Collegiate Stadiums

Collegiate Stadiums

NCAA FBS College Football Stadiums, Attendance, Stats, History & Travel Blog

Tag Archives: InTheBleachers

A Penn State Fans View of the Sandusky Scandal

Last week I experienced true euphoria while watching Penn State miraculously beat Illinois for Joe Paterno’s 409th win. I even moved down to the student section at the end to watch the final Penn State drive and the subsequent missed field goal by Illinois to seal the game. In fact I even mentioned on twitter that I was teary-eyed as I waited for the “special presentation” at the beginning of Paterno’s post-game press conference.

I was half way through a nice write-up on that game, but how quickly things change.

Less than a week later I was at the Central Michigan at Kent State game on Friday night, ironically watching as the visiting team missed a field goal at the end of regulation to lose, when news of the Jerry Sandusky, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz indictments broke.

I read a few things on it when I arrived in Ann Arbor but it was after 2:30 in the morning and I had to be up at 8 so I could get to Rynearson Stadium on time. Although I overslept a little, I managed to make it to Michigan Stadium for a few photos and still got to Rynearson by 10:30. Once I got settled in to my seat at the press box, I checked my twitter timeline and was amazed at what I was beginning to see as the national media started to pick up the story.

As I’m sure you are aware, the story continued to pick up steam as people read through the indictment that outlined the specific allegations. Then Graham Spanier issued a statement giving his “unconditional” support to Curley and Schultz and things took off from there.

By the time I made it, slightly late, to Mercyhurst to cover their hockey game against UConn on Saturday night the story was dominating my time line, even as the “game of the century” LSU versus Alabama was about to kick off. By this time, most of the stories and comments had begun to focus on Paterno and that is where it has stayed now for days.

Around working 12 hours on Sunday and 9 hours on Monday I managed to join the media stakeout at Old Main on Sunday evening, and while it was arguably one of the most boring things I have experienced in life. After a bunch of “no comments” from the Board of Trustees members, persistence finally paid off when Spanier issued a second statement announcing that Curley was taking a paid leave of absence and that Schultz was returning to retirement.

Since then, everyone on the Penn State campus has clammed up and disappeared, save for the Paterno press conference scheduled for today where it has already been made clear to the media that all questions not pertaining to the game against Nebraska are off limits.

But despite the lack of comments coming from the school it hasn’t stopped some of the best sports writers in the nation, such as John Walters and Bill Reiter, from ascending on State College and writing stories.

So where does that leave the people who live in State College and/or attend Penn State?

It leaves us in a position we don’t want to be in, but will be for a long time.

We have to deal with constant questions that we don’t have the answers to. It leaves us with a negative national image that we can’t do anything to change. It leaves us second guessing our personal and monetary commitments to the athletic department.

As someone who has a business closely tied to Penn State and the athletic department, it leaves me and my wife in an uncomfortable position. We know that there are so many great, amazing people who work in and for the athletic department that are being overshadowed and lumped into the public outrage that is currently taking place. There are a bunch of student athletes who are going to be affected as people withhold donations and boycott events to show their displeasure over the actions of a few.

I spent a good portion of yesterday fielding questions about how the allegations were going to affect the sandwiches named after Mike McQueary, Paterno, Curley and Spanier, something that I don’t have an answer for right now. In fact it took up enough of my time that I missed getting to cover the NCAA selection party for the Women’s soccer team, something I really wanted to do so I could pass along a congrats to a team who has ordered from us all season long.

When I go to Virginia Tech next Thursday for the game against North Carolina I know it is going to be the topic of conversation from @InTheBleachers, @BeerControl and anyone else who finds out I am from the State College area. Much like the “when is Joe Paterno going to retire” question that used to dominate those conversations, I suspect it will be the first question everyone asks for years to come. Ultimately this situation will affect the overall standing of Penn State in every way and the effects will be felt academically, monetarily and athletically for years.

Which gets me to the main part of my story, what should happen to everyone involved?

Well, I’d love to have all of the answers but since none of the Penn State administration is talking all I can do is go off of the grand jury information.

Sandusky: I am going to leave this one to the courts and the jury and trust they will do the proper thing.

Schultz: Schultz retired at the emergency Board of Trustees meeting the other evening. I am most interested to see if the new child care center on campus will be renamed since it currently bears the Schultz name.

Curley: After reading through the indictment information, and see the public reaction, I don’t see how Curley can return. Even if found innocent, the trust with the donors is gone and since college athletics is a business, you have to make changes when public trust is broken.

Spanier: As the president of the university, who has given “unconditional” support to the two indicted employees, I again don’t see how Spanier can stay as the face of the Penn State brand. I like Dr. Spanier but when controversy strikes corporations, executives step down and that is likely the best outcome here as well. As I stated above, regaining public trust is the best course of action and the sooner it happens the better.

McQueary: I’m not sure where to go here. On one hand, he witnessed a terrible thing and he asked people for advice. He took that advice and now his fate and legacy rests on exactly what he told the very people who are facing trial for perjury. The real question is why McQueary, or anyone who gave him advice, never called the cops or tried to find the identity of the victim. Ultimately the decision to not call the cops will hang over McQueary for the rest of his life.

Paterno: Paterno is the one who everyone wants to talk about since he is the face of Penn State football. There is a lot of debate as to what Paterno knew and when he knew it. I’ve seen and heard lots of people questioning if Paterno helped cover up the information and gave McQueary a full time job to help cover up the story. I don’t think that will ever be answered and I don’t think it matters.

What really matters is Paterno gave advice that did not result in McQueary calling the cops. Paterno may have legally met his obligations, but as someone who has always coached the ideals that you have to do what is right in life, he didn’t do what was morally right. Again, as with the other administrators above, when things go wrong, the top officials take the fall and Paterno is the top person in the football department.

Besides, his contract is up in February and who in the administration is going to offer him an extension at this point?

So today I sit teary-eyed for a completely different reason. I feel for the victims. I realize that the University that I love is botching it’s every move. I realize the coach who seemed to be the ultimate role model in modern sports, and beyond, may have made a grave mistake. I wonder what will happen to the good employees, coaches, student athletes, students and alumni that are wholly affected by the decisions of those who run Penn State.

This entire situation involved none of us, but affects all of us and is something that will have a profound effect on us the rest of our lives.

A Thank You to All Who Have Helped Me

I’ve had an online presence for years, but never really put much time into it till recently. For years, all I had a basic website that was actually just a homemade html script that I wrote myself in notepad and had to manually update.

As social media grew, I finally decided to start using twitter about a year and a half ago when my brother and I went on our bowl tour. To be honest, I didn’t really understand how it worked, got frustrated when I only had about 20 followers after a few weeks and quit using it till last college football season.

After spending a week back on twitter, it finally clicked on how to use it in a way I enjoyed. I learned how to engage other users. Those users that responded back to me varied from crazy fans to college football bloggers to high profile members of the media.

Since my favorite sport is college football, I decided to only follow certain types of accounts. I focused on official school athletics accounts, college football awards accounts, college football bloggers who knew what they were talking about and national sports writers.

I think it is amazing that if you are following two users who are conversing back and forth, you can read what they are talking about, possibly inject your own question or opinion, and often times receive a response back, even if the conversation is between two people you have never talked to before in your life. I kind of liken it to being at a huge party, and you are working the room, meeting people, and entering and leaving private conversations as the other parties invite or ignore you.

As someone who is terribly shy in person, twitter was a great way for me to gather the courage to ask questions of people I would never have a chance to meet in real life and often get actual, personal responses. This story focuses on some of my favorite follows on twitter, with a few small Q&A’s from people who have helped and encouraged me along the way.

Once I got the basics of twitter down, I really started to enjoy my time using it; in fact, probably way too much for my wife’s liking. One tweet from Toledo’s athletic account (@UTRocketsdotcom) had a link to a website called StadiumJourney.com, which has stadium and arena reviews for just about every venue you can come up with. They currently have 48 writers on six continents and 11 countries!

Thankfully, co-founder Paul Swaney (@PaulSwaney) was very receptive to me when I asked a few questions and allowed me to write a guest review of Beaver Stadium. Fortunately I wrote it well enough that he asked if I would become a writer for the site on a more permanent basis. While the exact layout of my region has changed a little over the past year, I am the Appalachian Regional Correspondent for the site and enjoy going to sporting events I would otherwise never dream of attending.

In just one year, I have covered 35 different stadiums for the site, with all but a few being via free tickets or on media credentials provided by the teams. As I started going to events I got to experience some amazing things and meet some people who gave me the desire to put more time into my website.

As I focused on making sure that I didn’t hurt the image of bloggers when I scored my first credential, I sent an email to someone that always has answered my questions and is a respected member of the media, a sports writer for the Washington Post, Patrick Stephens (@D1scourse). Stephens was kind enough to send me a long email back with all sorts of hints and tips, which really eased my nervousness.

Thankfully the SID at the school I was credentialed for was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He allowed me to attend the post-game interview, spend over 30 minutes conversing with me, and just generally made me feel at ease.

This got the ball rolling and colleges and minor league teams became more willing to provide me with credentials. This allowed me to be able to gather better pictures and write my reviews on site, along with the opportunity to meet a few members of the working media, who always seem curious when the conversation turns to my college football stadium travel goal.

As I got to baseball season, I really started to get the itch to write about college football since I enjoy it so much more. I spent more time on twitter and came across some people who would respond to my questions, helped spread the word about our ESPN Fanwiches contest entry, and offered advice on running a blog.

Stephens, along with Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB), Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) and Michael Felder (@InTheBleachers) helped gather votes for the Fanwiches contest from their followers.

At this point, I also learned that I was eligible to become a member of the Football Writers Association of America, something that has been a neat experience, getting random gifts in the mail from bowls and being allowed to attend Big East Media Day as I reported on a few weeks ago.

McGuire was kind enough to travel along with me to Big East Media Day, and Mark Ennis (@mengus22) met up with us there. Ennis even got me out of my shell and convinced me to converse with various people and promote my goal.

As I got back from media day, I focused on writing better for my site and Felder and McGuire have always been there to provide help when I need it. One other person who has helped me out a ton is Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres), who offered me an opportunity to post some of my stadium experiences on the Crystal Ball Run website.

Since I have a record number of trips lined up for this fall to visit new stadiums, thankfully a good number of the schools have been kind enough to provide me with credentials, which will allow me to write game stories and experience some amazing things, which I will be sure to include on the site. I hope that you will continue to come back, and check out my writings and follow along my journey to visit 142 college football stadiums.

Since this story is about the people I love to follow on twitter and the people who have helped me, I have managed to score a few short twitter and college football related Q&A’s with Swaney, Torres, Felder and McGuire which are posted below, then I provided my top college football twitter follows.

 

Q&A with Aaron Torres:

1) What are a few of your favorite accounts to follow on twitter?

Truthfully, if I’ve learned one thing in my time in the blog game, it’s to follow as many accounts that you find fun/interesting as possible. Twitter is a great meritocracy. It’s not exclusionary. If I find you interesting, I will follow.

As for my favorites?

Well, if you’re looking for great overall college football content, I highly encourage @DrSaturday, Yahoo’s Matt Hinton. Matt writes the way I wish I could; smart, concise and with a tone that’s easily readable for everyone. For humor, I follow @EDSBS, which is Spencer Hall at Everyday Should Be Saturday. While I’d like to one day write like Matt Hinton, I know that I’ll never be able to write like Spencer. Matt is more of a technically sound writer, while Spencer Hall is just crazy funny. For anyone not following him, you’re doing yourself a great disservice.

As for others, from the “newsier side,” my favorite national writer is probably CBS Sports Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyCBS), my favorite beat writer is either Travis Haney (@TravHaney), new to the Oklahoman (formerly at South Carolina) or Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) who covers Tennessee. Both are fun, engaging and really talented writers. Also Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) from College Football News is awesome for strictly SEC stuff. I’ve gotten to know him really well over the last year, and no one knows the SEC better. If you’re looking for someone to tell you about the back-up right guard on Auburn’s depth chart, he’s your guy.

 

2) How would you describe to someone what they would get if they followed you on twitter?

Well it’s funny. Sometimes I feel like I’m on Twitter all day, am constantly finding funny and interesting links to share, conversing etc. Others I’m barely on there.

As for what you’ll get, well a few things. For one, I always try to respond to anyone who engages me. What I love about Twitter is that it breaks down all walls, and puts you directly in touch with the person you’re trying to speak with. So if someone is nice enough to take time out of their day to ask me a question, comment on an article of mine, then I usually respond. Just as long as their comment isn’t “You suck.” Understand, I don’t mind criticism, and actually embrace it. If you tell me why I suck, then we can talk. Chances are probably pretty good that I do suck. Just be mature about it and tell me why.

Besides the engagement, I just like sharing fun links, and of course posting my articles and podcasts.

 

3) What sites do you write for beyond Crystal Ball Run and Aaron Torres Sports?

As of right now, no. But if you Googled my name, you’d see my work in all kinds of funny places. Previously I’ve been a staff writer at BetUS.com, a contributor at Slam Online and AL.com, and also had a few things published by Sports Illustrated back in the day.

But as of right now, it’s just those two.

 

4) What draws you to college football?

I love everything about college football. I love how each coach and team have their own unique personality (unlike the NFL where just about everyone runs the same offense). I love the passion of the fans, and that in some places, college football means a little too much. But really, the thing I love about college football is what most outsiders hate, the lack of a playoff.

The way I’ve always seen it is like this: Take a television show like Seinfeld. Know how some people say it’s the funniest thing on TV, and others think it’s terrible? Well, the show isn’t terrible, people just don’t “get,” it. They don’t get the jokes, the unintended humor, the “this couldn’t possibly happen but it’s still hysterical” anyway nature to the shows.

And really, that’s how college football is: You either “get it” or you don’t and those who don’t get it never will. But the same things those people complain about, mainly lack of a playoff is what I love the most. College football has a playoff. It’s called every single Saturday. Lose today, and your season could be over. You might not get a second chance. You might not get a “wild card.” Which is what makes college football great. Every Saturday feels like life and death. And in a contextual sense, it is.

Just look at this season. Know why there’s so much fuss about Jordan Jefferson right now? Because any college football fan knows that if he doesn’t play and LSU loses, they might not get a shot to play for the title. Same with Oregon and Cliff Harris. Same with the loser of Oklahoma-Florida State, or LSU-Alabama (if they’re both undefeated). And that just isn’t the case in any other sport. If Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning or Alex Rodriguez gets in trouble and gets suspended, it means nothing. The team names the replacement, moves on, wins or loses and moves on to the next game. It isn’t quite that easy in college football.

And that to me is what I love above college football. To me, it’s the greatest reality TV show on television.

 

5) Do you prefer watching college football live or on TV?

I actually prefer watching at home. The primary reason being that I feel like I’m missing too much by going to the stadium. As someone who writes about, and needs to have opinions on the sport, I don’t think it’s fair to me as a writer, or for my readers if I’m writing about the sport when I’m not watching it.

Now with that said, I do try to get to at least one stadium a year. I’m not opposed to going to 1-2 more, it’s just kind of how the opportunities present themselves. Last year I had the chance to take in my first SEC game at Ole Miss, and this year, I’m trying to talk my buddy into going to a game at Wisconsin (random, I know. But he’s originally from Minnesota, so it isn’t really a stretch). I’ve also been to Michie Stadium, amongst others, which I know is one of your favorite places to watch a game. It’s mine as well.

 

6) Do you watch all the games on TV like Sun Belt Tues or just the bigger games?

Truthfully, I try to watch as much as I can, but at some point, you’ve got to allow yourself to have a bit of a social life. In particular, if I know I’m going to commit all day Saturday to watching college football, all day Sunday writing about it, and most every Thursday night too, then usually give myself Friday night’s off. I’ve missed some good games in the past, but at some point, you’ve got to get away from the TV/computer, and try to live your life.

However, I will confess this: Tuesday night Sun Belt football allowed me to first cross paths, with a man who is now very near and dear to my heart, and quite possibly my favorite coaches in college football.

It happened two years ago when Hawaii played Louisiana Tech mid-week, and I couldn’t help but admire Tech’s coach Derek Dooley.

The day that Tennessee hired him, I knew they’d made a great decision. And it was thanks to Tuesday night’s with the Sun Belt.

 

Q&A with Michael Felder:

1) What are a few of your favorite accounts to follow on twitter?

I think any good list has to start with @bomani_jones a guy who is always thoughtful and really looks not just at sports but at where things fit in the general context of the world. I’d also recommend @Andy_Staples from Sports Illustrated, knows his ball and mad respect for his barbecue crusade. @BryanDFischer, @Adam_Jacobi, @CNPatterson3, @TomFornelli and the rest of the @Eye_On_CFB staff at CBS really hammer down the sport as well. That’s where I’d start me list.

Outside of that a personal favorite of mine is @wafflesgirls because they are hilarious.

I highly recommend following your team’s beat writers and specific blogs. They’re more informative than national people and often can and will be more interactive than national writers and personalities that are bombarded with mentions daily.

 

2) How would you describe to someone what they would get if they followed you on twitter?

Great question and a tough one, yet easy one to answer. Easily stated, they’re going to get me. What makes that tough is describing all that entails. I’m very football-centric and I try to answer all my replies but I also have a life outside of the game so that gets tied into twitter as well. They’ll get food, television, fun drink times and some social commentary as side dishes to the observations, opinions and knowledge that I drop on football.

 

3) What sites do you write for beyond where I have found you at Crystal Ball Run and In The Bleachers)?

Onside Kick (OnsideKick.com and @Onside_Kick). A great site with both NFL and CFB articles a special “stream” feature that allows users to compile their own “reader” of sorts to get their team’s news and/or updates from their favorite writers. The Onside Kick team is one I’m proud to be a part of with guys I’ve looked up to and have really helped me during my growth as a writer. Names like Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) and Matt Zemek (@MattZemek_CFN) really make the site go, I’m a nice add on to what they bring to the table.

 

4) What draws you to college football?

I grew up in the Southeast and always loved college football. Whether it was going to Dowdy-Ficklen with the ECU alumni i call my parents or hitting Kenan to see the Heels I was a big fan growing up. What sealed the deal was getting to see big time football atmospheres like Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Clemson as I went through high school. The atmosphere is unrivaled by any other sport and I say that as a guy who has been to UNC-Duke basketball match ups.

Playing ball at UNC was the icing on the cake and being involved on so many levels helped grow the knowledge that I have now. It is a unique experience that truly shed a lot of light on not just the nuance of the game but the underbelly of the college football world.

 

5) Do you prefer watching college football live or on TV?

Tough choice here because I love being in Kenan on game day. The smells, the friends and most importantly the ability to see the entire field like every old safety wants to. There really is no place I’d rather be than Chapel Hill in the fall. Well, no place besides my couch, with my remote, my beer, my food and my friends.

I can’t go long before I need some Chapel Thrill in my life and the memories made make every trip worthwhile but I watch more games from the climate controlled fortress that is my house than I do in the seats. But best believe I’ll be in Kenan for the home opener to open the Blue Zone.

 

6) Do you watch all the games on TV like Sun Belt Tues or just the bigger games?

All the games. I love Sun Belt Tuesdays. It is great for those kids to get some shine on the national stage and it is always a fun event. People complaining about it can just turn the channel.

 

Q&A with Kevin McGuire

1) What are a few of your favorite accounts to follow on twitter?

For all-around college football and more, I enjoy @IntheBleachers @Mengus22 and @Aaron_Torres. For information, any of the CBS college football writers will get the job done, with @McMurphyCBS and @dennisdoddcbs leading the way, and @MrCFB always good for some conversation.

 

2) How would you describe to someone what they would get if they followed you on twitter?

Twitter can be tricky and a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it and start decided what you want to use it for, it will open up plenty of doors. I’m not looking to follow people who tweet pictures of their lunch or complain that it is Monday. I’m on Twitter for real-time information. Find the right people to follow and it becomes my leading news aggregator and source. Everybody uses Twitter for different reasons and you need to understand what you ultimately want to get out of it. Whatever you decide, there will be people to follow to help you get what you are looking for, whether it is sports, entertainment, politics, video games or whatever else you can think of.

 

3) What sites do you write for so people can find your work?

I am the national college football writer for Examiner.com, where I also cover Penn State football, the Philadelphia Soul and the video game industry from time to time. I am also a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering mostly Penn State football but dabbling from time to time with the entire college football scene and the Philadelphia Phillies. I also host a podcast and BlogTalk Radio show, and the website I have set up to be the home base for that, in addition to my college football commentary that may not be suited best on Examiner (try to stick to news headlines) is No2MinuteWarning.com.

I am also the editor and lead writer for Nittany Lions Den and a contributor to Crystal Ball Run. As if that weren’t enough, I have my own personal blog, KRMcGuire.me. I’ll spare you all of the Facebook links for now.

 

4) What draws you to college football?

I have always loved college football since I was a kid going to Penn State games. To me it’s a much more fun game to watch than the pro game, because I get a sense the games mean more to the players. Going to a Division 2 school (Shippensburg) I feel allowed me to enjoy the game on a different level many people do. It gave me a few years to just watch the game of football be played without distractions off the field and without being overly commercialized. To me, the college game has grown and become a business in many aspects, but it is still more enjoyable for me to watch a bunch of college kids battle for victory rather than a paycheck. Leave your OSU, Miami and USC jokes at the door please.

 

5) Do you prefer watching college football live or on TV?

I cover games in person, but I very much enjoy when I can sit at home and watch games on tV, from the comfort of my couch in sweat pants and a sweatshirt on a big screen TV. Look, being at a game is a great experience, especially for the big ones, but when Penn State is playing Eastern Michigan I feel I can get more enjoyment out of watching the game at home than being in person.

 

6) Do you watch all the games on TV like Sun Belt Tues or just the bigger games?

I don’t dedicate myself the way a guy like Phil Steele does, but if a game is on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday the odds are very good I’ll be watching on TV or on the computer, no matter the conference. And since I work from home during the week, I’m very likely to have on replays on TV while I work when they play them on various networks such as ESPNU or CBS Sports, or online via ESPN3.com etc.

 

Q&A with Paul Swaney:

1) What are a few of your favorite accounts to follow on twitter?

To be honest, I’m still not completely in love with Twitter. Most of my favorite accounts to follow are non-sports related, although I do like @sportspickle, and @DatDudeBP

 

2) How would you describe to someone what they would get if they followed you on twitter?

For a long time I only utilized the @StadiumJourney account, but lately I’ve been using my own personal account to share more of my personal thoughts and articles that I run across that are interesting

 

3) Do you write for any sites besides StadiumJourney.com?

I began writing for Bleacher Report back in 2009 and gained enough confidence as a writer there to start StadiumJourney.com

 

4) What draws you to travel to stadiums?

I love to travel in general. Seeing different parts of the country and the world is a real privilege, and a great way to experience different places you might not otherwise see. Sports is just an excuse. I love sports as well. When you combine my two favorite hobbies, then this became a natural fit.

 

5) Do you prefer watching college football live or on TV?

I like watching on TV because I can change the channel if the game becomes uninteresting, but the experience is only fulfilling when you see a game in person.

 

6) Do you watch all the games on TV like Sun Belt Tues or just the bigger games?

I’ll watch pretty much any sporting event, but any FBS football game will be on my radar. I’m a bit of a movie hound as well, so if I’m at home there’s either a sporting event or a movie on.

 

Finally, my top College Football twitter must follows (In completely random order):

  • @Andy_Staples
  • @InTheBleachers
  • @KegsnEggs
  • @mengus22
  • @KevinOnCFB
  • @Aaron_Torres
  • @jppalm
  • @DanWetzel
  • @Mark_Schlabach
  • @BFeldmancbs
  • @stiffarmtrophy
  • @CFBPundit
  • @PeteThamelNYT
  • @ChipBrownOB
  • @MrCFB
  • @bylawblog
  • @SportsBizMiss
  • @DrSaturday
  • @richarddeitsch
  • @TeddyGreenstein
  • @aadelsonESPN
  • @D1scourse
  • @murphsturph
  • @JayChristensen
  • @PDBuckeyes
  • @ThayerEvansFox
  • @JenniCarlson_OK
  • @FO_College
  • @CFBZ
  • @Matthewcelder
  • @McMurphyCBS
  • @bubbaprog
  • @BrianDFischer
  • @Mattsarz
  • @NunesMagician
  • @AthlonSteven
  • @DanWolken
  • @BlatantHomerism
  • @CfbToday
  • @CornNation
  • @eyeandeer
  • @IntelligentCFB
  • @Year2
  • @CrystalBallRun
  • @GeorgeSchroeder
  • @Brian_Ewart
  • @PeteStellaFOX
  • @LisaHorne
  • @CoachesBTN
  • @FBSchedules
  • @Pollspeak
  • @ScottEnyeart

Debate: Where to Watch the Game?

I used to argue endlessly on why attending games is way better than watching at home or with a bunch of drunks at a bar, especially since that is the entire premise of this site, to get people out to games, but I am at least understand the argument on why people don’t go to games like they used to.

As television coverage for college football has become commonplace and we have all gone from 13-inch screens with a grainy picture to 42-inch screens with HD coverage, schools are having trouble filling stadiums. every year I hear from more and more people who are convinced it is better to watch games from home than to fight traffic and pay through the nose to be crammed in a seat farther from the action than they would get watching the game at home. In fact, Michael Felder wrote a great post on this at Crystal Ball Run.

For years, schools could keep adding onto stadiums, raise prices and overcharge for concessions without fear of alienating fans because for every fan who quit coming to games they had two fans waiting to replace them. now even schools with large traditional fan bases are struggling to sell tickets such as Penn State in some schools who’ve had trouble selling tickets in the past have had to resort to highly discounting tickets such as Boston College’s $10 Groupon deal.

I could continue to go on with why the band, atmosphere, tailgating and live game action are better than sitting on a couch, but that isn’t where I want to go with the article. I just want to show that schools need to realize that they are going to have to offer some sort of incentive at the Stadium that enhances the viewing experience that is unavailable at home. One such school that is been on the leading edge of this is Stanford.

I have really been following along with some of the things the Cardinal have been doing to enhance the fan experience. One addition they have added is WiFi from AT&T to all of their sporting venues. By itself, the WiFi news isn’t really that big of a deal except it helps ensure that more people can use their mobile devices in the stadium as cell towers are usually overloaded during most large events, rendering phones useless.

Where the WiFi will come in extra handy is with the addition of the Stanford GameDay Live! mobile site that will provide real-time replays, live stats and other information for football, basketball and volleyball games. Another addition is the iCardinal app for the iPhone and Android.

However, the best addition is probably the bypass lane app for ordering food. If you are not familiar with the bypass lane app, you can order food right from your seat and pay with your credit card for a 99-cents transaction fee. The transaction fee is well worth it though because you can continue to enjoy the game, then when you receive the text that your food is ready, you just walk up to a special window with your phone and pickup your food. No waiting in lines and missing game action. If the event you are at also sells beer, you will even get a text that lets you know when it is last call. I have used the bypass lane app and highly recommend it.

So, if schools can keep coming up with ideas and build on the fan experience, they will continue to sell tickets. If not, they are going to struggle to maintain attendance numbers.

Now, to counter some of those arguments in the Felder article, I will leave you with the following tips on enhancing your own stadium experience.

Cell phone battery: Go to ebay and find a high rated dealer that sells extra batteries and a wall charger for your phone. It cost me $10.59 for two extra batteries for a droid X so I can be on twitter or use my slingbox while at a stadium and never run out of power.

Bathrooms: This is simple, if you can’t go an hour and a half without using the bathroom, you need to visit a doctor and get that fixed. You should never be using the bathroom expect during halftime or before or after the game starts.

Concessions: Either eat at your tailgate or use an app like bypass lane. Don’t ever miss game action to stand in line for food and pay stadium prices.

Replays: I know, most stadiums never show controversial plays. I hate that too. Get a slingbox and watch the television replays right on your phone and know the call before the ref tells the rest of the stadium. Besides, this also allows you to keep tabs on other high-profile games that are going on the same time you are at the stadium.

Hopefully I will see you at a stadium in the near future. This weeks games for me will be Indiana State at Penn State on Saturday and Miami at Maryland on Monday.

Today’s Best

a photo of a young Todd Graham which ties in with the photo of the day below

This is my new daily post on the day’s best stories, photos and links, often with my take on the situation. I know that many people write articles on the same or similar subjects every day, these links are just the one’s I enjoyed the most.

 

Let’s start with my favorite story of the day, which is a rumor that I like to think that Mark Ennis, Michael Felder and myself started, at least one recruit believes that Mike Leach will replace Howard Schnellenberger at FAU after this season.

Next up is the Texas A&M situation. To be honest, I don’t know what or who to believe anymore, but this article by Spencer Hall of SBNation is probably the best out there. And, if you don’t like Spencer, try this one from Andy Staples or this one from Kirk Bohls who has been the guy breaking most of the news on twitter.. Reports have the Big 12 targeting Notre Dame or BYU first if the Aggies actually leave, but I think Houston is the most realistic option. However, unlike some people, I think Notre Dame is possible since they would always be a top 3 team in the league and they could still have their own TV contract.

Looks like the Baylor Bears are desperate to keep A&M around with this silly news release of the day… 

If you aren’t a fan of re-alignment, maybe compliance is for you. Here we find a story outlining how Miami is being investigated because some felon named Nevin Shapiro had his lawyer provide information to the NCAA. Some people seem to think that this will bring down multiple programs while I think it will only bring down Miami, but it is going to be big if the evidence is real. I would think something similar to the USC penalties will be coming. Not good if you are a Hurricanes fan. Here is a good breakdown by Bryan Fischer.

Staying on compliance, we have the full 136 page pdf of the new rules proposals for the coming year. The most interesting to me is proposal 2011-87, which starts on page 127, that calls for conferences without a title game to be allowed to have teams play in end of season invitational games. To me, isn’t that what a bowl game is? For what it’s worth, the proposal is by the Sun Belt, which I think is just looking for more TV money. The best proposal in the entire list would allow for schools to pay for an entire team to be at the funeral of a deceased teammate or visit a seriously hurt teammate at the hospital.

This article from Smart Football traces the roots of the one-back offense to Dennis Erickson.

Here we have ex-NCAA president Cedric Dempsey claiming that superconferences are coming and will break from the rest.

Toomer’s corner is still not looking good.

And finally, our picture of the day from Penni Graham. Alright, it is actually two pictures if you count the one above but I liked both of them.

Pitt head coach Todd Graham's bowl game ring collectiona photo of a young Todd Grahama photo of a young Todd Graham

Interesting Links

I have a collection of links that I have been meaning to post and I never seem to get around to it, so that is my goal today, to basically “dump” all of the links into a post. Then I will try to make it a daily or every other day type of post on my site so the links are more relevant. Sorry this one is so long, but it is what I selected after sorting through over 1,200 bookmarked links.

Of course, lets start with my first ever guest column, which covered Michie stadium for Crystal Ball Run.

The Fiesta Bowl has been taking hotel kickbacks just like every other bowl does. Not sure why it is a surprise but here is the story.

Howard Schnellenberger retired and FAU put together a nice slideshow of his career, while smart football wrote this nice article. If you want a different take on Schnellenberger, try this story from Andrea Adelson or the official release from FAU.

Phil Steele has released his bowl projections for 2011.

This story just proves that USC believes that they are the pro team in LA and are using their Coliseum lease to keep the NFL away.

Here is a story about the King and his strikeout call which I got to experience when I met him the other week.

Michael Felder explains on Crystal Ball Run why the Pro offense is still the best.

Kristi Dosh explains here take on what the final conference expansion will look like, and it is really good.

A story on how John Aderhold is the reason the Georgia Dome actually got built.

Here is a simple one, Sports Illustrated’s preseason top 25.

Jenni Carlson gave us this great Boone Pickens story.

Virginia Tech is having a special ceremony for Frank Beamer before the Appalachian State game for 25 years as Head Coach.

Surprise! James Laurinitis used HGH. Shock!

John Infante always does good work, but this really shows the issue with the NCAA.

Tony Barnhart explains how the SEC and ACC will not go to 9 conference games, which I wish the B1G would re-consider. Unbalanced conference schedules are just plain silly.

Ralph Nader is a different person, and now he plans to sue the BCS.

Picture provided by Jay Paterno of the 1975 Sugar Bowl press conference held at a Howard Johnson hotel

Another great story from Kristi Dosh on why athlete’s are never going to get paid.

Awesome post from eyeandear on 25 hated figures in college football history.

Brian Ewart might focus on Villanova hoops but he nails conference expansion talk here.

A collaboration from Andy Staples and Stewart Mandel as they give us 10 reasons to love college football.

Gregg Doyle is dead wrong in this story if you ask me. I don’t understand how it is good to ban twitter or other social media. Jenni Carlson explains why the athlete’s should be allowed to use twitter.

Lost Letterman took a look at what happened to the guy who stalked Erin Andrews.

A cool photo of the Liberty Bowl taken by Kevin Reed and shown on capturememphis.com

 Beyond the Bets has released his predicted points spreads for all 796 FBS games.

Real neat story on the last words from the late Randy Walker to Dan Persa from Thayer Evans.

I hope Notre Dame promptly fired who every designed those helmets

The above photo is from Lost Letterman which appears in this story about the terrible shamrock helmet of 1959.

Michael Felder again here with his take on how hard training camp really is. I’ll trust him on this since he played for UNC.

Another surprise from an Ohio State guy, according to ESPN, Gordon Gee would rather save his job than do things the right way.

UNC boosters are thinking about suing the athletic department because they believe that Butch Davis was only retained as long as he was to help raise funds from alumni.

Allen Kenney takes a look at why the Longhorn Network will kill the Big XII.

Kristi Dosh tells us why you better be ok with being poor at first if you want to work in sports.

Jerel Worthy shows off his tattoo of Sparty slaying the Michigan wolverine

A very troubling story about agents and how schools and coaches manipulate their players.

A video from the 1940 Mississippi State game at Alabama.

A good story by Matt Zemek called “The Pressure of Poverty” which shows the opposite side of his “The Pressure of Prosperity” article.

USA Today article on why you keep getting those annoying calls to buy season tickets. Temple and Syracuse are the worst in my experience from the 17 or so schools and bowls who contact me every year.

The NCAA plans on having an agent registration program. Question is, what took them so dang long????

Spencer Hall of EDSBS made it on the Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio. Here’s the audio.

The Iron Bowl was used by police to track down dead beat dads and arrest them. Watch the video, it is worth your time.

George Schroeder, who has the best twitter avatar ever, delivers a great story on how the PAC 12 might not be in a good position to expand anymore.

Michael Felder explains better than I did why polls are outdated and should be changed.

I’m sure you all saw the “JT” wristbands that the Ohio State players were wearing. Here is a story on why Ohio State took them away. Personally I think they should have just said “Cheat.”

 

A photo of the "JT" Jim Tressel wrist bands

 

A site that is quickly becoming one of my favorite, eyeandear again with 10 coaches who will not make it to February.

Georgia announced that they are a few years late to the party and finally got a fan text system at Sanford Stadium.

Another story on why nine-game conference schedules are no good.

Bryan Fischer wrote this story on how Colorado lost their way in football and how head coach John Embree plans to rebuilt the program gold brick by gold brick. John Embree also gave CBS is take on paying players, which he things should be done after they graduate.

New logo of the Famous Idaho Potato BowlOn the way home from Big East Media Day, I told Kevin McGuire that I hoped they named the Idaho Bowl the Potato Bowl and well, they didn't disappoint.Kristi Dosh shows us why athletic departments are broke, they overspend on facilities.Iowa sued Southern Miss for having a similar logo and won.Iowa defeated Southern Miss in court for having a similar logo

 Boise State agreed to not wear blue-on-blue uniforms at home for conference games, but the Mountain West doesn’t have a penalty if Boise State wears them. Apparently they can’t wear all orange either.

At Big East media day, the print media portion of coach interviews were winding down right as I was about to get a one-on-one with Skip Holtz. Then I looked up and Pete Thamel of the NY Times came over and I gave up my spot since he is a better reporter. This isn’t the story from the Holtz quotes, but it is a good story on the Big East and how they are going to get a large amount of money for their TV contract.

Kevin McGuire wrote this story on his Big East media day experience at the clambake.

Bryan from PittScript wrote this story outlining the relationship between the head coaches of WVU and Pitt.

A fluff piece on how cheeseburger lover Charlie Weis blamed Florida for eating his cheeseburgers. 

The Big East wants to poach Maryland and Boston College. I guess they like schools that can’t sell out small football stadiums.

Felder again with a guide to make you a better fan.

John Infante again with a “just do it” story on making student athletes just athletes. He believes that the majority of fans will not even notice and thus, still show up in large numbers.

Andy Staples loves college football and BBQ. Since he gets paid to write about college football, he is giving us his BBQ advice for free. Read it, study it, and enjoy it. You can’t go wrong listening to the guy who directed me to the greatest food I have ever eaten, Archibald’s in Tuscaloosa.

Bo Pelini still blames the Big XII refs for the Nebraska loss against Texas A&M. Funny that A&M is now sticking it to the Big XII.

A story by Pat Forde on yard markers. It’s much better than it sounds.

One of the best panels ever put together on the issues with college football.

Eric LeGrand still wants kickoffs.

UCF is so desperate for fans that George O’Leary asked fans of other schools to support his team after their games are over. So sad…

The Mountain West may be going broke.

Ohio State needs to look at the Oregon compliance department and learn how to track memorabilia.

Year2 looks at if defense or offense sells tickets. A great analysis.

Joe Posnanski on why people stay loyal to college teams.

Tim Hyland wrote a great piece on why he can’t wait for college football season to begin.

Aaron Torres scored a podcast with Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo.

Andy Staples gave us CASH, now he gives us LOOT.

Navy and Notre Dame have extended their contract through the 2026 season.

The B1G came up with this logo for their Championship Game

 Pat Forde explains why college athlete’s really aren’t as poor as everyone makes them out to be.

Here is a look at what might happen to college sports if the NCAA folds.

Another reason why Lane Kiffin is one of the worst coaches in FBS, or why you shouldn’t go for two very often.

Smart Football with a long story on the theory of football offenses.

A very accurate story on how Maryland isn’t a football school and a story on the Maryland’s athletic department is broke.

Probably the most important story in years and almost no one has talked about it. The Virginia Tech helmet study.

The Price of Victory in college football from Black Heart Gold Pants.

FO College gives this look at why Keith Jackson is his favorite. Since Jackson is my favorite announcer of all time, I loved the article.

A ticket from the 1952 Senior Bowl

 It’s a basketball story, but Kristi Dosh explains how a coach can bring in millions for an athletic department.

USC has had traveler as a mascot for 50 years. Here is a story about traveler’s history.

Traveler has been USC's mascot for 50 years

 If you want more mascot history, here is the history of the Lobo at New Mexico.

An old photo of the New Mexico Lobo mascot

 SmokingMusket gave a great look at future WVU schedules and why they like to play in NFL stadiums.

Brian Grummell of CFBPundit gave his top 10 college football coaches and his bottom 10.

The trophy for the Hawaii versus Wyoming rivalry is missing. Below is a picture just incase you happen to find it.

A picture of the missing Paniolo trophy, awarded to the winner of the Hawaii versus Wyoming game

 Aaron Torres had one of the best articles of the summer on what if Tim Tebow had played at Alabama.

Idaho came up with this great Mark Schlereth bobblehead

 I consider this the best of all the articles I have read from John Infante. It basically talks about how it is time for schools to decide if they are either in or out of the NCAA.

Utah provided a link that has every media guide since 1948!

Felder put all the current FBS programs into tiers.

 Finally, all the way from basketball season, Kristi Dosh shows how the B1G shares ticket revenue. Something most conferences don’t do.