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Jan. 5, 2010
PHILADELPHIA — This was the most incredible week ever. As I sit here on my flight back home to a frozen Philadelphia, I can honestly say “we came, we saw, we conquered.’
Amazingly, the driving rain leading up until kickoff had a strange effect on most of us in The Castle group. Unlike this year’s Iowa game, where the rain definitely put a damper on the enthusiasm for the game (I had said that prior to the game itself, for the record), it actually seemed to heighten the excitement as we stood there soaked to the bone. I think we just realized we were going to be soaked no matter what and made it part of the fun! Of course, if we’d lost, I may not be singing the same tune…
This may be a little self-serving, but I have to give the student section some SERIOUS props. There were too many times to count during the game when I could not hear myself scream and, because there is usually nobody in front of me to hold the noise in, that’s a hell of an accomplishment. The only other time I can remember that happening in 2009 was the first series on defense against OSU, but on Friday it was a constant din.
I got texts from numerous friends, including my close friend who is an LSU student, saying that we sounded loud on TV. Kudos to all PSU fans, students or otherwise, who showed up and made their presence known in Orlando. WE ARE PENN STATE!
One of the most entertaining parts of sitting in the first rows of the student section with 18 of my closest friends (seriously, they actually are) was interacting with the Lion and teaching him all of our own crazy traditions.
For example, we throw up a “Z” sign with our hands every time Graham Zug has a reception, and a “21” when Stephon Green has a carry, among many other goofy hand motions and chants. The Lion especially loved our “He’s not that drunk!” chant following the incredibly confusing explanation of the intentional grounding penalty mix-up, as he doubled over in laughter and clapped his hands.
As for the game itself…WOW! It had all the drama I could have wanted (too much, one could argue) and an amazing finish.
Many, myself included, had questioned whether Daryll Clark had a drive like that in him as a quarterback, and he silenced any and all critics with a masterful performance in the final seven minutes. The much-maligned Collin Wagner came up huge with four field goals in subpar conditions, and the defense was smothering save for a handful of big plays. Congrats to all of the players, coaches, and administrators. This win is the crown jewel of the season and, to many, really validated this season.
Below are some observations by myself and PSU junior Andrew Leibowitz from the game, which I will call the “Did you notice?/What they didn’t show on TV’ section.
- Every SEC school uses the same chants/songs.
- After Zug’s first catch, it was announced as a reception by Jerome Hayes.
- There was a first down logo for LSU on the video board but none for PSU.
- Football coaches and managers kept trying to fix the turf during timeouts.
- New rule for 2010: a punt returner can run even after waving his arms in the air.
- Surprisingly, “geaux” is actually pronounced “go.”
- The Blue Band and The Golden Band from Tigerland have the same hats.
- StateCollege.com’s own Jay Paterno updated his Twitter during the trophy presentation.
- Jerome Hayes came over to the PSU section after coming out of the tunnel, ripped his helmet off and proceeded to push the already frenzied crowd towards a fever pitch just before kickoff. Stephon Morris was also getting us fired up.
- Andrew Quarless jumped around with us after the game in the first rows of the student section.
- Navarro Bowman was the only underclassman to “lead the band” after the game (which has a lot of significance after hearing that he will be declaring for the draft).
I want to thank every single person who made this a trip of the lifetime, and I also want to thank StateCollege.com for giving me the opportunity to do this blog! And, of course, thank you to all of the readers.
Follow me on Twitter at @PvilleVP.
10:30 a.m., Jan. 1, 2010
ORLANDO — I’m coming to you from the shadow of the Citrus Bowl, where the weather has been as unpredictable as the State College weather we know and love.
It looked like it would be a beautiful, sunny day from the time we woke up until about 7:30 a.m., when we arrived at the Citrus Bowl. Unfortunately that isn’t the case, as we now have upwards of 25 people, two tables, coolers, and a grill crammed under two canopy tents.
A random guy, who it turned out had once been a substitute teacher for Cohen, told us that he was spending the day ranking the tailgates around the Citrus Bowl and told us we were in the top 10 and in the running for 1st.
As I type this, the rain is letting up a bit, but even if it continues you can bet we will still be painting up for the game. A few of us decided we were going to wear bathing suits as well, which at the moment is an ironic tribute to the Orlando weather.
As for the food, many of us have chipped in somehow (for me it was chopping onions and peeling shrimp) to make this an amazing tailgate.
If I can’t update before the game, look for us in the first three rows on the Penn State sideline just past the goal line. We will have ‘JEAUXPA’ painted on our chests!
But, for now, the food is hot and plentiful, and the excitement is building!
LET’S GO STATE!
6 a.m., Jan. 1, 2010
ORLANDO — It is 6:08 AM and the house is alive as the sun is still far from coming up and the rain comes down outside. After (another) late night, we rally to get up this early today to get started on our massive tailgate extravaganza.
‘I’ve been up since 4:20 after what was basically a quick nap between days, but I’m ready to get rolling and get to the stadium,’ said a sleepy but fired up Troy Stram, a PSU sophomore and our tailgate master.
Troy also gave me the full rundown of the menu for today’s tailgate.
‘We start it off simple with eggs, bacon and sausage for breakfast, then we break out the traditional tailgate food of burgers and dogs, and finally we throw in our own special style with chicken, shrimp, and steak kabobs, as well as some brats to throw on there too’
Have to go get ready, will post from the Citrus Bowl FINALLY!!! LET’S GO STATE!!!
6 p.m., Dec. 31, 2009
ORLANDO — After a fun but mostly uneventful morning, our afternoon at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure was absolutely ridiculous.
The river rapids took the place of Spiderman as my favorite ride, as we repeated it seven straight times until we were soaked to the bone. PSU freshman Charlotte Kohl told me this was her favorite ride even though she got the worst of quite a few huge waves.
A disappointing note from the afternoon for PSU junior Andrew Leibowitz was standing in line for an hour to ride The Hulk only to find out that it had been shut down for being too slow…after all, nobody has more speed than the SEC if you want listen to ESPN.
The amount of both PSU and LSU fans in the park must have at least tripled by 3 p.m., and the cheers and jeers coming from both sides got louder and louder as the day went on. Of course, we were leading the charge and riled up every PSU fan we saw throughout the afternoon.
This culminated in 10 of us belting out a rowdy Penn State version of “Rock ‘n Roll” in front of a curious group of staff and spectators as we waited to go down the river rapids for the fifth time. This was an encore from last night’s performance of the same song walking back to the car from Amway Arena after the Magic game. You can bet it will be heard several more times at our tailgate tomorrow along with the rest of the Penn State fight songs.
The funniest moment of th
e day, and there were a lot, occurred when we walked out of the park with a group of LSU fans with very sharp Capital One Bowl LSU track jackets. Cohen jokingly asked them if they wanted to trade jackets, as he was wearing a PSU track jacket of the same style and color. To our surprise, one of the guys turned around and took his jacket off and accepted the offer!
“It’s like the World Cup!” Cohen exclaimed, proudly showing off his new jacket. It was suggested to me that I should use the pictures I took of the transaction as part of a smear campaign to replace Cohen as the president of Paternoville.
The plan for tonight was to check out the Universal Studios ‘Night Before VIP Tailgate Party’, but after a long day for all of us and another early wake-up call ahead for tomorrow, spending New Year’s Eve in The Castle seems much more likely.
Right now, a few members of the group, including tailgate master Troy Stram, are making a last-minute stop at Sam’s Club to grab the remaining items needed for our two-meal tailgate tomorrow. Discussion is also underway for the seating arrangements tomorrow and what phrase we will be painting on our bodies in the front row.
I will end this post with a quote spoken to members of our PSU-clad group outside of a convenience store by an LSU fan walking out of the door as they walked in.
“We even get coffee faster than you!”
11 a.m., Dec. 31, 2009
ORLANDO — Although I’m not a roller-coaster fan, there’s plenty to do for everyone at Universal, and we are having a blast! Spiderman has been my personal favorite ride so far, but The Hulk has been getting some serious praise as well.
‘It was awesome, it was my favorite ride so far,’ PSU senior Kevin McCaffrey told me as we discussed where to go next.
Unfortunately, it seems like we are slightly outnumbered by LSU fans so far in the park. But, as usual, we’ve made our presence known with ‘WE ARE’ chants and our standard heckling of those in purple and gold.
Their reponse of ‘Tiger bait! Tiger bait!’ — a traditional LSU chant towards the opposing team’s fans — prompted discussion amongst our group about whether the (human) Nittany Lion could defeat Mike The (Real) Tiger in a fight.
‘Absolutely he could,’ says PSU senior Stacy Bartholomew, ‘He could do flips over the tiger and do this (she imitates the Lion’s signature ear-rubbing) to intimidate it.’
Personally, I think all the Lion would have to do is stick a Vicodin in a steak and sprinkle some pepper on it before feeding it to the Tiger, and he would surely win. (We’ve already watched The Hangover numerous times during this trip.)
Also, I am amazed by the amount of people wearing Michigan stuff today at Universal. Hate to break it to you guys, but you are not in a bowl game at all this year, let alone a Jan. 1 Florida bowl.
It warms my heart to be able to say that.
The sun is starting to burn off the morning haze and the sweatshirts are coming off. Former Paternoville President and senior meteorology major Tom Boroch told me today should be gorgeous, but there’s a slight chance of showers in the afternoon.
Of course we don’t want any rain, but better today than tomorrow!
8 a.m., Dec. 31, 2009
ORLANDO — ‘THE CASTLE’ is fantastic! Six bedrooms, a pool and hot tub, big screen TV, steam shower, and 17 of my best friends: What more could a guy ask for?
I want to thank my close friend and the Paternoville President Alex Cohen for the hard work put into setting it up. This is how you do a bowl trip in style!
Unfortunately for us, last night we had to learn the hard way that traffic in Orlando is BRUTAL and we missed the pep rally because of it. However, I spoke to a friend of mine, PSU sophomore Sean Heckert, who filled me in on the details.
‘The pep rally was a great atmosphere. Penn State fans took the place over, but the LSU fans were great too,’ Heckert said. ‘JoePa’s speech was great, it got me really pumped and we are all excited for game day!’
Sean also got the chance to spend time with Penn State legend and current PSU football color analyst Jack Ham yesterday, who he said is a great guy who really represents ‘Linebacker U’ well.
Fortunately for us, last night was not a complete loss; we had a blast at the Magic game and we even got to shoot a layup on the court after the game (for completing 300 NBA All Star ballots each)!
The highlight of the night for me was when, after a Magic scoring run, the PA system blared Zombie Nation, the signature anthem of the Penn State student section. Without any hesitation the eight of us wildly broke into the chant, of course adding the ‘WE ARE PENN STATE’ and jumping up and down just like we would on a Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Except, instead of hearing the echo of 110,000 following along, we were met with unsure looks from the Magic fans trying to figure out what in the world we were doing.
After a night with not nearly enough sleep, we are all up and ready to get moving. Today, we head to Universal Studios for the day, where I expect to see plenty of PSU and LSU fans alike enjoying the attractions in what looks to be a sunny and warm Florida day. We will also be stopping by the Universal Studios ‘Night Before VIP Tailgate Party’ which should be a blast.
Fans and students of the No. 1 party school in the nation mixed with a bunch of crazy Cajuns on New Year’s Eve? You can bet that will be a good time.
5 p.m., Dec. 30, 2009
ORLANDO — After an incredibly painless two flights today, I have arrived in sunny Orlando.
Sitting in the terminal I saw numerous Penn State fans who, like I plan to, are proudly wearing their gear whenever possible while in Florida and greeting every other PSU fan with a smile and a wave. I’ve also seen fans of Wisconsin, Iowa and Northwestern already, so as usual the Big Ten has brought a strong following for bowl season.
On the agenda for tonight, after a quick stop at ‘The Castle’ to drop off baggage and then the PSU pep rally at 5:45. Hopefully we can make it in time, although a lot depends on traffic!
We are also going to the Orlando Magic game as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. My goal is to get a response from at least five people to my ‘WE ARE!’
Former PCC Vice President Chris Grassi informs me that our group decked out in PSU attire was surprisingly well received at the Champs Sports Bowl.
‘We met a ton of nice people, but the range of looks we got (about the PSU apparel) was interesting,’ Grassi said.
That’s all for now, more later after the night’s festivities!
WE ARE!
9 a.m., Dec. 30, 2009
PHILADELPHIA — It’s finally here!
It’s been three weeks and three days since the night we found out we’d be spending New Year’s in sunny Orlando, FL and facing a tough Capital One Bowl opponent in SEC power LSU. JoePa, Mickey Mouse, Mike the Tiger, and Erin Andrews all in one place? Sign me up!
I am John Tecce, a sophomore at Penn State studying business…and Penn State football. I am the vice president of the Paternoville Coordination Committee (PCC), and I have camped outside of Beaver Stadium for every home game of my career as a student, through rain, sleet, snow, wind and sometimes even sun. I’ve also made trips to Ohio State (for the epic 13-6 victory last year) and Pasadena for the Rose Bowl, so following the Nittany Lions to Orlando for the bowl was not even a question.
I’ve made a lot of my closest friends camping out at Paternoville these past two seasons, and for four days this week I will be staying in a house outside of Orlando with 18 of them. My friends are from Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, and they range from freshmen to seniors, but we all have one thing in common: an undying passion and, let’s be honest, obsession with Penn State football. For us, waiting for hours on the coldest morning of the semester to get the best student tickets for the Capital One Bowl is worth every second.
My version of the 2009 Penn State bowl trip will kick off at 10:15 a.m., when I fly out of Philadelphia, but many of my friends are already in Florida soaking up the fun and atmosphere.
A group from our house (which I will refer to as “The Castle” because it is absolutely awesome) headed to the Citrus Bowl a few days early for the Champs Sports Bowl that pit No. 25 Wisconsin against No. 15 Miami. Although Wisconsin travels well and Miami is close geographically, I’m willing to bet there will be more than a few curious PSU fans taking in a good bowl match-up as they anxiously await the CapOne Bowl on Friday.
For a Penn State student used to the unforgiving Pennsylvania winter, being able to pack shorts, flip-flops, and *gasp* even a bathing suit brought a smile to my face today. Although the forecast looks promising, with a high of 65 degrees and sun on game day, I didn’t forget my jeans and a sweatshirt either.
I’m looking forward to the sun and fun of Orlando during the day, but the temperatures at night are supposed to drop below 50 degrees. I’m also looking forward to making fun of the LSU fans bundled up for this type of weather (much as we did last year with the USC fans) while we walk around unfazed, laughing at the thought of temperatures in the 40s being “freezing.”
That’s all for now while I finish up packing; I have to make sure there’s nothing but blue and white in my suitcase.
Nobody travels like PSU, but LSU fans seem to think they will be taking over “Orlandeaux,” and we have to make sure there’s no way that happens!
WE ARE!!!
