Yes Tom, This Is Certainly Blog Worthy!

 If you met both Coach Groves and Tom Rapp, you may at first figure there can't be two people further apart in personality and presentation on Earth.  But that would be missing the alarming similarities they had.  No, Tom didn't annoy anyone in management or administration daily.  No, Tom never uttered expletives willy-nilly. No, Tom had no apparent aversion to Coach Paterno.  But both Coach Groves and Tom Rapp both had a knack for guiding young men (and women) toward becoming better people. Neither Tom or I knew Coach was guided by the thought that "College Athletics is for education and recreation, nothing more. Winning is important only because you learn more."  Not until far after our college years were over.

Tom just retired from coaching cross country at Mason High School in Ohio near Cincinnati.  He went out with a somewhat unexpected State Title in the large school division, the school's 5th title. That is with 4 runner up titles.  He has also coached 3 individual champions in his career.  Those stats don't even come close to eclipsing his greatest contributions to the physical, mental and spiritual growth of hundreds of his athletes.  Congratulations Tom.  I treasure every moment we had together during those years at PSU.

The Mountain Runs Are Long Gone

Someone brought up the mountain runs Coach Groves adored to me recently. We lamented that they are almost never done anymore. What they are missing... 

THE PRIMAL SEVEN RUN

The Best Running Advice I Ever Received

 I really never had any running talent at all.  Didn't even make it to Districts in my Junior year.  But something clicked that season that gave me enough of something to eventually walk on at Penn State and letter my first year of Cross Country.  And continue on for 3 more years on a team in the "Final Four".

I joined the York Road Runners Club and hung around some older runners just out of college.  The encouragement and knowledge gave me a bit of a surge.

But the real improvement came from one simple "trick" which was given to me by a member of the club.

Run twice a day! 

So I started running at 6:00am nearly every day, 3 miles on M/W/F and 5 miles on T/Th.  That made all the difference in the world.

 

Coach Groves Was Strict About Morning Runs

Maybe science has created a way around that!

The rule for distance runners was "out the door by 9:00am". 4 to 6 miles was encouraged. I once had Coach for a phys ed class in Fitness and Games. If I knocked on his window at Rec Hall, I could skip class that day. If it was before 9:00am.

Morning Run In A Pill 

There Has Been Four Generations of Restaurant Changes Since I was In State College

Extinct Eating Establishments in State College

It has been more than 30 years since college, and the average lifespan of restaurants is around 4 or 5 years.  So many have come and gone since the good ole days.

Some of my favorites are long gone:

• Wuv's - Where a Taco Bell now resides on College Avenue.  They had the first ever unpeeled fries and pretty good milkshakes. (Lets not talk about their Wuv Juice!)
• The Hot Dog Hut (or Weiner World?) Actually Weiner King- Located where Baby's is now.  They once had a 25 cent special which included a hot dog and knit cap (various styles) on a pre-meet Thursday.  We traveled back and forth from the locker room at Rec Hall with quarters to buy as many as possible.  Everybody had a selection of caps that year, which delighted everyone.  Friend of the Group Martha White (Collins) actually worked there, and did not eat hot dogs at all.  Must have been a miserable job!  Maybe she can fill us in? Martha has chimed in that it was indeed a tough job for her!  Which will stimulate another blog post on bad jobs I have had, with a few good ones thrown in...
• Pedro's - Also located at the current location of Baby's when the Hot Dog Hut closed down (They ran out of hats or something?)  This was also a prominent Thursday meal, sometimes both lunch and dinner.  Thirsty Thursday gave any size drink with a $1 purchase. Taco, chili and chips x2 with a large Mountain Dew was a great meal.  
• Roy Rogers - Where a Chipotle's (or something like that) is on College Avenue.  A holster of fries at 1:00AM was a staple.
• The Cattle Car - Where a Jimmy John's (formerly CC Peppers) is now on College Avenue. (This post was stimulated by Darryl Jones' memory of the best sandwich shop of all.)  Introduced me to "The Cosmo", a heated sandwich like in Europe, "cosmopolitan style".  Usually I got the Club with turkey, roast beef and ham with Swiss.
• The HUB Cafeteria Training Table The Terrace Room - The team at one time could eat here if they were late for the dorms, which happened often when we had our locker room at the Stadium.  They gave free glasses with the Nittany Lion performing various sports during one term.  I'm sure there are a few of you that still have some of them.  The privilege was rescinded for non-scholarship peons and walk-ons once Coach Groves caught heck for our actions.  From then on we hustled to the dorms which were kept open for us and they invariably served us fried perch because the good stuff was gone! (From an anonymous source - Track athletes were allowed $8 less per meal than the football team and $6.50 less than the soccer team.)
• Arbys - At the corner of Atherton and College. Nothing special but the scene of an everyday dinner by my brother when he lived across the street.
• Hardees - On Atherton where a dry cleaners is now located.  They had a $2 special of 2 roast beef sandwiches, fries and a drink.  When 2 of them were combined, it was a glorious feast.
• Hooters - At the current Irish Tavern on College Avenue near University Drive. Formerly Greek Pizza.  This was the scene of an impromptu Awards Dinner in the early years of the Coach Groves Golf Tourney!  We actually had one of the waitresses drive Coach in the Drink Cart at one of the Tournaments also.  I'll hunt for the photo again...
• The Olde Original Diner - Still there but a mere shell of its former self.  Long lines and late night dinners of Road Kill (omelet with everything) and a pound of fries...
• The Eutaw House - Just off 322 near Seven Mountains (Potters Mill). My HS Coach treated me to a steak dinner there after the State XC Meet in 1977.  I was still burping that steak early in the Harrisburg Marathon the next day! Edgar Allan Poe actually ate and stayed there one time. Or maybe not. (Check the link.)
  
• Train Station Restaurant - The Herlocher keystone restaurant above the Cattle Car.  Introduced the world to Herlochers Dipping Mustard. I don't think I ever ate there. The Herlochers actually closed down all of their restaurants suddenly and moved to Florida.  It was a major shock to the State College community.
  
  

Posted by skwilli at 7:00 AM

 

A Hill To Die On

Does anyone else remember Jim Hill's recruiting visit to PSU in the late 70s?  He was chaperoned by Ziggy, I think, during a weekend of a classic Ziggy Party! Maybe even the one that the Women's Gymnastic Team attended?

Results Of The 2024 Coach Groves Golf Tourney

Joe Bastardi, noted PSU meteorologist and Nittany Lion Wrestler, has been designated the sole winner of this year's Tourney.

His out-of-the-box forecast of 6 hours of rain beginning on the first tee and ending with the first course of the awards dinner ruled the day.

Coach Harry Groves Memorial Golf Tournament Update

https://youtube.com/shorts/QZwL-KR0Mss?si=UdP2LV0-A4hd80SV

Alumni Reunion Early Morning

A few of us got together for a photo at the Shrine. Lower number of us this year, but don't be confused. 2 Olympians and 3 current PSU record holders are among them.

The Interns are offering cash rewards for the first to identify them all correctly. 

Is This The Year?

Joe Kovacs recently bench pressed 770 pounds twice. He said he could do more, but he has other things to do soon. Others said if he didn't have to dabble in shot putting, he could be the world's strongest man.

Could this be his year? 

Olympic Glory

Mike Shine 1976

Barney Ewell 1948

Track Alumni (Golfers) at the 2024 Olympics

• Cheickna Traore will compete for The Ivory Coast in the 200M.  First round starts on August 5 at 13:55 (1:55pm)*.
• Handal Roban will compete for St. Vincent & the Grenadines in the 800M. First round starts on August 7 at 5:55am*.
• Joe Kovacs competes for USA in the Shot Put. Opening round on August 2 at 14:10 (2:10pm)*.
• Become a valued Intern by alerting me to anyone missed! Pay scale pending... 

*All times are East Coast Times