I just got back from a jog, walked in the house and asked my dad how the Rose Bowl was playing out.
“The Penn State quarterback threw an interception on the second play, so I turned it off,” Dad said.
The Rose Bowl was Penn State’s much-anticipated national audience game against Southern California. The game the Nittany Lions were primed to show their fans – and the selection committee of the College Football Playoff – they were in fact a team that was unjustly passed over for a semifinal game and a chance at the national title.
This was not the answer I was expecting. No, not that Trace McSorley had already coughed up a turnover in what must have been the game’s opening minutes (actually 13 seconds into the first quarter).
I was more surprised that he had already turned the TV off in disgust and turned on his trademark Pandora Radio station mix of Motown hits, Linda Ronstadt and Adele.
“I can’t sit and watch the whole game,” he said, “and I can’t watch if I know they’re going to lose.”
Ever the glass-half-empty pessimist when one of his teams is playing on TV, don’t expect to be able to hear the announcer’s voices if the game starts going south.
Fair weather fan? Maybe, but have you ever subjected yourself to watching a Chicago Bears game in its entirety?
I’m no doctor, but even I know that’s not the prescription for longevity. Sometimes I think he likes knowing the only thing separating him from the burden of sports fandom and the peace of smooth rhythm and blues is the simple click of a remote control button.
From the way things have gone recently, I’m not so sure he doesn’t have an effect on the outcome of the game.
Take for example Monday night’s game. Penn State trailed, 20-7, after a Sam Darnold touchdown pass to start the second quarter. Dad left the room, and promptly a minute-and-a-half later, the Nittany Lions answered in the form of a diving, corner-of-the-end-zone touchdown.
To start the third quarter, James Franklin’s team scored three touchdowns on its first three offensive plays of the second half. Rumor has it that the Nittany Lion players replaced their halftime Gatorade with the magical “Michael’s Secret Stuff” made famous in “Space Jam.”
Was Dad watching? Nope.
Penn State’s first three fourth-quarter possessions went to the tune of three punts. After giving up a tying touchdown with 1:20 left in the game, Dad had resurfaced to the kitchen, where the TV had been tuned to ESPN for more than four hours, or so long that it asked if we were still watching.
We both agreed USC had left too much time on the clock for Penn State, which, with timeouts remaining, seemed poised to drive for a winning score. At the very least, they could be conservative and head to overtime.
The last time I can remember watching a crunch time game together, I was home on spring break watching IUP play in their conference basketball tournament championship.
IUP was getting rocked by Gannon, until Dad went and took a nap. Then my Crimson Hawks went on a big run, took a five-point lead into the final three minutes.
Dad woke up, came and watched the final possession only to have IUP’s All-American point guard, who almost never turns it over, turn it over with a chance to win the game.
So naturally, it wasn’t a big surprise when McSorley threw a lame duck pass that was picked off, returned into Penn State territory and set up Matt Boermeester’s 46-yard field goal to win, 52-49.
