Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/04/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I work on faculty at Penn State University home of the Nittany Lion Football (American, of course) Team that last year, won the Big 10 conference title and played in the Rose Bowl game. The Rose Bowl is actually a stadium and a game played in Pasadena Ca on January 1st of each year pitting the chamption of the Big 10 (mostly midwestern schools) against the Pacific 10 conference champion. The game drew over 100,000 spectators with nearly 45, 000 traveling from Pennsylvania. The PSU team is coached by 82 year old Joe Paterno who just had two hips replaced but plans to continue. The home stadium holds 110,000 people and with 8 home games this year and tickets selling for $50 or more per game, the place is always sold out no matter whom the opponent. All games are televised and many who attend the games do so in camper/RVs and show up to the parking lots on Thursday afternoon for a Saturday game. At Penn State, the culture is football. The basketball team recently won a national tournament and people in my office didn't know they were playing. Robert Clark Lancaster, PA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nathan Wajsman" <photo at frozenlight.eu> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org> Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 1:42 AM Subject: Re: [Leica] Not cricket > Sonny, that is the order of priorities at most universities in the south. > When I was at Florida, by far the most important (and highest- paid) > person on campus was the head football coach. I am certain this has not > changed since I left; perhaps the second-most important person has > switched from the university president to the head basketball coach, > since the Gators have been doing well in that sport too in recent years. > > Jayanand, college sports are popular because the quality is very good, > and most people who have gone to college retains a lifelong attachment to > their alma mater. The university I attended, University of Florida, has a > stadium with room for 85000 people, and it is always full for home games, > with many alumni driving very long distances to attend. > > In many ways, US college athletes are like the state amateurs of the > former Communist countries. At many (not all, but many) universities, > they are students in name only. > > Nathan > > Nathan Wajsman > Alicante, Spain > http://www.frozenlight.eu > http://www.greatpix.eu > http://www.nathanfoto.com > > Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0 > PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws > Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog > > > > On Apr 7, 2009, at 3:40 AM, Sonny Carter wrote: > >> This probably needs to go to the forum, because I may comment something >> to >> the effect that my University is installing One Million dollars worth of >> football carpet, while our Indian American Republican Governor (not >> American >> Indian) Bobby Jindal is cutting our academic budget by 7.2 million >> dollars. >> >> >> >> >> On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 7:21 PM, Jayanand Govindaraj <jayanand at gmail.com >> >wrote: >> >>> How is it that college sports is so big in the USA? Except for the >>> Oxford-Cambridge rivalry, nobody gives a s*** for college sports >>> anywhere >>> else in the known universe.... >>> Cheers >>> Jayanand >>> >>> On Tue, Apr 7, 2009 at 12:22 AM, Steve Barbour <kididdoc at cox.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> On Apr 6, 2009, at 11:26 AM, Lawrence Zeitlin wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> On Apr 6, 2009, at 1:08 PM, Nathan wrote: >>>>> >>>>> They are talking about an obscure American sport that is not cricket >>> ;-) >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Definitely not cricket. "March Madness" is an affliction that hits US >>>>> basketball fans every spring. The champions and runners up of each >>>>> major >>>>> college association play each other in an elimination tournament. >>>>> Sixty >>> four >>>>> teams start, one finishes. To win, a team must defeat every opponent. >>> That's >>>>> six straight wins against comparably skilled teams. It is similar to >>>>> the >>>>> UEFA Champions soccer playoff except that the basketball event is >>> compressed >>>>> into a few weeks rather than half a year. By the end of the event, >>>>> basketball fans are virtual lunatics, watching favored teams triumph >>>>> or >>>>> fall. Loyalties are transferred from team to team as the contest >>> continues, >>>>> culminating in the final playoff. The final teams pitted against each >>> other >>>>> are Michigan State, from economically depressed Detroit and North >>> Carolina. >>>>> The Carolina team is technically superior. In a game last December it >>> beat >>>>> Michigan State by 36 points. But the Michigan team seems to have high >>>>> motivation on its side and carries the hope of its community. A >>>>> classic >>>>> sports matchup, sort of David and Goliath like. >>>>> >>>>> My comment that UM hates MS refers to the fact that the state of >>> Michigan >>>>> has two major colleges, the University of Michigan, a semi elite >>>>> college >>> in >>>>> the affluent city of Ann Arbor, and Michigan State, a more working >>>>> class >>>>> oriented college/university >>>>> >>>> >>>> located in East Lansing... >>>> >>>> >>>> Steve >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> in the grungy city of Detroit. They have been athletic rivals for as >>> long >>>>> as I can remember. Still both come from Michigan, which in the >>>>> strange >>> logic >>>>> of the March Madness, makes fans favor them over North Carolina. The >>> odds >>>>> are against them though. >>>>> >>>>> Larry Z >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Leica Users Group. >>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Leica Users Group. >>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> Regards, >> >> Sonny >> http://www.sonc.com >> http://sonc.stumbleupon.com/ >> Natchitoches, Louisiana >> USA >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >