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Don’t feed animals in the wintertime

Most winters, I devote some space to reminding folks that feeding wildlife to “help” them through the harsh weather of the season is generally a bad idea. After two relatively mild winters with not much lingering snowfall, we’ve already had some cold weather and a bit of snow so far, even though winter officially begins this weekend. That may be an indication that we could be in store for a more traditional winter this year in terms of weather. If that is indeed the situation, more folks will be tempted to put out food for wild animals. The best advice regarding that is just ...

Would you rather PSU had beaten Oregon or landed in this bracket? Yes, it would have shifted narrative, made Nits No. 1

There’s no question Penn State has the most favorable draw in the College Football Playoff field. The Nittany Lions are heavily favored — by 8.5 points — to beat SMU in the first round at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. Penn State should benefit from the cold weather that is foreign to the Mustangs. Should PSU hold serve and advance to the national quarterfinals, their reward is even better — a Boise State team that somehow gained the No. 3 seed in the entire field. Penn State is already a two-touchdown favorite in that game should the matchup materialize. But I still will ...

Would you rather PSU had beaten Oregon or landed in this bracket? Lions face far easier path to national title after loss

Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas, Penn State. Your early present: The easiest playoff path for a No. 6 seed in the history of sports! Heck no, Penn State would not have been better off beating Oregon and winning the Big Ten title. The reward for being the No. 1 overall seed would have been a potential matchup with Ohio State in the second round of the College Football Playoff. Everybody should know by now that Penn State should never, ever, ever want anything to do with the Buckeyes when it comes to trying to win a championship. Unless a miracle occurs on the field, like it did in 2016, I ...

Teams try to stay healthy for playoffs

Patrick Mahomes is battling another ankle injury. Josh Allen has a banged-up shoulder. Geno Smith is dealing with a knee issue. Those are just the quarterbacks who got hurt in Week 15. The Detroit Lions keep losing players at an alarming rate. Other teams are dealing with injuries to key players. It’s often not the best team that’s standing at the end, but the one that was healthiest going into the playoffs. Mahomes has a mild high-ankle sprain and plans to play Saturday when the Chiefs (13-1) host the Texans (9-5). Mahomes has played through a high-ankle sprain before, ...

Player, coach movement kicking in

Some notes to digest as the Nittany Lions gear up for their first College Football Playoff appearance: n This is attrition season in college football, and it started for Penn State on Thursday with the announcement that safety Kevin Winston Jr. will enter the NFL Draft. Winston missed almost the entire year with a knee injury that required surgery after he left the Bowling Green game on Sept. 7. He was voted a team captain as a junior after a strong 2023 season, and his presence with Jaylen Reed gave the Lions two dynamic safeties. Winston’s absence was particularly noticeable ...

Football characters were full of quips

In last month’s column, some of baseball’s funniest and most colorful characters were explored. It’s time to give equal billing to a handful of football’s wild, witty, and wonderful characters. Start with a former Pittsburgh Steeler (1961 and 1962), Pro Bowl defensive lineman Gene Lipscomb. He wasn’t called “Big Daddy” for nothing — he went 6-foot-6, and he made scales groan under his 284 pounds. This was back in an era when players anywhere near 300 pounds were pretty rare. One-time Baltimore teammate Raymond Berry said, “He was quick with great upper body ...