July 9, 2010

Linkbacker U says it's 'Lift for Life' Day

So I woke up late today. Whadda ya gunna do 'bout it? Huh?

Today is probably one of the best events in the entire Nittany Nation: Lift for Life. Penn State football players--part of PSU's chapter of Uplifting Athletes--will lift, push, pull, and sweat their asses off for more than four and a half hours this afternoon.
Lift for Life, a weight lifting competition that raises money for the Kidney Cancer Association, will take place from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at Holuba Hall. In total, there are 25 players in the Penn State chapter and 80 will compete in the event, which is open to the public.

"It's been unbelievable to see the amount of guys that want to support it and the amount of guys that want to help," [LFL organizer Brett] Brackett said.

The 2010 edition is the eighth Lift for Life, started in 2003 by former player Scott Shirley, whose father was diagnosed with kidney cancer the year before. He and teammates Damone Jones and Dave Costlow then formed the Penn State chapter of Uplifting Athletes.
So if you're in the area today, head on over and cheer on our boys. Plus, how could you not love the team names they come up with each year. Tell us your favorite below...

Your favorite Lift for Life team name:



JoePa, or not JoePa? Mike Poorman offers up another fantastic column over at StateCollege.com, this time addressing the hair-on-fire reactions to Joe Paterno's conspicuous absence from fundraiser events this spring. Breaking down each Paterno retirement scenarios by its counterpart Shakespeare storyline, Poorman touches on the depressing (Joe quits mid-season in bad health) to the euphoric (Joe goes out in 2011 as National Champ once again).

You really should go read the article in full, as the Shakespeare thing is totally worth it. But there was one, beside-the-point passage that caught my eye here, dealing with just who might take the reigns following Paterno's departure (it has to happen eventually, right?)...
"Bradley may be the clubhouse favorite, but there are some intriguing candidates out there. (I'm not talking about Greg Schiano or Al Golden; scratch them both from the race. Now.)

Instead, think about Mike Munchak, in his 14th season as an NFL assistant coach and currently the offensive line coach of the Tennessee Titans (hmmm, offensive line; gotta like that).

Munchak is a native of Scranton, Pa., a first-round draft pick as a Penn State offensive guard, a nine-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's from the Penn State family, but has made his mark in the real world of the NFL. And he's 50 years old — mature enough to run the show, young enough to exude youth and energy, and just the right age for a steadying 10- or 12-year run as head coach.
Attention message boards: you may explode in three... two... one...

Penn State > Auburn for Bama fans? For this season, it's quite possible. RollBamaRoll.com, an SBN blog, polled its readers this week, asking which home game they most want to attend. The verdict? Well, you can see that more Crimson Tide fans want to see Penn State come to Bryant-Denny Stadium that Florida and arch-rival Auburn, combined.

I know, they see Auburn every year, and Florida comes to town every so often. But For the results to be so overwhelmingly in Penn State's favor, that's just surprising. I'm glad to see Tide fans so excited about the Nittany Lions' visit this fall. But I'm also pretty darn sure that if Alabama wasn't so positive of victory, the enthusiasm would be a bit more tamed.

But who knows? Maybe we'll just assume that Bama fans are just so excited for a matchup that hearkens back to the old days of Houndstooth hats and goal-line stands. Then again, isn't that every day in Tuscaloosa?

In scores of other games...

USC, out of the top-25?! Well, technically, anyway. From the AFCA rules, "American Football Coaches Association policy dictates that AFCA members who serve on board of voters to determine national ranking shall not vote on any institution on major probation." [bitch slap!]

Coming to your TV this fall... The BTN released its fall schedule this week, and Penn State will have plenty of face time, not just on the gridiron, too.

You thought the last two losses to Iowa were bad? Try this one on for size.

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2 comments:

  1. Billy Madison quotes = automatic vote from me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Stretchin McGloin was my favorite last season how can I not vote for it this year?

    ReplyDelete

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