Welcome to my blog, or should I say to the ramblings of an old man. I doubt that my ramblings are of much value, but at least I have an opportunity to share them.  So, please be kind and humor me. If nothing else of value stands out in these thoughts, I hope that you at least sense the value I place on a daily walk with the Lord.  That walk is what has provided me with motivation and a sense of purpose throughout my lifetime.  My prayer is that you, too, are experiencing this direction and joy in daily living which is available to everyone who puts his trust in Christ.  So, thanks again for joining me.  Please don't go without leaving some comments here so I can get to know you better as our paths intersect today in this blog.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

What Are The "Zips"?

That is today's trrivia question for you. Please note, it is "zips", not "zits"! And you won't find the answer in the dictionary and will have trouble finding it on the Internet.. Let me give you some background before I give you the answer, even though I know that you can hardly wait for the answer. Yesterday Dianne and I headed to Happy Valley, also known as State College, to see the opening Penn State football game. We used to get to most of the home games, but as it has gotten more expensive and good seats are harder to get, we've only gone to a few the last couple of years. But since we have not been able to take a non-working vacation for several years, we will try to get there a few times this Fall as part of a series of "one-day vacations". Yesterday we left at 4:45 in the morning to get a good parking place. We were part of a crowd of about 104,000 who attended. Even if you aren't a football fan, a Penn State game is something special. First there is the tailgating which is impossible to describe. Thousands of dollars are spent for vans, buses and huge motor homes and the spreads of food and decorations are incredible. Then there is the spectacular pregame show headed by the drum majorette who does his flip and split, in the center of the field, to the cheers of thousands. The Blue Band then does its rousing performance which builds up to the entrance of the team, and the crowd goes wild. If that isn't enough, the crowd breaks into its chant, "We Are, Penn State!". Then, of course, there is a football game with one of the best teams in the country led by Joe Paterno. And during the game there are all sorts of things going on all around the stadium - the wave, the Nittany Lion's antics, the student cheers, the cheerleaders with their amazing flips and pyramids, groups of musicians playing, and so much more. Even a person who isn't a football fan can find things to watch. The atmosphere, especially for big games, is electric. Yesterday was not a big game and Penn State won handily, 31-7. But the weather was great and the atmosphere exciting. Now what does that have to do with the original question. Well yesterday the Penn State Nittany Lions played the Akron, yes you guessed it, Zips. Now they did play like "Zits" but they were the "Zips". So here is your answer. The University of Akron's athletic teams are known as the "Zips," originally short for "Zippers," overshoes that were nationally popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and the zipper—an invention from Akron (Judson). The university's mascot is "Zippy," a kangaroo. Zippy is one of only eight female college mascots in the United States. Zippy won the title of Capital One National Mascot of the Year in 2007. So there you have it and that is today's story. Next week it's back again to see Penn State and Syracuse play.

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