Dispatch from the Outback Bowl: Penn Staters descend on Tampa

Dispatch from the Outback Bowl: Penn Staters descend on Tampa

Credit: Geoff Rushton Penn Staters on the official Alumni Association bowl tour left State College at 5 a.m. today for their trip to the Outback Bowl. For more photos, click on the image above.

Tampa, Fla. -- During the pre-dawn hours on one of the final days of 2006 they embark, still wiping sleep from their eyes. It's easy to be in a less-than-cheery mood, awake at an hour when most of their friends and neighbors are tucked comfortably in their beds for at least a few more hours.

But then again, it's hard to be in a foul mood. Most Penn State football fans, this writer assumes, share a common giddiness as game time approaches. So common week-to-week during the season, it's quickly forgotten as the holidays approach and our minds turn to other matters. But here on a bus to Harrisburg, it comes back into sharp focus -- one more game before that long, dark age before a new season begins.

Penn Staters of all ages descended on Tampa, Fla., on Friday as they prepared to celebrate the final Nittany Lion football contest of the season in the Outback Bowl against Tennessee Monday (Jan.1).

Some travelers on the Penn State Alumni Association's official Outback Bowl tour caught an early (5 a.m.) bus from State College to Harrisburg, where they took a charter flight to Tampa. Despite the early start, moods were bright, and by the time the plane landed in sunny Tampa, most already were excited for the weekend and the game.

Traveling to Florida is an odd experience for a Nittany Lion fan. There's a final game to be played, and much excitement, but the environment is foreign. The wind and brisk temperatures to which they become accustomed by season's end are replaced with warm temperatures, even a bit of humidity. Even flying into Florida marks a stark contrast, the mountainous terrain of Central Pennsylvania replaced with a flat topography as far as the eye can see.

These fans appear ready to enjoy every minute of it. Within hours, Penn Staters gathered in the restaurant of the Marriott Waterside hotel, where many Nittany Lion fans, on the alumni tour and otherwise, are stationed for the next few days. They watched football on TV, but their chatter revolved around their Lions.

A quick jaunt around Tampa reveals Nittany Lion fans to be out in force. And in fairness to Tennessee, the Volunteers are represented well too.

On Friday night alumni will gather for a welcome reception with a special performance be members of the Penn State School of Musical Theater. And later Nittany Lion and Volunteer players will have a few hours of fun at GameWorks in Ybor City, Tampa's historic and entertainment district.

For photos from the trip to Tampa, visit http://live.psu.edu/still_life/2006_12_29_football/index.html online.

News and notes

-- To be sure, there's football to be played on Monday, and that's where the sights of the Nittany Lion players and coaching staff have been set since arriving here on Dec. 23.

That early arrival -- the norm for Penn State bowl teams -- meant the team, staff and their families were celebrating Christmas away from home. As is tradition, a Christmas party was held in the team hotel, and for the second year in a row, center A.Q. Shipley played the role of Santa Claus.

-- Bowl season is regarded as a time to utilize extra practice sessions and to heal the injuries of a tough season. Sometimes, that even applies to the head coach. Joe Paterno, who suffered a broken leg and torn knee ligaments in a sideline collision during a game against Wisconsin in early November, has been recovering well. He's now getting around with the assistance of just one metal crutch, and told reporters he could walk without the crutch if needed.

Team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli said Paterno was well ahead of schedule in his rehab. Paterno, the all-time leader in bowl game wins, said he thinks he'll be roaming the sidelines Monday, though a final decision has yet to be made.