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Kerry Collins

Kerry Collins

Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania) is an American football player who currently plays quarterback for the Oakland Raiders.

Playing career

Penn State and the NFL

Kerry Collins played collegiate football at Penn State University, where he earned numerous awards. As quarterback, he was named All American in 1994 by the Associated Press, United Press International, The Football News, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp and The Sporting News. Collins also captured two of college football’s major postseason prizes — the Maxwell Award, presented to the nation’s outstanding player, and the Davey O’Brien Award, which goes to the nation’s top quarterback. Collins finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting that year. In addition, he was chosen UPI Back-of-the-Year and garnered Player-of-the-Year honors from ABC-TV/Chevrolet and the Big Ten Conference. Collins made a serious run at the NCAA season passing efficiency record, falling just four points short (172.8), the fourth-highest figure in NCAA annals. He broke Penn State season records for total offense (2,660), completions (176), passing yardage (2,679), completion percentage (66.7), yards per attempt (10.15) and passing efficiency (172.86). He had 14 consecutive completions at Minnesota, another Penn State record. Collins was the linchpin of an explosive offense that shattered 14 school records and led the nation in scoring (47.8 ppg.) and total offense (520.2 ypg.). With 5,304 career passing yards, Collins ranks No. 3 in Penn State annals and is one of only three quarterbacks to top 5,000 yards through the air. Through his passion and leadership, the 1994 Nittany Lions completed an undefeated season (the fifth under coach Joe Paterno), capped by a Rose Bowl championship over Oregon. His team was awarded the NCAA Division 1-A football championship by the New York Times and Jeff Sagarin. Collins was selected as the Carolina Panthers' first pick (fifth overall) in the 1995 NFL Draft. He was the first player ever chosen by the Panthers, who entered the league that year. In his three seasons with the Panthers, he threw for 7,295 yards, 39 touchdowns and 49 interceptions. His completion percentage was 52.6% and his quarterback rating was 65.6. In his second season, he led the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game.

Battles with alcoholism

Before the 1997 season got underway, Collins' private battle with alcoholism started to make public headlines. Collins threw 21 interceptions during the 1997 season and the Panthers finished 7-9, just one season after advancing to the NFC Championship. Collins was placed on waivers by Carolina during the 1998 season and subsequently signed by the New Orleans Saints. On November 2, 1998 Collins was arrested for drunk driving in Charlotte, North Carolina. He finished the 1998 campaign in New Orleans and signed with the New York Giants as a free agent on February 19, 1999.

Racism

In a highly publicized incident, on the last night of Carolina Panthers training camp in 1997 Collins used the word nigger in reference to African-American teammate Muhsin Muhammad while in a drunken state. Supposedly, Collins also inadvertently slurred offensive lineman Noberto Davidds-Garrido, who is of hispanic descent. This resulted in Collins being punched in the eye by Davidds-Garrido. Collins has stated that in his intoxicated state he thought the use of the racial epithet would help him and his teammates bond. Collins claims he is not a racist, but to no one's surprise he was labeled a racist in the media for the event.

Rehabilitation

Not long after signing with New York, Collins decided to seek treatment for his alcoholism. He entered a rehabilitation clinic in Topeka, Kansas. No sooner did Collins get his personal life back on track than his professional career followed. Collins started the 1999 season as the Giants' second-string quarterback, but soon claimed the starting job. In the 2000 season Collins led the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens. After five seasons in New York, Collins was released by the Giants in 2004. The team had already signed former league MVP Kurt Warner and traded for 2004's #1 draft pick, Eli Manning. The move was seen as a cost-cutting measure, since Collins was due to earn $7 million from the Giants in 2004. After his release, Collins signed a three-year, $16.82 million contract with the Oakland Raiders. Collins began the 2004 season as the team's backup to Rich Gannon, but took over the starting role when Gannon suffered a neck injury in the third week of the regular season. Collins is the team's starting quarterback for the 2005 season, subsequent to Gannon's retirement.[http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050729/NEWS/507290360/1010/SPORTS]

Awards


- Won the 1994 Maxwell Award (Nation's top college player)
- Won the 1994 Davey O'Brien Award (Nation's top college quarterback)
- Selected to the NFL Pro Bowl following the 1996 season.

Career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Sources


- Reed, Steve (January 27, 2001). [http://www.gazettearchives.com/panthers2001/_article/00000335.htm Once a lost soul, Collins turns career, life around] The Gaston Gazette
- King, Peter (January 22, 2001). [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/peter_king/news/2001/01/22/king_collins/ Collins' sobering story] CNNSI.com
- Gay, Nancy (October 3, 2004). [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/10/03/RAIDERS.TMP Collins appreciates second chances] San Francisco Chronicle

External links


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- Kerry Collins fantasy news and stats from [http://fantasynews.sandbox.com/2005/news/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NFL&leaguenum=&id=3115 Sandbox Fantasy News] Collins, Kerry Collins, Kerry Collins, Kerry Collins, Kerry Collins, Kerry Collins, Kerry Collins, Kerry Collins, Kerry Collins, Kerry Collins, Kerry

December 30

December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining.

Events


- 1460 - Wars of the Roses: The Duke of York is defeated at the Battle of Wakefield
- 1853 - Gadsden Purchase: The United States buys land from Mexico to facilitate railroad building in the Southwest
- 1853 - 20-strong dinner party held inside life-size model of Iguanodon created by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins and Sir Richard Owen in south London.
- 1862 - USS Monitor sinks off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
- 1879 - The Pirates of Penzance is first performed (Paignton, Devon, England)
- 1880 - The Transvaal becomes a republic and Paul Kruger, its first president
- 1896 - José Rizal was executed by firing squad in Manila.
- 1897 - Natal annexes Zululand.
- 1903 - A fire at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois kills 600.
- 1919 - Lincoln's Inn in London admits its first female bar student.
- 1922 - The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is formed.
- 1924 - Edwin Hubble announces the existence of other galaxies.
- 1927 - The Ginza Line, the oldest subway line in Asia, opened in Tokyo.
- 1936 - The United Auto Workers union stages its first sit-down strike.
- 1940 - California opens its first freeway: the Arroyo Seco Parkway.
- 1943 - Chandra Bose raises the flag of Indian independence at Port Blair.
- 1944 - King George II of Greece declares a regency, leaving his throne vacant
- 1947 - King Michael of Romania abdicates
- 1948 - The play Kiss Me, Kate opens for the first of 1,077 performances.
- 1953 - The first color television sets go on sale for about USD $1,175.
- 1965 - Ferdinand Marcos becomes President of the Philippines
- 1972 - Vietnam War: The US halts heavy bombing of North Vietnam.
- 1976 - The Smothers Brothers play their last show (Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas).
- 1980 - After 25 years, the longest-running prime-time TV series The Wonderful World of Disney is cancelled by NBC.
- 1981 - Wayne Gretzky scores his 50th goal in 39 games, an NHL record to this day.
- 1993 - Israel and the Vatican establish diplomatic relations.
- 1995 - The lowest ever UK temperature of -27.2°C was recorded at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands. This equalled the record set at Braemar, Aberdeenshire on February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982.
- 1996 - In the Indian state of Assam, a passenger train is bombed by Bodo separatists, killing 26.
- 1996 - Proposed budget cuts by Benjamin Netanyahu spark protests from 250,000 workers who shut down services across Israel.
- 1997 - In the worst incident in Algeria's insurgency, the Wilaya of Relizane massacres of December 30, 1997, 400 people are killed from four villages.
- 2000 - Rizal Day Bombings: A series of bombs explode in various places in Metro Manila, Philippines within a span of a few hours, killing 22 and injuring about a hundred.
- 2004 - A fire in the República Cromagnon nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina, kills 194.

Births


- 39 - Roman Emperor Titus (d. 81)
- 1552 - Simon Forman, English occultist and astrologer (d. 1611)
- 1642 - Vicenzo da Filicaja, Italian poet (d. 1707)
- 1673 - Ahmed III, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1736)
- 1678 - William Croft, English composer (d. 1727)
- 1722 - Charles Yorke, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (d. 1770)
- 1724 - Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée, French painter (d. 1805)
- 1819 - Theodor Fontane, German writer (d. 1898)
- 1838 - Émile Loubet, 7th President of France (b.1929)
- 1865 - Rudyard Kipling, British writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1936)
- 1869 - Stephen Butler Leacock, was a British-Canadian writer and economist.
- 1873 - Al Smith, American politician (d. 1944)
- 1884 - Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1948)
- 1897 - Alfredo Bracchi, Italian author (d. 1976)
- 1899 - Helge Ingstad, Norwegian explorer (d. 2001)
- 1904 - Dmitri Kabalevsky, Russian composer (d. 1987)
- 1906 - Carol Reed, English film director (d. 1976)
- 1910 - Paul Bowles, American composer and author (d. 1999)
- 1911 - Jeanette Nolan, American actress
- 1914 - Bert Parks, American television host (d. 1992)
- 1917 - Seymour Melman, American industrial engineer (d. 2004)
- 1920 - Jack Lord, American actor (d. 1998)
- 1928 - Bo Diddley, American singer and musician
- 1931 - Skeeter Davis, American singer (d. 2004)
- 1934 - John Norris Bahcall, American physicist (d. 2005)
- 1934 - Joseph Bologna, American actor
- 1934 - Joseph P. Hoar, U.S. general
- 1934 - Del Shannon, American singer (d. 1990)
- 1934 - Russ Tamblyn, American actor, dancer, and singer
- 1935 - Omar Bongo, President of Gabon
- 1935 - Sandy Koufax, baseball player
- 1937 - Gordon Banks, British footballer
- 1937 - John Hartford, American musician (d. 2001)
- 1937 - Jim Marshall, American football player
- 1937 - Paul Stookey, American singer
- 1941 - Mel Renfro, American football player
- 1942 - Vladimir Bukovsky, Russian author and dissident
- 1942 - Michael Nesmith, American singer and musician (The Monkees)
- 1942 - Fred Ward, American actor
- 1945 - Davy Jones, American singer (The Monkees)
- 1946 - Patti Smith, American singer
- 1947 - Michael Burns, Ph.D., American actor and history professor
- 1947 - Jeff Lynne, English singer and musician (ELO)
- 1952 - June Anderson, American soprano
- 1956 - Suzy Bogguss, American singer
- 1957 - Matt Lauer, American newscaster
- 1959 - Tracey Ullman, English actress and singer
- 1961 - Douglas Coupland, Canadian author
- 1961 - Sean Hannity, American talk radio host and conservative political commentator
- 1961 - Ben Johnson, Canadian athlete
- 1963 - Chandler Burr, American author
- 1963 - Michelle Douglas, Canadian human rights activist
- 1965 - Zoe Kelli Simon, American actress
- 1969 - Dave England, American television personality
- 1969 - Jay Kay, English musician and singer (Jamiroquai)
- 1972 - Kerry Collins, American football player
- 1973 - Jason Behr, American actor
- 1973 - Ato Boldon, West Indian athlete
- 1975 - Tiger Woods, American golfer
- 1976 - Meredith Monroe, American actress
- 1978 - Tyrese, American singer
- 1980 - Eliza Dushku, American actress
- 1982 - Kristin Kreuk, Canadian actress
- 1984 - LeBron James, American basketball player
- 1985 - Alexa Ray Joel, daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley
- 1989 - Ryan Sheckler, Professional skateboarder

Deaths


- 1218 - Richard de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford, English politician (b. 1162)
- 1460 - Richard, Duke of York, claimant to the English throne (killed in battle) (b. 1411)
- 1525 - Jacob Fugger, German banker (b. 1459)
- 1572 - Galeazzo Alessi, Italian architect (b. 1512)
- 1573 - Giovanni Battista Giraldi, Italian writer (b. 1504)
- 1591 - Pope Innocent IX (b. 1519)
- 1640 - John Regis, French saint (b. 1597)
- 1644 - Jan Baptist van Helmont, Flemish chemist (b. 1577)
- 1662 - Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Austria (b. 1628)
- 1691 - Robert Boyle, Irish scientist (b. 1627)
- 1769 - Nicholas Taaffe, 6th Viscount Taaffe, Austrian soldier (b. 1685)
- 1803 - Francis Lewis, signer of the American Declaration of Independence (b. 1713)
- 1896 - José Rizal, national hero of the Philippines (b. 1861)
- 1941 - El Lissitzky, Russian artist and architect (b. 1890)
- 1944 - Romain Rolland, French writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1866)
- 1954 - Eugen, Archduke of Austria, Austrian field marshal (b. 1863)
- 1967 - Vincent Massey, Governor-General of Canada (b. 1887)
- 1968 - Trygve Lie, first United Nations Secretary General (b. 1896)
- 1970 - Sonny Liston, American boxer (b. 1932)
- 1971 - Melba Rae, American actress (b. 1922)
- 1979 - Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
- 1986 - Era Bell Thompson, American journalist (b. 1905)
- 1988 - Yuli Daniel, Russian writer (b. 1925)
- 1995 - Doris Grau, American actress (b. 1924)
- 1996 - Lew Ayres, American actor (b. 1908)
- 2001 - Eileen Heckart, American actress (b. 1919)
- 2002 - Mary Wesley, English novelist (b. 1912)
- 2003 - David Bale, South African-born activist (cancer) (b. 1941)
- 2003 - John Gregory Dunne, American writer (b. 1932)
- 2003 - Anita Mui, Hong Kong singer and actress (b. 1963)
- 2004 - Artie Shaw, American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1910)

Holidays and observances


- The fifth day of Christmas in Western Christianity.
- Philippines - Rizal Day
- Guided By Voices Day in Chicago, Illinois.

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/30 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.tnl.net/when/12/30 Today in History: December 30] ---- December 29 - December 31 - November 30 - January 30 -- listing of all days ko:12월 30일 ms:30 Disember ja:12月30日 simple:December 30 th:30 ธันวาคม

Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Lebanon is a city located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 24,461. It is the county seat of Lebanon County. Lebanon is located in eastern Pennsylvania in the Lebanon valley, 26 miles (42 km) east of Harrisburg. It was first settled in 1720.The town was laid out in 1753, incorporated in 1820, and received a city charter in 1885. It adopted the commission form of government, consisting of four councilmen and a mayor. In 1900, 17,628 people lived in Lebanon; in 1910, 19,240 people lived there; in 1920, 24,643 people lived there; and in 1940, 27,206 people lived in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Lebanon bologna was first made here. Lebanon was formerly home to a major steel mill, Bethlehem Steel. "The home office in Lebanon, Pennsylvania" was also the original fictional source of David Letterman's Top Ten Lists. Lebanon is also mentioned in the short story "The Red-Headed League" in the series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle: "TO THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE: On account of the bequest of the late Ezekiah Hopkins, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U. S. A., there is now another vacancy open which entitles a member of the League to a salary of 4 pounds a week for purely nominal services. . ."

Geography

Lebanon is located at 40°20'30" North, 76°25'15" West (40.341529, -76.420853). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.9 km² (4.2 mi²). 10.9 km² (4.2 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 24,461 people, 10,266 households, and 6,056 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,254.0/km² (5,844.8/mi²). There are 11,220 housing units at an average density of 1,033.9/km² (2,681.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 85.50% White, 3.23% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 8.11% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. 16.43% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 10,266 households out of which 28.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% are married couples living together, 15.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% are non-families. 35.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 3.00. In the city the population is spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.8 males. The median income for a household in the city is $27,259, and the median income for a family is $34,045. Males have a median income of $26,957 versus $20,162 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,584. 16.2% of the population and 12.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

[http://www.lebanonpa.org/lebanoncity/cwp/view.asp?a=3&Q=504395&PM=1&lebanoncityNav=|29917| City of Lebanon] [http://www.lvchamber.org/ Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce] Category:Cities in Pennsylvania Category:Lebanon County, Pennsylvania

Quarterback

The quarterback is a position in the offensive backfield of American and Canadian football, directly behind players of the "line". He is generally the leader of the offensive team when it is on the field, responsible for initiating play by receiving the snap of the ball from the center. After snapping the ball, the quarterback typically attempts to pass the ball or hand it to another player, or attempt to advance it himself. If the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage, it is known as a sack. That description covers the so-called "T" quarterback, meaning the quarterback in the T and formations derived from it. This is far and away the most common usage; however, not all formations have a quarterback, and that in those that do, the quarterback is not necessarily positioned to take snaps. The term quarterback has its origin in Scottish rugby, wherein backfield players, according to their customary distance behind the forwards, were designated "quarter back" (i.e. 1/4 of the way back), "half back", and "full back". Eventually in rugby the English-Irish nomenclature prevailed, with halfback, three-quarters back, and fullback; in some places the term "five-eighths back" is used as well.

Changing roles

Traditionally the quarterback called the team's offensive plays while on the field, based on the flow of the game and a reading of the defense. The "plays" are pre-arranged and practiced plans the team will use to try to move the ball downfield. The play itself is given to the other offensive players in the huddle before the offensive team lines up for the "snap," which is the start of the offensive team's attempt to move the ball past the defense. In recent years, with the rising importance of offensive coordinators and their reliance on scripted game plans and the use of headsets, the quarterback now usually receives which play to call from the coach on the sidelines. Though quarterbacks occasionally change the play at the line of scrimmage, after viewing the defensive alignment, quarterbacks who routinely call their own plays have become rare, with Peyton Manning a notable exception (Manning's 2004 single-season passer rating of 121.1, a record, may have earned him that right). If time is running out in a game and the team with the ball needs to score quickly, the quarterback will usually lead his team on a hurry-up offense, and will often call his own plays because there is no time for a huddle or to receive a play from a coach on the sidelines. The quarterback also often gets to choose the "count" of the cadence for the snap. The quarterback usually calls out the signal for the ball to be snapped and may optionally change the play at the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped by shouting out additional signals to the other players on his team. This is known as calling an audible. A typical cadence might be something like, "Down, Set, Hut", where the ball is snapped on "Hut". If an audible were to be called, it would be shouted somewhere between "Down" and "Hut". A common way to call an audible is to call out a color and number. One color is designated by the offense to signal a true audible, and the number tells which play will be run. An example is "Blue, 42". If blue were the designated color, play number 42 would be run. If blue were not the designated color, no audible would be made and the play called in the huddle would be run. For strategy, the ball may be snapped on "Set" or after multiple shouts of "Hut" to catch the defensive team off guard. This is what is meant by the count of the cadence, or the "snap count". The quarterback may also use a hard count, where one word is yelled more loudly than the others. For example, it could be "down" "SET" "hut", "hut" being when the ball is actually snapped. The goal of this tactic is to try to draw the defensive linemen offsides. In the modern game, quarterbacks are typically evaluated on their passing statistics, including total yardage, completion ratio, touchdowns, and the ability to avoid interceptions. Up through the 1990s, most of the prominent NFL quarterbacks were "drop back passers", who typically took between five and seven steps behind the line of scrimmage immediately after snapping the ball to look for an open passing receiver down field. In a more intangible sense, however, quarterbacks are evaluated on their ability to lead a team to victory, especially in close games (such as Tom Brady, who has set up winning field goal drives twice in the Super Bowl). A quarterback who possesses the ability to dictate the flow of the game as a whole and to score points in critical situations is ultimately considered more valuable than one with good statistics who cannot lead his team to victory over time. In recent years in the NFL, partially in response to more mobile defensive linemen and increased use of the "blitz" defense, there has been a resurgence in the importance of the "running quarterback", whose mobility, speed,and power allows him the opportunity to gain yardage by running around the outside of the defensive line, even after initially dropping back to pass. For example, in the 2004-2005 season Michael Vick rushed for 902 yards and 3 touchdowns, while only passing for 2313 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Although the emphasis of quarterback's performance is still on his passing abilities, such running ability provides an additional threat that allows greater flexibility in the team's passing game. One of the first famous NFL quarterbacks ever to be known as a threat for both his passing and his running ability was Fran Tarkenton, who played in the NFL during the 1960's and 1970's. :See :Category:American football quarterbacks for notable individuals.

External links


- [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/b_duane_cross/08/11/sub.sub.qb/index.html Sports Illustrated's 10 Best Journeymen] Category:American football positions

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are a National Football League team based in Oakland, California. The team was founded in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger. :Founded: 1960 :Formerly known as: Los Angeles Raiders (1982-1994) :Home field: McAfee Coliseum (1966-1981, 1995-present) :Previous home fields: ::Kezar Stadium (1960) ::Candlestick Park (1961) ::Frank Youell Field (1962-1965) ::California Memorial Stadium (one game, 1972) ::Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1982-1994) :Uniform colors: 1960-1962: Black, Gold and White, 1963-Present: Silver and Black :Helmet design: Silver with a black shield with crossed swords and image of a Raider. Legally, the team is a limited partnership operated by Al Davis, who serves as President of the team's general partner, A.D. Football, Inc.

Franchise history

Image:AFLRedraw80high.jpg The Oakland Raiders became a charter member of the American Football League after the city of Oakland was awarded a franchise on January 30, 1960. The Raiders were the new league's eighth franchise, replacing the Minnesota representatives, who forfeited their AFL franchise upon receiving an expansion franchise (which was then named the Minnesota Vikings) in the established National Football League. At the time, Oakland seemed an unlikely venue for a professional football franchise. The city had not asked for a team, there was no ownership group formed, there was no stadium in Oakland suitable for pro football (the closest stadiums were in Berkeley and San Francisco) and there was already a successful NFL franchise across San Francisco Bay in the San Francisco 49ers. However, the AFL owners selected Oakland after Los Angeles Chargers owner Barron Hilton threatened to forfeit his franchise unless a second team were placed on the West Coast. Hilton also refused to endorse a bid from the city of Atlanta. Upon receiving the franchise, Oakland civic leaders found a number of businesspeople willing to invest in the new team. A limited partnership was formed to own the team, which included general partners Harvey Binns, Don Blessing, Charles Harney, Ed McGah, Robert Osborne, and Wayne Valley, headed by managing general partner Chet Soda, a local real estate devloper, as well as numerous limited partners. A "name the team" contest was held by a local newspaper, and the winner was the Oakland Señors (After a few weeks of being the butt of local jokes, the owners changed the team's name to "Raiders," which had finished third in the contest). The original team colors were black, gold and white. The now-familar team emblem of a pirate (or "raider") wearing a football hemet was created, reportedly a rendition of actor Randolph Scott. When the University of California refused to let the Raiders play home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, they chose Kezar Stadium in San Francisco as their home field. The team's first regular season home game was played on September 11, 1960, a 37-22 loss to the Houston Oilers. The Raiders finished their first campaign with a 6-8 record, and lost $500,000. Soda dropped out as a partner of the franchise On January 17, 1961, Ed McGah, Wayne Valley and Robert Osborne bought out their partners in the ownership of the Raiders. That year the Raiders moved to Candlestick Park and finished 2-12. Total attendance for the season was about 50,000. Valley threatened to move the Raiders elsewhere unless a stadium was built in Oakland. In 1962 the Raiders moved into 18,000-seat Frank Youell Field (later expanded to 22,000 seats), their first home in Oakland. It was a temporary home for the team while the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum was being built. The Raiders finished 1-13 in 1962, losing their first 13 games before winning the season finale, and attendance remained low. After the 1962 season, Valley hired Al Davis, a former assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers, as head coach and general manager. At 33, Davis was the youngest person in professional football history to hold the positions. Davis changed the team colors to silver and black, primarily because those colors stood out in an era when most people watched football games on black-and-white television sets. Under Davis the Raiders improved to 10-4, and he was named the AFL's Coach of the Year. In 1966, Davis left the Raiders and became Commissioner of the AFL. Four years later, the club captured the 1967 AFL Championship. With John Rauch as head coach, the Raiders won the 1967 AFL Championship, defeating the Houston Oilers 40-7. The win earned the team a trip to Super Bowl II, where they were beaten 33-14 by Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers. In 1969, John Madden became the team's sixth head coach, and during the 1970s his Raiders' became one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. In 1970, the AFL-NFL merger took place and the Raiders joined the West Division of the American Football Conference in the newly merged National Football League. The merger left Davis embittered. He envisioned a professional football landscape not unlike that of Major League Baseball, with two independent leagues sharing a common draft and playing a championship game at the end of the season. He felt betrayed by the AFL owners, who jumped at the chance to extinguish the newer league so they could receive NFL franchises. He resented the fact that a "football man," like himself, was subject to the whim of owners whose expertise was far outside the realm of the game. Davis' goal, therefore, was to become an owner himself. With the merger, the position of AFL Commissioner was no longer needed, and Davis entered into discussions with Valley about returning to the Raiders. Davis returned as part owner of the team, and as the team's third general partner; the partner in charge of football operations. In 1972, with Valley out of the country for several weeks attending the Olympic Games in Munich, Davis' attorneys drafted a revised partnership agreement that gave Davis total control over all of the Raiders' operations. McGah signed the agreement. Under partnership law, by a 2-1 vote of the general partners, the new agreement was thus ratified. Valley was furious when he discovered this, and immediately filed suit to have the new agreement overturned. The courts sided with Davis and McGah. As a result, Valley sold his interest in the team, and Davis---though owning but a small portion of the team---was firmly in charge. Madden left the Raiders (and coaching) in 1979 to pursue a career as a television football commentator. Madden's replacement, former Raiders quarterback Tom Flores, guided the team to a win in Super Bowl XV. In 1982, the Raiders moved to Los Angeles, California to play their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Los Angeles Raiders won Super Bowl XVIII the following year. In 1987, the Raiders drafted dual-sport athlete Bo Jackson after he originally decided to not play professional football in 1986 (when drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round). Davis's perceived infatuation with Jackson caused a major rift between Davis and star running back Marcus Allen, who eventually left to play for the Kansas City Chiefs. During the 1989 season, Davis fired head coach Mike Shanahan and replaced him with former Raider lineman Art Shell. Shell was the first African-American head coach of the modern NFL era. Shell led the Raiders to the AFC Championship game in the 1990 season, where they lost a lopsided affair to the Buffalo Bills, 51-3. The team's fortunes faded after the loss. They made two other playoff appearances during the 1990s, and finished higher than 3rd place only three times. This period was marked by the career-ending injury of Bo Jackson in 1990, the failure of troubled quarterback Todd Marinovich, the departure of Marcus Allen in 1993 and the retirement of Hall of Fame defender Howie Long after the 1993 season. On June 23, 1995, Al Davis signed a letter of intent to move the Raiders back to Oakland. The move was greeted with much public fanfare, and the 1995 season started off well for the team. They started 8-2, but injuries to starting quarterback Jeff Hostetler contributed to a six-game losing streak to end the season, and the Raiders failed to qualify for the playoffs. In 1998, Al Davis strayed away from his habit of hiring a head coach from the team's ranks for only the second time in franchise history when he hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Jon Gruden, a young assistant who first worked for the 49ers under head coach Bill Walsh. Under Gruden, the Raiders started to play with a sense of discipline that had been lacking in previous years. The 2000 season, the team's 3rd under Gruden, was the team's most successful in a decade. Led by veteran quarterback Rich Gannon, the team finished 12-4 and advanced to the AFC Championship, losing 16-3 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. The Raiders acquired all-time leading receiver Jerry Rice prior to the 2001 season. They finished 10-6, but lost their divisional playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the controversial "Tuck Game." The game was played in a heavy snow storm, in which an apparent fumble by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was recovered Charles Woodson. The play was reviewed and determined to be an incomplete pass. Shortly after the 2001 season, The Raiders made an unusual move that involved trading Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for cash and future draft picks. Bill Callahan, former offensive coordinator and offensive line coach of the Raiders during Gruden's tenure, was named head coach. The sudden move came after months of speculation in the media that Al Davis and Gruden had fallen out with each other both personally and on a business level. The Raiders finished the 2002 season with an 11-5 record and clinched the top seed in the playoffs. Gannon was named MVP of the NFL, and the Raiders made their fifth Super Bowl appearance following the season. They lost Super Bowl XXXVII to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, now coached by Gruden. The Raiders finished the 2003 season, their second year under Callahan, with a record of 4-12 (tied with three other teams for the worst record in the NFL). It was the worst record ever for a team that had played in the Super Bowl the previous season. At a post-game press conference during the season, Callahan berated both his players and the media for the team's poor performance [http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031130_DEN@OAK]. At the end of the 2003 regular season Callahan was fired and replaced by Norv Turner. The nickname Raider Nation refers to the die hard fans of the team. Members of the Raider Nation are known for arriving to the stadium early, tailgating, dressing up in face masks, and black outfits. The Raider Nation is also known for the its "blackhole", a specific section of the McAfee Coliseum (Sections 103, 104, and 105) frequented by the rowdiest and most fervent fans. The teams's fortunes did not improve in Turner's first year. They finished the 2004-2005 season with a 5-11 record, the team's second consecutive losing campaign. In early 2005 the Raiders acquired Pro Bowl wide receiver Randy Moss via a trade with the Minnesota Vikings [http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/OAK/8245462]. The team will begin the 2005 season without longtime starting quarterback Gannon, who retired due to a neck injury suffered during the 2004 season [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/football/nfl/08/06/bc.fbn.raiders.gannonre.ap/index.html].

Legal battles

The Raiders have been involved in several lawsuits with the cities of Los Angeles and Oakland, as well as with the NFL.
- When the NFL first declined to approve the Raiders' move from Oakland to Los Angeles back in 1980, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum successfully sued the league for violating antitrust laws.
- They were the only team that was not a defendant in the USFL's ultimately unsuccessful antitrust suit against the NFL; Davis was a witness for the USFL in that action.
- The Raiders sued the city of Los Angeles over the fact that the city backed out of a stadium deal for the team.
- After relocating back to Oakland, they sued the NFL for interfering with the team's negotiations to build a new stadium at Hollywood Park prior to the move. The lawsuit further contended that the Raiders had the rights to put an NFL team in Los Angeles, and thus were entitled to compensation from the league for giving up those rights by moving to Oakland.
- They sued the city of Oakland and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority over Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs). When the team moved back from Los Angeles, the Raiders agreed to sell PSLs to help pay for the renovations to their stadium. But after games rarely sold out, the Raiders filed lawsuits, claiming that it was misled by the city and the Coliseum Authority with the false promise that their would be sellouts. On November 2, 2005, a settlement was announced and that they will discontinue PSLs as of the end of the 2005 season. [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/11/03/MNGU4FIB741.DTL]

Season-by-season

|- | colspan="6" align="center" | Oakland Raiders (AFL) |- |1960 || 6 || 8 || 0 || 3rd West (AFL) || -- |- |1961 || 2 || 12 || 0 || 4th West (AFL) || -- |- |1962 || 1 || 13 || 0 || 4th West (AFL) || -- |- |1963 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 2nd West (AFL) || -- |- |1964 || 5 || 7 || 2 || 3rd West (AFL) || -- |- |1965 || 8 || 5 || 1 || 2nd West (AFL) || -- |- |1966 || 8 || 5 || 1 || 2nd West (AFL) || -- |- |1967 || 13 || 1 || 0 || 1st West (AFL) || Lost Super Bowl II (Packers) |- |1968 || 12 || 2 || 0 || 1st West (AFL) || Lost AFL Championship (Jets) |- |1969 || 12 || 1 || 1 || 1st West (AFL) || Lost AFL Championship (Chiefs) |- | colspan="6" align="center" | Merged into NFL |- |1970 || 8 || 4 || 2 || 1st AFC West || Lost AFC Championship (Colts) |- |1971 || 8 || 4 || 2 || 2nd AFC West || -- |- |1972 || 10 || 3 || 1 || 1st AFC West || Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) |- |1973 || 9 || 4 || 1 || 1st AFC West || Lost AFC Championship (Dolphins) |- |1974 || 12 || 2 || 0 || 1st AFC West || Lost AFC Championship (Steelers) |- |1975 || 11 || 3 || 0 || 1st AFC West || Lost AFC Championship (Steelers) |- |1976 || 13 || 1 || 0 || 1st AFC West || Won Super Bowl XI (Vikings) |- |1977 || 11 || 3 || 0 || 2nd AFC West || Lost AFC Championship (Broncos) |- |1978 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 4th AFC West || -- |- |1979 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd AFC West || -- |- |1980 || 11 || 5 || 0 || 1st AFC West || Won Super Bowl XV (Eagles) |- |1981 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 4th AFC West || -- |- | colspan="6" align="center" | Los Angeles Raiders |- |1982 || 8 || 1 || 0 || 1st AFC Conf. || Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jets) |- |1983 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st AFC West || Won Super Bowl XVIII (Redskins) |- |1984 || 11 || 5 || 0 || 3rd AFC West || Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Seahawks) |- |1985 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st AFC West || Lost Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) |- |1986 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 4th AFC West || -- |- |1987 || 5 || 10 || 0 || 4th AFC West || -- |- |1988 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 3rd AFC West || -- |- |1989 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 3rd AFC West || -- |- |1990 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st AFC West || Lost AFC Championship (Bills) |- |1991 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd AFC West || Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Chiefs) |- |1992 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 4th AFC West || -- |- |1993 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 2nd AFC West || Lost Divisional Playoffs (Bills) |- |1994 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 2nd AFC West || -- |- | colspan="6" align="center" | Oakland Raiders |- |1995 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 4th AFC West || -- |- |1996 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 4th AFC West || -- |- |1997 || 4 || 12 || 0 || 4th AFC West || -- |- |1998 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 2nd AFC West || -- |- |1999 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 4th AFC West || -- |- |2000 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st AFC West || Lost AFC Championship (Ravens) |- |2001 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 1st AFC West || Lost Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) |- |2002 || 11 || 5 || 0 || 1st AFC West || Lost Super Bowl XXXVII (Buccaneers) |- |2003 || 4 || 12 || 0 || 3rd AFC West || -- |- |2004 || 5 || 11 || 0 || 4th AFC West || -- |- |
- 2005 || 4 || 9 || 0 || 4th AFC West || --
- =Current Standing

Players of note

Current roster

Pro Football Hall of Famers


- Marcus Allen (2003) - 1982-1992
- Fred Biletnikoff (1988) - 1965-1978
- George Blanda (1981) - 1967-1975
- Bob Brown (2004) - 1971-1973
- Willie Brown (1984) - 1967-1978
- Dave Casper (2002) - 1974-1980, 1984
- Al Davis (1992) - 1963-1965, 1966-Present
- Eric Dickerson (1999) - 1992
- Mike Flynn (1999) - 1980-1995
- Mike Haynes (1997) - 1983-1989
- Ted Hendricks (1990) - 1975-1983
- James Lofton (2003) - 1987-1988
- Howie Long (2000) - 1981-1993
- Ronnie Lott (2000) - 1991-1992
- Ron Mix (1979) - 1971
- Jim Otto (1980) - 1960-1974
- Art Shell (1989) - 1968-1982
- Gene Upshaw (1987) - 1967-1981

Retired numbers

None. The Raider organization does not retire the jersey numbers of former players. However, the number 00 of Jim Otto, the number 3 of Daryle Lamonica, the number 12 of Ken Stabler and the number 83 worn by both Ben Davidson and Ted Hendricks are not currently worn by any current Raider players.

Not to be forgotten


- Lyle Alzado
- Cliff Branch
- Tim Brown
- Billy Cannon
- Todd Christensen
- Clem Daniels
- Dave Dalby
- Tom Flores
- Dave Grayson
- Ray Guy
- Wayne Hawkins
- Lester Hayes
- Bo Jackson
- Sean Jones
- Daryle Lamonica
- John Madden
- John Matuszak
- Art Powell
- Jim Plunkett
- Jerry Rice
- Otis Sistrunk
- Ken Stabler
- Jack Tatum
- Mark van Eeghen
- Phil Villapiano
- Warren Wells
- Rod Woodson
- Terry McDaniel
- Willie Gault
- Napoleon Kaufman
- Charlie Garner
- Steve Wisniewski
- Don Mosebar
- Max Montoya
- Greg Townsend
- Eric Allen
- Rich Gannon
- Eric Turner

Head coaches


- Eddie Erdelatz (1960-61)
- Marty Feldman (1961-62)
- Red Conkright (1962)
- Al Davis (1963-65)
- John Rauch (1966-68)
- John Madden (1969-78)
- Tom Flores (1979-87)
- Mike Shanahan (1988-89)
- Art Shell (1989-94)
- Mike White (1995-96)
- Joe Bugel (1997)
- Jon Gruden (1998-2001)
- Bill Callahan (2002-2003)
- Norv Turner (2004-present)

See also


- Immaculate Reception
- Other American Football League players
- Holy Roller
- Heidi Game
- Sea of Hands

External links


- [http://www.Raiders.com Oakland Raiders web site]
- [http://www.conigliofamily.com/Raiders.htm Oakland Raiders page on the American Football League Website] Category:National Football League teams Category:American Football League Category:Oakland sports Category:Los Angeles sports ja:オークランド・レイダーズ

Penn State University

The Pennsylvania State University

Image:PennStateSeal.gif

The Pennsylvania State University (commonly known as Penn State) is a state-related land-grant university based in State College, Pennsylvania (the university uses a "University Park, Pennsylvania" to differentiate University addresses from those in town), with over 80,000 students at 24 campuses throughout the state. Founded in 1855 as an agricultural school, the university became a land grant college in 1863 and now offers over 160 majors and boasts a $1.2 billion (USD) endowment, placing it among the top ten public universities in the United States. The university joined the Big Ten Conference in 1990 (1993 for football).

History

Graham Spanier Penn State was founded in February 22, 1855 by act P.L.46, No.50 of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania. Centre County became the home of the new school when James Irvin of Bellefonte donated 200 acres (809,000 m²) of land. In 1862, the school's name was changed to The Agricultural College of Pennsylvania, and with the passage of the Morrill Land-Grant Act, Pennsylvania selected the school in 1863 to be the state's sole land grant college. In the following years, enrollment fell as the school tried to balance purely agricultural studies with a more classic education, falling to 64 undergraduates in 1875, a year after the school's name changed once again to The Pennsylvania State College. George W. Atherton became president of the school in 1882, and began working to broaden the school's curriculum. Shortly after he introduced engineering studies, Penn State became one of the ten largest engineering schools in the nation. Atherton also expanded the liberal arts and agriculture programs, and as a result, was rewarded with regular appropriations from the state beginning in 1887. For this, Atherton is widely credited of saving Penn State from bankruptcy, and is still honored today by the name of a major road in State College and its suburbs, Atherton Street. Contrary to popular belief, Atherton Hall is not named after President Atherton but Frances Atherton. Atherton's grave rests near Old Main, the University Park campus's central administration building, and is marked by an engraved marble block resting in front of his statue. In the years that followed, Penn State grew significantly, becoming the state's largest source of baccalaureate degrees and reaching an enrollment of 5,000 in 1936. Around this time, Commonwealth campuses were started by President Ralph Hetzel to give an alternative to Depression-era students who were economically unable to leave home to attend college. In 1953, President Milton Eisenhower changed the school's name to The Pennsylvania State University, and under his successor, Dr. Eric Walker, the university developed rapidly. Under his leadership, which lasted from 1956-1970, the university added hundreds of acres of surrounding land, and nearly tripled enrollment to 40,000. Additionally, in 1967, the Hershey Medical Center, a college of medicine and hospital, was established with a $50 million gift from the Hershey Trust. In the 1970s, The Pennsylvania State University became a state-related institution. As such, it belongs to the Commonwealth System of Higher Education. In recent years, Penn State's role as a leader in education in Pennsylvania has become well-defined. In 1989, the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport joined ranks with the University, and in 1997, so did the Dickinson School of Law. Currently, the university is the largest in Pennsylvania, and in 2003, it was credited with having the largest impact on the state economy of any organization, generating over $6 billion for the state on a budget of $2.5 billion. Even so, limited growth in state appropriations to the university have turned the school into the least funded state school in the Big Ten on a per student basis. To make up the difference, the university has turned to philanthropy, with 2003 marking the end of the Grand Destiny campaign – a 7-year effort which raised over $1.3 billion for the University. In 2004, Penn State started celebrating its 150th anniversary, since 2005 marks the University's sesquicentennial.

Campuses and colleges

sesquicentennial

University Park

The flagship of Penn State's 24 campuses, University Park, is found next to State College, just east of the geographic center of the state. With an acceptance rate of 58%, it is the most selective campus in the Penn State system. Approximately 42,000 undergraduate students and 6000 graduate students study at University Park. Slightly more than half the students are male, and approximately 35% are from outside of Pennsylvania. About 5000 students, or 12% of the total student population, are of minority ethnicity, and another 3000 are international students.

Commonwealth campuses

Penn State operates 19 Commonwealth Campuses throughout the state, where over 60% of Penn State first-year students begin their education. Some of the larger campuses offer degree programs, while others only offer introductory courses.

Associated institutions

[http://www.gv.psu.edu/ Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies] is a special mission campus offering master's degrees, master's certification, and continuing professional education.

Academics

Commonwealth Campuses Penn State is a research university, known for its breadth of programs in engineering, architecture, economics, business, and the sciences. The Smeal College of Business is AACSB accredited in business and is one of only four Pennsylvania schools to be AACSB accredited in accounting. In 2003 the university devoted $545 million to research, ranking it 12th in the nation , and its researchers received nearly $400 million in outside grants toward their projects. Over 10,000 students are enrolled in the university's graduate school, and over 70,000 degrees have been awarded since the school was founded in 1922 . Penn State is known for its Geography (#1 graduate program - National Research Council, 2001), Meteorology, and Geosciences programs, in the College of Earth & Mineral Sciences. The student to faculty ratio at Penn State campuses is 16:1. When the medical school, college of technology, and law school are included, the ratio is 15:1. 80% of first-year classes have 50 or fewer students, and classes are even smaller for upperclassmen and for all students at other campuses. The Penn State University Libraries are ranked twelfth among research libraries in North America. The university library system began with a modest 1500 book library in Old Main, which has grown to its current 4.8 million volumes, in addition to nearly 500,000 maps, over 5 million microforms, and nearly 160,000 films and videos.

Alumni

Penn State has more than 460,000 living alumni that are located in all 50 states and many countries around the world. The university also has the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world with over 156,100 members.

U.S. News rankings

According to U.S. News Best Colleges 2006 , Penn State nationally ranks :
- 48th among national universities doctoral
- 14th among public national universities
- 18th among undergraduate engineering programs
  - 4th in industrial/manufacturing, 7th in nuclear, 11th in mechanical, 7th in materials, 24th in electrical, 15th in civil, 17th in chemical, 10th in agricultural, and 12th in aerospace
- 18th among undergraduate business programs
  - 4th in supply chain management/logistics, 14th in finance, 9th in management, 16th in marketing, and 12th in production/operations management According to U.S. News Best Graduate Schools 2006, Penn State ranks
- 37th among graduate business schools
  - 8th in supply chain management/logistics
- 19th among graduate engineering programs
  - 3rd in industrial/manufacturing,, 7th in petroleum, 7th in nuclear, 8th in materials, 13th in aerospace, 17th in environmental, 18th in electrical, 19th in chemical, 20th in civil, 21st in computer, and 27th in biomedical/bioengineering
- 34th among schools of education
  - 3rd in higher education administration, 4th in vocational/technical education, and 6th in counseling/personnel services
- 90th among law schools
- 28th in economics
- 26th in mathematics
- 7th in geology
- 27th in physics
- 18th in chemistry
- 45th in biological sciences
- 35th in computer science
- 35th in political science
- 36th in psychology
- 7th in criminology
- 17th in sociology
- 28th in English
- 51st in history
- 57th in public affairs
- 58th in nursing
- 61st in fine arts

Academic firsts

Penn State was the first university in the United States to :
- award baccalaureate and graduate degrees in agriculture (1861 and 1863)
- offer undergraduate study in American Literature (1897)
- offer an industrial engineering baccalaureate degree program (1909)
- offer a baccalaureate degree in fuel science (1932)
- operate a nuclear reactor capable of nuclear fission (1955)
- found a graduate program to help Native Americans develop leadership skills that will allow them to return to their communities as role models (1970)

Recognition

The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Public Universities, a book published by Greene's Guides, included Penn State among the Public Ivies, public universities that offer an academic experience of Ivy League or close caliber combined with affordably priced tuition. The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2006 gives Penn State - University Park an academic rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. The Washington Monthly ranks Penn State as the #6 national university in the country. Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities 2005 ranks Penn State - University Park as the #30 university in the U.S. and the #39 university in the world.

Distinguished Groups


- Student Alumni Corps
- Schreyer Honors College

Student life

Over seven hundred student organizations exist , as well as the largest Greek systems in the country. 11-13% of the Universty Park population is affiliated with a Greek organizaton. Most of the student organizations are headquartered at the Hetzel Union Building (HUB), which underwent significant renovations and enlargement beginning in 1997. It is also the home to LateNight Penn State, an endeavor designed to provide weekend entertainment in an alcohol-free environment. Every February, thousands of students participate in the Penn State Dance Marathon (Thon), the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Dancers dance for 48 hours straight, raising millions of dollars for pediatric cancer care and research, generally through the Four Diamonds Fund. This event has inspired many similar events at other universities throughout the country. The student run newspaper is The Daily Collegian. In addition to the traditional paper publication, The Collegian went online as The Digital Collegian, starting in summer of 1996. The university yearbook is named La Vie. The student run radio station is WKPS The LION 90.7 FM. In addition, WPSU-FM (radio) and WPSU-TV (television) originate their broadcasts from the Penn State campus. In 2005, the Penn State Blue Band was honored with the Sudler Trophy. The Trophy, which has been presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation since 1982, is regarded as the nation's highest accolade for collegiate bands. In 2003, the prestigious Joel Q. Grim Memorial Challenge was started. The contest is quickly becoming a nationally recognized event and is highly anticipated each year.

Athletics

Joel Q. Grim Memorial Challenge] Penn State's mascot is the Nittany Lion. The school's official colors were originally black and pink. However, these colors when used on the football team's uniforms would fade to dark blue and white and so the decision was made to permanently change the colors to the now familiar navy blue and white. It participates in the NCAA Division I-A and in the Big Ten Conference for most sports. In men's volleyball, Penn State participates in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA). The team's fight song is "Fight On State" and other notable songs played at athletic endeavors include the Alma Mater and "Nittany Lion". Penn State has a large football following and attracts tens of thousands of visitors to its campus, the area around which is also known as "Happy Valley," for tailgating and games on autumn Saturdays in Beaver Stadium. The stadium is the second largest in the country with a seating capacity of over 107,282. The largest crowd ever at Beaver Stadium was on September 14, 2002, as 110,753 watched the Nittany Lions defeat the University of Nebraska by a score of 40-7. Joe Paterno has been the head coach for the Nittany Lion football team since 1966. He has led Penn State to 353 victories, placing him second for all-time Division I-A wins, trailing only Bobby Bowden's 359. Penn State plays in two football "trophy games" with other members of the Big Ten. They are for the Governor's Victory Bell with the University of Minnesota and the season-ending Land Grant Trophy game versus Michigan State University. Penn State has many notable achievements in other sports. The school has a strong history in both men's and women's volleyball. In 1994, Penn State became the first team outside of the state of California to win a NCAA division I national championship in men's volleyball. Penn State's women's volleyball team has won 8 Big Ten championships in 14 years, including the 2003 & 2004 titles, and was the NCAA division I national champion in 1999. Penn State has been a powerhouse in fencing, winning 9 national championships in the sport since 1990. The school also is home to the nation's 2nd best indoor track, named the Horace Ashenfelter Indoor Facility. The men's and women's basketball teams play in the Bryce Jordan Center. Most of the other indoor teams play at Rec Hall, which was previously the long term home for the basketball teams as well. Additionally, the university operates two golf courses for the golf teams, students, faculty and the general public, known as the Penn State Golf Courses. Currently, ground has been broken for the construction of a new baseball stadium named Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. It will be host to both the university baseball team as well as the State College Spikes, a minor league baseball team. Construction of the new ballpark is expected to be complete in June 2006. The ballpark will be oriented to the east, offering views of Mount Nittany. The University also opened a new Penn State All-Sports Museum in February 2002. This two-level 10,000-square-foot museum is located adjacent to Beaver Stadium.
- List of National Championships Won by Penn State
- List of Big Ten Championships Won by Penn State

Notable people

References


- [http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/history/historyshort.html Short History of Penn State]
- [http://www.libraries.psu.edu/speccolls/psua/psgeneralhistory/bezillapshistory/index.htm An Illustrated History of Penn State]
- [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0112636.html 2003 University Endowment statistics]

Notes

# # # # # # # # # # # #

External links


- [http://www.psu.edu The Pennsylvania State University official website]
- [http://www.gopsusports.com Penn State athletics official website]
- [http://www.collegian.psu.edu The Digital Collegian]
- [http://www.psupress.org The Penn State Press]
- [http://www.thon.org Penn State Dance Marathon] Category:Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University Category:Space-grant universities Pennsylvania State University Category:Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Category:Commonwealth System of Higher Education

Maxwell Award

The Maxwell Football Club presents the Maxwell Award for the College Player of the Year. This award is presented in honor of Robert W. (Tiny) Maxwell, legendary college football player, official and sports columnist.

Previous winners

Numbers in parentheses next to schools indicate number of players from that school who have won. Category:American football trophies and awards Category:College football awards



Nittany Lions

The Nittany Lion is the mascot of the Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania in the United States. It refers to the mountain lions that once roamed nearby Mount Nittany. The mascot was the creation of Penn State senior H. D. "Joe" Mason in 1907. While on a 1904 trip to Princeton University, Mason had been embarrassed that Penn State did not have a similar mascot. Mason, of course, did not let that deter him...he fabricated the Nittany Lion on the spot and proclaimed that it would easily defeat even the Princeton Bengal tiger. Upon returning to campus, though, he set about making his invention a reality. In 1907, he wrote in the student publication The Lemon: "Every college the world over of any consequence has a college emblem of some kind—all but The Pennsylvania State College... Why not select for ours the king of beasts--the Lion!! Dignified, courageous, magnificent, the Lion allegorically represents all that our College Spirit should be, so why not 'the Nittany Mountain Lion?' Why cannot State have a kingly, all-conquering Lion as the eternal sentinel?" Mountain lions had roamed on nearby Mount Nittany until the 1880s, when they were eliminated. The origin of the name "Mount Nittany" is obscure, the most commonly accepted explanation being that it is derived of Native American words (loosely pronounced as "neet-a-nee") meaning either "single mountain" or "breaker of wind" (meaning a protective barrier against the elements). The name was readily accepted without a vote of the student body. In 1907, the first tangible lion symbols appeared with the placing of two alabaster African lion statues, left over from the Pennsylvania exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition, atop the columns at the main campus entrance on College and Allen streets. They were affectionately dubbed by the student body as "Pa" and "Ma." In the 1920s, a pair of stuffed mountain lions was placed in the Recreation Building to watch over athletic events. One of these original lions is now located in Pattee Library on the Penn State campus. About that same time, the tradition was established of having a student dressed in furry-lion outfits appear at football games. There is also a fight song played during football games entitled "Nittany Lion".

The Lion Shrine

During the 1930s, seeking a place to hold pep rallies and victory celebrations, students launched a campaign for a lion shrine. As its gift to the university, the Class of 1940 voted to give the sum of $5,430 to pay for the construction of such a shrine, which was to be constructed between the Recreation Building and Beaver Field, with the lion framed against a natural setting of trees, grass, and shrubs. The sculptor Heinze Warnecke was retained to carve the lion at the site from a thirteen-ton block of limestone. The sculpture was formally unveiled on October 24, 1942. The shrine has come to be one of the most visited and photographed sites on campus.

Guard the Lion Shrine

This is a Homecoming weekend tradition at Penn State, started in 1966 when Sue Paterno (wife of football coach Joe Paterno) and a friend covered the lion in orange latex-based paint as a way of stoking interest in that year's game against PSU rival Syracuse. While that paint washed off easily, a later dousing by actual Syracuse fans with oil-based paint proved much harder to remove. The shrine is guarded for the duration of Homecoming weekend, partly by Penn State's ROTC detachment, and partly by the Lion Ambassadors. The latter group brings food, music, games, and (starting in 2004) an event called "Last Guard Standing", attracting students from all over campus.

External links


- [http://www.libraries.psu.edu/speccolls/psua/psgeneralhistory/bezillapshistory/083sv028..htm The Pennsylvania State University site] on the lion shrine
- [http://www.gopsusports.com/Traditions/lionsong.cfm Lyrics for the song "Nittany Lion"] Category:Pennsylvania State University

Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl can refer to:
- The Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California.
- The annual American college football game played there.
- A cricket ground in Southampton, England, home of Hampshire County Cricket Club since 2001 and a one-day international venue.

New York Times

The New York Times is a newspaper published in New York City by Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr., and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. It is owned by The New York Times Company, which also publishes some 40 other newspapers including International Herald Tribune and The Boston Globe. The newspaper is nicknamed the "Gray Lady" and is often considered the newspaper of record in the United States.

History

United States The New York Times was founded on September 18, 1851 by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones. Raymond was also a founding director of the Associated Press in 1856. Adolph Ochs acquired the Times in 1896, and under his guidance the newspaper achieved an international scope, circulation, and reputation. In 1897 he coined the paper's slogan "All The News That's Fit To Print," widely interpreted as a jab at competing papers in New York (the New York World and the New York Journal American) that were known for yellow journalism. After relocating the paper's headquarters to a new tower on 42nd Street, the area was named Times Square in 1904. Nine years later, the Times opened an annex at 229 43rd Street, their current headquarters, later selling Times Tower in 1961. The Times was originally intended to publish every morning except on Sundays; however, during the Civil War the Times started publishing Sunday issues along with other major dailies. It won its first Pulitzer Prize for news reports and articles about World War I in 1918. In 1919 it made its first trans-atlantic delivery to London. The crossword began to appear in 1942 as a feature, and the paper bought the classical station WQXR in the same year. The fashion section started in 1946. The Times also started an international edition in 1946, but stopped publishing it in 1967 and joined with the owners of the New York Herald Tribune and The Washington Post to publish the International Herald Tribune in Paris. The Op-Ed section started appearing in 1970. More recently, in 1996 The New York Times went online, giving access to readers all over the world on the Web at [http://www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com]. A new headquarters for the newspaper, a skyscraper designed by Renzo Piano, is currently under construction at 41st Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan. In 1964, the paper was the defendant in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which established the actual malice legal test for libel.

Times today

Today The New York Times is probably the most prominent American daily newspaper, sometimes being referred to as America's "newspaper of record". It has traditionally printed full transcripts of major speeches and debates. The newspaper is currently owned by The New York Times Company, in which descendants of Ochs, principally the Sulzberger family, maintain a dominant role. The Times has won 90 Pulitzer Prizes – the most prestigious award for journalism in the US, presented each year by Columbia University – including a record 7 in 2002. In 1971 it broke the Pentagon Papers story, publishing leaked documents revealing that the U.S. government had been painting an unrealistically rosy picture of the progress of the Vietnam War. This led to New York Times Co. v. United States (1971), which declared the government's prior restraint of the classified documents was unconstitutional. In 1972, the Times exposed the Tuskegee experiment, in which African Americans suffering from syphilis were surreptitiously denied treatment over a period of decades. More recently, in 2004 the Times won a Pulitzer award for a series written by David Barstow and Lowell Bergman on employers and workplace safety issues. The Times has been going through a downsizing, for several years, laying off workers and cutting expenses [http://www.wnbc.com/money/4998266/detail.html], in common with a general trend among print newsmedia. The Times is based in New York City. It has 16 news bureaus in the New York region, 11 national news bureaus and 26 foreign news bureaus.[http://www.nytco.com/company-properties-times.html#nyt] For the year ending Dec. 26, 2004, the reported circulation data for The New York Times were: 1,124,700 Weekday[http://www.nytco.com/company-properties-times.html#nyt] and 1,669,700 Sunday[http://www.nytco.com/company-properties-times.html#nyt]. The newspaper continues to own classical WQXR (96.3 FM) and WQEW (1560 AM). The classical format was simulcast on both frequencies until the early 1990s, when the big-band and standards format of WNEW-AM (now WBBR) moved from 1130 AM to 1560. The AM station changed its call letters from WQXR to WQEW. By the beginning of the 21st century, The Times had begun leasing WQEW to ABC Radio for its Radio Disney format, which continues on 1560 AM to this day.
The New York Times is printed at the following sites: