Category: Archive: The Cheap Seats

‘Tis the season for family and friends, Santa Claus and Christmas wishes. For many others, it is the time for running up credit card bills for presents that will occupy a landfill near you by springtime. It also means spending time with people that you don’t see all year (by choice in many cases) and going to parties seemingly every night, all the while asking your wife who will be there in hopes that you will have someone there to talk sports or in the case of some parties, someone to do shots with. But for me, this is the best season of all and it starts December 14th and lasts 21 days. Of course, I am talking about the college football bowl season. A wonderful time of the year that doesn’t carry the threat of lame ties or itchy sweaters but instead gives you the gift of 28 games in 21 days. Now, THAT is how you get through the holiday season (the beer helps too).  Read more... (864 words, estimated 3:27 mins reading time)

In light of the recent on (and off) field altercations the subject of fans interaction with players has come under the microscope but perhaps at this point, it is like the farmer who shuts the barn door after the horse gets out. The sports world has grown from a subculture to a culture all of its own. With the help of the likes of ESPN and the ever growing coverage of sports of every kind, it is a great time to be a sports fan.  Read more... (960 words, estimated 3:50 mins reading time)

Football and sex. These days, the two seem to be more closely linked than beer and wings. The two have always seemed to find themselves in the same bed (yes, pun intended). Sure, you hear stories about the wild lives led by pro athletes in other sports like the ones that former Major League pitcher Rob Dibble spins about his days as a “Nasty Boy” as he now serves as the colorful sidekick on the Dan Patrick Show. You also hear about the NBA and their off-court activities but anymore that seems to deal more with smoking pot and fathering illegitimate children throughout the various NBA cities. But watch a televised non-NFL game and other than the guy who sprouts blue horns because he is all hopped up on fun pills, you normally don’t see the Penthouse-esque type of commercials (the twins) or tightly spandex wrapped cheerleaders bouncing all over the sidelines and spilling into your living room.  Read more... (711 words, estimated 2:51 mins reading time)

The Pennsylvania State University is actually located in University Park, Pennsylvania. It is also commonly known as Happy Valley. Happy Valley? Obviously that name was not obtained by the recent performance of the university’s once crown jewel; the football team. The teams struggles may have reached a level that neither the fans nor the all time winning college football coach have ever witnessed. Recently, in front of a raucous home crowd in Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions lost 6-4 to Iowa. That’s right, 6-4. Bad weather? Nah. Just bad offensive football. This loss came after they dropped a close, hard fought game to then undefeated Purdue and humbled their Heisman candidate quarterback. Many of us fans hoped at the end of the Purdue game that this team, so laden with talent, could use that performance to turn the corner and start restoring pride to the program that for so long was the class of the country.  Read more... (1045 words, estimated 4:11 mins reading time)

A loud voice has been calling for a change in our nation’s capitol. You may have heard it. You may also have heard another voice saying that no change should be made. The voices have debated about who should be running the show and who the best man for the job is. Both men feel they can do the job and in return, they promise to return the pride and respectability that has come to be expected from the position. The talking heads have battered the issue back and forth and depending on your stance, you may agree or you may disagree. The issue is one that could go unresolved for weeks or is some people’s minds, for years. What is that issue you ask? Well, it is only the biggest issue in Washington right now.  Read more... (709 words, estimated 2:50 mins reading time)

It is no secret that I am a lover of football. Yes, I truly love football. No matter what level, where it is being played, when they are playing or even who is playing. It would be a stretch to include the Canadian Football League but in a pinch it would probably do. Of the football I watch, my favorite is easily at the high school level. I am fortunate to be able to call many local games on the hometown radio station. Not only does it allow me to babble on about the offensive and defensive line play or to explain how a zone blitz works, but it also allows me to be witness to some really good games played by great athletes of which most will never see the bright lights of Division I football.  Read more... (554 words, estimated 2:13 mins reading time)

Anyone seen Billy Kilmer? Joe Theismann? How about Doug Williams? Heck, how about someone with a pulse and an arm that is capable of breaking a pane of glass with a thrown football? I believe our current signal caller could break a pane of glass but could he if I draped a Redskin jersey over it? How about on a slant pattern? The odds just decreased, dramatically.  Read more... (943 words, estimated 3:46 mins reading time)

(built by The Home Depot)  Read more... (801 words, estimated 3:12 mins reading time)

When I think of sports rivalries, I think of two teams that hate each other and subsequently beat each other up when they play and their fans share that passion. Some of the great rivalries that jump to my mind are the Redskins-Cowboys, Steelers-Browns, Dolphins-Bills, Penn State-Pitt, Florida State-Miami, Georgia-Florida, Cubs-Cardinals, Yankees-Red Sox and Duke-Kentucky. Part of the formula for a successful rivalry is that it is two sided. As in you can apply the old adage, “you can throw the teams records out when they square off”. Leading up to Monday night’s Redskins-Cowboys game, I had been thinking a great deal about “the rivalry”.  Read more... (553 words, estimated 2:13 mins reading time)

Note: This week’s Cheap Seats is being guest written by BossHog for Wingman. Hurricane Ivan hit Wingman and the rest of Pennsylvania hard, and unfortunately, he is still bailing out his basement. Our thoughts and wishes go out to Wingman and his family as they sort through the mess. We look forward to having him back as soon as possible.  Read more... (1584 words, estimated 6:20 mins reading time)