Lane takes place in ultimate ‘book’

January 10, 2026

As a young boy, I had first met Jim Lane at a candy store called Rocky’s, one block away from our house. Local sports enthusiasts would gather there, and I would often tag along with my dad. Our fare was Royal Crown Cola, Benzel’s Pennysticks and a Fudgesicle or Creamsicle for “dessert.” As a member of the Altoona Area High School basketball team, I became better acquainted with Jim throughout the years of 1969-71. He was our regular team reporter for the Altoona Mirror, recounting home games from the storied Jaffa Mosque. He was a consummate professional. As the boys ...

PSU audio leaker should pay high price

December 20, 2025

To borrow and paraphrase a remark from President Gerard Ford: At long last, the great Penn State nightmare (2.0) is over. However, what still upsets me is the betrayal by the player who leaked the tape of the closed-door team meeting with team leaders. In the athletic world, that’s a sacrilege. If identified, he should be thrown off the team ASAP — preferably by the team leaders. And I would hope that each player at that meeting would let Kraft know it wasn’t him. I know it would be hard for the players to turn on a teammate, but this was also a betrayal to them and ...

Mailbag: Campbell should restore Penn State program

December 13, 2025

Due to the dismissal of James Franklin as the head football coach at Penn State, almost all of the 2026 recruits have deserted Penn State and gone to other schools. Most notably, many of them will join Franklin, the new head coach at Virginia Tech. I think they are making a big mistake by ...

Kraft has set Penn State program back

December 6, 2025

It is now obvious that Pat Kraft fired James Franklin with no plan in mind. We may never know what personal reasons led to Kraft’s decision. Fifty-plus days passed with no replacement. The recruiting class that we desperately needed for the 2026 season is gone. The prospect for hiring a replacement that will bring transfers with him is remote. It is vital that PSU rights the ship. 1) Hire Terry Smith and get on with it. 2) The contract can be as few as two years or as long as five years. 3) Pay him $5 million a year with incentive clauses. 4) Get busy with money you have available ...

Mailbag: Kraft underestimated removing ‘glue’

November 29, 2025

Penn State football, head coaches and running a business — yes, they actually tie together. I get asked almost daily what I think about the Penn State football situation, so here we go. Let’s start with my qualifications. For starters, I’ve probably missed three games since 1972. More importantly, while I did not complete a pass as the 13-year-old starting quarterback for the Curtis Park 12-and-under team, I did parlay that role into an assistant coaching job under Coach Mark Nartatez and then into a head-coaching role. Our secret? Aggressive out-of-town recruiting ...

BG soccer makes community proud

November 22, 2025

As I age it seems obvious that I have mellowed, with, no doubt, more room to grow. At this time, if I may be so bold as to concede, I would like to tip my hat to the 2025 girls soccer team at Bishop Guilfoyle Academy. Yes, my granddaughter Jenna was a gainful contributor, but this past soccer season proved full team worthy. This team advanced to the state championship game, which ended in a heartbreaking loss for these girls, but each and everyone associated with this team (players, coaches, administrators, fellow student supporters, parents and grandparents) can hold their ...