Most Hated Team

SI.com has put together a list oif the 25 most hated teams of all time . . .

Strutting. Showboating. Self-congratulation. Self-promotion. A sense of entitlement. Too much money. Too much talent. Bandwagon fans. Criminal behavior. Dirty play. These are just some of the things that made the 25 single-season teams on this list so insufferable, and their most egregious sin may have been winning or, in some cases, their failure to win enough. Of all the passions that teams ordinarily inspire, widespread hatred is a pretty notable achievement. Hearty contempt for rivals is a natural part of the sports landscape, but every so often a team unleashes a massive dose of loathing that consumes everyone but its own fans.

And the #1 team?  Drum Roll please . . .

1986 University of Miami football
His players were visionaries, early practitioners of an in-your-face brand of football that went out of its way to belittle and intimidate opponents. It was, in a lot of ways, the opposite of sportsmanship. It was a 'Cane thing. To say that Jimmy Johnson (pictured, left, with Michael Irvin) gave his players free reign was an understatement. The '86 Hurricanes were caught up in "fights and fraud and alleged shoplifting and other unsavory shenanigans involving more than 40 players," wrote SI's Rick Reilly. "Miami may be the only squad in America that has its team picture taken from the front and from the side." It was also flat-out loaded, an NFL developmental squad, and not inclined toward modesty. The top-ranked 'Canes showed up in Tempe, Ariz., for the national title game rocking military fatigues, in stark contrast to the coats and ties sported by the charges of "St. Joe" Paterno, as Johnson dubbed his counterpart. In that famed Fiesta Bowl game, Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde threw five picks and Miami turned the ball over seven times in a 14-10 Penn State upset that made a lot of people across the republic very, very happy. -- Austin Murphy

I know it made me very happy.
 
Interestingly enough, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Irvin make the list twice as the 1992 Dallas Cowboys came in at #3.  That's two spots in the top 3!
 
Also of note . . .
 
11.  1990 University of Miami football
12.  1991-2 Duke basketball
15.  2005 USC football
17.  1993 Notre Dame football
23.  1983-4 Georgetown basketball

Recruiting Update: Mangiro

Per Fight on State:

Angelo Mangiro announced on Sunday at the Horseshoe Lake Senior Center in Succasunna that he will play his collegiate football for Penn State. Rated a four-star prospect by Scout.com, Mangiro is also Scout's fifth best offensive guard nationally in the Class of 2011. He made his selection over a list of finalists that included Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Ohio State. He also had offers from programs like Florida, USC, UCLA, North Carolina, Boston College and Maryland.

That's the best news I've heard in a while!

I was talking to a fellow Penn Stater this weekend and the conversation eventually came around to whether or not I was concerned about the slow start to recruiting.  I am to some extent, but we are going to have a relatively small class this year.  And its not likely we're going to land a big name QB with the talent already here.  This translates into a class that will not likely be top 10--perhaps not even top 20, no matter where the chips fall and who comes.  My expectations are tempered by reality.

That said, I do not think Paterno's health is an issue, at least not anymore than any other season of recent record.  I do wish Paterno would take a more active role in recruiting and making visits, but that is not my call to make.  Hopefully this is the spark that this recruiting class needs to get going!

Friday Funnies: Pennsylvania Guys

Is this our new recruiting video?  Maybe that explains why things are slow!

We Got Your Links Here

Browsing around the web . . .

The Detroit Free Press is annoyed that Penn State doesn't see either THEM or Michigan State as worthy of a WhiteHouse this year. 

I'm not sure why the THEM game isn't a WhiteHouse (granted they are down) but the powers that be must want to keep the event special.  Either that or the late dates (Oct 30 and Nov. 27) may be too cold for a successful whiteout.  Sorry Sparty.  BTW, there was an error printing tickets designating the Temple game as a WhiteHouse.  How's that for a slap in the face?!  Wolverines are't good enough but the Owl's are!

Penn State has announced a home game with Navy in 2012.

Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus is being investigated for attending a party hosted by an NFL agent.  A ruling might affect whether he can play against the Nittany Lions on September 11th.  There are two ways to looking at this:  1) Any advantage that gives us a chance to win is great, especially if rules were broken, or 2) if we're going to beat Alabama, it's best to beat them at their best so that there are no excuses.  Personally, I'd like to win this game and I'm sure Gator fans don't lose any sleep over their bowl victory when PSU played without Enis and Jurevicius.  If he's suspended, I can live with that.

And that's the news that's fit to pawprint.

Uplifting News

According to Audrey Snyder of The Daily Collegian, the Penn State football team raised over $98,000 for kideny cancer research.

The Nittany Lions tested their physical and mental strength in front of 3,000 fans during the eighth annual Uplifting Athletes Lift for Life event while raising a record-setting $98,461.35.

The total is nearly $16,000 more than last year's event brought in and brings the eight-year sum for the Kidney Cancer Association to close to $500,000.

"You really can't describe it," said Brett Brackett, president of the Penn State chapter of Uplifting Athletes. "When you get an e-mail from someone and they tell you that when they were diagnosed with kidney cancer they were told that they didn't really have much hope and nothing to help them. ... Then, when they found out Penn State football was involved their whole demeanor changed because now they have 105 people that have their back."

Brackett's team, OH Jersey, which consisted of Jack Crawford, Gerald Hodges and Michael Zordich, won the event, but the team's highest individual fund raiser was offensive lineman Eric Shrive.

Congratulations to all the atheltes who participated and the sponsors who donated!

NLC Annual Report

This document can be viewed at the NLC Website.

Basically, the Total Revenues for Penn State Athletics in 2008-9 were $95,978,243.  The Total Expenses for that same fiscal year were $87,862,549. 

Therefore, the school that feels the need to STEP up to higher seating fees, already has a surplus of $8.1 million dollars!  Isn't that special?!?

My editorial comment ran in the Altoona Mirror last Sunday.

A Facebook response came:

Hey Teri please tell Todd GREAT COLUMN!!!!! [We] went to St College for the festival I did not buy ONE THING that said Penn State!!! Greed Greed shame on them. SAD SAD years at GREEDY VALLEY not Happy anymore.

On the Mirror Website, one commenter (The WizardofOz) notes:

You hit the nail right on the head in your first paragraph...GREED...that has been there for years...just now you are personally facing it with the new STEP guidelines. Second...if they are going to raise prices, they have to do it while Joe is still around...and he's at the tail end of his tenure. Without Joe...they can't do this. Once hes gone...this would never fly. Typical Penn State....kill the Golden Goose. For those prices, Nit fans could go down to Pitt and sit in the Chancellors lap...maybe not a bad idea.

Sit on the Chancellors lap?  Now there's a disturbing thought.

Quarless on Paterno

Mike Spofford of Packers.com caught up with former PSU TE Andrew Quarless.  Among his interview answers is a question about Paterno . . .

Who's the most influential coach you've ever played for and why?



I would say Coach (Joe) Paterno. He is a legendary coach and he told me a lot of things about accountability and discipline. He was an old-school guy and a young guy like me came in and didn't really buy into the system. He made me understand his way. He is an old-school guy with his old-school ways. I think that went a long way and it helped me out a lot.

Granted, how many coaches (other sports notwithstanding) would he have played for--one, two?  But in an era where the trend is to not accept responsibility for one's actions and to blame others, his answer is commendable.  Other responses include . . .

Outside of anything in sports, what's your proudest accomplishment in life?



I definitely have to say graduating from college. Coming in as a freshman I did real bad my first semester, real bad. I was able to bounce back and graduate in three-and-a-half years.
 
What has been your greatest accomplishment on the football field?



We played in the Rose Bowl my junior year on the big stage and to be able to get that Big Ten Championship ring was a big accomplishment for my team.

Good Luck, Andrew !