As you should have heard, it got pretty testy on the teleconference this week.  Ben Jones of StateCcollege.com has linked it and it’s pure gold from start to finish.   Needless to say, Evil Bill is simply fuming.  Since January 2012, the Head Football Coach has been nothing but great for Penn State.  After last July, that role expanded into a Public Relations role and was also handled with fire, grace and class.  The season came and ended with what everyone assumed was an F Bomb.  That has since been clarified that the wind caused the sound to go awry like a bad kick (I know, most kicks are bad).  There has been a debate on the “fighters” comment and what was said, so in saying that, this in-“fighting” is absurd.

Penn State has just finished the 1^st year of the sanctions and the program is doing well all things considered.  The foundation was there and graduation rates remained strong despite the toxic culture the NCAA portrayed.  Recruiting is going well and while there will could possibly be bumpy roads ahead (probably not), the football program is in very capable hands.  VBR has already taken aim at this very subject, but now it’s my turn.  The undermining of the football program and the Athletics Department is ridiculous, but allow me address some of the names that keep showing up in this pissing match:

Bill O’Brien – Head Football Coach:  Generally referred to as the greatest coach in college football (by me and anyone with a brain).  The head football coach who also moonlights as the public relations department by always being available and honest has been the face of Penn State since last January.  There is also a general respect for the chain of command, a sense of accountability and honesty which is a rarity in these times.  Not part of the pissing match, but a responder to it.

Dave Joyner:  While I understand that there is animosity towards the former Board of Trustees (BOT) member, he’s not here for long so the attempt to take him down has only made PSU look worse, which is a common theme. If the medical change by him was a personal grudge then that’s a bad look.  I have to give him some credit, as small as it may be, on the football coach hire.  Did he deserve the job?  No, but he got it and I am not sure who else was even a candidate.

Rod Erickson:  I would someday wish to be in a high stakes poker game with Erickson because I would get that guy to fold just by staring at him.  That is all I have to say about him.  He’ll be gone soon enough.

Jay Paterno:  Even mentioning a Paterno is risky.  They’re the 1st family of State College and beloved by many.  Jay consistently carries himself with class and is a great ambassador for the University.  Jay constantly tweets about all PSU sports but never tweets about football and that’s part of my beef.  The CBS article came off as quite dismissive and petty.  Jay seemed to cite that the B1G had a down year and that was bush league.  It was a bush league question from Dodd and Jay mentioned he doesn’t think its right to critique the coach, but he still got in a shot and mentioned how good Urban Meyer was, which made no sense.  Maybe I am forgetting that the 2011 Temple team that was the 1985 Bears D, but 14 points?  Spare me the “down year” stuff.  I am not sure McGloin just signed a 3 year deal thanks to a down league.  Jay also realized that message boards had accused him of being the source of the Sports Illustrated story and quickly dismissed those rumors.  There is no reason not to believe him so Godspeed Jay on whatever you plan on doing.

Anthony Lubrano:  It seems to me Lubrano is a on the BOT for all the wrong reasons.  He claims his best interest is Penn State but publicly questioning medical practices proves that to be untrue.  I understand Joe was his pal, but as a member of the board, I ask what his biggest contribution is so far other than being the most quoted BOT member in history?  To publicly comment and basically support that bogus Sports Illustrated article makes me wonder what the end goal of Lubrano is?  Remember, Lubrano was also upset that the football coach was consulted about the NCAA’s sanctions before they were handed down.  As we can all agree, the sanctions suck, but again, he’s out of line.  His role on the BOT seems more like an overzealous parent on a high school board than it does for the best interest of Penn State.  I am not naïve to not know what he wants, but slowly we’re getting to the point of cutting off the nose to spite the face. 

Wayne Sebastianelli:  A major subject in the Sports Illustrated article has been oddly quiet since the story ran.  While you cannot deny the good he has done, most notably with Adam Taliaferro, he’s still an employee of PSU.  It also is a good time to remind people that jobs in Centre County don’t last forever.  If football loses 9 games a year for 3 straight years (not on this watch) then I am pretty sure the office would be ordered to clean out.

John Ziegler:  A lightning rod for controversy it seems within the Penn State twitterverse .  There is no detail of the last 18 months or so he is not aware of, but his abrasive style has done nothing to improve the image of Penn State.  His followers attack anyone who seems to disagree with him.  He also did about the dumbest thing you could ever do, take some jabs at the football genius tweeting ESPN helped him get his job by  some bizarre logic and complaining ESPN gave a free pass after the “fighters” comment.   Regardless, this latest annoyance wasn’t his doing, but I wanted to address those cheap shots.

Other PSU coaches:  Currently, Penn State may have their best set of coaches at any time in the history of the school.  Wrestling is better than ever, Women’s Basketball is doing great, Men’s and Women’s Volleyball are always good, Hockey looks promising and I believe Chambers is up for the task of changing the perception of the Men’s Basketball program.  They don’t need this crap either.

Since that SI article has ran, Garret Learner has spoken, Taliaferro tweeted that he supports this program, but for some unknown reason, other people within are trying to sabotage this.  All that has happened is now people realize that Sports Illustrated tried to create a controversy over something that has been rebutted with statistics and additional facts.  The other thing that has happened is people are realizing that people within Penn State are screwing with the football team and it’s that perception is the reality.  People will blame the media for creating a new story, but it’s pretty plain to see this is no stretch.  I have my theories and you can probably guess based on what I have written on who the source is to Sports Illustrated.  I hope I’m wrong, but that is rarely the case.

Todd Blackledge said on twitter we can’t fully move forward until we know the truth and that is a common thought of many.  If that’s your mindset, fine go right ahead, but let’s not undermine the program in doing that.  Just understand that there is the reality of this that the truth they are seeking may never be known and also people with much more authority and legal backgrounds are working that out.  Undercutting the football program to settle a score seems like an off track way of finding this truth.    There is enough in our way and we surely don’t need this garbage.

The head football coach is a man who doesn’t suffer fools and sadly, he has plenty of fools to suffer.

Evil Bill O’Brien is not affiliated with The Pennsylvania State University or head coach Bill O’Brien

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Tim Beckman as Coach in “Zero Dark Conference Wins” –  When the sanctions came down, Beckman sent his henchmen off to State College to poach our players.  He came back with an unnamed underclassmen.  He then proceeded to act like he was a coach all year and was even given a headset.  His acting in those press conferences and on the sidelines earned him a nod because he almost convinced the world he actually coached.  His zero conference wins were just the icing on the cake for this performance.

Mark Emmert as the President in “Djoker Unchained” – Mark Emmert sung from the top of Sanctimonious Mountain back in July and led to praise from Dan Wetzel in the attached column that he meant business.  As he led his sham NCAA, he preached a holier than thou approach to anyone who would listen.  A truly memorable performance by the biggest hypocrite on the face of the earth.

Lane Kiffin as the Imposter in “Daddy’s Silver Linings Playbook” –  This project that Kiffin took on was a role of a lifetime.  Offering assistance to BOB on how to deal with sanctions In July and taking the high road in public.  What a guy and he didn’t even hint that  behind the scenes he was recruiting his best running back at the time.  It was a convincing performance because when you see what he was like in realty while engaging petty arguments with the media, pulling a scholarship from a recruit and managing to lose endless games with great talent, you know what a snake this man actually is.   For that tenth of a second though, he had the world convinced.

Best Original Screenplay

The nominees are limited for this category, but that is OK, because the winner is a runaway… literally and figuratively.

The Winner:  WR Bubble Screen play vs. Indiana (Director:  Bill O’Brien, Starring:  Allen Robinson Uncredited:  Matt Lehman.  A simple, yet creative  screenplay, a few great blocks and a great run and the nominee was easily the winner.

Best Original Score:

Matt McGloin vs. Northwestern:   A pretty normal QB scramble that ended in pure grace.  The rally was on as Penn State was closing in on a huge comeback and then a dive that solidified this as an Original Score.

Allen Robinson vs. Navy:  With the game no longer in doubt, PSU went for a little crss pattern to take it into the red zone.  The tipped pass intended for Williams only to drop into Robinson’s pass just like we drew it up.

McGloin to Jesse James vs. Wisconsin:  4th and 6 and plenty of time, it was time to make the coaching call of the year.  While most teams would have punted, the O-line stepped up and gave McGloin plenty of time to find James for the 1st down and much more.  It was truly and original score.

Best Picture

There were a ton to choose from because any picture of BOB is worthy of a nomination.

The Stare:  Joe Hermitt of the Patriot News – @JoeHermitt

Band of Brothers:  Dave Cole of Onward State – @DaveColePhoto

Double Vision:  Dave Cole of Onward State - @DaveColePhoto

Best Director

Well, do we even need to discuss this?  I will list the nominee, who is also the winner and will be the winner year after year.

Bill O’Brien

As for the real Academy Awards, I have no opinion since the only films I see are game tapes.  Enjoy the show, but the real show doesn’t start until August 31st vs. Syracuse.  We Are!

Evil Bill O’Brien is not affiliated Penn State University or Head Coach Bill O’Brien

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The players were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of touchdowns danced in their heads.
And Coach Fitz shirtless, and wearing just shorts,
Jim Delany clueless and all out of sorts.

When out on the field there arose such a clatter,
The fans sprang from their seats see what was the matter.
Away to twitter, they flew like a flash,
To confirm Mark Emmert is a babbling ***.

The Beaver Stadium lights reflecting on new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of a While Out and college football’s greatest show.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a high powered offense, while sipping an ice cold beer.

With a brand new coach, no one wanted at first,
They knew in a moment, Tim Beckman would be the worst.
Coach was poised and the supporters they came,
On back of the jerseys would be each players name!

“Now Mauti! now, Hodges! now, McGloin and Zordich!
On, Hill! On, Morris! On, Stanley and Yanich!
To the top of Mt. Nittany! This team saw it all!
No Bowl Game! Sanctions! The 2012 team stood tall!”

The sanctions came down and they blamed our Culture
While other teams coaches tried to poach like Vultures.
They wiped out wins and levied a huge fine,
They can kiss our *** because JoePa got 409.

And then after the 1st game, fans starting blaming Ted Roof
This team would bounce back and we’d offer the proof.
As I drew plays in my head, the season was turning around,
The wins stared coming and this team would be crowned.

Dressed in blue and white, and in the Big Ten hunt,
I lost a part of myself when being forced to punt.
A few tough calls made by the god awful referees
I told that loser Witovet I’d bust he knees.  

With eyes nearly bugged out of my head!
This team was not finished they’d awake from the dead!
Ohio State and Nebraska losses, were just a bump in the road,
The non-believers believed and were impressed what was showed.

A final game vs. Wisconsin, the season then complete,
The team accomplished an unbelievable feat.
The 2012 team remembered on the facade,
While every Penn State fan knows the NCAA is a fraud!

A 4th and 6 call while Penn State down one,
Made Bert Bielema realize his time at Wisky was done!
An overtime Field Goal by the much maligned Ficken,
Bert realized he should have gone for 2, but of course he was chicken.

The season was over, the end was here,
And time for a certain genius to be named Coach of the Year.
Off to recruiting and spreading some joy,
And devising a plan for this league that we will annually destroy!

May Delany and Emmert get nothing but coal,
And shoving it up their *** will always be our goal
For they messed with the best these short sighted suckers,
“Merry Christmas to all, you fantastic bunch of f******!”

Evil Bill O’Brien is not affiliated with Penn State University or head coach Bill O’Brien.

We know that 2012 was the birth year of @evilbillobrien and that is the main reason that 2012 was placed on the façade at Beaver Stadium.  I decided to work on something to capture the year with awards on what all we saw.  The categories vary over many topics to without further adieu, I present to you the 2012 O’B’s (pronounced OH-BEES)

BEST BOB QUOTE:

The nominees:

1.       On Birthdays and other fun things:  “I’m not a big birthday guy.  My wife will list all the things I really don’t enjoy: birthdays, weddings, theme parks, the beach.”

2.       In regard to seeking advice from USC’s horrid coach: “I’m not checking in with Lane Kiffin.

3.        When asked if he would recruit kids from other schools like the poachers were to Penn State:  “Hell no!  That’s not the right thing to do in my opinion. So I wouldn’t do that.”

4.       When asked about the 2012 Penn State team after the Wisconsin game, “They’re a bunch of *******”

While not enjoying the beach and laughing about reaching out to Lane Kiffin for advice is rather hilarious, this one is a no brainer.  Though fighters may have been the word, it missed the mark because *** is really the nicest compliment to give to this team.

WORST BOB/CALL DECISION

The nominees:

1.       Gerald Hodges as a punt returner.  This one was magnified when he fumbled a punt and having an All American caliber LB returning punts was debated heavily.

2.       Fake Punt vs. Ohio State.  This play hurt momentum and the feeling is if you’re going to go, just go because the offense is used to those situations.

3.       FG Attempt at the end of the 1^st half vs. Illinois.  After Mauti’s 99 yard INT return, the thought was just step on their throats and end the game.  The kick was blocked and had little to do with the outcome of the game, but showing mercy vs. Beckman was debated.

The winner is none of the above.  All of those were great calls with spotty execution.  Come on, like I was actually going to criticize the coaching.

WORST CALL BY A SKUNK (AKA REFEREE)

The nominees:

This was a penalty?

1.       The pass interference call on Stephon Morris late in the 1^st half of the Northwestern game.  This was truly putrid.  Morris made no contact on a jump ball and the laundry came flying.

2.       The non-holding call on Pete Massaro and Michael Mauti in the Ohio State game.  Both egregious plays were not flagged leading to some big Braxton Miller runs.

3.       The holding call on the punt in the Ohio State game.  This one was a real momentum changer and also a real mystery.

Good call idiots.

4.       The Nebraska TD that was somehow ruled a fumble.  I have no explanation here but a TD was ruled a fumble though the replay clearly showed the ball had crossed the goal line.

This is a landslide one for the Nebraska game.   As that went to replay, I tweeted, “In real life this is a TD.  In the B1G, it’s anyone’s guess.” As expected, they overruled it and that lead to a classic post game from Matt McGloin.