr., '64, State College, PA ? 2,250
10.  John W. Diercks, '63, '67g, '75g, State College, PA ? 2,133
11.  Stephanie Nolan Deviney, '97 JD, Exton, PA ? 2,026
12.  Amy L. Williams, '80, Wayne, PA ? 1,987
13.  O. Richard Bundy, III, '93, '96g, South Burlington, VT ? 1,976
14.  Pratima Gatehouse, '96, '10g, Short Hills, NJ ? 1,869
15.  Ben J. Novak, '65, '99g, Ave Maria, FL ? 1,863
16.  Thomas A. Conley, '01, Washington, DC ? 1,788
17.  William J. Cluck, '82, Harrisburg, PA ? 1,695
18.  Mark S. Connolly, '84g, West Chester, PA ? 1,375
19.  Eugene J. Bella, '63, Murrysville, PA --  1,362
20.  Ryan M. Bagwell, '02, Middleton, WI ? 1,360
21.  Darlene R. Baker, '80, Warminster, PA ? 1,321
22.  Doreen Ulichney Schivley, '78, State College, PA ? 1,184
23.  J. Andrew Weidman, '78, Reading, PA ? 1,118
24.  Scott T. Kimler, '83, Ladysmith, BC Canada ? 1,084
25.  Gregory "Sandy" S. Sanderson, '00, Pittsburgh, PA ? 1,012
26.  Christopher R. Owens, '06, Mechanicsburg, PA ? 1,003
27.  Christopher J. Bartnik, '91, '96g, Chantilly, VA -- 995
28.  Patrick J. Howley, '12, Baltimore, MD -- 980
29.  Matthew A. Bird, '80, Gettysburg, PA -- 887
30.  Charles R. Mazzitti, '80, Elizabethtown, PA -- 849
31.  Rudolph K. Glocker, '91, '93g, Henderson, NV -- 771
32.  John M. Mason, Jr., '70, '72, Auburn, AL -- 753
33.  Robert J. Hooper, '79, Burlington, VT -- 752
34.  Jeffrey N. Goldsmith, '82, Harrisburg, PA -- 675
35.  Robert P. McKinnon, '90, Hastings on Hudson, NY -- 509
36.  Robert J. Bowsher, '86, San Diego, CA -- 495
37.  Robert N. Grimes, '80, Potomac, MD -- 460
38.  Gregory A. Slachta, '66, Ridgeland, SC -- 444
39.  Frederik O. Riefkohl, '87, Annapolis, MD -- 414

I am actually surprised Suhey managed to come in fourth, but at least the margin of victory was overwhelming.  I am saddened that David Mullaly didn't win--and disappointed he didn't get more support.

But the message is pretty clear:  the alumni are NOT happy with the way the current Board--or at least those that were present in November of 2011--handled the scandal and the after-math.  The vast majority don't want to return to the status quo and "move on."  We want the cowardly bastards that fired Paterno by phone without ever getting his side of the story first OUT.  And if we have to do it 3 per year because the egomaniacs can't do the right thing and step down themselves, then so be it.

Mission accomplished this year.

The Bench, the Board, and the NFL Draft

Steven Bench has decided to continue his football career someplace other than Penn State. 

"I mean, it's been a hard decision," Bench said Wednesday. "I was sold on Penn State since the day I got an offer, since the day they called, really. I just wish it would've worked out. I still love this place and I wish it didn't come to this, but I have to make the best choice for me. And I think the best thing for me to be successful is to not play at Penn State and to play elsewhere."

Bench said he left his meeting with O'Brien under the impression he was behind Ferguson on the depth chart.

"It's out of my control, but I wasn't happy with it," Bench said. "I'm a competitor, so I'm not going to agree with that decision. But, at the same time, it's his decision and it's out of my control. I feel that it kind of left me no choice. I don't want to back anyone up. I want to play. I came here to play football."

So instead of working harder to move up the chart, you transfer somewhere else so you don't have to work?   I'm sorry if that sounds like sour grapes, but if it sounds like a duck and looks like a duck . . . You can call it whatever you want.  There is no I in team, but there is a U in suck.  This is where I'm supposed to wish him luck and feel bad because of his tough decision.  Whatever.

On the other hand, it also assuredly means that Hackenberg will not red-shirt this fall.  With the scholarship limits, I'm not sure PSU can afford to red-shirt anybody.  And Bench's departure opens up another scholarship for someone that actually wants to earn a spot on the team.

In the BOT election, a total of 26,861 alumni have voted as of this past Wednesday.  That means a total of 4,931 people voted in the previous 7 days, a considerable drop off from the first two weeks.  And unless something remarkable happens in this last week or so of voting, the total participation will be markedly down from last year's 37,579.

I'm not sure what that means.  Have the alumni lost interest?  Have they given up hope for change?  Are they waiting until the last minute to cast their vote?  Who knows?

And in the NFL draft to date, three Nittany Lions have been picked:

Jordan Hill was the 25th pick in the third round (87 overall) by the Seahawks.
Gerald Hodges was the 25th pick in the fourth round (120 overall) by the Vikings.
The Vikings also took Michael Mauti with the 7th pick in the 7th round (213 overall.)

Congratulations Jordan, Gerald and Mike!