Keystone Krunch: Pennsylvania May Not Be In The Super Bowl But Its Snacks Will Be The Life Of Many Parties

Although the Steelers and Eagles didn’t make it to the Super Bowl this year, Pennsylvania and Penn State will still be represented on game day — on your plate.

Penn State experts have had a hand in developing, or evolving, many of the Keystone State’s famous finger foods.

While Nittany Lion alumni will represent Penn State on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium, Pennsylvania food industries’ wares will be served at Super Bowl parties nationwide. Companies from around the commonwealth — referred to as the snack-food belt — supply many of the Sunday afternoon munchies enjoyed while calling plays from the couch.

If your potato chips are from Utz, Middleswarth, Martin’s, Snyder’s of Hanover or Snyder of Berlin — just to name a few — the snack came from some region of Pennsylvania.

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2014/02/01/4013019/keystone-krunch-pa-may-not-be.html#storylink=cpy

It’s Official: Penn State Hires James Franklin As Football Coach

Counties constituting the Happy Valley Region of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The new Penn State football coach is coming home, in a sense.

James Franklin, who grew up in the Philly suburbs, will be leading the Nittany Lions when they open their 2014 season in Ireland’s Croke Park.

A news release on Penn State’s athletics website indicates that Franklin, who has led a stunning building project at Vanderbilt, will be announced today as the Lions’ 16th head coach in program history. (Technically, he is the fifth since November of 2011 when counting interim leaders).

Franklin, who turns 42 next month, also is the first permanent African-American head football ever at Penn State.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/sports/20140111/its-official-penn-state-hires-james-franklin-as-football-coach

Penn State Football: Assistant Coach Larry Johnson To Oversee Nittany Lions During Search For Bill O’Brien’s Replacement

Counties constituting the Happy Valley Region of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State assistant coach Larry Johnson has agreed to oversee the team as the university searches for Bill O’Brien’s successor, the Centre Daily Times has learned.

A Penn State source said Johnson, who coaches defensive linemen, will work with the players currently on the roster and will maintain contact with recruits, and said the university will move quickly to name the next Nittany Lions head coach.

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2014/01/01/3966060/penn-state-football-assistant.html#storylink=cpy

Penn State Punishment: 112 Wins Vacated, 4-Year Bowl Ban, $60 Million Fine, Lost Scholarships

English: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) logo. Source: http://www1.ncaa.org/eprise/main/Public/mlp/promotions_special_events/pe_web/promo_manual/memos/identity.pdf Converted by User:King of Hearts from :Image:National Collegiate Athletic Association logo.png using Inkscape. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA slammed Penn State for the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal today with an unprecedented series of penalties, including a $60 million fine and the loss of all the school’s victories from 1998-2011, knocking Joe Paterno from his spot as major college football’s winningest coach.

Other sanctions include a four-year ban on postseason games that will prevent Penn State from playing for the Big Ten title, the loss of 20 scholarships per year over four years and five years’ probation. The NCAA also said that any current or incoming football players are free to immediately transfer and compete at another school.

NCAA President Mark Emmert announced the staggering sanctions at a news conference in Indianapolis. Though the NCAA stopped short of imposing the “death penalty” — shutting down the Nittany Lions‘ program completely. But the punishment is so severe, it’s more like a slow-death penalty.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=402015