I'm writing this letter to express my displeasure with the Penn State Athletic Department.
I recently called to order tickets for the Penn State-Iowa wrestling meet and was quickly told that it was sold out. I asked if they would possibly move this event to the Jordan Center, and was told "no chance."
The ticket agent told me he could have sold 400 tickets in the past two days, and the meet is more than a month away.
Then I picked up the Altoona Mirror on Wednesday, Dec. 22 and read that the men's basketball team had lost to Maine. I looked at the box score and saw that the attendance was about 4,300. They apparently save the Jordan Center for the pathetic men's team and an only slightly better women's program.
That is senseless!
The women do have a game scheduled at the same time and date as the Iowa meet. I personally believe that game should be moved to 7 p.m. or played at 2 p.m. at Rec Hall. That way people could attend both events.
We are always told at Penn State that football has to pay for all the other sports.
I believe that Coach Cael Sanderson and the elite program he is building is doing its part to pull its own weight.
Why would any athletic department turn away as many as 2,000 or more fans at $8 a ticket?
I hope all PSU wrestling fans, who are missing a great wrestling meet, let somebody in the athletic department hear about it.
Go Penn State!
Rob Koontz
Bedford
Lane sorry he couldn't make trip
Tom Lane was the head basketball coach of the 1970 Bishop Guilfoyle state championship team and was not able to attend the celebration that occurred on Dec. 28 at BG. This is Tom Lane's youngest daughter, Lana. I know that my dad was disappointed that he and my mom were unable to make it last night. They were very much looking forward to it.
They were scheduled to be on the Auto Train Sunday and Monday, but blizzard conditions prevented that from happening. Driving from where they would get off the train to Altoona would have been extremely difficult. They were glued to the Weather Channel for days, and it was a difficult decision to make. I was planning on attending as well, but the blizzard also made it impossible for me to get from Maine to Altoona, especially considering there were not even any flights available in the Northeast for several days after.
Additionally, Dad had been in the emergency room with a pinched nerve in his neck just a day or two before they were supposed to leave, was put on two very strong medications and told not to drive. I didn't think he was too smart, but he was planning on traveling anyway as he felt that this was a very important event. Unfortunately, all of these factors came together at the same time and made it impossible for him to make it.
I can say that my parents were looking forward to being with everyone, and they are truly sorry that they were unable to be there. This is one of the disadvantages of living in Florida. It is almost 1,200 miles one way so that the trip up and back is always a major adventure, and more so in the winter.
Dad did prepare a video of the comments that he gave via cell phone at the reunion, which can be found on youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qrzyO-BvTQ
Lana Lane
Gorham, Maine
