Matt McGloin: Superior Against Mediocrity

The quarterback controversy continues in Happy Valley and Jay Paterno said after Saturday's game against Eastern Michigan that both Bolden and McGloin will see time on Saturday in Bloomington, IN. This will do little to please a fan base that wants continuity at the QB position even though the two potential candidates have put up similar numbers thus far in 2011.

Many in State College believe the Bolden has more talent and has a brighter future but for some reason the offense moves better with McGloin at the helm. Whether it be chemistry with the offense, the play calling upstairs, or luck, #11 definitely out-played Bolden this past weekend against the Eastern Michigan Eagles, going 14-17 for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns.  This is a familiar theme for McGloin who has feasted on lesser defenses in the past. So why should anyone anoint McGloin the starter after one good showing against a poor defense when he looked atrocious against Alabama? You shouldn't.

It is my contention that while McGloin is a capable QB when Penn State plays mediocre defenses, Bolden gives the team the best chance to win against defenses at any level.

I want to break down McGloin's stats from last year. He started the final 6 games of the season and led the Lions to a 3-3 record. Let's group the wins and losses together and look at the stats...

Wins--3 (Michigan, Northwestern, Indiana)

Completions: 57

Attempts: 88

Pct: 64.78

TD: 7

INT: 0

Losses--3 (Ohio State, Michigan State, Florida)

Completions: 55

Attempts: 114

Pct: 48.25

TD: 5

INT: 8

Clearly a large disparity between the two stat groups. Obviously QB stats are likely to be worse in losses than in victories but 0 versus 8 interceptions and a completion percentage of 12% lower is too big of a gap. Clearly McGloin had issues in the 3 games he lost.

What do all three of the teams that the Lions lost to last season have in common? All boast quality defenses and both OSU and MSU were ranked (5 and 14 respectively) at the time.

The raw stats prove that McGloin does not give the Lions a good shot of winning when he faces high caliber defenses. This probably stems from the fact that he projects where he is going to throw the ball and seems to have trouble moving away from his primary receiver.

Looking at 2011, McGloin has played adequately with a great performance against Eastern Michigan. However, let's not forget his unfathomable 1-10 for 0 yards against Alabama (oh look...another quality defense).

To be fair, Bolden hasn't played much better this season, including the 'Bama game but at least he moved the  ball up and down the field, throwing for 144 yards, which was actually more than against Eastern Michigan (115 yards).

I am not saying that Bolden is leagues beyond McGloin, in fact they are very close. But although McGloin moves the offense better against mediocre defenses, he struggles against the Ohio State's of the college football world.

This creates an interesting dilemma this year. Arguably, Penn State does not face another quality defense until the last 3 games of the season (OSU, Nebraska, Wisconsin). So even if McGloin starts and plays extremely well until then, it is conceivable that he falls flat on his face to close the season like his 5-INT performance at the 2010 Outback Bowl.

Isn't it worth giving Bolden a shot at starting without McGloin always lurking on the sidelines so that he develops and becomes the vaunted player that Penn State recruited? Would you want McGloin starting another game against a superior defense when all he has done in his career is look overmatched?

Mariano Rivera: Definitely Not Pedestrian

When Mariano Rivera was brought up to the Big Leagues in 1995 and started 10 games for the Yankees, he looked pedestrian, sporting a 5.51 ERA and 1.51 WHIP while walking 30 in 67 innings.  16 years later, pedestrian would be one of the words never thought to describe the great Mariano.

In 1996, Joe Torre moved Mo to the bullpen and proved to be one of the best decisions ever--the greatest closer in baseball history was born. Since that world championship year where Mariano mostly acted as a bridge to closer John Wetteland, he has cemented himself among baseball lore for eternity.

Statistics generally don't lie, especially over 15 years. Throughout his Yankee tenure, since he was just "pedestrian" in 1995, Mo accumulated 1108 strikeouts in 1209 innings while only allowing 933 hits and 274 walks. That's a WHIP of an even 1.00. His ERA is a stellar 2.22 and on Monday this week he passed Trevor Hoffman to become the sole leader on the all-time saves list.

If the regular season stats don't impress you, try the post-season on for size:
IP: 139.2
ERA: 0.71
WHIP: 0.77--That's right, his ERA is LOWER than his WHIP
K/BB: 109/21
Saves: 42

To be fair, he did blow the Game 7 of the 2001 World Series against the Diamondbacks but that post-season will be remembered by Derek Jeter's November heroics and how the World Series brought a wounded New York City together.

As he moves into the twilight of his career (he is going to become pedestrian again, right?) Mariano still baffles hitters with pinpoint location and late movement on his pitches. Depending on how the last several games of the season end up, Rivera may finish 2011 with more saves than any year since 2004.

When he finally does retire, baseball will have lost an iconic figure. It's not just his dominance, it's how he plays the game--always tough on himself, but never dwells on the negatives (Burnett should take a page out of Rivera's book).

His record breaking save, #602, was just like hundreds before it. As Yankee fans, we have become used to watching 8 inning baseball games. When Enter Sandman is played, we know the game is over. When "Exit Sandman" finally happens, we will realize that the role of a closer is much harder than Mariano makes it look. He may have started pedestrian, but he became a legend and will continue to cement his place in baseball history for as long as he continues to pitch.

A Reflection: September 11, 2001

Unveiling the new blog with a reflection on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. From a clear blue sky came horror that Americans could never imagine.

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A picture of our family sitting on a picnic table overlooking Lake George, NY still hangs on our refrigerator, reminding us of a moment in time when life seemed so simple and safe.

Just a few weeks later, our country was changed forever. A calm, clear, beautiful, fall-like morning in New York City turned to horror in a matter of seconds. The world came to a standstill as it watched the events unfold in real-time on new stations around the globe.

As a 12 year old, just starting 7th grade in central New Jersey, I was unaware of the news until I arrived home after school. During the school day many of my friends as well as other students were taken out of school early by their parents. The administration of my school, as well as hundreds of others around the country never thought something like September 11 could happen and therefore had no plan for notifying students. We were told that planes had crashed in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania during our last period class and that was it. When I returned home, my parents sat down with my brother and I and explained what had taken place on our soil that Tuesday.

At the time, I remember reacting in a very matter of fact way and don't think I ever fully understood the ramifications of the terrorist attacks and how drastic the effect would be on our country and way of life. I remember going to memorial services to honor the fallen and attempt to heal the wounds from that day. Although I did not know anyone who perished, my friend's father worked in the World Trade Center and decided to stop to get coffee on his way to work. As he exited the coffee shop he saw the first plane hit, turned, and started walking back to the subway. Who knows if he would still be here if he hadn't stopped to get coffee.

Ten years later, as we reflect on that somber morning, how do we take time to pay tribute and honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2011 and since then either fighting the war on terror or from health problems associated with helping others during the attacks?

As Andy Dufresne said in the Shawshank Redemption, "That's the beauty of music. They can't get that from you."  No matter what the situation, you can always hum a familiar tune or sing lyrics to a favorite song. Music can help bring you back to a place and a memory. Music can help heal wounds or fit your current mood. Music is also a powerful way to trigger emotions.

I'll close this reflection by leaving you with three musical tributes to 9-11-01. I hope they allow you a moment to reflect on that fateful day, what we have learned, how we have changed since then, and look to the future.

1) Paul Simon "Sound of Silence" Performance at NYC Memorial (9-11-11)

2) 2011 Madison Scouts Drum Corps Show "New York Morning"

--Just music
--Music and video

3) Penn State Blue Band 9-11-01 Tribute Halftime Show (9-11-11)


We Remember; We Will Never Forget--9.11.01