Saturday, November 18, 2006

Joy For Joepa!

Just saw the tail end of the Penn State - Michigan State Football game and although my buddy, Jeff, had told me (almost blow by blow descriptions) earlier on Instant Messenger that the Lions weren't doing very well in the first quarter, I see they managed to pull off a win today! And that's good news for a change!

I would imagine - regardless of whether the team played very well, mediocre or downright lousy, JOEPA would still find lots of things to criticize them for but you know, underneath all his bluff and bluster, I kind of think he would still be happy that they won!

I'm a Penn State Fan - all the way! Been a fan for many, many years before I became an Alum too! Try ever since I found out Penn State existed! So, anytime they win, is a darned good day in my book! And, any day they lose, I can generally make all kinds of excuses for them too!

Just gotta say it, WE ARE! PENN STATE! Yes, indeedy, folks! Win, lose or draw, they're my team, it's my school, my alma mater and I love Penn State, all the way!

Although I live in Pennsylvania and yes, I do like the Steelers - a lot (much more so than the Eagles) and I'm a Pirate fan no matter how bad they do from year to year (cellar dwellers they were again this past season), my favorite pro team, above all though, is still the Washington Redskins!

Although I knew the baseball pro teams from the time I was a little kid because my Grandpa would sit out on our sunporch with the old radio atop the radiators trying to pull in a decent signal so he could follow the play-by-play reports on his favorite teams (The Pirates and at that time, the Phllly Athletics - now the Oakland A's). I learned to follow baseball because Grandpa did that! But pro football - that was a different thing. I didn't get interested in that until I went to work in Washington, D.C. back in the mid-60's and I adopted the 'Skins then as my favorite team and have held them in my heart since then too.

Back when I first took a liking to the 'Skins, quite often the nickname they had around the D.C. region was the "Washington Deadskins" or maybe "Otto Graham's Deadskins" too was another slur they often got. But by 1972, things had begun to turn around for the team! They'd had a year under the great coach, Vince Lombardi and were then being led - by the nose - by George Allen - another great pro football coach!

I was never a fair weather fan - one who only likes a team when they are doing well. When I adopt a team, I support them no matter what the outcome, no matter how good a season they are having. So there's been a lot of seasons where my favorite teams were pretty sad in the performances they gave but that's ok, it's all only a game anyway and someone has to lose you know.

Just why does it so often have to be my team though!

That's ok for my Nittany Lions and their win today. Just glad to see the results in the win column today! For the Pirates, there's always next year and for the 'Skins, come on guys, you can do it - again! Looks too like my second favorite football team could use a little nudge in the better playing direction as well this season - "Big Ben" better get out of his slump soon and get the old Steelers back on track too ya know!

Just sign this today from "A Fan" of all of ya! (Or, since I am from Pennsylvania, maybe I should say a fan of all of "youns!"

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