Mark

Head coach of the men’s soccer program Barry Gorman unexpectedly announced his resignation Monday. He leaves a legacy of 22 years of coaching and three Big Ten titles in his wake. Citing “personal reasons,” he has left the team to a nation-wide search for his successor.

“We expected Gorman to be there,” [rising Senior and Co-Captain Andres] Casais said of next season. “He was a father figure to us.”

Oof, that can’t feel good. The move isn’t completely out of the blue, as Gorman was periodically absent during the past few weeks without notice. But from all accounts, his intention to resign was only revealed yesterday. On the abandonment scale, this registers just slightly above “going to the store for some cigarettes and never coming back.”

Perhaps panic isn’t the most appropriate response, as Talor Battle’s decision not to hire an agent leaves the door open for him to return for his senior season, but it’s never a good sign when the heart and soul of your basketball program explores alternatives to being the heart and soul of your basketball program.


Black Shoe Diaries points out that it’s common for players to submit their name for exploratory reasons, only to withdraw and return for their senior season. But if Battle likes what he finds, it’s unlikely half-brother Taran Buie will remain a Nittany Lion.


But that’s something to worry about later. Battle has until May 8th to withdraw his name.

SPA promised an April full of funny, and they continue to deliver.


After bringing Gabriel Iglesias to Eisenhower Auditorium, the student group will follow up with a quartet of up-and-coming comedians in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Alumni Hall.


The Axe Twisted Humor Comedy Tour, sponsored in part by FunnyOrDie.com, will take place at 8:30PM this Friday, April 9th. According to the Facebook event page, the show will feature comedians Donald Glover, Whitney Cummings, Nick Kroll, and Chelsea Peretti.


Read on about the event’s performers after the jump.

Remember reading about Indiana's decision to move their home game against the Nittany Lions to FedEx field in Washington, D.C.? Come tomorrow, you can buy tickets for Penn State's first game in the area since 1993. GoPSUSports has the details:

Tickets for the Penn State-Indiana football game at FedEx Field will go on sale to the general public on Monday, March 29 at 10 a.m. Tickets range from $50-$150 for the contest at FedExField, which has a seating capacity of 91,704 and is the largest venue used by a professional sports team in the United States. Parking for the stadium lots is included in the price of the ticket.

If you're interested, visit www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets or call 814-865-5555 when the sale opens tomorrow morning. The website says phone lines will be open until 6 p.m., but you have to wonder if these tickets will be available that long. The greater Washington D.C. area has its share of Penn State alumni, and there are plenty of fans willing to make the trip down south.

According to Adam Rittenberg's Big Ten Blog, the former Penn State quarterback is currently taking up residence in Quarterback Coach Jay Paterno's basement "until he finds out what happens on draft day." On a level of potential zaniness, we're going to put it in between Sidney Crosby living with Penguins Owner Mario Lemieux, and Chad Ochocinco's proposal to move in with his quarterback Carson Palmer.

After luring several high-profile recruits and capturing a Big Ten wrestling Championship, the Sanderson brothers (Head Coach Cael, Assistant Coach Cody, and Senior Cyler) have established themselves on campus in under a year. Their relationship may provide fodder for jokes about bunk beds and noogies, but the York Daily Record gave a more intimate perspective on their collaborative victories. It's highly suggested reading for those who expected something totally different from the title of that Tobey Maguire movie.

Like many of you who may have spent Saint Patrick’s Day focusing on your career prospects rather than kicking back and socializing, approximately 20 former Nittany Lion football players were doing the same. But instead of staying in to write a paper or study for an exam, these Penn Staters were running drills.


Casual football fans may not be aware of Pro Day. While the NFL Combine is viewed as the premiere event for college players with professional football aspirations, Pro Day allows each school to host their players – without the limited invitation of the combine – in a familiar environment. Not only is this advantageous to borderline prospects who want to make their case to scouts as an undrafted free agent, but other players can show improvement in the weeks that have passed since the combine.


So how did things turn out for our NFL hopefuls? Analysis can be found after the jump.

If you're anything like me, you can't wait for football season to start again. Though the 2010 season opener against Youngstown State seems so far away, we're little more than a month from the Blue-White Spring game. Not only is the Blue-White Spring Game awesome because it is completely free, but it will be televised on ESPN2. That means there's virtually no excuse to miss the game! Unless you hate football. Then that would make sense.

That's right, everyone's favorite interestingly-named Penn State wrestler finished a perfect run at the 2010 Big Ten Championships to bring a title to Happy Valley. Read on to learn more...

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. LaVar Arrington, one of the most astounding products of Linebacker U is now part of the blogosphere. In what our very own Publisher has called "Kanye-caliber" writing, Arrington has been sharing his thoughts on everything from D.C. Sports to Tiger Woods on the site since February 20th. He could use a proofreader and tends to slip into TYPING IN ALL CAPS, but otherwise it's a great resource for tapping into the mind of a former Nittany Lion.

Congratulations to the Women's Track and Field team, who won their second-ever Big Ten Indoor championship over the weekend.

Trailing in the team standings for much of the afternoon, the Lions screamed into first place with two events remaining, thanks to a 25-point haul in the 200-meters led by a victory from [Junior Shavon] Greaves.

Women's track and field will have a chance to go to the NCAA Championships this Friday and Saturday during "Last Chance Weekend."

Day in and day out, my inbox gets flooded with hate mail. "You suck, Mark" they all tend to start. "We don't care about this crap you write about! I don't need to know Jared Odrick's pro potential. WHAT. ABOUT. THE PANTS." And now, for the (fictional) people who are just dying to know about football pants, the Penn Stater has provided. In two videos you'll find after the jump, they interviewed Facilities Coordinator Kirk Diehl about how they get those football pants so clean.

Quick! Stop pouring lighter fluid on that #14 jersey! Anthony Morelli is at the NFL Scouting Combine to work out for pro scouts, hoping to jump-start his football career. He was last employed by the Arizona Cardinals, who cut him after signing him as an undrafted free agent in 2008.

"I've gotten bigger, faster, stronger," Morelli told The Associated Press. "I think the chances are pretty good, I just need to get in front of some people."

That's all well and good, but remember that the common knock of Morelli was his decision-making. I recall hearing "Morelli has all the tools, he just needs the right quarterbacks coach to teach him" so much that it would appear in my dreams. Now perhaps it was a lack of elite athleticism that kept him from playing, but I'm willing to bet that if that was an issue, it was one of multiple. Either way, good luck to the quarterback that was so embattled at Penn State that he was sent death threats. As long as he stays far, far away from my team of choice, I hope he finds a roster spot. If this doesn't work out, he's going Uncle Rico on all of us.

You read right, Joe Paterno’s iconic eyewear was auctioned off, garnering a high bid of nine THOUSAND dollars Saturday.


The thick-rimmed glasses, which JoePa can now spare, were claimed by Penn State graduates Michelle and Kevin Coppola during WPSU’s 18th Annual Connoisseur’s Dinner and Auction at the Nittany Lion Inn. I congratulate them on having to say “be careful with those!” to house guests for the rest of their lives.

We've already expressed our excitement at the possibility of the University of Texas being the twelfth member of the already-misnomered Big Ten. The allure of playing the most valuable team in College football was enough to convince many that this was a good idea, but not everyone is on board. Thankfully, the internet has provided - a writer simply calling himself "Frank The Tank" has penned an exhaustive argument for the move, a "Template for Shooting Down Any Argument Against Texas Going to The Big Ten." We're still waiting on Ron Burgundy's analysis on how to get Nittany Lion Basketball to the NCAA tournament.

Mere hours after we posted about a call for Ed DeChellis' firing, Penn State Men's Basketball wins its first conference game of the season, snapping a 12 game losing streak. So who did they take down? Never-been-to-the-tournament-but-hopeful Northwestern.

David Jackson and Chris Babb scored 20 points each as Penn State snapped a 12-game losing streak with an 81-70 victory over Northwestern on Wednesday night, dealing perhaps a fatal blow to the Wildcats' NCAA tournament chances.

While the win doesn't get us out of the bottom of the Big Ten, it's much better than losing thirteen games in a row. It's not like they can tank the rest of the season for better odds in a draft lottery. So we'll be content if the team turns things around to muster "bad season" instead of "worst season ever."

Remember the guy that nearly crushed Talor Battle in a post-game, passionate man hug? He’s writing his own Penn State Basketball Blog, Battle Does It Again.


Now, we don’t cover Men’s Basketball as much as we could here, mainly because we don’t have a beat writer and many of you would get tired of me repeating “wow, this is a very bad team” over and over. But for those of you who are curious about the “State of the Program,” read on for an excerpt that sums it up nicely.

Here at Onward State, we no longer run our This Week In Penn State Sports feature. For those of you who miss it - thankfully, GoPSUSports.com does the exact same thing on its YouTube Channel. It's a great resource for highlights - this week's edition features footage of Wrestling, Basketball, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, and more.

If you didn't have a reason to watch the Winter Games already, American short track speedskater Allison Baver is representing Penn State in Vancouver. Baver, who was profiled in the Collegian last Friday, will be competing in events the 20th, 24th, and 26th. Check out her website so your commentary can be more in depth than blurting out "look at that hot chick that went to my school!"

It was reported yesterday that Head Football Coach Joe Paterno had eye surgery in Philadelphia after he had some difficulty reading. The procedure was a success, and Paterno no longer needs his iconic “coke-bottle” glasses. Instead of eschewing eyewear entirely, he will be wearing glasses with thinner lenses, as he “feels strange” without them. Given [...]

You may have forgotten, but it was not long ago that the Big Ten formally announced it would look into expansion. The internet was abuzz at the possibility of a twelfth member, be it Notre Dame, Pitt, or even the recently gridiron-challenged Syracuse. Then things died down a little. Until today, when word got out that that member could be…The University of Texas?!

The Lawrence Journal-World reports today the Big Ten has had preliminary talks with Texas about joining the league. The Big Ten announced in December that it would actively explore the possibility of expansion during the next 12-18 months, but this is the first legitimate report of discussions with another institution.

While Texas wasn’t even considered in our Big Ten expansion poll, it wasn’t because the Longhorns wouldn’t be a great addition to the conference. Quite the opposite – taking Texas from the Big 12 would be a nearly unbelievable coup. Not only would the Big Ten extend its reach into the South, but would get an athletics program with an incredibly impassioned fan base. While these are merely talks, it’s encouraging that not only has the conference worked beyond an announcement of intent, it set the bar high in starting its courtship.

It’s been nearly a week since college football’s National Signing day, when football recruits from coast to coast bring joy or break hearts via fax machine. Though the class of 2009 was hardly unimpressive, championships are a lot easier to win when the program acquires a large number of talented prospects in a short time. And now that the dust has settled, it’s safe to say that Penn State has done exactly that.


Read on for a more detailed analysis, if you dare.

Penn State Women's Basketball - sometimes known as the team that doesn't make us cry ourselves to sleep - has had a little rough patch in an otherwise impressive season, dropping their fourth game in a row when they gave up a 15-point lead over the Ohio State on Sunday. It was the team's eleventh consecutive loss to the She-Nuts*. They'll look to bounce back when they host Minnesota on Thursday. *I didn't bother to verify if the Buckeyes have a feminine counterpart as others do (Nittany Lions + Women's Sports= Lady Lions), but because I have a very immature sense of humor, I'm going to assume it's the Ohio State She-Nuts.

Ready for a college football playoff system? Yeah, I thought you were. Well, get excited, because according to Inside Higher Ed, it’s being…EXPLORED!

The Obama Administration has assured Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, that it is exploring options to deal with concerns raised by Hatch and others about the Bowl Championship Series. Hatch has asked for an antitrust investigation by the Justice Department, and the administration said it is reviewing that request. A letter to Hatch said that the administration also is “exploring other options that might be available to address concerns with the college football post-season.”

You may remember that Hatch brought the issue to the table after his state’s undefeated Utes absolutely dismantled a heavily favored Alabama team in 2009′s Sugar Bowl. Could this be the first definitive example of homerism being for the greater good? We’ll see where this “exploration” takes us.

Remember the movement to name the new science undergraduate student center in Ritenour after Stephen Colbert? It’s picking up momentum: S. Colbert is one of five names on the nomination list for online voting. Clever acronyms aside (in this case, it’s Science Center Of Learning: Bringing Educational Resources Together), it’s likely that the school will need an overwhelming landslide to justify naming a building after a fake pundit. So get out there and vote!

When it came to the Capitol Steps’ Saturday night performance at the State Theatre, I didn’t entirely know what to expect. I would consider myself a fan of both musical and political comedy, yet I had never heard of the group, despite the fact they’ve been performing since 1981. So, for the uninitiated, I did my best to summarize the group's act. Imagine America as a summer camp. Government officials are the camp counselors. The Capitol Steps are the kids that put on the skits to lampoon said counselors. That description doesn’t necessarily do their show justice – it’s not comparable to the insipid J.C. Penney gag – but there are distinct stylistic parallels. Is your interest piqued? Find out my other thoughts on The Capitol Steps after the jump.

Good news! If you are planning on getting season tickets for the 2010 football season, you'll be paying less than you did in 2009. But that's only if you buy tickets for all the games; single game tickets will cost more. Confused?

The per game price for public and student season tickets will remain unchanged at $55 and $29 per game, respectively. All season ticket holders will pay less in total for their seats in 2010, since seven games are scheduled for Beaver Stadium this fall compared to eight in 2009. Single game ticket prices will increase $3 to $67 per ticket for the 2010 season.

A Facebook group is “officially petitioning” the Chick-Fil-A Express in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Marketplace to rename the nuggets “Chicken Zuggets.” They are currently 52 members strong.


I love Chick-Fil-A, and I love Penn State football, but I have no reservations in saying this is stupid. You’re welcome to disagree with me and join the group.


(ed. note: you can follow the chatter about the Zuggets movement on Twitter)

After a 70-66 win over Illinois in the Fourth Annual WBCA Pink Zone game, Penn State Women's Basketball achieved their first national ranking (No. 23) since the 2004-05 season and raised over $80,000 for breast cancer awareness. Thursday they'll be taking on Purdue in what GoPSUSports is reporting as a "Code Blue" game. We look forward to their continuing salute to ROY G BIV as well as an ascent in the rankings.

In the tournament's first year of selling students tickets at a discounted rate, the Daily Collegian reports that not one of the 75 set aside for Penn State students has been sold. What, you mean people don't want to spend their spring break being disappointed in Indianapolis?