Mailback

February 24, 2024

Treat officials with respect they deserve As winter sports draw to a close, and spring sports just around the corner, it’s a great time to remind sports fans across the area about good sportsmanship toward game officials. The men and women who put on the stripes do so to give back to the game they love and to ensure your student-athlete enjoys their experience. Their preparation goes far beyond the courts and fields, more than the casual fan ever notices, such as in-season meetings, exams and rules meetings. As the average age of officials climb, more and more retire or ...

Mailbag

February 17, 2024

DeLeo’s work worthy of recognition I am writing to show my appreciation to a man who has covered area sports for the last 40 years on radio, television and as a public-address announcer. That man is Rich DeLeo. Rich covered Altoona Area High School basketball in the beginning of his career and now is known as the voice of Bishop Guilfoyle football and basketball. In between, he has been the PA announcer for the Altoona Curve and Saint Francis basketball. He has a weekly television sports show and has hosted radio shows in the past. The ...

Penn State opt-outs quit on their team

January 13, 2024

As a Penn Stater, class of 1963, I was disappointed with the loss to Mississippi in the Peach Bowl, and I was irate with the key Penn State football players who sat out the game. Four of them have their eyes on the NFL draft, and one entered the transfer portal. These players enjoyed full scholarships during their years at Penn State and were held in high regard as potential graduates. The current transfer portal system has created the “Wild West” of college football. Players can transfer during the election period and conceivably transfer schools four times during their ...

Penn State’s buck(s) stop with Franklin

January 6, 2024

Ultimately who is responsible for being outcoached, unprepared and outplayed? Yes, coaches coach and players play, but who is ultimately responsible for two-thirds of this equation? I went to the Rose Bowl in 2016 and to the Outback Bowl (vs. Kentucky) two years later and decided, no more bowl games and no more away games. James Franklin’s coaching inabilities taught me that even if all talent and circumstances are equal, he will not position his team to have a fair chance at victory. This time, indeed, the opponent man-for-man was the superior team on the field. Drew ...

Sports Mailbag: PSU vs Saint Francis stirs memories

November 25, 2023

I watched (the Nov. 14) Big Ten Network basketball game between Saint Francis and Penn State with particular interest. My mind drifted back to 1953, my freshman year at State College. My dormitory was Hamilton Hall, which was just steps from Rec Hall. A notice was posted that Saint Francis would play the Nittany Lions in a preseason practice game, sometimes referred to as an exhibition game. I was more acquainted with the Frankies, having seen them play several years prior at the Jaffa Mosque (later Shrine) in Altoona. Maurice Stokes was earning his All-American status at ...

Penn State needs pro-style offense

November 18, 2023

As a longtime Penn State fan, I think we are running the wrong offense. We are running a read option running offense for a quarterback that doesn’t run. Other teams’ defenses don’t respect Drew Allar running. As a result, their defensive ends can crash down on our running backs. I think we should run more of a pro-style offense with Allar. Spread things out and let him have more throwing options. When teams run zone defense, flood their zones with multiple receivers, and when they play man, run a lot of crossing and pick plays. I would also move our backs deeper and get the ...