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The way the ball bounces
Nov. 10th, 2011 12:20 amJeff and I had been looking forward to heading to PA this weekend to see Penn State play Nebraska this Saturday. With Penn State having a good record as well as Paterno achieving the record of being the winningest coach on college football history, we expected the game to be one for the books. Their last home game of the season, the celebrations for both the team and Paterno's wins, etc. Jeff and I figured that ol' JoePa, hanging in for as long as he had been, was doing so not just for his own record, but to keep the team riding high, to go on to championship games, will finally call it quits. No one could have expected the sudden scandal to engulf the university and some of its top officials, including Joe. So, in a matter of a couple days, the jubilant air of excitement has collapsed into shock, disbelief and anger. Joe Paterno was fired late tonight, despite saying that he would retire at the end of the season.
There is so much to this unfolding story that it is tough for me to figure it all out. I have never been much of a football fan until Jeff came into my life. He's the diehard, and because he would watch the games so intently, often cheering or yelling at the screen, I ended up becoming involved, and not just to find out what the noise was all about. We've gone to many football games, college, pro and Jeff's nephew's school games (the latter being pure awesomesauce). While I might not be as animated as Jeff at the games, I get caught up in his enjoyment, which makes it all worth it. I have no idea what will happen this weekend, and Jeff had earlier said that part of him does not want to go. Now that Paterno has been unceremoniously fired, the increasingly weighty scandal will undoubtedly crush the enthusiasm of the players, students and fans, which is the one thing that makes an otherwise complicated and oftentimes baffling game a joy to watch. Win or lose, over 110 thousand people always have a great time in that stadium. That alone is the reason to experience such a game at least once in a lifetime. I have a feeling it's going to seem more like a funeral.
There is so much to this unfolding story that it is tough for me to figure it all out. I have never been much of a football fan until Jeff came into my life. He's the diehard, and because he would watch the games so intently, often cheering or yelling at the screen, I ended up becoming involved, and not just to find out what the noise was all about. We've gone to many football games, college, pro and Jeff's nephew's school games (the latter being pure awesomesauce). While I might not be as animated as Jeff at the games, I get caught up in his enjoyment, which makes it all worth it. I have no idea what will happen this weekend, and Jeff had earlier said that part of him does not want to go. Now that Paterno has been unceremoniously fired, the increasingly weighty scandal will undoubtedly crush the enthusiasm of the players, students and fans, which is the one thing that makes an otherwise complicated and oftentimes baffling game a joy to watch. Win or lose, over 110 thousand people always have a great time in that stadium. That alone is the reason to experience such a game at least once in a lifetime. I have a feeling it's going to seem more like a funeral.
