Black Shoe Diaries

I feel like I've seen a post here or there about changes coming to PSU's football program, but that I don't have a real grasp on the pulse of what folks around here really think. Frankly, I was surprised by how hateful some of the comments in articles about the topic really were (I know, I should not be surprised by comment sections).

When I'm talking about change I don't really mean changes to the offense/defense because those were obviously going to happen and always happen when anyone from a staff cycles into a new role.

What I'm talking about are the seemingly "minor" rule changes and philosophies. Anyone who knows PSU is aware that we (generally) hold tradition in high regard. That tradition has usually involved a hard-working, clean-cut, well-spoken image for our players that tried to emphasize the student in student-athlete. That said, we also hold winning in high regard and some people have thought we could be doing a lot more of that if we were a little more relaxed, open, and (for lack of better words) fun/exciting.

I'd like BSD's thoughts...

Some articles focused on this.

http://blog.pennlive.com/pasports/2012/02/penn_state_head_football_coach.html

http://www.mcall.com/sports/college/psu/mc-penn-state-football-0202-20120202,0,5192208.story

http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-football-players-staff-receptive-to-change-around-the-program-996082/

Poll

What do you think of the different rules O'Brien is implementing.

• I don't want any changes to what Paterno was doing!
• I don't like them, but I figured some things would change.
• I think he's gone a little too far, but as long as he doesn't go farther I'm ok.
• A little change is refreshing and I think he's done just right.
• I thought some things needed to change and I'd be fine if he changed some other things.
• Almost anything short of putting names on the jerseys I am fine with.
• I want wins and recruiting the big names requires a lot more change!

  144 votes | Results

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It's going to be a long offseason. Spring practice doesn't even really start for another month. Basketball is okay, but for most people, not on the level of football. This is a good time to start chatting about other points of interest. Since BSD is the only internet site in which I actively participate, this is the place I'm going to start.

For the first five semesters at Penn State, I was a music performance major (Euphonium); but soon ran into a rather significant problem: money. More specifically, a lack of money while coming from a family that also lacked money. Being a music major, especially with the performance concentration, is expensive. Not only did I purchase my horn (while still in HS) for the same value as a used Honda Civic, but the peripheral costs were what really killed me. Hardware and horn maintenance, several hundred dollars to upgrade my mouthpieces, music (oh, how you'd be surprised at the cost of buying sheet music), travel and performance costs.

All of this while at the same time having to practice for, at a minimum, six hours per day. If I had a really tough piece to work on, it was bumped to eight hours in any given day. Working part-time was a joke, as I barely made enough to cover food.

If this takes off, you'll likely hear more about the musical exploits of my youth--like how I hated singing, but was apparently better than 90 percent of the singers in the entire state of New Jersey. But for now, let me jump right in with my all-time favorite classical work.

Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 (1888-94)

The first time I heard this piece, it was only an excerpt from the final movement, arranged for Trombone-Tuba-Euphonium ensemble. My interest was instantly piqued, as the pure force of what I heard was inescapable.

Update: See below this article for the exact arrangement I'm talking about. It was written by Jeff Parker, who was my Euphonium teacher for one year at Penn State (visiting prof) and a PSU alum.

The Composer

Gustav Mahler was born on July 7, 1860 in Kalischt, Bohemia (modern Czech Republic). At the age of 18, he graduated from the Vienna Conservatory. He went on to jobs in opera houses across Europe, culminating in his appointment in 1897 as director of the Vienna Court Opera (Hofoper). Before his death in 1911, Mahler also briefly served as director of New York's Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic.

Throughout his life, and even though he converted to Catholicism to secure the Vienna job, Mahler was the regular target for antisemitism in the increasingly-nationalistic German-Austrian regions of Europe. His music, despite its eventual worldwide acclaim, would suffer greatly due to contemporary misunderstanding of his style, as well as a complete ban on performances within Nazi Germany during the 1930s and 1940s.

In all, Mahler composed nine full symphonies, with a tenth incomplete upon his death. His most popular, at least among the musicians I've known, are Nos. 2, 5, and 8. But that could be a result of spending a good deal of my time around mostly low brass musicians.

The Work: Symphony No. 2

I've chopped down these notes from (where else?) Wikipedia:

1. Allegro maestoso Musically, the first movement – written in C minor – though passing through a number of different moods, often resembles a funeral march, and is violent and angry.The form of this movement is somewhat similar to a Classical Sonata form. Following this movement, Mahler calls in the score for a gap of five minutes before the second movement. This pause is rarely observed today.
2. Andante moderato The second movement is a delicate Ländler in A-flat major with two contrasting sections of slightly darker music. This slow movement itself is contrasting to the two adjacent movements. Structurally, it is one of the simplest movements in Mahler's whole output. It is the remembrance of the joyful times in the life of the deceased.
3. In ruhig fließender Bewegung (With quietly flowing movement) The third movement is a scherzo in C minor. It opens with two strong, short timpani strokes. It is followed by two softer strokes, and then followed by even softer strokes that provide the tempo to this movement, which includes references to Jewish folk music. Mahler called the climax of the movement, which occurs near the end, sometimes a "cry of despair", and sometimes a "death-shriek".
4. Urlicht (Primeval Light). Sehr feierlich, aber schlicht The fourth movement, Urlicht, is a Wunderhorn song, sung by an alto, which serves as an introduction to the Finale in a manner similar to the bass recitative in Beethoven's Ninth. The song, set in the remote key of D-flat major, illustrates the longing for relief from worldly woes, leading without a break to the response in the Finale.
5. Im Tempo des Scherzos (In the tempo of the scherzo) The finale is the longest, typically lasting over half an hour. It is divided into two large parts, the second of which begins with the entry of the chorus and whose form is governed by the text of this movement. The first part is instrumental, and very episodic, containing a wide variety of moods, tempi and keys, with much of the material based on what has been heard in the previous movements, although it also loosely follows sonata principles.
   The chorus comes in quietly a little past the halfway point of the movement. The choral section is organized primarily by the text, using musical material from earlier in the movement.
   E-flat suddenly re-enters with the text "Sterben werd' ich um zu leben," and a proper cadence finally occurs on the downbeat of the final verse, with the entrance of the heretofore silent organ (marked "volles Werk") and with the choir instructed to sing "mit höchster Kraft" (with highest power). The instrumental coda is in this ultimate key as well, and is accompanied by the tolling of deep bells. Mahler went so far as to purchase actual church bells for performances, finding all other means of achieving this sound unsatisfactory. Mahler wrote of this movement: "The increasing tension, working up to the final climax, is so tremendous that I don’t know myself, now that it is over, how I ever came to write it."

The Conductor: Leonard Bernstein

I've chosen this video/recording because of the conductor. There is another very good version out there with Gustavo Dudamel leading. But no conductor comes close to Bernstein when performing Mahler. You probably know Bernstein for his work composing the music for West Side Story, and the opera Candide. But his prowess as a conductor is unparalleled in American history. He's recorded some of the most memorable tracks in modern classical music, from the works of George Gershwin, Aaron Copland and Charles Ives, and classical era composers like Beethoven and Hayden. And if you're a fan of Rhapsody in Blue, you probably heard it performed with Bernstein at the helm.

Listen/Watch

This is a recording of Bernstein conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It's an embedded playlist from YouTube, so there is no need to click on anything except "play." It will automatically move from one video to the next. Enjoy.

The Trombone Choir & Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble arrangement, performed at PSU's Eseber Hall:

So as illustrated on the Athelon Overtime site, (http://www.athlonsports.com/overtime/google-maps-not-fan-ohio-state-football) if you go to Google Maps and search for tOSU stadium and find the horseshoe, then hold your curser over it it says, "Looks like a giant toilet bowl, also a den of cheaters." Do the same for Beaver Stadium and it says on the left:

penn state nittany lions "Home to the greatest school and greatest sports team in college athletics." -
Apparently someone is not so much the fan of tOSU and IS a fan of PSU. If I find out who, I'll buy them a beer!

You have a Top 20 Women's team taking on tOSU for the league lead and yet there is no coverage here on this Penn State Sports site.

Over at Rocky Top Talk we have a game preliminary post, a long game thread, and a wrap up post for every Lady Vols Game - and we're in the South. I'm just a little surprised that a site in Pennsylvania wouldn't cover a Penn State team that's doing a great job representing the school.

If this is a sore subject or if I've overstepped my bounds by asking I will be happy to delete this but it seems to me some of you would enjoy covering the women in their quest to win the B1G and show up in the NCAA.

The game is currently on ESPN2 in HD and PSU is in the lead and playing well.

With the #1 spot in the ACHA tournament locked up, the Icers moved into complete coast mode for the next two weekends. This caused the always difficult struggle - making sure the team remains used to playing at full speed, but not losing any major players in otherwise meaningless games. Icers were without Justin Kirchhevel for the game, as he was out for personal reasons (which also allowed him to recover from a pretty nasty slash he took at the end of the Mercyhurst game).

As well, the Duquesne game acted as Senior Night for the team (as we have had issues with the final game being cancelled due to poor weather/travel conditions). So some final kind words for this final senior class of the Penn State Icers:

• #3, D, Dan Petrick - Solid defensively-minded defenseman. We first really met Dan when he did some color commentary work while he was recovering from an injury, and he was phenomenal at it. On the ice, he's made great strides and has become a reliable cornerstone on that defense.
• #4, D, Dan Loucks - In three seasons with the Icers, Dan has a career +/- rating of +79, which is insane. He's been solid defensively and makes timely additions offensively. His work ethic paid off, as he was named the team captain midway through this season.
• #12, F, Nick Seravalli - Nick has struggled through injuries in his time at Penn State, including having surgeries that have kept him out of the lineup for his entire senior season. In his one healthy season (his sophomore year), Nick showed his talent, putting up 20 goals and 16 assists in 37 games.
• #15, F, Kurt Collins - Kurt has had a quiet career at Penn State, but that should not take away from his contributions. A grit player, Kurt makes his living by fighting for the puck along the boards and opening up his linemates for scoring chances. He's been vital to the second scoring line this season and already has a career high in goals for the season.
• #18, F, Chris Cerutti - Chris has been one of the more prolific scorers for the Icers in recent years. After a solid 13-goal freshman season, he followed that up with back-to-back 20+ goal seasons. Injuries and line shuffling have kept Chris from reaching the 20-goal plateau for a third straight season, but his scoring abilities should not be overlooked.
• #27, F, Paul Daley - Paul "Gunner" Daley has been a solid, consistent player for the Icers - missing only 7 games in his four-year career with the Icers. He reached 100 career points this season, showing an ability to be both a physical presence and a nifty puck-handler.

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It is THON weekend at State College once again, where hundreds of students get the once in a life time chance to dance for 46 straight hours to help children with cancer. Obviously I don't need to explain much about how awesome THON is. StateCollege.com has a few cameras in the BJC running live at THON this weekend. Click on this LINK to check in on the students and any other activities going on.

If anyone finds videos from this years THON, like the dance offs from the different sports teams. Or if anyone special comes out and gives a rousing speach, ala SuePa or any Paterno, or even some cool photos please do share them with us all.

Figured we can also use this thread to exchange stories about the glories of THONs long long ago. Also to chat about what everyone is doing this weekend, or what your drinking, or which breakfast sausage is the best. You know random non serious chat.

FTK

Since there is no open thread...again for the basketball game, I decided to make one myself.

Hopefully Penn State can make it two-in-a-row with another win at home vs. an average at best Iowa team. Penn State was bested away vs. Iowa, even though Frazier score 23. I found something out during that game, I really don't like Gatens and much of this Iowa team.

Oh, and it looks like the free burgers didn't help fill the student section. It was a good try, Coach.

GGNC

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Foodies & Penn State Fans! What a fun week I have had. Last week, whiskey beef fondue, with all of its bold Asian flavors, left me wanting more soy sauce, garlic and spicy chile peppers. So, in the midst of just what might have been the most depressing, boring week in the history of mankind, I made a vat of Thai chicken stock. With that one simple act, my Happy Valley kitchen celebrated what shall hereafter be referred to as: The Week of The Thai Soup Feast. TAKE THAT MARDI GRAS!!!

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I meant to pay better attention to this, but it got lost in the shuffle over the past few weeks. BSD passed the 20,000,000 page view threshold not too long ago, and ABSOLUTELY ALL OF THEM HAVE OCCURRED SINCE LAST JULY SHUT UP YOU GUYS.

Here are some other numbers, fresh from my handy little admin dashboard. I know some people have asked about this stuff in the past, so here you go:

8,971,054 Visits

20,187,030 Page Views

4,117 Stories

3,730 FanPosts

3,579 FanShots

4,688 Members

Not counted in the official statistics:

38,284 "your mom sounds hot"

7,392 bunnies

233 BSD After Dark threads

3 blog wars

If you have any additional questions (or feel like adding a few stats of your own) feel free to do so below.

One of the most difficult things about this transition will be the new defense. I am a huge fan our defenses. I think most Penn State fans are…with one big exception.

We are linebacker U. We have a tradition of huge hits (thinking of you Matt, Shane, LaVar, Dave, Jack, Dan, and Puz). We are the team that makes Heisman winners look foolish (thinking of you Vinny, Herschel, and Marcus).

But now we are without one of the key components of those defenses…Tom Bradley. I miss you already coach. The bright side is that we’re keeping two of the fundamental cogs in Larry Johnson and Ron Vanderlinden. These guys are critical both to the past and to the future success of our defenses.

I’ve always had one caveat about our defenses…the old “Bend But Don’t Break” philosophy. How many times have you screamed obscenities at the TV as our opponents converted yet another first down in the middle of the field.

I couldn’t find my dog after the USC bowl game…scared her so far under the bed I needed a flashlight to find her. Our pass defense always left me terrified. But that style of play is over.

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