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Was it just me or did Steve Jones seem way too excited calling the Akron game? I really like his enthusiasm, but sometimes it sounded as if the Nits were playing for the National Championship. And Jack Ham is a beloved PSU/Steeler icon of the first degree, a total class act, and a solid color guy, but why does he insist on doing a 30-second analysis of each play? Seems like overkill to me. If I'm wrong, tell me.

foghorn - a little off topic, but just to expand a little on the class of Jack Ham. I've had the privledge of meeting him several times, and for a while, the company I work for did some business with his employee drug testing company. For our charity events, he was always there, always took time to talk to me (and not down to me), and even after we decided to go with another company, he continues to come to our charity events. I seen him a few times after that, and the man still took time to talk and ask how things are going. A very class act.

Now, Lynn Swann is quite another story....

Have you ever listened to Steve before? He is like that all the time for football or basketball...from the first whistle to the last. I like it because his enthusiasm is contagious. I know if I'm in the car listening he can almost make me feel like I'm there.

Steve is enthused about PSU BASKETBALL?????? I guess he's enthused about watching grass grow and paint dry, too.

MY word, I HOPE you're talking about the PSU women.

WT

I once briefly met Ham at a waiting room in a hospital at Johnstown. Somebody in his family was ill or something. He was awfully nice then, too. A real regular guy. When I told him I had gone to PSU in the late 60's and early 70's and roomed across the hall from some football players and was friends with them -- Jim Bradley and Jerry Jeram, he was very gracious. What amazed me about the guy was that he wasn't very big -- comparatively speaking. As a player he was just lean, smart, and very businesslike. Of course, I was even more amazed when I walked by Jack Lambert at a baseball game at Three Rivers some time ago. Now he really looked undersized. Lambert was lean, mean, and just crazy.

I listen to him a lot, Coach; he just seems worked up a little more this year. I'm not really complaining; just think he might not make it through the season at this rate. Good old Fran F. seemed to pace himself better. 'Course, God love him, you sometimes didn't know what the hell was happening on the field. Sort of like the Gunner in his prime when he'd go off on a tanget or spend ten minutes wishing some old brickyarder in Vandergrift happy birthday.

Hey, Titan -- Penn State's day will come in men's basketball. I just don't think I'll live long enough to see it.