Nitt Picks Has No Theme
by BSD on Jun 24, 2009 9:46 AM EDT
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We're going all over the place with this Nitt Picks today, so hang on tight.
First up, let's get the basketball stuff out of the way. Fox Sports takes an offseason look at the Big Ten and leaks some tidbits on Penn State's out of conference schedule.
Penn State – The Nittany Lions will play in the Charleston Classic and also have non-conference games at Virginia on Nov. 30 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, on the road against Temple and at home against Virginia Tech.
The reaction from Penn State basketball blogs 20,000+ and Crispin and Cream is generally positive.
Moving to football, the Examiner thinks Penn State will have the best running backs in the Big Ten this year.
Penn State (Grade: A)
With Evan Royster returning to the Penn State backfield after a dazzling 2008 season, the Nittany Lions are the obvious choice to field the best running back unit. Royster’s quick and elusive running style propelled him to 1,236 yards and 12 TDs on 191 carries a year ago, and those numbers should increase in 2009 as he takes on a more featured role in the Penn State offense. Defenses will likely key in on Royster because of his big play potential, yet his sheer athleticism will enable him to stockpile yards even with 7 and 8 defenders in the box.
Sophomore Stephfon Green enters the season as the premier backup running back in the conference, after his freshman campaign consisted of 578 yards and 4 TDs on 105 carries. Green is also a threat in the passing game, as he snagged 15 passes for 268 yards (17.9 YPC) and a touchdown last season. With Penn State’s top receivers gone to graduation, expect the Nittany Lions to rely on Royster and Green to fill the void.
So Yay and all that.
Penn State may get a big commitment in the coming days from Virginia defensive lineman Evan Hailes.
"I have a top five," Hailes said. "It's Penn State, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, North Carolina State and LSU. I've visited Virginia Tech and Tennessee so far. I visit Penn State this Friday.
"After I visit Penn State I'll make my decision. I'll decide at the end of this week or beginning of next week."
It's usually a good sign when a kid says he's going to make a decision soon and he has one more visit to go. It probably means he knows what he wants to do and he wants to make one more visit to confirm it. And the fact that Penn State will get the last word in really helps.
Hailes is a four star recruit with an impressive offer list that includes Michigan, LSU, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, West Virginia, Clemson, and Cal among others.
Let's move on to volleyball now, where it's not only football and basketball that have problems putting together a good non-conference schedule.
"I tried very hard to get a number of people to play, talked to a number of teams in the top 10, and there were some people that didn’t want to play us home or away," head coach Russ Rose said. "And there were some that didn’t want to come and play us. Scheduling is not as easy as maybe people think it is."
I suggest you read the entire article. It's a fascinating read on how difficult it is to get marquee volleyball teams from the midwest and west coast to travel east to play in Rec Hall.
In Scores of Other Games
- Varisty Blue has an interesting preview of Illinois.
- Our Honor Defend has a Wisconsin preview.
- Adam Rittenberg has a great article on the Evolution of Navorro Bowman.
- Some whiney brat on Bleacher Report brags about not ordering student tickets for his senior year. His reason: He's getting too old for it. For his sake I hope this was a satire piece.
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DT Daquan Jones and I believe QB Bolden will also visit this weekend... could be good
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
I think it will be a big weekend for DTs
"From the outside looking in, you cannot understand it. From the inside looking out, you cannot explian it."
I will be amazed and impressed if Bolden commits to PSU
Because he’d be walking into a really good situation at MSU if he went there. But if the kid ain’t scurred, I’m glad to have him.
--
Order your copy of "We Are Penn State", like, now. One team, 128 pages.
by Run Up The Score on Jun 24, 2009 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Bolden
It’s tough to get a read on him at this point, but the fact that he’s visiting again is good for PSU.
"From the outside looking in, you cannot understand it. From the inside looking out, you cannot explian it."
It’s going to be a rollercoaster ride with Qb’s in the coming months. Basically, it’s my understanding that Bolden doesn’t have a problem competing with PJ. I know PJ could be awesome b/c of his size/athleticism, but all the reports so far say he’s got a long way to go with his mechanics while Bolden is more advanced in that area.
More than anything, I’m not too keen on any 5-star QB’s from western PA, not for a long long time at least.
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
PSU Makes Sense for Bolden
We’ve got the Spread HD which plays perfectly to his game. MSU and Dantonio haven’t shown they can use a quarterback with his skills properly.
Of course there’s going to be competition with Jones and Newsome, but these big time players understand there is going to be competition wherever they go. If he busts his butt and plays well they’ll find a way to get him on the field.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
I love this pic so much
DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on Jun 24, 2009 10:05 AM EDT reply actions
Is that a yawn or a yell?
--
Order your copy of "We Are Penn State", like, now. One team, 128 pages.
by Run Up The Score on Jun 24, 2009 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions
I think he’s saying “DURRRRRRRRRR.”
DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?
by ReadingRambler on Jun 24, 2009 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
It's probably a poor rendition of a Wookie call.
"From the outside looking in, you cannot understand it. From the inside looking out, you cannot explian it."
by psuphiman80 on Jun 24, 2009 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
“MOOOOORE CHEEEEEEESE!!!”
"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.
"MOOOOORE BAAAAAAAAAAACOOOOONNNNN!(Insert Tim Brewster's thousand exclamation points)"
"Want a donut go to dunkin donuts, want a linebacker go to Penn State." - Chris Carter
Wow, what a moron, not buying student tickets for his senior year
I could see if he was not really a fan, or just a casual fan, but the guy seems to have been a pretty big fan (even going to Syracuse). I would give practically anything to go back to my senior year and go to the games (or hell, to go to the student section for all the home games this year). I partly wonder if this guy is spoiled by last year or something.
What was the strangest was that other than mentioning (staying for blowouts), he didn’t even mention what should be the #1 reason for not buying tickets this year: the abysmal schedule.
by The JuggerNitt on Jun 24, 2009 12:21 PM EDT reply actions
also
he doesn’t really seem to understand tradition, or actually enjoying the game for the game, and not just the drunken festivities surrounding it. He doesn’t like crowd surfing after TDs and FGs? Well then don’t do it. Simple as that. It isn’t like they’ve been doing it that long anyway (just a couple years).
I kinda wonder if this kid is like one of my friend’s brothers. He went to Penn State, and was a big partier. Probably couldn’t name half the starters on the team, but would go crazy at the tailgates, get super drunk, pass out during the games (in the seats), and then party afterwards. Yet he considered him a real “fan”. Kinda sounds exactly like this kid.
by The JuggerNitt on Jun 24, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I think my least favorite argument that’s popped up in the last few years is the “true fan” argument. Guys like that tend to defend themselves to the death…while not actually knowing anyone on the team.
Penn Staters belong at Penn State. The problem with a lot of kids is they just don’t know they are Penn Staters yet. -jesse. @ BSD
by TheK-GunNeedsReloaded on Jun 24, 2009 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
I’ve noticed that too with this new group of students. Unless you camp out in Paternoville, getting wasted before the game, get seats in the front row, wear nothing but body paint when it’s 20 degrees out, and stand up yelling through the whole game, you’re not a true fan.
More power to ya, but I rather like being sober and comfortable in my old age. And I still manage to enjoy watching the games.
Mike
Black Shoe Diaries
I'm not even against doing all that "extra" stuff you describe
but when that is all you really like about the game, then it just seems silly. So many of these “true fans” just like the party environment, and almost use it as a competition to see who is a “bigger fan”, when theres a decent amount of them that probably wouldn’t go to the games if there wasn’t all the partying and “ceremony” and being on TV associated with it. It seems even worse with girls (not to diss girls who actually love the game), where a large portion of them just sit on the bench and don’t even watch the game. The guy even quotes some sorority girl as saying
Saturdays are great—you drink all morning, nap at the game, drink all night
If that’s really your attitude, please don’t buy waste student tickets, and just nap at your tailgate.
by The JuggerNitt on Jun 24, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Seriously
I consider myself a true fan, but that is out of loyalty and dedication to supporting the team, coming out of my normally quiet, shy, and reserved shell to scream with everyone at the top of my lungs, and following the teams through whatever ups and downs and QB14s may happen, not because I want to show off how drunk I can get before I enter the stadium, only to leave on a stretcher halfway through the first qtr. I don’t even consider those students Penn State fans, let alone “true fans”, they’re just idiots, and it makes me sad that I share a great university with them. They only came to PSU because it’s a party school, not because they actually love State College, the University, and just being in UPark, like a real “true fan” does.
I'm more like you than the "true fans"
I like being sober for games. I like remembering the game, and being able to stand up and cheer with everyone without falling over or getting sick. I would never, ever wear nothing but body paint (partially for everyone else’s benefit, but mainly because I don’t want my nipples to contract so much from the cold that they literally hurt, see: State 2008, Michigan and that was even with multiple layers on). Paternoville is cool, especially when Paterno or players come to visit, but I’d never actually do it myself (waaaay too lazy to deal with that hassle). I don’t really care where I’m sitting/standing, as long as I can see the field, so I definitely don’t need to be in the front row.
I will, however, stand for the entire game in the student section (sitting is impossible #1, and #2, it looks cool on TV).
The Fan
If you read sportswriting and see a writer referring to the ‘casual fan’, you’re still a fan.
If you’re an oldhead who can’t stand for the whole damn game, you’re still a fan.
If you only have opportunity to go to the game once in awhile, you’re still a fan.
If you root for your team, but did not attend its university, you’re still a fan.
If you follow your team’s wins and losses but don’t know the second string right guard, you’re still a fan.
With all the opponents and opponents fans available to each team, there is simply nothing to gain for fans of the same team to quibble with each other about who loves their team more or less.
Dumbest. Argument. Ever.
When I say to a kid, ‘Hey, get ready to get knocked on your rear end,’ I also tell him, ‘Learn. Learn why you got knocked on your rear end. --Joseph Vincent Paterno
Green
Does anyone know how Stephfon Green is progressing in his rehab? I believe this is the second broken leg/ankle he’s had in 3 years, which can’t be good new for a speed guy like Green.
He's progressing well
He was held out of spring practice but I imagine he’ll be good to go for some stuff in the summer and ready to go by the time the season starts. I wouldn’t be surprised if Beachum got more work than he would have in some of the crappier games just to save him a bit.
Bottom line- He’ll be fine.
"I'm colonel cool! And I'm the captain on this rocket to the stars!"
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