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Big Ten should not have three powers in one division

Should the Big Ten change its divisional structure, and if so, how? By Cory Giger cgsports12@aol.com Without a doubt, I believe the Big Ten should and probably eventually will realign its divisions to something that makes more sense and gives the league its best chance to maximize the number of teams it can get into the College Football Playoff. The way things currently are set up can really only hurt the Big Ten instead of helping it. Let’s say Penn State and Ohio State are both outstanding in a given year. They’ll play each other in the regular ...

Help finally arrives for MiLB players

One of the most important bit of news in minor league baseball history came out Sunday afternoon, with a wonderful announcement that was long, long overdue. Starting next season, Major League Baseball will provide housing for minor leaguers in every city. The players no longer will have to pay for their housing throughout the season, and the hope/goal is that available housing will be located already, so that players don’t have to do that, either. This is massive for the industry. Because since forever, minor league players have had to find their own housing while constantly ...

Things you need to know about bears

Would you sit in a tree stand 15 feet off the ground to attempt to bag a Pennsylvania black bear with a bow and arrow? Starting Saturday, that is the opportunity given to properly licensed hunters. For a number of reasons, I no longer hunt bears. I’ve bagged four of the creatures and that’s enough for me. But mostly, since I must do most of my hunting alone, I no longer have the strength to drag a bear out of the woods. Pennsylvania black bears are plenty busy this time of year. Their cubs are nearly as big as their mother and they are learning from her how to forage for acorns ...

Franklin, Wassell savor induction

Penn State Altoona will be making history this weekend. One of the crown jewels of Altoona and Central Pennsylvania, the school where so many of us got our start will stage its first athletic Hall of Fame induction. Two of the honorees, Tyler Franklin (Altoona) and Tim Wassell (Hollidaysburg), are well known in the local basketball and soccer communities. Franklin played from 2003-07 and set the PSU Altoona scoring record, which still stands, with 1,533 points. Wassell was a standout goalkeeper who later coached the Lady Lions to an unbeaten regular season and their first berth ...

Bowen latest broadcaster turned GM

By Cory Giger For the Mirror Rob Egan pulled it off. So did Jason Dambach. It’s something that’s rare in professional sports, but not when it comes to the Altoona Curve. Now, Nate Bowen will get his opportunity to do the same thing. Bowen came to Altoona eight years ago to be a radio broadcaster. Now he’s the Curve’s general manager, taking over last week after Derek Martin stepped down to pursue other interests. “Proud of Nate,” said Egan, who hired Bowen back in 2013. “He’s worked hard, continued to learn and truly understands the Curve and what it means to the ...

Iowa exposes QB depth at Penn State

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com Football has long operated with the premise that the coaches and the quarterbacks get too much credit and too much blame. Saturday’s Penn State-Iowa game at Kinnick Stadium exhibited that competent quarterbacking — and quarterback preparation — cannot be overestimated. The Nittany Lions were dealt a painful 23-20 loss, their first of the season, and although their season goals — winning the Big Ten, advancing to the College Football Playoff — remain attainable, what unfolded against the Hawkeyes demands immediate attention. With ...