-
New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.
LGHL B1G Thoughts: Are some Ohio State fans going to be rooting for Penn State?
- News
- 0 Replies
B1G Thoughts: Are some Ohio State fans going to be rooting for Penn State?
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
After a disappointing game against Nebraska, Ohio State is at a crossroads. What is the best outcome for fans this Saturday?
Every week after the Big Ten games, we will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, moments, and more. With the Big Ten expanding from 14 teams to 18 teams in 2024, we will have a bunch of storylines to follow.
Ryan Day and Ohio State are all in for the 2024 season. Is Oregon a national championship contender or will they stumble in their first Big Ten season? How do the former members of the Big Ten West fair in the new divisionless format?
We will track all these storylines and more as the Big Ten hopes to win back-to-back national championships. Check out the I-80 Football Show for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.
I understand that this will be controversial, but the worst place to be in sports is near the top but not breaking through. GMs, owners, and fans across sports come to a place where they have to answer a hard question: Do you accept where you’re at, whether that be a middle-of-the-road constant playoff contender but with a clear ceiling, or do you take a risk, blow it up and try for better?
To be great in sports you have to rip off the bandaid, even if not everyone agrees with you or sees the vision. Ask Georgia fans how they feel about the decision to fire Mark Richt. At the time it was a risky decision that many fans did not support, but two national championships later, who is complaining?
The other side of this is Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were tired of winning nine games a year, fired a successful coach and has struggled to even win six games most years. The thing is... Ohio State isn’t Nebraska.
Ohio State is the most rescission-proof program in the country. They have the facilities, they have the prestige, they have the money, they have the recruiting engine, the NFL talent, and a state that always has talent but little competition for that talent. Whether it’s money, access to talent, or pedigree there are not many programs that can compete with Ohio State in any area — and especially not in every area.
This brings me to the question: After losing to Oregon and legitimately being at risk of losing to Nebraska coming off a bye week, what should Ohio State fans be rooting for on Saturday as Ohio State goes to State College to play Penn State?
The easy answer is for a victory, but that answer is also accepting the status quo. It’s accepting that Ohio State will beat Penn State and any team not ranked in the top five more times than not, but continue to lose really big games. Whereas rooting for a loss means Ohio State will have two losses with games against Indiana and Michigan on the schedule and a risk of not making the playoffs. Rooting for a loss moves the program closer to firing Ryan Day.
After getting a reported $20 million dollars to retain and bolster the roster in hopes of winning a national championship, losing two games is unacceptable. A loss sets up Day for a fourth-straight year of not accomplishing one of his three stated goals: winning the Big Ten.
For as much as we want to win a national championship, the most egregious thing about the Day tenure is that the Buckeyes no longer run the Big Ten. A win over a hapless Michigan isn’t enough to soothe the wounds. A loss to Penn State guarantees that Ohio State will not make it to Indianapolis, where they haven’t been since 2020 when the conference had to change the rules for them to make an appearance.
Heading into this weekend, the flaws in Day’s program are out there for the world to see. He continued to employ a failing offensive line coach, causing the depth in that room to be eroded. He then went out and hired a friend instead of opening the wallet for a widely respected coach, and his replacement also failed at recruiting and maybe a worse developer.
His decision to largely stand pat in the transfer portal, only recruiting Josh Simmons, Seth McLaughlin and a third player who clearly couldn’t play at this level, is at the forefront as his team doesn’t have the depth to withstand an injury on the line.
His decision to continue to employ a defensive line coach who has struggled to land not only big prospects but also the correct number of players is indefensible. It’s made worse when that coach is actively disagreeing with the defensive coordinator and refusing to rotate his guys in big games. So not only does the defensive line room not have depth, but it’s also not developing players for next season.
Ohio State has always won in the trenches, and it no longer has players who can dictate a game or take over when needed. After watching Ohio State lose another close game to Oregon and struggle against a Nebraska program that lost by 40-plud points the week before, do you still believe this is a national championship program?
After watching the pass rush fail to get consistent pressure and the offensive line fail to get any push in the run game or stop the pass rush, do you still believe in this program? After watching two of the five best running backs in the country average under three yards per carry do you still have faith that Day is the right guy for the job?
The roster isn’t the problem, religion isn’t the problem, nor is recruiting or NIL. So the problem lies at the feet of one person, and that’s the head coach. Can you say you don’t think there is a coach out there who can do a better job than Day?
There is a really good chance that Day goes and beats James Franklin again. He may even beat Indiana and set up a rematch against Oregon. Doing so almost guarantees we don’t get a chance to see if the grass is greener on the other side.
So what are you rooting for — A loss that may finally cause the administration to consider moving on from Ryan Day, or the status quo, and another meaningless win against James Franklin’s Nittany Lions?
Follow The I-80 Football Show on YouTube: @JordanW330.
Subscribe to the podcast: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Connect with me on Twitter: @JordanW330
Follow I-80 Football Show on Instagram: @I80FootballShow
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
After a disappointing game against Nebraska, Ohio State is at a crossroads. What is the best outcome for fans this Saturday?
Every week after the Big Ten games, we will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, moments, and more. With the Big Ten expanding from 14 teams to 18 teams in 2024, we will have a bunch of storylines to follow.
Ryan Day and Ohio State are all in for the 2024 season. Is Oregon a national championship contender or will they stumble in their first Big Ten season? How do the former members of the Big Ten West fair in the new divisionless format?
We will track all these storylines and more as the Big Ten hopes to win back-to-back national championships. Check out the I-80 Football Show for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.
I understand that this will be controversial, but the worst place to be in sports is near the top but not breaking through. GMs, owners, and fans across sports come to a place where they have to answer a hard question: Do you accept where you’re at, whether that be a middle-of-the-road constant playoff contender but with a clear ceiling, or do you take a risk, blow it up and try for better?
To be great in sports you have to rip off the bandaid, even if not everyone agrees with you or sees the vision. Ask Georgia fans how they feel about the decision to fire Mark Richt. At the time it was a risky decision that many fans did not support, but two national championships later, who is complaining?
The other side of this is Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were tired of winning nine games a year, fired a successful coach and has struggled to even win six games most years. The thing is... Ohio State isn’t Nebraska.
Ohio State is the most rescission-proof program in the country. They have the facilities, they have the prestige, they have the money, they have the recruiting engine, the NFL talent, and a state that always has talent but little competition for that talent. Whether it’s money, access to talent, or pedigree there are not many programs that can compete with Ohio State in any area — and especially not in every area.
This brings me to the question: After losing to Oregon and legitimately being at risk of losing to Nebraska coming off a bye week, what should Ohio State fans be rooting for on Saturday as Ohio State goes to State College to play Penn State?
The easy answer is for a victory, but that answer is also accepting the status quo. It’s accepting that Ohio State will beat Penn State and any team not ranked in the top five more times than not, but continue to lose really big games. Whereas rooting for a loss means Ohio State will have two losses with games against Indiana and Michigan on the schedule and a risk of not making the playoffs. Rooting for a loss moves the program closer to firing Ryan Day.
After getting a reported $20 million dollars to retain and bolster the roster in hopes of winning a national championship, losing two games is unacceptable. A loss sets up Day for a fourth-straight year of not accomplishing one of his three stated goals: winning the Big Ten.
For as much as we want to win a national championship, the most egregious thing about the Day tenure is that the Buckeyes no longer run the Big Ten. A win over a hapless Michigan isn’t enough to soothe the wounds. A loss to Penn State guarantees that Ohio State will not make it to Indianapolis, where they haven’t been since 2020 when the conference had to change the rules for them to make an appearance.
Heading into this weekend, the flaws in Day’s program are out there for the world to see. He continued to employ a failing offensive line coach, causing the depth in that room to be eroded. He then went out and hired a friend instead of opening the wallet for a widely respected coach, and his replacement also failed at recruiting and maybe a worse developer.
His decision to largely stand pat in the transfer portal, only recruiting Josh Simmons, Seth McLaughlin and a third player who clearly couldn’t play at this level, is at the forefront as his team doesn’t have the depth to withstand an injury on the line.
His decision to continue to employ a defensive line coach who has struggled to land not only big prospects but also the correct number of players is indefensible. It’s made worse when that coach is actively disagreeing with the defensive coordinator and refusing to rotate his guys in big games. So not only does the defensive line room not have depth, but it’s also not developing players for next season.
Ohio State has always won in the trenches, and it no longer has players who can dictate a game or take over when needed. After watching Ohio State lose another close game to Oregon and struggle against a Nebraska program that lost by 40-plud points the week before, do you still believe this is a national championship program?
After watching the pass rush fail to get consistent pressure and the offensive line fail to get any push in the run game or stop the pass rush, do you still believe in this program? After watching two of the five best running backs in the country average under three yards per carry do you still have faith that Day is the right guy for the job?
The roster isn’t the problem, religion isn’t the problem, nor is recruiting or NIL. So the problem lies at the feet of one person, and that’s the head coach. Can you say you don’t think there is a coach out there who can do a better job than Day?
There is a really good chance that Day goes and beats James Franklin again. He may even beat Indiana and set up a rematch against Oregon. Doing so almost guarantees we don’t get a chance to see if the grass is greener on the other side.
So what are you rooting for — A loss that may finally cause the administration to consider moving on from Ryan Day, or the status quo, and another meaningless win against James Franklin’s Nittany Lions?
Follow The I-80 Football Show on YouTube: @JordanW330.
Subscribe to the podcast: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Connect with me on Twitter: @JordanW330
Follow I-80 Football Show on Instagram: @I80FootballShow
Continue reading...
LGHL Making predictions for Faith Carson’s sophomore season at Ohio State
- News
- 0 Replies
Making predictions for Faith Carson’s sophomore season at Ohio State
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
With upperclassmen bigs gone, will Carson receive any of their minutes?
College basketball season is fast approaching and Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you ready. Before the season starts this fall, check back regularly for player previews, schedule news, features, and more heading into the 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season.
Ohio State women’s basketball added five freshmen to the program ahead of the 2024-25 season. An entire starting lineup of high school talent, hoping to integrate smoothly into the everyday roster.
Last season was a different story. With eight of the 15 spots filled with seniors, only two new names joined the fold. Of the two, only one remains. That’s center Faith Carson, a Michigan native who didn’t crack into the schedule of regular playing time, but does that change with a young, overhauled, roster?
Name: Faith Carson
Position: Center
Class: Sophomore
High School: Buchanan High School (Buchanan, Michigan)
2023-24 Stats: .6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, .4 apg, .333 FG%, 1.000 FT%
Stats per game aren’t the best way to track Carson’s freshman season. The 6-foot-4 big played 12 total minutes, never more than three a game. When Carson did, it was in the waning moments of Ohio State victories.
Against IUPUI on Nov. 12, Carson had her best game of the season. In the 108-58 Buckeyes win, the center had two points with four rebounds and an assist. Impressive considering Carson only played three minutes.
Overall, Carson appeared seven times for head coach Kevin McGuff, three times in the first month of the season, and not again until February. Carson spent time on the injury report much of the year, but even if she was healthy, it didn’t seem like McGuff was going to take a chance with a fresh out of high school big.
Of Carson’s four overall points, the other two came against Nebraska on Feb. 14, 2024. Then, in the NCAA Tournament first-round win over the Maine Black Bears, Carson picked up three rebounds in another three-minute performance.
Carson has the ability to grab rebounds, as the small sample size proves, albeit against mid-major opponents. Even so, Carson used her physicality to take control of the paint.
Scoring-wise, watch Carson in practice, and it looked like the center wasn’t afraid to pull up from three-point range, making them fairly regularly. Almost trying to emulate the play of teammate, and now Ohio State graduate, Rebeka Mikulášiková.
The center didn’t try any in-game, even though there wasn’t much of a chance to do so.
Listen to McGuff talk about the rebounding woes of Ohio State, and Carson’s name doesn’t come up.
Last year, it made sense that a freshman without international or Team USA experience wouldn’t get many minutes. Carson played behind three graduate senior players who occupy the five-position, but does could that change this year?
Kentucky transfer Ajae Petty is the starter, barring injury. The graduate senior’s already proven herself in the SEC, averaging over 10 rebounds a game for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Behind Petty is 6-foot-6 freshman Elsa Lemmilä, who has senior national team experience with Finland, although she’s coming off an ACL injury and started practicing later than her peers.
Then there’s Eboni Walker, who earned an extra season to play after the 21-22 season at Syracuse was approved by the NCAA as a redshirt year. Past those three, guard/forward Taylor Thierry also slides into the paint on smaller offensive sets.
Carson could see more minutes, especially earlier in the season when Ohio State’s opponents will give McGuff time to play around with his bench. Show McGuff what she’s learned watching the Buckeyes from the sidelines for a year, and grab rebounds in the process, and maybe that turns into the start of more minutes trickling the center’s way.
Watch Carson as she controls the paint for Buchanan High School. The center has shooting range, grabs rebounds, and uses her size as an advantage to block. Also, Carson reads the floor well and finds teammates in her passing.
Miss a player preview? Click the links below to learn more about the 2024-25 Buckeyes roster:
Madison Greene
Eboni Walker
Ava Watson
Chance Gray
Elsa Lemmilä
Kennedy Cambridge
Taylor Thierry
Seini Henry
Ajae Petty
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
With upperclassmen bigs gone, will Carson receive any of their minutes?
College basketball season is fast approaching and Land-Grant Holy Land is here to get you ready. Before the season starts this fall, check back regularly for player previews, schedule news, features, and more heading into the 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season.
Ohio State women’s basketball added five freshmen to the program ahead of the 2024-25 season. An entire starting lineup of high school talent, hoping to integrate smoothly into the everyday roster.
Last season was a different story. With eight of the 15 spots filled with seniors, only two new names joined the fold. Of the two, only one remains. That’s center Faith Carson, a Michigan native who didn’t crack into the schedule of regular playing time, but does that change with a young, overhauled, roster?
Name: Faith Carson
Position: Center
Class: Sophomore
High School: Buchanan High School (Buchanan, Michigan)
2023-24 Stats: .6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, .4 apg, .333 FG%, 1.000 FT%
Last Season
Stats per game aren’t the best way to track Carson’s freshman season. The 6-foot-4 big played 12 total minutes, never more than three a game. When Carson did, it was in the waning moments of Ohio State victories.
Against IUPUI on Nov. 12, Carson had her best game of the season. In the 108-58 Buckeyes win, the center had two points with four rebounds and an assist. Impressive considering Carson only played three minutes.
Overall, Carson appeared seven times for head coach Kevin McGuff, three times in the first month of the season, and not again until February. Carson spent time on the injury report much of the year, but even if she was healthy, it didn’t seem like McGuff was going to take a chance with a fresh out of high school big.
Of Carson’s four overall points, the other two came against Nebraska on Feb. 14, 2024. Then, in the NCAA Tournament first-round win over the Maine Black Bears, Carson picked up three rebounds in another three-minute performance.
What to Expect
Carson has the ability to grab rebounds, as the small sample size proves, albeit against mid-major opponents. Even so, Carson used her physicality to take control of the paint.
Scoring-wise, watch Carson in practice, and it looked like the center wasn’t afraid to pull up from three-point range, making them fairly regularly. Almost trying to emulate the play of teammate, and now Ohio State graduate, Rebeka Mikulášiková.
The center didn’t try any in-game, even though there wasn’t much of a chance to do so.
Prediction
Listen to McGuff talk about the rebounding woes of Ohio State, and Carson’s name doesn’t come up.
Last year, it made sense that a freshman without international or Team USA experience wouldn’t get many minutes. Carson played behind three graduate senior players who occupy the five-position, but does could that change this year?
Kentucky transfer Ajae Petty is the starter, barring injury. The graduate senior’s already proven herself in the SEC, averaging over 10 rebounds a game for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Behind Petty is 6-foot-6 freshman Elsa Lemmilä, who has senior national team experience with Finland, although she’s coming off an ACL injury and started practicing later than her peers.
Then there’s Eboni Walker, who earned an extra season to play after the 21-22 season at Syracuse was approved by the NCAA as a redshirt year. Past those three, guard/forward Taylor Thierry also slides into the paint on smaller offensive sets.
Carson could see more minutes, especially earlier in the season when Ohio State’s opponents will give McGuff time to play around with his bench. Show McGuff what she’s learned watching the Buckeyes from the sidelines for a year, and grab rebounds in the process, and maybe that turns into the start of more minutes trickling the center’s way.
Highlights
Watch Carson as she controls the paint for Buchanan High School. The center has shooting range, grabs rebounds, and uses her size as an advantage to block. Also, Carson reads the floor well and finds teammates in her passing.
Other Player Previews
Miss a player preview? Click the links below to learn more about the 2024-25 Buckeyes roster:
Madison Greene
Eboni Walker
Ava Watson
Chance Gray
Elsa Lemmilä
Kennedy Cambridge
Taylor Thierry
Seini Henry
Ajae Petty
Continue reading...
LGHL You’re Nuts: Which Nittany Lion do you secretly have a soft spot for?
- News
- 0 Replies
You’re Nuts: Which Nittany Lion do you secretly have a soft spot for?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
This Saturday Ohio State and Penn State square off in State College in a battle of top-five teams. There is plenty of hatred between the two Big Ten foes. Even though Penn State doesn’t want to admit that Ohio State is a rival, there is no question that the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are just that. After Michigan, Penn State is easily Ohio State’s biggest rival in the Big Ten. Over the years the two schools have had many memorable games that have taken years off the lives of fans from both sides because of how closely contested many of the battles have been. Just to illustrate how close some of the games have been over the years, the three games between 2016 to 2018 were decided by a total of five points.
When it comes to a rival it’s easy to think everyone on the other side is bad. While there have certainly been some Penn State players and coaches that have been made it very easy to dislike, there are others that have been deserving of respect over the years. Maybe there have been some Nittany Lions that have gone on to play for your favorite NFL team, or they could have made a name for themselves in an area you are familiar with before going on to play at Penn State. Or it could be as simple as the way they have carried themselves before, during, or after their time at the university. There are even a few players that played at Penn State before transferring to Ohio State, or vice versa. With so many talents that have passed through State College over the years, it shouldn’t be hard to find at least one Nittany Lion that has been likable.
I went to a very small high school in Western New York, where my graduating class had less than 90 people. While there are many great people that attended the school over the years, there are very few that have gone on to be “famous”. One of the few notable alumni from my high school is former Penn State linebacker Shane Conlan. Now I definitely don’t remember watching Conlan play at Penn State since he was a junior in college the year I was born, but he made our hometown proud with how he played in State College. Conlan was an All-American in 1986 and was named a finalist for the Butkus Award. In 2014, Conlan was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Conlan’s legend in Western New York grew even more when he was drafted with the eighth overall pick in the 1987 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. The linebacker didn’t take long to impress at the professional level, earning AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1987. Following his outstanding rookie season, Conlan was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl in three consecutive seasons starting in 1988. Even though they all ended with losses, Conlan was a part of the first three of four Buffalo Bills squads that went to the Super Bowl. Conlan made such an impact during his six seasons in Buffalo that he was named to the Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary Team. Following the 1992 season, Conlan signed with the Los Angeles Rams, who he would play three seasons for before retiring after the 1995 season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25704612/usa_today_21382633.jpg "Syndication: York Daily Record")
Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
Wait, does this question mean Nittany Lion player? Oooooooooooh, that makes a lot more sense. I thought we were talking like either a real lion from Mount Nittany or the bedraggled mascot that Penn State trots out to games on Saturdays. Since actual, honest-to-goodness nittany lions could kill you, I went with the mascot.
I mean look at him, if that isn’t the saddest-sack mascot you’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is. His head isn’t attached to his body, it’s just like an extra-large flap of fuzzy skin. I mean, you just have to feel bad for this disheveled mess of a mascot. I mean, you can see up his sleeves, you can the person's face inside the costume’s mouth, and the face is in a perpetual state of bewilderment. If Penn State was in the southeast rather than the northeast, the Nittany Lion would be the exact definition of “Bless his heart.”
Because I am an empathetic human, the Nittany Lion’s overall patheticness endears him to me. He’s kind of like the mascot equivalent of Charlie Brown; he’s kind of a mess, doesn’t have any special about him, and can’t seem to do anything right, but you can’t help but love him anyway.
So, if I’ve gotta love a Nittany Lion... I guess I’ll love that dilapidated, Party City-looking mascot Nittany Lion.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
This Saturday Ohio State and Penn State square off in State College in a battle of top-five teams. There is plenty of hatred between the two Big Ten foes. Even though Penn State doesn’t want to admit that Ohio State is a rival, there is no question that the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are just that. After Michigan, Penn State is easily Ohio State’s biggest rival in the Big Ten. Over the years the two schools have had many memorable games that have taken years off the lives of fans from both sides because of how closely contested many of the battles have been. Just to illustrate how close some of the games have been over the years, the three games between 2016 to 2018 were decided by a total of five points.
When it comes to a rival it’s easy to think everyone on the other side is bad. While there have certainly been some Penn State players and coaches that have been made it very easy to dislike, there are others that have been deserving of respect over the years. Maybe there have been some Nittany Lions that have gone on to play for your favorite NFL team, or they could have made a name for themselves in an area you are familiar with before going on to play at Penn State. Or it could be as simple as the way they have carried themselves before, during, or after their time at the university. There are even a few players that played at Penn State before transferring to Ohio State, or vice versa. With so many talents that have passed through State College over the years, it shouldn’t be hard to find at least one Nittany Lion that has been likable.
Today’s question: Which Nittany Lion do you secretly have a soft spot for?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: Shane Conlan
I went to a very small high school in Western New York, where my graduating class had less than 90 people. While there are many great people that attended the school over the years, there are very few that have gone on to be “famous”. One of the few notable alumni from my high school is former Penn State linebacker Shane Conlan. Now I definitely don’t remember watching Conlan play at Penn State since he was a junior in college the year I was born, but he made our hometown proud with how he played in State College. Conlan was an All-American in 1986 and was named a finalist for the Butkus Award. In 2014, Conlan was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Conlan’s legend in Western New York grew even more when he was drafted with the eighth overall pick in the 1987 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. The linebacker didn’t take long to impress at the professional level, earning AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1987. Following his outstanding rookie season, Conlan was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl in three consecutive seasons starting in 1988. Even though they all ended with losses, Conlan was a part of the first three of four Buffalo Bills squads that went to the Super Bowl. Conlan made such an impact during his six seasons in Buffalo that he was named to the Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary Team. Following the 1992 season, Conlan signed with the Los Angeles Rams, who he would play three seasons for before retiring after the 1995 season.
Matt’s answer: The Nittany Lion Mascot
Wait, does this question mean Nittany Lion player? Oooooooooooh, that makes a lot more sense. I thought we were talking like either a real lion from Mount Nittany or the bedraggled mascot that Penn State trots out to games on Saturdays. Since actual, honest-to-goodness nittany lions could kill you, I went with the mascot.
I mean look at him, if that isn’t the saddest-sack mascot you’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is. His head isn’t attached to his body, it’s just like an extra-large flap of fuzzy skin. I mean, you just have to feel bad for this disheveled mess of a mascot. I mean, you can see up his sleeves, you can the person's face inside the costume’s mouth, and the face is in a perpetual state of bewilderment. If Penn State was in the southeast rather than the northeast, the Nittany Lion would be the exact definition of “Bless his heart.”
Because I am an empathetic human, the Nittany Lion’s overall patheticness endears him to me. He’s kind of like the mascot equivalent of Charlie Brown; he’s kind of a mess, doesn’t have any special about him, and can’t seem to do anything right, but you can’t help but love him anyway.
So, if I’ve gotta love a Nittany Lion... I guess I’ll love that dilapidated, Party City-looking mascot Nittany Lion.
Continue reading...
