PSU Book Club
by rahpsu92 on May 18, 2009 2:16 PM EDT
40 comments
I'm on my second reading of "What It Means to be a Nittany Lion".
via amazon.com
It has a nice forward written by JoePa, then gets right into the players talking about their experiences being recruited by and eventaully playing for PSU. It starts back in the 30's and 40's and ends up around 2006. I think what I liked most was the pre-Paterno insight into the building of the football program. I forgot the administration removed athletic scholarships from around 1930 or so until Rip Engle took over.
After reading this I just can't imagine a non-PSU guy being brought in when Joe is gone.
Has anybody else read this book? Any other PSU related books that really moved you to read multiple times?
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Interesting
The first review for the book is from a scUM fan who raves about how great of a program PSU has, and how much respect he has for Paterno and the program. I would have never expected that from a UM fan….EVAR!
I bleed Blue and White.
by Horse N Buggy on May 18, 2009 2:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I know we have it
though I confess I haven’t read it, but Mike has. I don’t read books, period.
by PSUWifey on May 18, 2009 3:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The Lion in Autumn
I actually just started reading this book and it is a nice read. It follows PSU during the 2004 season, the year before DWill and everyone came on board. It is an interesting read that jumps back in time at points and talks about when Paterno arrived at PSU and even some of his time a Brown. I recommend this book…
side note…
It is strange to read this book and see the quotes from JoePa that we were “a year away from being special.” Sure enough…Joe was correct.
PSU Softball
by QBsneak12 on May 18, 2009 3:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I really like "The Lion in Autumn"
The first time I picked it up to read it I was less than enthused, since it covers 2004, but it is really good and you can see how the program is just on the verge of turning around. You can see how we were basically just a couple of receivers away from being a great team, and there is even some foreshadowing of Derrick Williams and Justin King turning around the program. I have 2 copies of the book, and the paperback version I have has an afterward talking about the 2005 season as well.
The other great thing about it is about every other chapter recaps some of the history of JoePa and the building of the program, and there is a lot of insight (or perhaps just speculation?) on JoePa’s state of mind during the season (and how he started skipping the Friday night press “happy hour” that he used to hold, and the gap that has grown between him and the media since the dark years.
by The JuggerNitt on May 18, 2009 4:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
oh, and when I say "less than enthused"
that lasted until about halfway through the first chapter, after which I was hooked.
by The JuggerNitt on May 18, 2009 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
JoePa living at an assistant coaches house till he was 34 is also priceless...
Although the book sort have makes it seem like JoePa is a heavy boozer and that someone always has to have a bottle of Jack Daniels near by…
PSU Softball
by QBsneak12 on May 18, 2009 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Was Sue living there too?
When did he get hitched?
by Screen Name 20 on May 19, 2009 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
it was before he got hitched (or even met her)
basically after living with other (married) coaches for a decade, they finally nudged him to live on his own and find himself a wife.
by The JuggerNitt on May 19, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Has Tom Bradley
read that part?
One man doing the work of 100's for the good of 1000's
by rahpsu92 on May 19, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
“they their wives’ finally nudged kicked him out”
by Screen Name 20 on May 19, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
alls I'm saying
is if JoePa wanted to live with me, and my wife/gf said either he goes or they go, well, JoePa and I would have a pretty swinging bachelor pad.
Yes, I know this was before he was the best coach evar, but man that’d be awesome.
by The JuggerNitt on May 19, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Something tells me if that was the case
he would’ve burned out and never made it to greatness. There’s only so much scotch and whiskey a man’s liver can take.
by Screen Name 20 on May 19, 2009 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lion in Autumn
nothing new to add besides that I also own Lion in Autumn and concur with Jnitt and QBsneak on it’s awesomeness.
"I'm driven by greatness" - Derrick Williams
by HookMania on May 18, 2009 4:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, what you said
DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on May 18, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Obviously
With the nickname/tagline…did you go to Wilson High School in Reading, PA?
by PSUtopia on May 19, 2009 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No
ReadingRambler was Lenny Moore’s nickname (See my avatar), and, well, I just love that Cantafio rant.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on May 19, 2009 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
he's lying
he is Danny, a longtime fan of Lenny Moore (aka the Reading Rambler)
by The JuggerNitt on May 19, 2009 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I told you people
I am not black, and am therefore not Danny.
I am actually, uh, Chuck Burkhardt.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on May 19, 2009 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice
Lenny Moore is a legend in Reading. So is Donyell Marshall (seriously).
The sweet thing about that video is that our team (Wilson) was going through a rough start, and Cantafio tried to fire everyone up with that speech, which every player was cracking up about the rest of the season….the team prompty lost that game on the way to a mediocre season, in this guy’s senior year:
I will now punish myself for posting this person’s picture on this holiest of sites.
by PSUtopia on May 19, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The sweet thing about that video is that our team (Wilson) was going through a rough start, and Cantafio tried to fire everyone up with that speech, which every player was cracking up about the rest of the season….the team prompty lost that game on the way to a mediocre season
That makes the video about two thousand times more awesome.
BTW, posting a picture of Henne can be countered by posting this vid. (NSFW)
DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on May 19, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Amazing
He’s actually #7 in the Cantafio vid as well, sort of in the middle of the pack as they run out of the locker room. Henne was actually an all right dude in high school, the real weiner in the situation was Cantafio himself, who resigned (was fired) a few seasons after that for allegedly taking money from the school’s athletic department. Henne wanted to model himself after another Wilson standout who went onto quarterbacking stardom at PSU….
I guess he writes country songs now? Interestingly enough, I don’t think anyone from Wilson batted an eye.
by PSUtopia on May 19, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
by the way, PSUtopia
welcome to BSD. Your first 3 comments have been pretty good. Now it is all downhill from here until you turn into ReadingRambler, and dominate threads by quantity (though sometimes even quality) ;-)
by The JuggerNitt on May 19, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Shut up
DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on May 19, 2009 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If we are going to post pictures of Henne...we need to post more accurate reflections of him...like this one.
Seriously Chad? Natural Ice and your ring…with the George Clooney “Caeser” haircut…
PSU Softball
by QBsneak12 on May 19, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
not going to lie
I watched this go back and forth at least 10 times….it’s just so captivating
"I'm driven by greatness" - Derrick Williams
by HookMania on May 19, 2009 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As awesome as that is
there is no way the workingman’s photoshopper, did that…right?
by Screen Name 20 on May 19, 2009 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Correct
DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on May 19, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
his left leg and left arm are REALLY freaking me out
by The JuggerNitt on May 19, 2009 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It reminds me of the
South Park animation for Terrance and Phillip.
by Screen Name 20 on May 19, 2009 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was thinking more
Jim Carrey in Dumb & dumber.
One man doing the work of 100's for the good of 1000's
by rahpsu92 on May 19, 2009 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
What was that book Mike talked about in one of his posts, which had the story about one of the first meetings we had with Syracuse backin the 20’s? Didn’t we show up late, challenged them to a fight, won the game anyway etc. etc.? That’s a book I was interested b/c it seemed more of a PSU football encylcopedia.
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
by millzners on May 18, 2009 5:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think you mean
The PSU Football Encyclopedia….LOL. It’s not really sold anywhere anymore, I emailed and paid Lou Prato the author directly for Mike’s copy.
by PSUWifey on May 19, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Prato - Same guy who wrote
What it Means to be a Nittany Lion. I wonder how many e-mails the guy’s going to get after we hassle you for the address.
One man doing the work of 100's for the good of 1000's
by rahpsu92 on May 19, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Six days to Saturday
This was written in 1974 but it takes a great inside look at Joe Paterno and the Penn State football program from the minute a game ends to the beginning of the next game.
"Believe deep down in your heart that you're destined to do great things." -Joe Paterno
by pslion on May 19, 2009 9:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
shouldn't it be "Seven Days to Saturday" then?
if it really is from the “minute the game ends” :-p
by The JuggerNitt on May 19, 2009 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
"The Perfect Season:
How Penn State Came to Stop a Hurricane and Win a National Football Championship"
By M. G. Missanelli
EXCELLENT book about the 1986 season and 1987 Fiesta Bowl.
"The sea was angry that day, my friends." G. Costanza
by NJ lion on May 19, 2009 11:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
what, did something special happen that year?
by The JuggerNitt on May 19, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nothing but making another Heisman winner cry
"The sea was angry that day, my friends." G. Costanza
by NJ lion on May 19, 2009 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I loved the What It Means To Be a Nittany Lion book. It taught me a lot of history that I didn’t know. All the player insights and stories were great too.
Let's Go State
by rmcmillen50 on May 19, 2009 9:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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