by Travis Normand
It has been my opinion that the NCAA, and President Mark Emmert, used their position to strong-arm Penn State into the heavy sanctions that were levied upon the school’s football program last month. I am sure most people will read this and interpret it as if I am saying that Penn State doesn’t deserve to be punished, which is an incorrect interpretation.
by Travis Normand
Last week I hinted at the fact that Mississippi State’s new football uniform looked an awful lot like Texas A&M’s new uniform (both made by Adidas).
Mississippi State’s Athletics Director Scott Stricklin went on twitter to reassure everyone that despite the similarities of the uniforms, no one would have any trouble telling the two schools apart.
From @stricklinMSU (Scott Stricklin) – 26 July 2012
But I promise, no one will have trouble telling us apart at #DavisWade on Nov. 3. #SnowBowl12
Stricklin apparently spoke too soon, as someone at SECStore.com has already confused the two. The online retailer has already fixed the problem, but was recently selling the Texas A&M Coaches Sideline Performance Hat with an A&M logo on the front and the phrase “Bulldogs Football” on the back.
The hat’s description read as follows [emphasis added]:
Do it in official Aggies style with the 2012 Coaches Sideline flex hat from Adidas. Featuring an embroidered school wordmark on the crown, embroidered “Bulldogs Football” lettering at the back and ClimaLITE fabric that conducts heat and sweat away from the body to keep you comfortable on warm game days, this cap will ensure that you’re dry and cool while you strategize about TAMU’s next move.
[H/T: Barrett Sallee, SEC Lead Blogger at BleacherReport.com]
It hasn’t been easy for the Longhorns to let go of their long-time rival. Despite the fact that the Aggies officially became members of the SEC on 1 July 2012 and are no longer members of the Big 12 Conference, the Longhorns don’t appear to have quite gotten over the break-up.
by Travis Normand
By now I am sure you are familiar with Penn State’s famous cheer “We Are … Penn State!” Over the past couple of weeks, this cheer has been twisted and contorted into just about everything imaginable. Even the 30 July 2012 cover of Sports Illustrated has changed it to “We Were … Penn State.”
Well, don’t look now, but the football team at Penn State has gotten in on the act. Yesterday, a couple of PSU players shared photos of themselves in t-shirts that read “We Are … Pissed off!”
I don’t know who came up with the idea for the shirt, but they are being sold here at PennStateClothes.com.
by Travis Normand
We knew this was going to happen. When the NCAA levied it’s sanctions against the Penn State football program one thing was certain — the current football team was going to be punished for what others had done years before.
PSU Linebacker, Michael Mauti, blasts NCAA
26 July 2012
by Travis Normand
Mississippi State unveiled its new Adidas football uniforms today and they look great. They look so great, in fact, that it’s almost as if I have seen them somewhere before.
Do you really believe there is another team in the SEC with the same colors and design as Mississippi State’s?
Take a look at what Texas A&M unveiled a few weeks ago and decide for yourself.
*Note: Mississippi State’s Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin [@stricklinMSU] “tweeted” this message on 26 July 2012 at 8:40 p.m.
From @stricklinMSU (Scott Stricklin)
“Re: A&M … 2 diff design teams. Bu[t] when 2 schools have same colors & are both using latest fabrics, there are going to be similarities[.]”
by Travis Normand
There is some clown on eBay.com selling t-shirts with an altered Penn State logo. Instead of reading Penn State, it reads “State Penn.” Further, the Nittany Lion logo has been changed to a shower head in reference to the Sandusky scandal.
You can see the auction listing here: Auction
Apparently the seller’s eBay.com user name is: craigmack55555 (268*)
The seller is obviously not anti-Penn State as he has other t-shirts for sale that are Pro-PSU. One of his other shirts displays Paterno’s likeness and reads “Legends Never Die!” No, its pretty clear that this guy is just out to make some quick cash off of a bad situation.
It is amazing what people will do for money even the worst of situations.
by Travis Normand
Penn State’s cheer is “We Are Penn State;” but what exactly does that mean now?
Going forward, what exaclty is the identity of Penn State going to be?
I know that Penn State’s mascot is the Nittany Lion. I know that Penn State has very traditional, plain, blue and white football uniforms. I also know that it is a large land-grant university. Oh, and I know that Joe Paterno was the football coach.
Penn State and Joe Paterno had arguably become one and the same. I am not sure where one stopped and the other started. In fact, now that Joe Paterno is gone, it is almost as if Penn State is the most plain and unoriginal university of them all. Without Paterno, Penn State has no identity — at least none outside of the current “scandal.”
I am sure that over time Penn State will once again find itself and its identity. At least, I hope so.
by Travis Normand
I don’t like copy/pasting articles to my blog that I find elsewhere. However, every now and then I have to make an exception. This is one of those times.
I wanted to share someone elses opinion on the corrections that have been made to the Freeh report. I posted earlier my thoughts on the changes, but I also found the following article and wanted to share it as well.
Please note: The following is not my own as it was originally posted on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s website (www.Post-Gazette.com). Please visit their website as they have much more coverage on the Penn State situation as well as much more! Link
by Travis Normand
The Freeh report, the weapon being wielded to destroy the legacy of Joe Paterno, is not without error.
[Click HERE to download a copy of the updated/corrected report]
Everyone from the NCAA to the general public has used the report as their factual basis in forming their personal judgments, yet the report is flawed. But have no fear, the report has been updated to reflect the correct information! Thank goodness the corrections were made before anyone rushed to judgment or did anything rash (like leveling unprecedented and unsupported NCAA penalties, or removing a statue).
OnePointSafety 