BSD Mailbag 9.17.13

On hair color... Late-in-the-game fumble aside, Zwinak has ably represented the Penn State tradition of the Fightin’ Gingers! Is there any indication that recruiting efforts are targeting redheads, as one might reasonably expect?--Raoul69

I’m totally #teamginger. I firmly believe that every recruiting class should have 2-3 gingers, and what we don’t get on the recruiting trail, we should make up for in run-ons. After all, we’re accused of being a soulless program, right? So why not personify that in gingerness?

Also, take it from a strawberry blonde…red hair looks great against both our all-whites and home blues.

Do you think O'Brien and Fisher are relying on Hack to manage the game clock too much? Or is it better to let Hack go at his own pace to reduce mistakes?--psualum9931

I don’t really have a problem with how they’re managing the game clock with Hack. As with most things, you learn best by doing—and he’s doing very well. We had to call one timeout this past week in our first possession because we didn’t have enough time on the clock—it’s not good, but hey, it’s better than using all three timeouts on the first drive…and we didn’t have that problem again. That’s the thing I like most about Christian Hackenberg; he’s so obviously willing to learn, and he is learning. He’ll make mistakes, but then he won’t make that same mistake again. It’s pretty awesome.

About the Wisconsin game Was I the only one that was a little upset that this happened to Wisconsin after Bert had left? It would have made my day to watch him react to whatever that was that the PAC 12 refs did.--psfann

At the risk of being called disappointing for apparent schadenfreude again, no, not at all. I think his wife’s #karma tweet, as well, was clearly misapplied—it would have been karma had Bielema been at the helm. It’s still early, and I like Gary Andersen so far, so this is incredibly unfortunate for them. Now that Bert’s gone, I don’t have the antipathy towards the Badger football program that I used to (I’m no Golden Gopher, after all) and I would like them to be as good as possible for us to take them down later on in the season.

From where I was sitting during the game, there were flocks of people leaving early in the 4th quarter when we still had a shot to come back... Is this a sign of things to come, giving up easily on this team, or am I overreacting? On the plus side, the student section looked great.--Lion Eyes

I’m the perfect person to answer this (despite some responses this got in the fanpost), because I was one of the people who left at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Why did I leave? Because I’m going to all but two games this year, and I had to drive 3+ hours home after the game. After leaving my house at 9 am, tailgating all day and sitting through that abomination of a first half, I left at the fourth quarter to listen to Steve and Jack and try to get home at midnight instead of 1 am.

Obviously, I can’t speak for everyone who left. But I can say that I didn’t give up on the team, it’s not a sign of things to come for me and my family (I was at the EMU game through the alma mater, and will be this weekend versus Kent State) and, in my instance at least, you are overreacting. This past week, it was more a factor of the late start (and the $330 a night for Saturday only hotel prices) than anything I was seeing on the field.

There is sort of a fanshot on this, but since no one reads them, do you think the excitement and energy may have had a negative impact on the younger players, especially on defense early in the game? I saw some of the early part of your game before our game started and I wondered at points if there were some communication issues. From as an objective standpoint as you can get, which was the worst call, the fumble not a TD at Nebraska last year or whatever it was that happened at the end of Wisconsin at Arizona State,--Former_DC_Buck

Part One: No. As many pointed out in the other thread, the defense feeds off this. Besides, there aren’t a lot of "younger" players out there—the only starters who really hadn’t seen playing time before this year were Wartman and Lucas, and they weren’t the big issues with our defense. So, no.

Part Two: Definitely Nebraska, because (as some pointed out) it was reviewed and inexplicably "confirmed". Both were incredibly horrendous, of course, massive fuck ups by the zebras—but because ours was by B1G refs, the conference has no public problem with it.

How can Robinson deal with the apparent strategy of intentional pass interference that UCF employed? Ok for short passes, but hurts when it prevents the deep pass.--nuker77

I don’t know that he has to deal with it. That’s the thing about being the B1G returning lead receiver—you’re more likely to draw and get PI flags than an unknown receiver, because refs assume (rightly or wrongly) that you’ll haul in any catchable ball unless there’s PI.

So I guess what I’m saying is, he’s just gotta keep on keeping on. He’ll get paid either way, and so far he’s Hack’s go-to so he’ll get his numbers either way too.

Better tailgate meal: breakfast or lunch/dinner?--Succss With Honor Always

Breakfast, and it’s not even close for me. Because of all the delightful baked goods for breakfast—and, scrapple!

The one thing that may make me change my mind is PSUGirl’s pierogi, though…those are amazing.

With the loss on Sat does this mean I shouldn't watch anymore PSU football? Is the end near?--Swiddy via twitter

Yes, all is lost. PSU is a dead program. Abandon ship!

In quasi-seriousness, the only person who should stop watching—or at least attending—Penn State football games is AriesGD, because the only games he’s seen in person under BOB are Ohio, Ohio State, and UCF. You’re welcome at our tailgates, but stay outta the Beav!

If you go to a bar that advertises specials for Penn State games but the bartender is openly anti-Penn State, what is the correct action?--SWHA

It depends on the level of openly anti-Penn State. Are we talking rooting for the other team, potentially laughing or cheering at the injury of our players, or Ped State jokes? Because the first is basically meh, the second warrants a decrease in potential tip, and the last calls for a complaint to the manager and/or corporate.

What if men lactated, but their milk wasn't nutritious for babies?--WorldBFat

As you alluded to, there may be differing answers depending on the actual content of said male mammary secretions. You specifically stated that it wasn’t nutritious for babies—what if it is nutritious for adults? Or what if, like the best beers, it’s a meal in a glass and gets you messed up to boot? That would be awesome, and there’s gotta be a market for that (black or otherwise).

On the other end of the spectrum, what if the milk was in fact detrimental to the health of all who drank it? OH MY GOD, what if male breast milk was the next worldwide chemical weapon? Portable, undetectable, unscreenable…I’m going to stop now before I freak myself out even more, in so many more ways than one.

Side note, at our tailgate this weekend, much of the BSD staff has decided that WBF would be the one commenter we all want to meet. But the thought terrifies us. Or maybe all of that’s just me.

Is orange really the new black?--dbl5030

I’m so sick of all of this "____ is the new black" crap. No it’s not, and it never will be. Black is, and always will be, the new, old and ever-present black.

And if it’s on a bitch that’s even better.

Nittanyville is a stupid name. Will it ever be changed back to Paternoville?--PSUinOH

NO AND IT NEVER SHOULD BE. /Onward State’d

What should I be for Halloween?--WBF

More from Black Shoe Diaries:

• Christian Hackenberg Named Big Ten Freshman Of The Week
• Post Game Link Dump
• MMQB: What's Up With The Defense?
• What Gives, Penn State Football?

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