Rest In Peace, JoePa

The first celebrity I ever saw is gone. Rest in peace, Coach.

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My First "Celebrity Sighting"

As a Penn State alum, I can't put into words how heart-breaking this entire Jerry Sandusky scandal is - on so many levels.

Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions football team are the reason why I went to Penn State. My Dad took me to a football game when I was in high school and I fell in love with the place. One look at the student section and all those drunken kids having a blast was all I needed to see - Penn State was the place for me.

Later, after becoming a student, JoePa was my first "celebrity sighting" when I spotted him walking on campus one day. It was magical seeing the legendary coach in person - and just as big a thrill as spotting any of the many celebs I've come across here in NYC.

Joe Paterno has been the head coach of the Penn State football team since before I was born. And when I became a student, we were taught during freshman orientation to worship the man. And we did. It is difficult for many of us to think of him as anything other than god-like - and almost impossible to think of him as NOT being the coach of the football team.

But I guess even legends make mistakes - and sometimes they make legendary mistakes.

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Blast From The Past: Chaz Powell

I featured Penn State football player Chaz Powell two years ago when he was a sophomore running back - he's now a senior, playing at the cornerback position.

Penn State Will Face LSU in Capital One Bowl

I got good news and bad news for fellow Penn Staters. The good news? ... Penn State will be playing in a bowl game this year. The bad news? ... We're playing in something called "The Capital One Bowl". I didn't even know there WAS a Capital One Bowl...


Anywhore, I was really hoping Penn State would get invited to the Meineke Car Care Bowl - just because it sounds so awesome. You gotta love a football game played in honor of mufflers and lube jobs.

Oh well - WE ARE ... PENN STATE!!

All-American Hunk - Jared Odrick

Jared Odrick is a senior defensive tackle for the Penn State Nittany Lions who was just named to the American Football Coaches Association All-America team. Jared is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 305 pounds - so it would be frightening NOT to name him a first-team All-American. After all, you wouldn't like him when he's angry...

Odrick is from Lebanon, Pennsylvania - which is close to where I grew up. FYI: Lebanon, PA is NOT pronounced "Leb-a-NON", we pronounce it "LEB-nun". Us simple Pennsylvania Dutch folk don't have time for such foolishness as extra syllables in words. We got crops to plant and wide receivers to tackle.

Thanks to my buddy Dwight Supremacy for sending me information on this mountain of a man.

Penn State Football Hottie - Daryll Clark

Daryll Clark is the quarterback for the Penn State Nittany Lions, who close out their 2009 schedule today at Michigan State. WE ARE ... PENN STATE!!!!!!

Penn State Football Saturday - Chaz Powell

Chaz Powell is a sophomore at the greatest University in the world - Penn State. Chaz and the Penn State Nittany Lions take on Temple this afternoon in Happy Valley - a team we ALWAYS beat when I was in school. Go State!!