Mailbag

February 27, 2021

Ferry deserves chance to stay at Penn State I’ve always enjoyed Neil Rudel’s commentaries, and I agree with his opinion that Jim Ferry should get strong consideration for the Penn State men’s basketball coaching position. Players seem to relate, look like they’re having fun, and the Nittany Lions been close in most all of their losses. If the players say they would stay and not transfer, that would help Sandy Barbour’s decision. Maybe a petition would help. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I think Ferry deserves a chance. Sam Schrack Montoursville

Mailbag

February 20, 2021

PSU basketball needs to start with clean slate I really enjoyed Neil Rudel’s article on Penn State basketball last week. That was before the Nittany Lions lost to Nebraska, but there is tradition and it must be upheld. I think Sandy Barbour has to paint a picture to a potential coach as a beginning. Not a new beginning or picking up from where Patrick Chambers left off — a beginning with no past and no almost. Like a blank canvas. Although the Nebraska loss was a little different since we were behind and made a comeback it ended as another defeat. I am more used ...

Mailbag

February 13, 2021

PSU recruiting season doesn’t fuel optimism Too bad James Franklin has been badly outrecruited again. I thought recruiting was to be his strength. Down my way, Texas, Texas A&M, Houston have all made Franklin look bad, and then if you look at Alabama, which just completed its best recruiting class ever, how can Penn State fans really think about competing against these teams this year and for years to come? And then there is Ohio State beating the Lions soundly again last year. I’m sorry, but the future does not look good for football in Happy Valley for some time ...

Mailbag

February 6, 2021

Penn State looks to be settling for Ferry Is Penn State just trying to make us think they are truly interested in a national search for a new basketball coach? AD Sandy Barbour has already vetted candidates while saying that Interim Coach Ferry is auditioning for the job. She has stated that he is doing a terrific job under the circumstances and very pleased with the way he has handled the team. Skipping over the smaller, non-Division I schools, let’s take a look at Ferry’s record once he started at Long Island University in the Northeast Conference. In 10 years, he ...

Mailbag

January 30, 2021

Grohol’s ability, wisdom touched fellow coach I enjoyed Ted Beam’s article last week on my dear friend, John Grohol. While in the seventh grade at Roosevelt Junior High School, I remember attending Altoona High games at the Jaffa Mosque in 1966, watching point guard sensation Dick Johnston display flashy ballhandling and deft sharpshooting. Little did I know I would develop and treasure a long-time friendship with a man from the same talent-laden era coached by the late Frank Mastrocola: Starting point guard John Grohol III from the class of ’63. Grohol and I were employed ...

Mailbag: Yesteryears bring back fond memories of Altoona ‘show’

January 23, 2021

If you enjoy Altoona sports, as I do, you enjoy reading the Altoona Mirror sports yesteryear by Tim Doyle each day from years gone by. Lately, each day from 50 years ago, you have seen a name regularly — Billy Moore. Man, was he something. I was lucky. I was a skinny 10th grader in 1971, and Tom Bickel, Mark Boston and I had the best seats in the Jaffa Mosque — at the end of the Altoona bench. We saw our coaches, John Swogger and Art Taneyhill, barking orders to show time. Moore, Galen Bickel, Larry Betar, Terry Acker and Reese Piper were the starters. Backup center ...