Excitement Erupting
Ladies and gentlemen, we are less than a week away! Our students have returned to campus. The Nittany Lion is practicing his pushups. We’re all dying to know if there have been any major uniform changes. So much excitement is rumbling under the surface.The football schedule page of gopsusports.com has become an every day view in this house--where does one get one of those cute little pocket schedules in suburban Philly? Pretty soon I’ll have the games written in my planner and in a few weeks I’ll have it memorized. I know I’m not the only one of us who plans my weekends around game time.
Have you been following Franklin in the off season? Of course you have. Selfies with fans, a top ten recruiting class, a team trip to Hershey Medical Center, and cameos around town. It’s easy to get caught up in
his energy and enthusiasm. The Washington Post recently said he could probably “sell parkas in the desert.” I’m my own pendulum, swinging between near-approval and skepticism. I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. I was simply going to proceed with cautious optimism, but I can’t help it. I want to be excited but I’m not ready to hop aboard the bandwagon before a single game has been coached. I might be suffering from coach separation anxiety.
Our new coach is poised to make his debut in Ireland of all places. (Here’s where I panic for a minute: wait, what time is it in Ireland? Is the game going to be on at some ridiculous hour? Am I going to MISS Coach Franklin’s first game?!) Somehow, I don’t think I’ll have any problems waking up for an 8:30AM game. My neighbors, however, might not enjoy the ritual blasting of the Blue Band CD.
How we ever ended up with a game in Ireland, I have no idea. Why it’s necessary for two teams to travel all the way to Ireland, I have even less of a clue. It really does sound like fun. Must be, because last time I checked it was all sold out. The positive exposure for our football team is a always good thing, and maybe we’ll pick up some Luck o’ the Irish while we’re there.
It’s Iceland that could use some good luck about now. All eyes are on Bardarbunga. Bardarbunga, dude! A ridiculous-sounding word but its meaning is not so silly. The latest, as of writing, was that airspace had been reopened but the eruption threat was still at level orange, just one level away from Red. Erupting. Lava.
Nine long, football-less months have passed, while we’ve waited and watched. Our energy building. Our players preparing. Less than a week until our unrivaled spirit erupts in Ireland and another year of Penn State Football history begins.
Simmer down now, Bardarbunga. We’ve got a season to open.
Have you been following Franklin in the off season? Of course you have. Selfies with fans, a top ten recruiting class, a team trip to Hershey Medical Center, and cameos around town. It’s easy to get caught up in
his energy and enthusiasm. The Washington Post recently said he could probably “sell parkas in the desert.” I’m my own pendulum, swinging between near-approval and skepticism. I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. I was simply going to proceed with cautious optimism, but I can’t help it. I want to be excited but I’m not ready to hop aboard the bandwagon before a single game has been coached. I might be suffering from coach separation anxiety.Our new coach is poised to make his debut in Ireland of all places. (Here’s where I panic for a minute: wait, what time is it in Ireland? Is the game going to be on at some ridiculous hour? Am I going to MISS Coach Franklin’s first game?!) Somehow, I don’t think I’ll have any problems waking up for an 8:30AM game. My neighbors, however, might not enjoy the ritual blasting of the Blue Band CD.
How we ever ended up with a game in Ireland, I have no idea. Why it’s necessary for two teams to travel all the way to Ireland, I have even less of a clue. It really does sound like fun. Must be, because last time I checked it was all sold out. The positive exposure for our football team is a always good thing, and maybe we’ll pick up some Luck o’ the Irish while we’re there.
It’s Iceland that could use some good luck about now. All eyes are on Bardarbunga. Bardarbunga, dude! A ridiculous-sounding word but its meaning is not so silly. The latest, as of writing, was that airspace had been reopened but the eruption threat was still at level orange, just one level away from Red. Erupting. Lava.
Nine long, football-less months have passed, while we’ve waited and watched. Our energy building. Our players preparing. Less than a week until our unrivaled spirit erupts in Ireland and another year of Penn State Football history begins.
Simmer down now, Bardarbunga. We’ve got a season to open.
