Watching the offense of the 2011 Penn State football team is almost unbearable. During the Temple game this past Saturday, I found myself so numb from the horrific offensive display that I almost gave up and tuned into the Auburn/Clemson match-up, a game I cared nothing about. The only thing that kept me, a die-hard Penn State fan, interested was the defensive effort, which was brilliant. This year's team brings back chilling memories of 2004, a year defined by a stifling defense and miserable offense. During the so-called "dark years" in the early part of this century, Penn State lacked speed and play-makers at the offensive skill positions. By most accounts, the 2011 team has much more talent on offense. Why doesn't that translate to success? I point to a trio of issues - lack of leadership, predictable play-calling, bad coaching. The leadership is missing from the quarterback position, but that is mostly due to the decision of the coaching staff to relentlessly rotate QB's. By not settling on a QB three weeks into the season, the coaches don't portray much confidence to their team. Joe looks out of touch with the game. We have yet to see Joe go to the locker room at halftime. How is the head coach not present for the crucial adjustment period of a football game? Jay has said Joe gives him notes. Okay, but as a player, I would want a guy like Florida head coach Will Muschamp in the locker room at halftime, who showed energy and fire on the sidelines Saturday. Who is in charge of calling timeouts at Penn State? It should be the head coach on the sideline. With a coach in the box and a ridiculous hierarchy of decision-making, we have found ourselves with several instances of timeout mismanagement. The play-calling is miserably predictable. Jay and Galen make no effort to catch the defense on their heels. After beating us a few years back, Iowa players reported to the media that they knew which play we were likely to run based on situation and formation. Red flags should be going off for the coaches at this point. Sigh.
I suppose that I’m just disappointed in the mediocrity that has surrounded our program in the last 10 years (sans 2005). Since 2006, Penn State has a 2-15 record against teams that finished in the top 25 with an average margin of defeat of 12 points (almost 2 touchdowns). That is shocking. With all the issues that are clear to everyone except Joe and the rest of the Penn State coaches, I’m afraid the trend will continue in 2011. Football is big business as a revenue source for the university and with a huge following at Penn State, I feel fans deserve better.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Super Bowl Bound
My Steelers are headed to the Super Bowl for the second time in 3 seasons and third time in 6. I am greatly looking forward to this game as the Packers are an excellent time and are a tough matchup for the Steelers. They possess a great a defense and an elite NFL quarterback that I would rank just behind Big Ben of all NFL signal callers. This should be a great game. I have nothing but respect for Packers and their organization.
With that said, shall we remember one of the best plays in Super Bowl history? James Harrison's 100 yard interception return with time ticking down in the first half of Super Bowl XLIII was epic. His ability to stay on his feet and make it all the way to the end zone was incredible. And you have to give mad props to the rest of the Steeler defense, who all seemed to be downfield and picking up big blocks during the return. Also, watch closely at the beginning of the return, where DeShea Townsend tried to take the ball from Harrison. The big fella said no. Enjoy!
With that said, shall we remember one of the best plays in Super Bowl history? James Harrison's 100 yard interception return with time ticking down in the first half of Super Bowl XLIII was epic. His ability to stay on his feet and make it all the way to the end zone was incredible. And you have to give mad props to the rest of the Steeler defense, who all seemed to be downfield and picking up big blocks during the return. Also, watch closely at the beginning of the return, where DeShea Townsend tried to take the ball from Harrison. The big fella said no. Enjoy!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Joe Pa and the Recruiting Trail
My alma mater just lost its top recruiting target, Ishaq Willaims, for the upcoming year to Notre Dame. This has been an all too common trend for PSU in recent years. Despite signing a stellar recruiting class in 2010, Penn State lost two of the top 100 recruits in the country in the final month before signing day. Both of those recruits were from the Penn State recruiting grounds and both wound up in Gainsville, FL to play for former Gator head coach Urban Meyer.
What is troubling to me is Penn State's inability to close out the deal on some of these top recruits. In this article from Syracuse University's website, it is noted that Penn State was the long time leader for Williams, only to lose him down the stretch. The article also points out the Williams was questioning the Nittany Lions because of the coaching situation. Joe has one more year left on his contract, Bradley might be coaching at Pitt or UConn, what will become of DL coach Larry Johnson, etc., etc. When Joe leaves, the coaching staff will likely receive a major shake-up. At least, I hope that is the case (that is a discussion for another blog). The coaching situation at Penn State has to hurt recruiting. Joe can't do this much longer and recruits know that. Joe doesn't make in-house recruiting visits anymore when just about every other head coach in the country is active on the recruiting trail. Joe also refuses to recruit nationally. Penn State recruits almost entirely in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio and the remaining northeast states. It surprises me a bit that Joe and the other Penn State coaches don't open this up a bit more. There are some recruits that love the fact that they have a chance to play for a legend, but as the ride approaches its inevitable end, recruits aren't going to jump into an unstable environment.
Joe is stubborn when he comes to just about everything. He knows that Penn State's Graham Spanier will not let the coach go, so he keeps doing as he pleases. Don't get me wrong, I love Joe Paterno and love everything that he does for not only Penn State football, but for Penn State University. However, all great things must come to an end and I believe he is on the decline. I hope that Joe's stubborness is realized before the program is damaged further. Recruits signing with Penn State this year know that by the time they graduate, the coaching staff will have a different look. Some are okay with that, but most are not.
What is troubling to me is Penn State's inability to close out the deal on some of these top recruits. In this article from Syracuse University's website, it is noted that Penn State was the long time leader for Williams, only to lose him down the stretch. The article also points out the Williams was questioning the Nittany Lions because of the coaching situation. Joe has one more year left on his contract, Bradley might be coaching at Pitt or UConn, what will become of DL coach Larry Johnson, etc., etc. When Joe leaves, the coaching staff will likely receive a major shake-up. At least, I hope that is the case (that is a discussion for another blog). The coaching situation at Penn State has to hurt recruiting. Joe can't do this much longer and recruits know that. Joe doesn't make in-house recruiting visits anymore when just about every other head coach in the country is active on the recruiting trail. Joe also refuses to recruit nationally. Penn State recruits almost entirely in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio and the remaining northeast states. It surprises me a bit that Joe and the other Penn State coaches don't open this up a bit more. There are some recruits that love the fact that they have a chance to play for a legend, but as the ride approaches its inevitable end, recruits aren't going to jump into an unstable environment.
Joe is stubborn when he comes to just about everything. He knows that Penn State's Graham Spanier will not let the coach go, so he keeps doing as he pleases. Don't get me wrong, I love Joe Paterno and love everything that he does for not only Penn State football, but for Penn State University. However, all great things must come to an end and I believe he is on the decline. I hope that Joe's stubborness is realized before the program is damaged further. Recruits signing with Penn State this year know that by the time they graduate, the coaching staff will have a different look. Some are okay with that, but most are not.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tilt
Despite be over rolled for $25 NL, I continue to play at those stakes as I improve my game. Last night was a big indicator why. Within the first 10 minutes of hitting the tables, I took two bad beats where I had all of my opponents chips in the pot and I had the best hand....only to lose the hand. It happens. It's poker. However, I need to develop a short memory in these situations. After those hands, I went on tilt and made several bad decisions that cost me even more chips. After 30 minutes at the tables, I was down over 5 buy-ins (BI's).
I managed to regain my composure and played for another hour and avoided some tough decisions and put pressure on my opponents in the right situations. I finished the evening down 3 BI's despite losing another BI+ on a set over set situation. In other words, I turned things around pretty well and I know it could have been much worse. If I could curb my tilting habits, I could have avoided those dumb plays early in the session and ended the night close to even money despite taking three really tough beats.
Speaking of that set over set hand that I lost, I wanted to say a few things about it. I was on the button with 33 and opened the betting by raising 3.5 big blinds. The player in the big blind 3-bet (3B) to a total 10 big blinds. Since I had position, I decided to see a flop. It came 3 5 10 rainbow. I'm thinking jackpot here because I hit my set and with my opponent's 3B, I put him on JJ or better or AQs or better. You can debate whether or not it was right to call the 3B, but with position, calling here is usually profitable in the long run. On this night, however, it turned out that the villian 3B with 55 and hit a higher set. These hands are tough to swallow because the situation is rare and I seem to be on the losing end an awful lot. In fact, it makes me want to review my hand histories to see how many times I have lost with a set to a higher set. I have come across that situation about six or seven times in the past two months and know that I have won only twice. Hopefully my luck turns around.
On the plus side, I learned from my mistake earlier in the evening and took the aforementioned defeat in stride. I left that table with the chips that I lost on that hand. If only I can do that all the time. Note to self: Going on tilt will only make matters worse.
I managed to regain my composure and played for another hour and avoided some tough decisions and put pressure on my opponents in the right situations. I finished the evening down 3 BI's despite losing another BI+ on a set over set situation. In other words, I turned things around pretty well and I know it could have been much worse. If I could curb my tilting habits, I could have avoided those dumb plays early in the session and ended the night close to even money despite taking three really tough beats.
Speaking of that set over set hand that I lost, I wanted to say a few things about it. I was on the button with 33 and opened the betting by raising 3.5 big blinds. The player in the big blind 3-bet (3B) to a total 10 big blinds. Since I had position, I decided to see a flop. It came 3 5 10 rainbow. I'm thinking jackpot here because I hit my set and with my opponent's 3B, I put him on JJ or better or AQs or better. You can debate whether or not it was right to call the 3B, but with position, calling here is usually profitable in the long run. On this night, however, it turned out that the villian 3B with 55 and hit a higher set. These hands are tough to swallow because the situation is rare and I seem to be on the losing end an awful lot. In fact, it makes me want to review my hand histories to see how many times I have lost with a set to a higher set. I have come across that situation about six or seven times in the past two months and know that I have won only twice. Hopefully my luck turns around.
On the plus side, I learned from my mistake earlier in the evening and took the aforementioned defeat in stride. I left that table with the chips that I lost on that hand. If only I can do that all the time. Note to self: Going on tilt will only make matters worse.
Monday, January 10, 2011
2010 Iron Man
You can find me on the digital felt at Full Tilt poker. Full Tilt has an Iron Man promotion that goes on year after year. In the second half of the calendar year, players can earn one of four levels of Iron Man status each month (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Iron Man). Each status is associated with a cash bonus level. You earn the status levels based on the Full Tilt Points (FTP) that you earn. FTP's are based on the rake that you generate. The bonuses available by status level are below.
Bronze - $25
Silver - $50
Gold - $75
Iron Man - $100
Since I started my recent stint of online poker in November, I could only qualify for an Iron Man bonus in two of the six months from 2010. I acheived the Bronze and Silver levels for November and December, respectively. Once you achieve the status, you have to release your bonus over the first six weeks of the new year. I had $75 in bonuses to clear to start the year. To clear the bonus, all you have to do is play and earn FTP's. Clearing my Iron Man bonus was ridiculously easy. I accomplished it in the first 3 days of 2011. My goal for the Iron Man bonus is the full $600 in 2011, which will mean achieving Iron Man status in every month from July through December. This will be easy if I move up in stakes before then.
Also part of the Iron Man promotion is a series of tournaments associated with your Iron Man status in the month of December. Since I achieved silver status in December, I received a free tournament entry for a $15,000 purse tourney that played this past weekend. I'm generally a cash game player, so my tournament skills need some work, but I did very well in this tournament. I took 23rd place out of 1,973 entrants. The purse for the tournament was pretty small, so I only won $40 for my efforts, but the important thing to note is that I did well in the tournament. As time goes on, I'd like to play in some more tournaments because the potential for big payouts exists if you can manage to play well. But for now, I'm going to continue to play mostly in cash games.
Bronze - $25
Silver - $50
Gold - $75
Iron Man - $100
Since I started my recent stint of online poker in November, I could only qualify for an Iron Man bonus in two of the six months from 2010. I acheived the Bronze and Silver levels for November and December, respectively. Once you achieve the status, you have to release your bonus over the first six weeks of the new year. I had $75 in bonuses to clear to start the year. To clear the bonus, all you have to do is play and earn FTP's. Clearing my Iron Man bonus was ridiculously easy. I accomplished it in the first 3 days of 2011. My goal for the Iron Man bonus is the full $600 in 2011, which will mean achieving Iron Man status in every month from July through December. This will be easy if I move up in stakes before then.
Also part of the Iron Man promotion is a series of tournaments associated with your Iron Man status in the month of December. Since I achieved silver status in December, I received a free tournament entry for a $15,000 purse tourney that played this past weekend. I'm generally a cash game player, so my tournament skills need some work, but I did very well in this tournament. I took 23rd place out of 1,973 entrants. The purse for the tournament was pretty small, so I only won $40 for my efforts, but the important thing to note is that I did well in the tournament. As time goes on, I'd like to play in some more tournaments because the potential for big payouts exists if you can manage to play well. But for now, I'm going to continue to play mostly in cash games.
Back at it
I'm going to try and get back into writing fairly regularly with a new theme to go along with my random thoughts and hatred for Apple. For the past two months, I have started to get back into online poker. I played for a couple years in college and turned a $20 donation into a couple thousand dollars that I used to help pay the rent. When I stopped playing online my senior year in college, I was a slightly winning player, but mostly breakeven, at the $50 NL Hold 'Em tables ($50 being the 100 big blind buy-in, so $.25/$.50 blinds). I mainly was relying on rakeback to help me stay profitable. I didn't know much about the game of hold 'em poker and certainly didn't possess the tools to play well in the online world.
This time around, I have approached the game completely different. I have started to read several poker books that have allowed me to learn the game and become a better player. Even things as simple as position, continuation betting, 3 betting, etc. were mostly foreign to me before I started to read. All of these things I now fully understand, but I still have to learn how to best apply techniques.
So far, I have been fairly profitable. I started by multi-tabling two tables at the $10 NL tables and was successful enough to move to the $25 NL tables after about a month. I am currently multi-tabling with six tables (6-max games) at $25 NL stakes despite having a bankroll sufficient to move up in stakes to $50 NL. The reason I am currently staying at $25 NL is because I still feel that I have several concepts that I need to master before I essentially double the stakes. When I previously played online, I moved up in stakes before I was ready. I was still profitable at $50 NL, but didn't understand the game well enough to play there. I want to do things differently this time around. I don't need the money, so I can take my time as I move up the chains. I'm planning on building a bankroll sufficient to comfortably multi-table the $100 or $200 NL stakes. That will take time to build and I still have much to learn.
I plan on using this blog to talk about my poker experiences in addition to what I have been using it for in the past. The internet filter at my job has had the website blocked for sometime, which hadn't allowed me to use it as much. I'd like to get back it.
This time around, I have approached the game completely different. I have started to read several poker books that have allowed me to learn the game and become a better player. Even things as simple as position, continuation betting, 3 betting, etc. were mostly foreign to me before I started to read. All of these things I now fully understand, but I still have to learn how to best apply techniques.
So far, I have been fairly profitable. I started by multi-tabling two tables at the $10 NL tables and was successful enough to move to the $25 NL tables after about a month. I am currently multi-tabling with six tables (6-max games) at $25 NL stakes despite having a bankroll sufficient to move up in stakes to $50 NL. The reason I am currently staying at $25 NL is because I still feel that I have several concepts that I need to master before I essentially double the stakes. When I previously played online, I moved up in stakes before I was ready. I was still profitable at $50 NL, but didn't understand the game well enough to play there. I want to do things differently this time around. I don't need the money, so I can take my time as I move up the chains. I'm planning on building a bankroll sufficient to comfortably multi-table the $100 or $200 NL stakes. That will take time to build and I still have much to learn.
I plan on using this blog to talk about my poker experiences in addition to what I have been using it for in the past. The internet filter at my job has had the website blocked for sometime, which hadn't allowed me to use it as much. I'd like to get back it.
Friday, April 2, 2010
New Campus
So the company that I work for is growing very rapidly and decided a few years ago to construct a new corporate headquarters. This will be a very welcome change given that we are now scattered among several buildings in the downtown area, all of which are outdated with few amentities. Below is a work in progress video tour of the new campus posted by our CEO. Move in is at the end of July. Enjoy!
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