Mailbag

May 6, 2023

Clifford beats odds by getting drafted Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst did the unthinkable last weekend. He selected Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford in the fifth round with the 149th pick. I thought Clifford maybe would go in the seventh round, at best, and was more likely a free agent. Clifford will now become Jordan Love’s new best friend. Clifford throws well on the run, and NFL teams love his toughness and smarts. But I think his decision making and ball placement are too inconsistent for what is required at the next level. Oh, well. ...

Mailbag

April 22, 2023

Altoona loss shouldn’t be blamed on field I read the Mirror article “Defense collapse causes another Altoona defeat,” stating that playing at Juniata contributed to the Mountain Lions’ loss to State College on Thursday. Juniata Sports Complex is run by a non-profit 503-C with a very limited budget that comes from selling advertising signs that surround the ballfield, grants and a few donations from local supporters. The groundskeeper, Kirk Beichler, dedicates many hours researching how to improve the field and its structures on this limited budget. And he also dedicates ...

Mailbag

April 15, 2023

Pirates’ absence from local radio is a huge void I am writing in reference to why the Pirates were not picked up by any local radio station. I get KDKA-AM (1020) out of Pittsburgh, which is in this area, but it fades in and out. I know the Pirates have not been contenders so the stations may not have gotten enough sponsorship, and they jumped off the bus. It is convenient to listen to them in the car or while out in the yard. This is about as stupid as Bishop Guilfoyle firing basketball coach Chris Drenning. I’m asking the local radio station that carried them to ...

Mailbag

April 8, 2023

Sanderson should write own ticket I read Todd Irwin’s recent column about Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson. It is a good one, and I couldn’t agree more with Irwin. Sanderson really is the only current Penn State coach who should get what he wants. I wanted them to do the right things to keep Micah Shrewsberry. However, he was only in Happy Valley for two years. If Sanderson is not the highest paid wrestling coach in the country, there is something wrong. I would hope and would like to see athletic director Pat Kraft be proactive rather than reactive with ...

Drenning’s love for BG not mutual

April 1, 2023

While not officially informed after 10 years on the staff, I assume I am a recently fired assistant coach of the Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School boys basketball team. After the shock of the March 15 firing of Chris Drenning, I have experienced many different emotions and lost many hours of sleep wondering why. I initially wanted to combatively and aggressively defend the most caring and hardest working coach I have ever known at this level — and I still do. After discussing my spiteful strategy to inform the public of the truth and expose the unaccountable dictators in the ...

Drenning ouster a disservice — to BG

March 25, 2023

As a 28-year former coach with a record of 505-176, I was very disappointed to hear of the dismissal of coach Chris Drenning as the Bishop Guilfoyle boys basketball coach. I am not a diehard BG fan but a concerned citizen about how politics can affect negative outcomes of an athletic program. I think the disgruntled parents of the entitled athletes had so much clout that the BG administration and board sank to such a low level as to let a winning coach go just because their sons were not getting enough playing time. Drenning, like me, always strove to put the players on the ...