I’m back!
Those words will probably strike fear in more than a few folk’s hearts in Centre County.
In reality, most of the local population probably have no idea who I am, those that may recognize my name probably didn’t know I was gone, and the vast majority could care less either way.
Nonetheless, I returned ‘home’ to Happy Valley in mid-August after a two-year stint commuting to Buffalo, N.Y. while working for the Sabres of the National Hockey League. It was a great experience overall, other than the commute up and down Route 219…but that is a story for a future column.
Being back home has been a blessing from being able to advise my daughter (a summer 2015 Penn State graduate) on her job search; to getting to spend a final year with my son Jonathon (a Penn State senior); to helping my son Ryan transition to high school; to hiking Mt. Nittany with my wife; and getting to hang out with the best father-in-law in the world — 95-year-old Smitty! I am still not sure if the world’s most neurotic dog, Sportster, is entirely happy that I am back in the homestead.
I have no regrets about giving the NHL another try — my first round was right out of college with the Pittsburgh Penguins way back in 1982-85. My five-year ‘record’ of involvement with NHL teams reads: next-to-last in the league standings (’83); last (’84); next-to-last (’85); last (’14); and last (’15). The Pens did draft some guy named Mario Lemieux in 1984 and the Sabres drafted a young stud named Jack Eichel in 2015, so I guess if you are looking for help securing a really high draft pick, a franchise might want me as their good luck charm. Or would that be bad luck charm?
Making the jump from 26 years in intercollegiate athletics to the NHL was a lot tougher than I imagined. I don’t think I was ‘in over my head’ as much as I was ‘out of my league’. I went there bright-eyed and fired up that I could be a real difference maker and found a culture for which I was simply not prepared. Working for 26 years in a higher education setting could not have been more foreign than the fast paced world of professional sports.
On the one hand, I had an absolute blast. I made a lot of good friends, enjoyed many of Buffalo’s amazing restaurants, hidden charms, and history. That included touring the mansion where Theodore Roosevelt, one of my favorite leaders of all-time, was inaugurated in September of 1901. I also had a front row seat to watch an entire region be transformed in large part due to the leadership and generosity of Terry and Kim Pegula.
On the other hand, I made the 300-mile round trip journey between State College and Buffalo enough times each month to want to make improving U.S. Route 219 my life’s mission. Think of the issues with the 17-mile stretch of Route 322 between here and Seven Mountains on steroids. Throw in my neck surgery to fuse two discs in August of 2014, and you can imagine how much fun that trip could be, especially in the winter.
I wanted very badly to be successful in Buffalo and find a way to make it work both professionally and personally. Given the opportunity to help the Pegulas build a winner in Buffalo was my chance to ‘grab for the brass ring’ and while I hung on for a wild ride over two years, I was simply in the wrong seat on the wrong bus. Was it worth the effort? Every single minute.
My favorite speech of all time is Teddy Roosevelt’s ‘Man in the Arena’ speech that he delivered in Paris, France in 1910. To paraphrase: ‘It’s not the critic who counts, it is the man in the arena who is heavily involved in a challenge that requires courage, skill, or tenacity. Who if they fail, at least they will not be remembered with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat’.
I went for it. I tried my best. I got the chance to chase after another amazing dream after one life-long dream, helping to restore varsity hockey at Penn State, had already come true. Being a part of ‘Team Pegula’ and building the amazing world-class Pegula Arena will always be one of the highlights of my professional career.
I do make it back to Buffalo occasionally and on Dec. 6 took the family to see the Bills play the Houston Texans. Before the game we went onto the field (where my son Ryan almost got run over by Houston’s J.J. Watt). We were on the Bills sideline and the players were all around. The owner of the Texans came over to meet the Pegulas and we were taking pictures and really enjoying being so close to the players and coaches.
But then I realized I couldn’t find my wife Heidi. The wind was picking up and it was getting cold and I was getting a little worried. Just then I saw her sitting on the Bills bench with this huge smile on her face. I said, ‘What are you doing over here?’ She got this smile from ear to ear and said, ‘Did you know these benches are heated!’ It’s the little things in life, after all!
So it’s on to a new challenge. I am attempting to write a book (a lot harder than I thought), doing public speaking, and consulting. It’s a little scary, but it is mostly exciting and fun to be pursuing the ‘next chapter’.
It’s great to be back ‘home’ with my family and friends in Happy Valley.
