BSD Mailbag 3.28.14

What positions could see someone rise up the depth chart this spring? Are there any players who could be big risers that might be unexpected? ajy127
Not only will the offensive line see a few guys rise up the depth chart, it will be vital for a few young linemen to step up in a big way to ensure the success of the offense. Even without much experience at receiver, the skill positions are still loaded. This offensive line will make or break the entire offense.

I'm most anxious to see what Andrew Nelson and Brian Gaia can do. Both are very short on experience, but are brimming with potential. Nelson wasn't nearly as heralded as Gaia as a recruit, but he has since bulked up and word is he developed much faster than anyone could have hoped.

There is also plenty of opportunity at the linebacker position. Brandon Bell looked really solid during the final two games of the season against Nebraska and Wisconsin. If he can build off that momentum, he has a great opportunity to introduce himself to the world as a true sophomore. Nyeem Wartman was serviceable last season as a redshirt freshman, but has the potential to make a major leap during this fall. Remember that these guys received playing time because of a lack of depth, and they both have plenty of time to develop into truly special players who carry on the proud Linebacker U. moniker.

Is Draft Day an actual movie? Or an elaborate series of commercials advertising the draft? Bob Sacamano
It looks pretty horrendous, and I'm already mad at myself because I know I'll force myself to watch it at some point since I'm a Browns fan (much like I force myself to watch a few of their games each year). Rescue Me is one of my favorite shows of all-time and I really love Denis Leary, so hopefully they give him a few humorous rants to keep things interesting.

Please rate the Rocky movies in order from best to worst. skaroski
IV (by a mile)
I
III
II
Rocky Balboa

I never saw the fifth since it was universally panned. I only happened to see part of Rocky Balboa because they played it at my gym. I doubt I'd watch it on my own, but at least it kept me occupied for a long run on the treadmill.

Arby's.....roast beef or something else? Hint: not roast beef… jiminore
I am proud of the fact that I haven't eaten fast food since around 2005. I cheated once and had two double cheeseburgers from McDonald's and spent the rest of the night in excruciating pain, much like getting stabbed in the stomach over and over. Anyways, I don't even want to know type of meat these places are dealing with.

A fan of tOSU that I work with proposed the following If Penn State beats tOSU in football in 2014, he would get a JoePa tattoo on his arm. If that Bieber kid from tOSU wins another national title in wrestling in 2015, I would have to get Logie-Bear tattooed on my arm. Based on the eventual outcomes, 0, 1, or 2 tattoos could be required. Should I accept his challenge? Aqua Velva Man
Can you put the bet off for another year? Not to be a downer, but Ohio State won 63-14 last season so it's hard to be optimistic that this is the year we catch up with the Buckeyes. Either way, I can't think of anything more hilarious than an OSU fan being forced to live the remainder of his days with a JoePa tattoo so it might be worth it just for that possibility.

John Oates of Hall and Oates shaved off his signature mustache is this the worst thing to ever happen to music or America in general? skaroski
Oates without his signature 'stache no doubt lowers America's standing amongst the international community. Let's just say he will now longer be making people's dreams come true.

How terrible is it to be a blogger in charge of this site? You guys seem to drop like flies these days. skaroski
We've actually been stable for the past year or so, but there was a time when we went through four different editors in quick succession (we can call it BSD's "Browns era").

Something people may not realize is that we all have demanding full-time jobs, so any work with BSD is a sacrifice of valuable personal time- time that could be spent with family and friends, reading a good book, or doing any number of enjoyable activities. We don't get paid much at all either for this- if you want to go by hourly pay, we'd be better off working the drive-thru at Taco Bell. On top of that, we are constantly being contacted with complaints about certain items not getting enough coverage, or too much coverage, or they don't like the photo of Hack that we used, or a write-up isn't posted IMMEDIATELY after a game ends, or we didn't read their minds and write exactly what they were expecting- you get the point,

But at the end of the day we all do it because we love Penn State, and we love all (ok, most) of you who choose to spend your free time at BSD. Or we're just psychopaths. That's a distinct possibility as well.

I hear Raiders are releasing Pryor. If you were fighting for a job and Matt was the other candidate, how would you like your prospects? JayMPSU
If I were the clear favorite with McGloin sitting behind me, I would be very, very nervous. Seriously, anyone who is named the pre-season starter over McGloin might as well just give up.

In honor of James English overcoming a shit ton of adversity, what’s your favorite story of Penn Staters overcoming adversity? Success With Honor Always
Michael Mauti and Adam Taliaferro are the first ones to jump out, and it's nearly impossible to come to a clear decision. Taliaferro is such an inspiration because he was told that he had a three percent chance of ever walking again, and yet he worked and worked until he was able to run out of the tunnel of Beaver Stadium less than a year later. That was easily one of the best moments in Penn State history. The really incredible thing is that he went on to accomplish so much even while going through everything he did. For those that don't know, he graduated from Penn State, went on to receive his law degree from Rutgers, was elected into office in New Jersey and also won a seat on Penn State's Board of Trustees (and I'm sure I'm leaving several other impressive accomplishments off this list). For anyone who has never read Miracle in the Making, be sure to add it to your reading list.

Mauti somehow managed to keep a team together when no one thought it was possible. I've heard stories about him calling teammates while they were on their way to another college, and they turned their cars around after receiving a call from Mauti. Not only did he come back from two major knee injuries to become an All-American, he managed to still make it in the NFL after three torn ACLs.

There are many more inspirational tales, but those two make me proud to support Penn State,

What is the coolest thing James Franklin has done so far at PSU? skaroski
I'm not even going to bother answering this because by the time I press 'publish,' he'll manage to top himself once again. I always got the feeling that BO'B interacted with the fans because it was part of his job, plus he really had to work to win back some of the fan base. With Franklin, it seems apparent that if he went into a different profession, he would be in the stands with the rest of us with his face painted and losing his voice by halftime. It's easy to see why he's made such a big impact on recruiting in such a short time.

If a city posts a sign that it's an "All-American City" Isn’t that an instant indication that it’s a craphole PSU_Mudder
You are correct. This is the same principle as someone who tells you they are a classy individual. If you have to say it about yourself, odds are it's not accurate.

Which Pennsylvania potato chip is best? gerrylovesnathalie
I'm an Ohioan so unfortunately I don't have a good answer. Plus over here we call them "salted starch crisps."

How many syllables in "Raul Julia"? WorldBFat
Five. Ra-ool Ju-lee-ah. Or is this some kind of riddle?

James Franklin picked up some serious speed with Brandon Polk’s commitment this afternoon. Looking forward to seeing this young man in the return game and more. CyphaPSU
That's not a question but I appreciate your enthusiasm.