Back in Happy Valley

That '93 feeling

Why does this feel like the best sports weekend in a long, long time?

Oh, do we have that '93 feeling tonight as the Phillies -- yes the Phillies -- have won the division and will play in October.

October baseball? Isn't that something we watched for too many years with just passing interest?

But no more, as the Phils are there and it's quite a feat.

I just watched what was billed as the "Mets Playoff Preview" on a New York Fox station. Long faces, a long off season will plague the Mets.

But the Phillies, the team that lost its 10,000th game this summer, are there and thanks go to Howard, Utley, Rollins, Hamels and many others. Charlie Manuel just may get manager of the year, how about it?

Now, didn't Cole Hamels look like Steve Carlton Friday night in a fantastic performance in Philly?

He'll pitch the opener Wednesday night, the first October game for the Phillies in 14 years.

We'll be watching and loving it.

Thanks guys, and celebrate on all of our friends in Philly. You deserve it.

Web talk

Penn State fans have a lot to say these days, so today's Web chatter numbers shouldn't be so surprising.

As of Sunday afternoon Web comments with football stories accounted to more than 5,000 page views today, an astounding total. And there's plenty of time left.

Thanks to Web visitors for fantastic reading today and all of this month. Unique visitors for September will top 432,000, one of our highest monthly numbers.

And back to the comments for a second: They're much like what could be heard yesterday in post-game shows and in discussions all around Happy Valley. Fans are frustrated and they have a lot to say.

The Web can be much like a talk show, I often say, and the talk show continues on this Sunday.

No magic in Illinois

My last post talked about magic but there was no magic for the Nittany Lions today in Illinois.

There was frustration, disappointment and reality, I'm afraid.

Execution was lacking, to say the least, as the Nittany Lions lost to drop to 0-2 in the Big Ten.

How a potentially great season has turned. The Lions now face a tough October stretch and a season at a crossroads.

It starts Saturday against Iowa. A win is needed. Execution is needed most of all.

The turnovers that are killing the Lions have to be replaced with magic, or at least red zone effectiveness.

Back to Illinois

Every time the Nittany Lions play Illinois, I naturally think back to 1994 and the comeback that led all comebacks.

It was the golden year and Kerry Collins was in charge. The undefeated Nittany Lions fell way back early ... well, you know the story.

We sat in the end zone and watched the final drive come toward us. It was a magic moment and a monumental win that I'll never forget, and it happened in Illinois.

And so today you have to wonder whether we'll see any magic, or any real offense. It's pretty clear that Penn State can't continue to turn the ball over and survive.

I picked 17-16 Nittany Lions in Friday's midday report. If that happens, there will be some magic, to be sure.

Enjoy the game on the Big Ten Network, and I hope you find a way to watch. We'll update it all regularly online and give you a chance to talk about it all afternoon.

Phillies fans unite

One Philly post deserves another on this bright Happy Valley Friday, so let me share in the Phillies Fever that's taken over the eastern part of the state.

It was a sight to behold last night, just watching the big TV as Brett Myers finished the job and the fans -- with their rally towels -- raised the volume at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies had tied the slumping Mets for the division crown.

Three games remain, so we need three more scenes like that.

It's their time. Just keep saying that, Phillies fans.

I am and I'll be watching.

Can baseball get any more crazy on this prime football weekend to close September? 

Bono in the house

As a U2 fan from way back, I read with interest about Bono's visit to the Philly papers for an editorial board session.

Thanks, fellow blogger Will Bunch, for the behind-the-scenes detail.

I've long admired Bono and just want to ask if there's "A Beautiful Day" in our future/

We have a tight edit board schedule, as many in Harrisburg know when trying to make appointments, but we'd find time for Bono.

Just wanted to make that known.

A 'rigged' election?

Pardon me, but let's take a moment to catch our breath before the campaign season really heats up.

Let's think about the primary. Were any elections "rigged" in Centre County?

Let's all answer no.

Now why would a county commissioner candidate who won in May now say she worries that it may be "rigged" this time?

Why, other than campaign rhetoric. We'd find out if there was any sort of "rigging," trust me.

Let's talk about the issues without inflaming them. We'll get further, faster.

Clear message on DUI

It seems to me that a Centre County jury sent out a very clear message about DUI, at a time when we continue to see rising arrests and high blood-alcohol readings of those arrested.

The jury found Anthony Torsell guilty on all counts.

The verdict left few dry eyes in the courtroom, as Sara Ganim reported, and no winners anywhere in sight.

All three families involved share pain, and as State College police Cpl. Bill Muse said,  “It’s like three families are changed forever.”

Changed forever indeed, and we wish all of them the best.

As for everyone else, consider this message sent by Centre County jurors. It couldn't be more clear.

Big Ten hoops

The Nittany Lions are on the Big Ten Network again Saturday. That's not news, I realize, but I can't say often enough how many fans are shut out as the network/cable dispute continues.

Perhaps it won't get resolved this football season, but what about in basketball season?

Will pressure intensify in the Midwest basketball hotbeds to force some action?

I wonder, because the latest Big Ten Insider report -- I get them, given that I get the network -- indicates that eight of the 11 conference teams will play at least half of their hoops games on the network.

Penn State will have 17 games on the Big Ten Network, the report says. Other teams in the more than half category are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa (with the most, 23 games), Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin.

Those are some hoops hotbeds right there. And if their fans don't see their team ... well, we'll see what happens.

Update after update

Happy to be back in Happy Valley after reading on the Web, like you.

And what I've seen this week, like you, are multiple updates of the trials and the most breaking news posts that we've had in some time.

It's all the work of reporters Sara Ganim and Pete Bosak from the county courthouse, and city editor Teresa Bonner from the newsroom. Photo editor Laurie Jones updated the presentation each day online, multiple times.

When I travel I appreciate all of this, and I'm sure you do too. It is better to be in Happy Valley, though, and we're back for this stretch of summer like weather.

Thanks for reading us online at great rates.

Orange alert

Will the Nittany Lions see an Orange-out in Illinois?

I would expect it, but I wonder if it will be any more orange than in Denver Sunday for the Broncos' game.

Orange was everywhere, but the fans never could make a difference as the Broncos sleepwalked to a 23-14 loss to Jacksonville.

Met Michigan State and Purdue fans en route, all living large as their teams are 4-0. A long Big Ten season is ahead, as they know, and for the Nittany Lions the Illinois game looms large.

Orange-out or not.

War stories

I'm pleased that we can share our interview stories with World War II veterans, in partnership with WPSU's extensive effort now.

I wrote about this in my Sunday column and will share it with you.

Also, here's the start of our World War II stories page. We're adding to it to make a complete package of our coverage.

A repeat of years past

Sorry to admit this, but the Nittany Lions performance in Ann Arbor didn't surprise me. It led me to go elsewhere this weekend.

I did expect them to win, no matter how they played. But they played down, way down, and now are 0-1 in the Big Ten.

They couldn't score a TD against a defense that was run up and down the field by Appalachian State and Oregon.

Their senior running back fumbled again, as did their senior quarterback.

They allowed a freshman QB to excel on third downs, looking like Tom Brady.

And they did not stop Mike Hart, although they tried mightily.

Sorry, but this looked like a repeat of years past, with little imagination and little offense, despite perhaps the most skilled receiving team in Penn State history.

The Michigan streak continues, and the Lions season now is cloudy ahead. All in all, it was disappointing to say the very least.

Bulls and Broncos

Getting ready to watch the Nittany Lions, much like you, in an unlikely place.

I'm on what I call a Bulls and Broncos weekend, seeing professional bull riding first and then seeing the Denver Broncos Sunday. My sister surprised with the Broncos tickets.

The bull riding, one of my favorite sports, is taking place in western Michigan, a ways from Ann Arbor but of course the same state.

Unlikely place indeed. The bull riding is great, and I hope the cardiac Broncos are too.

Enjoy the papers and the Web site.

Big House moments

Enjoy the Big House, all of you fans who will make the trip west.

Enjoy the ride on Interstate 80, honking at other Penn Staters to and from.

Enjoy tailgating on the golf course, the place to be near the Big House.

Enjoy the Irish bar in downtown Ann Arbor, where Penn Staters gather no matter the year.

And enjoy the atmosphere of the largest stadium, while you squeeze into too-small seats. You'll likely be in the end zone but you'll adjust to the view.

I'm skipping the Big House this year. I've made my share of trips, with the most memorable being that great '94 Penn State victory over Michigan and the most recent heartbreaking loss to Michigan despite Michael Robinson's heroics.

You're entrusted to bring home a win and end -- forever and ever and ever -- this long losing streak to Michigan dating to Nov. 17, 1996.

It's up to you. Make the Big House yours on Saturday.

We'll be watching.

The case for I-80 tolls

Our on-again, off-again meeting with Joseph Brimmeier, executive director of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, finally happened yesterday, and I can report that Brimmeier will make his family and friends happy with boxes of stickies from the diner.

Nothing like stopping there while in Happy Valley.

Brimmeier presented himself as someone just doing his job, carrying out Act 44 and planning for tolls on Interstate 80 the way the legislature and Gov. Ed Rendell ordered him to.

He presented a strong case for why tolls are needed, and our editorial today, "Rough roads ahead," summed up the meeting and the choices for Pennsylvanians.

Brimmeier isn't backing away from a tough and thankless stance. He believes in this, and it comes through when you talk to him.

As he pointed out so well, he could stay away from this controversial stuff so close to retirement. But he pushes on, and he's doing his job.

It was nice to meet with him after some starts and stops. He promises a fully open process regarding I-80 tolling, and we look forward to it if it's not stopped in its tracks.

Making a difference

Hat's off to College Township for pitching in $100,000 in funding for each of the next five years to help the new Centre County Housing & Land Trust make a difference.

Let's hope other Centre Region municipalities join this high profile and potentially most effective effort to bring affordable housing to our area.

The lack of affordable housing is staring us right in the face, and it's great that so many people now are working to change it. The land trust is coming at the right time, and its first project at the Mellott Mobile Home Park site is greatly needed.

So is funding, and College Township is showing the way. It's time for others to step up.

Future of journalism

I spent yesterday in Harrisburg, meeting student editors and advisers from colleges across Pennsylvania as we hosted the first workshop of its kind at the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.

The group -- called the Student Editors' Interest Group -- numbered nearly 100 and came from Penn State main, Greater Alleghenies and Worthington campuses and 20 other colleges.

It was a great day of sharing best practices and networking, and along the way the students got career advice and assistance with access, open records and legal issues.

Bringing talented college journalists into the fold has been a goal of the newspaper association, and we expect to build on this with future training and sharing.

It was a great start and from it I can only say the future of journalism is bright.

Welcome Global Connections

We welcome Global Connections, a United Way agency based at Penn State, into the Centre Daily Times with monthly columns written by different writers.

Thanks to Ellen (Ai-Lun) Huang for writing the first one about her experiences in the U.S. since moving from Taiwan.

Thanks too to Merrill David of Global Connections for helping us get this started.

I hope readers will enjoy these columns and learn more about our visitors and their culture. Look for Global Connections columns on a Monday in the middle of each month on our community page.

Really shut out

Our Big Ten Network poll is really stunning, with 78 percent of readers at this writing saying they don't get the network.

Already 619 people have voted and a couple dozen have left comments.

Here's the short story about the PSU-Illinois game on the network and the poll and comments.

Also, Mike Vest of the Big Ten Network sent me this link to a column on the Indiana Hoosiers' athletics Web site. I include it for you and thank Mike for keeping in touch.

Big game on new network

I don't know about you, but I never ever expected the Penn State-Illinois game to land on the Big Ten Network.

No way. I figured ESPN would grab it, seeing that it's one of the more interesting games of the season.

Illinois -- and I understand an orange-out is planned -- gave the Nittany Lions fits last year in Beaver Stadium and have the game at home this year. The Lions will come off Michigan for another road test before big home showdowns in October.

And now we know, many Penn State fans won't even be able to see the game.

Not with the outrageous Big Ten Network-cable blackout that continues.

I predict this one will really make the shut out fans angry. And it should. And it should make the powers at both the network and the cable companies hold their collective noses and work out a compromise.

Otherwise greed will continue to rule, and the fans will continue to lose.

Nittany Lion looking good

Centre Daily Times readers are capturing the Nittany Lion, wouldn't you say, with some pretty cool photos.

These photos submitted for our ongoing contest were printed Sunday.

More are coming in, along with kids' drawings of the Lion. I highlighted all of this in my Sunday column, and I certainly thank readers for taking the time to share with everyone.

Think about it: We all have photos of the Lion. Someone is going to win this contest when their photo is voted the best by our print and online readers.

Send one to us if you'd like to be considered. Just follow the guidelines.

Time for a paper trail?

I probably see more e-mails about our need for a paper trail in voting than any other subject.

Yep, more than school board elections or Penn State football, to just name two areas of interest.

So it now appears that the U.S. House is listening and may consider mandating paper trail voting for the 2008 presidential election.

That, of course, will be costly for locals who went the other route recently. Take Centre County. It would cost at least the $300,000 the county already spent on touchscreen machines.

Is it worth that to you? You can vote in our poll.

We should really have an election about this, asking if you'd be willing to pay for the changes that are needed. They are important, particularly for the upcoming election. But they would be costly.

Happy Valley Sunday

It's no small challenge to present a Sunday paper that takes you around Centre County on one of the big Happy Valley weekends.

But I feel we did that today and am pleased to offer much more in the paper than our strong Penn State football and festivities' coverage.

Good stories from Tyrone and Philipsburg on their hospitals, from Penns Valley on a unique tax break potential for seniors, and from Snow Shoe on its centennial make for a varied Sunday paper.

Add in the latest McClatchy report on inconsistencies in veterans' health care, a powerful and troubling story that should spark reaction.

It's challenging, given that big weekends -- when we become the third-largest city in the state -- also draw our resources to cover happenings on and off the field. We try to strike the best balance we can, and today's tips in favor of the region, I'd say.

I hope you enjoy today's stories and the paper overall.

The Quarless factor

Before the season I figured that Andrew Quarless would climb out of Coach Joe Paterno's doghouse in time for the second half of the Buffalo game.

I was close.

Quarless certainly made a difference in his first action, scoring twice and no doubt helping Anthony Morelli navigate the offense. It was an impressive second season debut for the tight end.

Now it's on to Michigan and Big Ten play for the Nittany Lions, winners 45-24 but with many, many questions. How good are they? We really have no idea.

How good is Michigan? Again, no idea. It'll be fascinating in Ann Arbor, won't it?

I watched today's game on the Big Ten Network and feel for the Penn State fans who can't get it.

While Penn State and Indiana game were featured on the new network, the ESPN stations showed Purdue and Michigan State. Their fans, at least, got to see them.

It's actually outrageous that we're so far into this season with the games kept from the fans, not only here but around the Big Ten. Somehow, some way, the network and major cable companies have to reach an agreement.

The fans -- the paying customers -- are the ones penalized, and that isn't right.

How's Lou?

Virtually every week, in my travels around Happy Valley, someone asks about Lou Heldman.

"How's Lou?" is the repeated question.

We can say today that Lou is doing quite well, retiring early. His announcement from the Wichita Eagle newsroom surprised many, out there and back here.

Lou spent five years at the Centre Daily Times as president and publisher, and he made his mark in the community in a big way. Many remember his service and his friendship.

Lou plans to leave newspapers after 35 great years. We wish him well and look forward to seeing him on a visit to Centre County.

Here's the full Wichita story on his announcement.

Quite a contrast

Football fans are back in Happy Valley -- how fast did this week go?

It'll be quite a different experience in Beaver Stadium tomorrow than last Saturday, and we're not just talking about the opponent and the crowd intensity.

We're really talking about the weather. Fall has arrived and it will be perhaps 30 degrees cooler Saturday than last Saturday.

Those white T-shirts will be replaced with sweat shirts, perhaps.

You'll see plenty of those white T-shirts when you pick up our Penn State Pregame wrap around the Centre Daily Times on Saturday. The big question concerning the full-page cover photo: Will you be able to see yourself in the crowd?

I bet hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fans will try.

Enjoy the game and the weekend, everyone.

Remembering Molly

Many Centre Daily Times readers loved Molly Ivins, and some still say how much they miss her in the paper.

Ivins died of cancer in January, and this week friends and admirers gathered in New York to remember her.

Here's a story on the event.

Hunting guest list kept secret

Look around and you will find, in this case a state with as dismal an open records law as Pennsylvania.

In South Dakota, you can't even find out who is invited to the governor's pheasant hunts. That's right, that state's high court ruled against the newspaper that has been seeking the guest list as an open record.

Not so,the court says.

Why the South Dakota governor didn't release the list in the first place is beyond me.

But, of course, that's why strong open records laws are needed, because many politicians won't volunteer any information that can be protected. The South Dakota legislature would have to strengthen the law.

Just like the situation here in Pennsylvania.

Show your school pride

Our Huddle Up! Web page is becoming a place to visit for football fans, and we're now reaching out to you.

So far the page has been built with our content -- stories, photos and video. That certainly will continue, but now there's a place for your crazy fan and school pride photos.

Send them to us for posting and watch a new photo gallery grow on this page, just as our galleries are growing. Also look for polls and discussion featuring your favorite team.

And, as a reminder, we have an under-utilized youth sports photo blog already established that can take your photos directly. Share them with your friends and our Web readers.

Write-ins

We have another highly visible write-in effort for this election, announced yesterday, with two candidates seeking State College Area School Board seats.

One, incumbent Robert Hendrickson, is familiar to voters. The other, James Leous, may not be.

Both are seeking support in a race that we all thought was over after a decisive May primary when the slate of challengers won both party nominations.

Here's my view on write-ins, without taking any side.

A write-in effort like this is a huge long shot that can only work if voters do not think the issues were covered adequately in the previous campaign.

If voters think the issues were covered and debated and understood in the spring, they no doubt will feel that they don't need a replay. However, if voters feel the primary race did not fully explore the issues, they may be open to a new discussion of them over the next two months.

That's what it all comes down to in my view. I've seen write-ins work, but not necessarily after a decisive primary like we just had.

On the campaign trail

I'm actually running in an election right now, and it occurs to me that I should share this in the interest of full disclosure.

Each newspaper has a vote in this election, and I'm on the ballot. That sets me apart from write-in efforts, it should be noted, and you'll see this does not present a conflict of interest with my day/night job.

I'm running a low-budget, low-visibility campaign for the Associated Press Managing Editors board of directors and the one seat for an editor from a small newspaper.

I see this as a great opportunity and not one I campaigned for, but here I am in a national campaign.

The election concludes in early October at the APME conference. Here are details if you're interested further. I'll let you know how it turns out by the Iowa football weekend.

Reporter strikes again

Patriot-News reporter Pete Shellem has done it again. His aggressive investigative reporting has led to another prisoner being set free.

It happened yesterday in Lancaster County and you can read the Patriot-News' story here.

I blogged about Shellem in May with "One-man Innocence Project," so here's that post. At the time he got national attention in journalism for doing his job, his way.

The latest news continues his run, which I now watch from Happy Valley. Congratulations to Pete and best wishes to newly freed Charles T. "Ted" Dubbs.

We have only one question now: Who's next?

Let the teachers teach

Perhaps we all can say this loudly, over and over: "Let the teachers teach."

That's the headline and the message of our editorial today.

Politicians again are dabbling, and that always presents a danger zone. A big election comes next year, so get ready.

I always watched in amazement during my years in Harrisburg when the new governor would make over education his way, or try to. Amazement for me, no doubt frustration for teachers and educators.

The best situation is for the teachers to teach. It's that simple, and they'll prepare the students. If they don't, I'm sure they'll be replaced.

Freedom of the press

I just can't imagine working under the conditions described so chillingly here by Kelli Brown, our former Blue Weekly editor now living and working in Israel.

I just can't imagine.

Kelli's post speaks for itself and I highlight it here without any further comment.

When you're 6

My niece, Cassidy in Colorado, started piano lessons Friday to go along with gymnastics and swimming lessons and first grade.

She's 6 and just the right age, perhaps. The lessons are every Friday and on Sunday she told me how great the first one was.

"I can't wait for the next one," she said over the phone, so very eager.

I asked when it will be and she said Friday, every Friday. I remarked how cool that will be, with something to look forward to at the end of every week of classes. I thought she'd respond excitedly.

But no.

She said sadly, "Uncle Bob, I just can't wait for Friday."

So 6. So very 6.

I'll see her in a couple of weeks and no doubt hear some music. 

News from the schools

Thanks to those who've sent us news from the schools, particularly news of student achievement.

On Sunday I again reached out for that news in my printed column. It's the second year I've addressed school personnel with an open invitation to share their news with us.

We've set up ways to accept that news and publish it. Key access e-mails, as the column explains, are communitynews@centredaily.com and calendar@centredaily.com.

These too apply to community groups, non-profits and other organizations. But with the start of classes it was time to write directly to school personnel.

Try this. Everyone will appreciate hearing of great things and student achievement in your schools.

Affordable Housing awareness

We're honored to receive the first media award given by the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania.

We started focusing on the need for affordable housing in Centre County, particularly the Centre Region, when news came out that more trailer park residents would have to find new accommodations.

Since then, we've reported on various aspects of the problem, and most notably a need for work force housing. Our workers must be able to live in our communities, and now often not possible.

We've learned that many people are working hard on this issue, and we opened the opinion page up to monthly columns by people on the front lines. On Tuesday, our readers will read a column by Liz Hersh of the Housing Alliance which clearly explains that this is a problem not just here in Centre County.

Thanks to all Centre Countians who are focusing on this. It's most important, and we're pleased to help you raise awareness of the issue.

Fans of the game

Congratulations to Andy Berdy and Suzie Kaler, our fans of the game.

We could have picked any of the 110,000 or so clad in white, but Berdy and Kaler stood out. Nothing like getting married right here in Happy Valley on game day.

Their tailgate hosts earned our honor too, for including a wedding this time. Nice work.

Our fan and tailgate picks are a new feature in the Centre Daily Times this year, every home Sunday. At the end you'll get to vote on all of this, and you're invited to nominate yourself or your group.

Just send a note to cdtnewstips@centredaily.com and tell us why you should be honored.

Buffalo is next. Are you ready?

A night to remember

OK, you've been to Beaver Stadium a bunch of times, a bunch of seasons.

You've seen everything. Until Saturday night, that is.

A sea of white, courtesy of 110,078 Penn State fans, made for a remarkable scene at what we consider the very best stadium on any college campus. It was spectacular.

And so was the Penn State defense, which stopped Notre Dame and its freshman quarterback at every turn.

It was a defensive masterpiece, in a sea of white, that Penn State fans will remember for years and years.

The second-largest crowd ever, the first game with Notre Dame in years, the White House effect -- all in night to remember.

Call it 31-10, payback for last year, and satisfying on a muggy September night.

Enjoy our coverage and our White House photos.

Happy Valley gameday

Make sure you see our Penn State Pregame wrap today. If you're coming to Happy Valley pick one up for sure.

It features a salute to the 1982 Penn State national champs, with Kenny Jackson's awesome ring as the cover image. Long live the memories we all have of that team's magical run and that incredible Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia in New Orleans. Has it really been 25 years?   

Here's a link to the wrap for Web readers. Enjoy it.

Special thanks today to John Greene, who wrote our Penn State football memories column featured in the Centre Living section. Greene takes us all back to the 1987 Notre Dame game and shares special moments, including his two touchdowns in Penn State's win. 

Gameday is here, and enjoy it wherever you are. We've packaged content for you online and we'll feature photos this afternoon and updates during the game. Afterward, join in the discussions with other Penn Staters, vote in polls and see what our bloggers are saying.

Thanks for great Web reading. Already in eight days this month we've had 106,000 unique visitors to CentreDaily.com. That's a month's worth for some newspapers. September has only begun for us. Thanks to all of you.

Playing Notre Dame

The Penn State-Notre Dame series has been great, so great. There are many memories, many highlights and lowlights.

There's a great history of the series on our Notre Dame rivalry page. Make sure you check it out.

I attended many of the games, both home and away, during the stretch from 1981 to 1992. They were amazing with such intensity, and I'm not just talking about the teams. The fans always were ready.

I'll just share one memory here, that of the 1985 game at Beaver Stadium in the drenching rain. It came in buckets and it started Friday night. But that didn't matter to fans who stayed throughout what was a Penn State blowout win.

I'll really never forget how wet we were, yet still there in the fourth quarter along with so many others. It was sweet revenge for the loss in 1984 in South Bend, and it ended as a 36-6 Penn State win (I seem to remember a shutout, not sure why).

Soaked but happy. That described the fans as they left Beaver Stadium.

And that was 22 years ago. Say what?

Saturday will be special, for each and every ticket holder. If you've been to a Penn State-Notre Dame game, you know what I mean. If you haven't, you're in for a sports highlight.

Enjoy it, everyone.

Confident from the start

I've been confident about this Notre Dame game in Happy Valley for quite some time, and nothing that happened last week altered my thinking.

So, Notre Dame freshman quarterback or not, I was picking Penn State to win big. And today the pick went up in the midday report as 44-7.

Who knows, I've been off base before. But I think the sea of white-clad fans will enjoy this one.

I too remember a long, long afternoon last September in South Bend -- and I only watched it on TV.

Forecast: A whiteout

Conditions could not be better for a full Beaver Stadium whiteout on Saturday.

There's been a buzz about it all week and even e-mails arriving from readers are ending, "Wear white on Saturday."

It'll be hot and humid and perfect for a white T-shirt.

Will it happen? All week we've been seeking your thoughts and your votes in our poll, and so far 77 percent of you say it will happen.

Some comments, however, make it known that it won't happen in full.

Here's a link to our online chatter and poll for you to join in.

As for me, I think a whiteout will happen and yes, I'll wear white.  Thanks for asking.

Huddle up

Are you a fan of State High, P-O, Bellefonte, Bald Eagle Area or Penns Valley football?

Maybe a fan or graduate living away from Centre County these days?

No problem this year. Our Huddle Up high school football page is just for you.

You'll find each team's season packaged for your reading pleasure. Miss a weekend? Just check the following week.

Also this year, look for video of some games along with our extensive photo galleries.

And watch for polls and discussions popping up on this page, along with perhaps a contest or two. Share your pride for your school.

Follow high school football with us this year.

Mad dash to satellite

Penn Staters seem to be tripping over each other in a mad dash to drop Comcast and move to DirecTV so they can get their Big Ten Network.

Interesting. Weren't these some of the same people just touting the Penn State on Demand content added only to Comcast? Wasn't that a hot announcement from Old Main?

See Penn State programming, offered for TV viewers around the state ... that's what it said.

Move to DirecTV and you won't get Comcast, and you won't get Penn State on Demand. That's a reality.

Just wonder, in their mad dash, if they've thought about that?

Overflow games

How will the Big Ten Network handle overflow games, if it were offered on cable?

I wondered about that in a previous post and here's the answer, according to its Web site. My concern, mostly, is for Penn Staters living west and elsewhere, away from Pennsylvania. You can draw your own conclusions.

Thanks to Mike Vest of the network for passing it on.

Q: How will you handle multiple games at once?  Which game will I get to see?

A: The Big Ten Network will frequently air multiple games at the same time, and will regionalize the games so that we can cater to each specific market.  You will see the games you care most about. So, for example, assuming the game is on the network, if you live in Michigan or West Lafayette, you could see the Boilers play the Wolverines on October 13. On that same day, if you live in Iowa or Illinois, you could see the Hawkeyes play the Illini.

We also will offer the games we are not broadcasting in certain markets to our distribution partners to air on their "overflow" channels, so that fans who live outside their university's state can watch their teams.

DIRECTV will carry all of our "overflow" games.  For cable operators, the decision whether or not to air Big Ten Network "overflow" games will be made by the cable operator.

When will they have a cure?

I'm not going to blog about the controversy over a remark by Jerry Lewis during his annual Labor Day Telethon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

I'm going to blog about the money -- $64 million raised this year and $1.46 billion raised since 1966 to fight neuromuscular diseases.

I give every year, even before my mother was diagnosed and died of ALS in 2002. I even watch as much of the telethon as I can -- this year for a time on WHP in Harrisburg and on WGN in Chicago. Only WGN of my 800 or so channels at home offers it, and only 190 stations overall show it. No station in these parts shows any interest, and I thank those that do.

It's largely a good show, with varied entertainment. It's emotional in spots and full of hope in spots. Every year there's some research development to tout. But every year there's no cure, just hope.

Every year. Every single year.

Now $64 million more will go toward research, and next year we'll hear ... about no cure, just more hope.

I ask a simple question after this telethon, and I'm sure thousands of others are asking the same thing: When will they have a cure?

What if Comcast gave in...

I don't mean to suggest here that Comcast will roll over in the great Big Ten Network dispute. After all, Comcast faced the NFL head on and didn't back down.

But let's just say, for the sake of discussion, that Comcast does at some point relent and allow the Big Ten Network to be offered on basic cable for all subscribers. Under that scenario there may or may not be a rate increase, but let's just look at what would happen.

Anyone who watched the Big Ten Network on Direct TV Saturday saw it expand to four stations, all offering different games. It was impressive, and among them of course were the Penn State-Florida International and Michigan-Appalachian State games.

That can happen on satellite TV, but let's think about how it would play out on basic cable. The Big Ten Network would be on one channel for each subscriber. One channel means one game, no matter how many games are on at the same time.

Under that scenario would the Big Ten Network offer Penn State only in our region? Would it offer Michigan only out there, and Ohio State only in Ohio? Would it choose a top game to offer on its one station, then showing highlights of the other? Or would it offer a screen split with four games for everyone?

What would it do?

What I think is that Penn State fans in Pennsylvania and thereabouts would get the Lions, but Penn State fans elsewhere might get another Big Ten game on that one Big Ten Network cable channel. They could be shut out even if get their wishes and get the Big Ten Network.

Nobody's talking about this in their demands for the network to be shown on cable TV. At least I haven't heard them talk about it, and it's a real issue.

Welcome Notre Dame fans

Notre Dame week is here and Web reading is soaring.

Welcome, Notre Dame fans and readers, adding to Penn Staters this week to make CentreDaily.com rock already. And it's only Tuesday.

The Notre Dame Nation is large indeed, but so is the Penn State universe. All can meet and talk here online.

Enjoy the Web site this week. Thanks for reading us.

Time to help those in need

On a glorious start of the football season, with a vista of affluence and abundance, I chose to highlight those in need in Centre County my Sunday column.

Why? Because they need help.

And the Centre County United Way helps them -- one in three county residents.

If, through the column, I can spark just one more person to help, it's worth it. The United Way kicks off the general campaign on Wednesday with a goal of topping $2 million.

Why public access matters

Mike Joseph's powerful story today on the state of Centre County bridges is eye-opening, you'll find.

It also is a story that couldn't have been told in full until now.

Why so? It's based on data disclosed just last week by PennDOT, in the aftermath of the Minneapolis bridge collapse.

PennDOT didn't get the idea on its own to share bridge inspection data with Pennsylvanians. It was pushed to disclose records by the public, the media, and legislators, and its decision was revealed at the House State Government committee meeting featured a short time ago in the paper and in this blog.

I think you'll find that we're all better off in finding out information like this. Certainly, it shouldn't be kept from the public.

Our hope is that the legislature and Gov. Ed Rendell revise the state's poor open records law to make it routine that data like this is released by government agencies, PennDOT among them.

Skipping by the Nittany Lions

Now it's just one halftime show on a new network, but first impressions count. And Penn Staters would be interested in what we saw on the Big Ten Network during the Minnesota-Bowling Green halftime Saturday night.

With some fans wanting to see Michigan-Appalachian State highlights, we decided to watch the halftime show and indeed we saw the highlights and relived the shock. Gerry DiNardo, Big Ten Network analyst, offered his perspective and then moved to other games around the league.

He and the others talked about Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa and more.

And Penn State? Just a line score and a passing mention in the entire halftime show. No highlights, nothing. It was like -- well like ESPN when they pass over a Nittany Lions victory. But of course this is the Big Ten Network with a much smaller group of teams to report. And still nothing about the PSU 59-0 win.

I just bring this up because first impressions do matter, and I'm all for sharing observations about this new network that's coming into my house.

Another observation, or perhaps just a question: How, pray tell, do we have expert college football analysis on two major stages by former Indiana coaches -- DiNardo and Lee Corso?

Fans miss PSU game, Big Ten stunner

More than 100,000 fans saw today's scrimmage -- er, game -- live at Beaver Stadium.

They're heading home happy. As expected, the Lions rolled and any potential problems are overshadowed in the 59-0 win over Florida International.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Penn State fans didn't see the game, unable to get the Big Ten Network.

It's a new era for the Big Ten and Penn State, and so far a lot of fans are shut out.

However, those able to watch the Big Ten Network were treated to an incredible game that certainly will resonate across the nation for years and years and quite likely will put the new network on the map.

There it was, Appalachian State and Michigan -- a barn burner at the Big House.

The Big Ten Network had four games live starting at noon today -- Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern and Michigan -- but the Wolverines' game will be remembered.

When Appalachian State blocked the Michigan field goal at the end, there was stunned silence and an incredible scene at the Big House. And only Big Ten Network viewers saw it.