Category : Blogs

Sub Category : Sports

As the 2016 Penn State Nittany Lions ready themselves for the 2017 Rose Bowl, I recall my last visit to Happy Valley in July. I have to say I was left feeling pretty low about the team's fortunes for the season. Why? I read a number of "expert" predictions by normally Lion friendly analysts that had the team winning between 5-6 games. Worst of all, they seemed to think Coach Franklin would be lucky to last out the season. So I was a bit depressed, wondering just how long it would take the program to rebound to some semblance of their historical success. The team proved just about everbody wrong as they developed a winning mentality by simply refusing to quit, regardless of what the score was within the game. They built themselves into a highly effective second half team, coming from behind on numerous occasions. They were simply a joy to watch and a tribute to their coaching staff. Speaking of the coaching staff and James Franklin in particular, what a job they did! Having been a fan of the Nittany Lions for over 40 years, I have never seen the level of visual exuberance and joy that this particular team displayed. It was indeed a different vibe from teams of the past. I believe it bodes well for future recruiting efforts. As we await the USC Trojans, I am optimistic Trace, Saquon, et al will continue to make Nittany Nation proud. We Are .....