Pirates’ lack of energy needs addressed

May 3, 2025

I watched the Pirates on Tuesday, April 15. They were playing the Nationals, and I could not believe the team’s lack of energy. There were errors and missed plays — easy plays — and no direction of who is in command on the field. When there’s a fly ball to the outfield, somebody has got to take charge. We learned that in Little League, when I played for Cadle & Fornwalt at the Altoona Little League field before the highway and 17th Street came in. Also, on offense, the entire team is not performing. Sometimes you would see maybe one or two players get in a slump but the ...

Basketball season has been quite the downer

February 22, 2025

This past high school basketball season brought back memories of 50 years ago. Many of the games this year, especially the girls games, were very lopsided with wins of 30, 40 and 50 points. Does this mean the competition is so weak or are some of the teams that outstanding? Altoona boys were at one time one of the best teams in the state. The last few years, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the state. There was a time when Hollidaysburg could not compete with Altoona. That’s no longer the case. College basketball is also being ruined. In the past, Saint ...

Johnston was in a league of his own

February 8, 2025

I was saddened to see the recent passing of Dick Johnston. In the winter of 1962 during my seventh grade year at iconic Roosevelt Junior High School, I can vividly recall the first time I watched Coach Jim Rice’s Roughrider basketball team in action. I was absolutely astounded by the shooting and ball-handling prowess of an eighth-grade guard named Dickie Johnston. Some of my fondest memories as an Altoona High student and Mountain Echo sports editor involved watching Johnston play at the Jaffa Mosque and other venues throughout Central Pennsylvania. His outside shooting ...

Franklin’s remarks need some coaching

February 1, 2025

I would like to see Pat Kraft have a discussion with James Franklin about his press conferences and comments. Franklin very rarely actually talks about football, and his continual banter about the other team’s players and coaches is really off-putting. I get that he wants to tell everyone he studies the opponent, and how good they are, but he need not tell us about how he knows and has worked with seemingly everyone in the profession. And have a little emotional intelligence. I know he is smart and uses his voice to ask for things he wants in the program. That’s all well ...

Mailbag

January 25, 2025

Nittany Lions fans leave impression I thought it was quite extraordinary when the two marching bands from Penn State and Oregon joined together for the national anthem in Indianapolis during the Big Ten title game. Maybe I haven’t been to enough games, but I never saw that before, and for me it was special. On Sunday at the airport, I chatted with a serious Oregon fan who travels to all their games. He told me that the PSU fans were the best he’s ever seen. The cheering and roaring until the very end really impressed him. I told him to just wait until next year at Beaver ...

Players, not coaches, hold PSU back

January 18, 2025

Although I’m in general agreement with Neil Rudel’s report card after the Orange Bowl, I really feel for Drew Allar. Yes he did not have a good game, but what effective QB has only a tight end and running backs he can count on, throw to? Not many. And how does it affect his confidence when two to three of his reads/transitions are flat out covered all night, and he has to force just about every pass into a small window? I can only imagine how good he could be with Ohio State, Texas, Alabama receivers. Or our competition. Have you noticed how open their receivers get just ...