Over? Did You Say OVER?

Beer# 27  Revel Red / Stoudt's Brewing Company, Adamstown, PA
If you're reading this, chances are you are:

1. A friend of mine who went to Penn State
2. A friend of mine who understands my deep connections to Penn State
3. A stranger on the internet who cares about beer and doesn't give a shit about Penn State

Apologies in advance for group three, feel free to skip ahead.  For the first two groups, I'm sure everyone has opinions on the news that Penn State hired a new football coach today, after a long and occasionally 'lost in the woods' search.  We'll never know who else was offered or who else the search committee wanted.  What we know is that a relative unknown with an underwhelming resume was hired, and given the keys to one of the most prestigious, if admittedly damaged, football programs in America.  I'm furious.

I imagine I'll get over it and still support the team, still buy my tickets, still make my donations.  But I can't help shake the feeling that this hire is a failure waiting to happen, either through him leaving after a short stay for a better NFL job or through the fact that maybe he's not that great of a coach.  Obviously I hope he's the second coming and wins 18 National Championships in 11 years (I know!).  Somehow, I still predict this ends with some crappy seasons and him leaving in the middle of the night like the Baltimore Colts.  I'm furious and frustrated.

The worst part about this is the great men who were let go (or will be soon) because the university was too afraid of bad PR in the future - despite the administration's incredibly ham-fisted handling of the situation from day one.  To Scrap, Vandy, Jay, LJSr and the rest of the gang: Thank you for jobs well done.  Thank you for your passion and professionalism, even in the face of uncertainty.  Your love for PSU and contributions to the team and school won't be soon forgotten.  Thank you, all.

Group three can pay attention again.  Beer of the day is courtesy of Stoudt's, a relatively local brewery.  I have no idea what color this beer is, as I drank it straight from the bottle.  Good hop & citrus balance on this ale.  Refreshing, crisp taste.  I assumed this was a new full-time beer they were launching, not just a temporary season addition.  However, their website calls it a seasonally available winter beer.  Not sure if I see it that way - in my mind winter beers are much heavier or involve roasting/toasting something.  It's still a very good beer, so maybe I'll just shut up and move along.  If you're in the neighborhood, their brewpub also serves up some great food.  If antiques and farmer's markets are more your style, they have those too.

Thing to Think About Today:
"War's over.  Joyner dropped the big one." 
One of my all time favorite examples of standing up against authority.
 

NOTHING IS OVER UNTIL WE SAY IT IS!