Fired Up Friday

Penn State Football's website had an interesting article up about just how goddamn popular the Nittany Lions are and how hundreds of thousands of fans flock to Happy Valley to watch the Lions year after year.  In short, PSU = Mad Street Cred.  PSU's street cred might as well come from the crowd in Beaver Stadium because it certainly isn't going to be generated by Penn State's home-schedule.

That being said, I do love these stories because it is all about the preposterous excellence that is Penn State football.  757,775 people watched Penn State football games in person in 2008.  There was an average attendance of 108,254 which was second in the nation (DAMNED WOLVERINES!).  These are great off-season articles which are not only just plain cool but also are great recruiting tools.  What recruit would not be impressed by these sorts of numbers.

There is, of course, a pathetic attempt to try to generate hype around PSU's mediocre home schedule for 2009:

Season tickets are available for the 2009 home schedule, which will feature contests with three Big Ten teams that played in bowl games last season: Iowa (Sept. 26-All University/Varsity "S" Day), Minnesota (Oct. 17-Homecoming) and Ohio State (Nov. 7), as well as the first visit by old rival Syracuse (Sept. 12) since the 1990 season. The clash with the Buckeyes will be the 300th game in Beaver Stadium history.

Seriously?  I guess Iowa is going to be a good game because the Lions could extract some sort of revenge for the '08 loss?  I don't buy it.  I don't feel any animosity towards the corn-fed-niceness of Iowa.  Minnesota?  I know they had a resurgence in 2008, however, i'm pretty sure they beat absolutely nobody of any relevance.  Ohio State.  Ok, Ohio State will always get me fired up.  I don't like Ohio State and I'm sure they don't like me.  Bring it on.  Syracuse?  The Orangemen?  Honestly, I could not care less.  I mean, some of these home games are a perfect opportunity to spend the day with your family (so they don't start to hate you during the season).

I enjoyed the Syracuse rivalry (when Syracuse wasn't total shit) as much as the next guy but now I could not care less.  In fact, all I can think about (scheduling wise) is the 2010 2011 seasons where PSU has a home and home with Alabama.  How fucking great is that going to be!??!?

WOOOOO!  FIRED UP FRIDAY!