Sports
Fiesta Bowl an Appropriate Spot for Penn State’s Best Championship Shot Since 1986
State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, sits about 25 miles from Sun Devil Stadium, the original home of the Fiesta Bowl and the site of perhaps the greatest triumph in Penn State football history.
It’s fitting that, so close to where the Nittany Lions claimed their last national championship, Penn State took one of its most significant steps toward the college football mountaintop in the 38 years since the 1986 team shocked the Miami Hurricanes in Tempe.
In the same way that the location in which they were played isn’t exactly the same, the Nittany Lions’ 31-14 win in the December 2024 version of the Fiesta Bowl isn’t a direct comparison to the 14-10 victory over Miami in the game’s January 1987 installment.
The latter sealed the national championship, the second of Penn State’s two claimed titles, both won during the 1980s. Tuesday’s win was a step in a longer process, inching the Nittany Lions two games away from the crown.
But in a way, earning a spot in the gridiron Final Four is the closest any Penn State team has come to the championship since Shane Conlan and Co. shut down a boisterous Miami squad that arrived in Arizona wearing military fatigues.
Certainly, some reading the preceding statement are already pounding out a response: What about 1994? And it’s a valid point.
Penn State’s 1994 squad did indeed run the table, capping a 12-0 season with a 38-20 romp against Oregon in that year’s Rose Bowl. According to some outlets, Kerry Collins, Ki-Jana Carter, and the rest of that Nittany Lions squad were national champions.
However, none of the sources bestowing such a designation on Penn State were enough for the program to claim a title for 1994. Nebraska’s 13-0 finish, with wins over the end-of-season Associated Press Poll’s No. 3 (Colorado) and No. 6 (Miami) teams, trumped Penn State’s resume.
The Nittany Lions had no real control over their championship fate, as it was left up to pollsters. The situation’s bitter irony is that had Penn State joined the fledgling Big East before accepting its invite to the Big Ten Conference in 1990, a league matchup with Miami and a hypothetical Orange Bowl showdown with Nebraska would have allowed the Nittany Lions to settle this dispute on the field.
Given that this Penn State team controls its title destiny, advancing to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff is indeed the closest Penn State has come since the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.
There have been plenty of seasons in the evolution of how college football champions are determined that can be pointed to as a definite turning point. The 1990s alone saw the split championships between Colorado and Georgia Tech, shrouded in controversy thanks to CU’s “Fifth Down” win over Missouri in October 1990; Miami and Washington running roughshod over all comers in 1991 but not facing off; and the Michigan-Nebraska shared crown in the final year before the introduction of the Bowl Championship Series.
One could contend that Penn State, not even sniffing a split championship in 1994—Nebraska garnered five times as many first-place votes in the final AP Poll—may have provided the strongest argument for a playoff system at the time.
Yet, while Penn State was among the programs most at the forefront of public sentiment pushing for changes to the championship process, the Nittany Lions never factored into the BCS title picture. During the decade of the four-team College Football Playoff, James Franklin-coached squads would have perhaps been the greatest beneficiaries of a slightly expanded field.
It’s hard not to consider the 2016 Penn State team that won the Big Ten, beat Ohio State head-to-head, was passed over for the Playoff in favor of the Buckeyes, before laying an egg in that season’s Fiesta Bowl, and not recognize that one flawed system was exchanged for another.
But now, with the chance in front of them, the Nittany Lions are running with it. And that’s not all Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton ran with, going for 134 and 87 yards against Boise State.
Drew Allar throwing touchdowns on almost a quarter of his pass completions—three scores out of 13—punctuated an impressive performance from the offense. And while the final score of 31-14 suggests dominance, which has been the theme of the inaugural 12-team Playoff, the Fiesta Bowl was anything but another one-sided rout.
Boise State, which enjoyed its own program highs in the Phoenix-area bowl game, seemed poised for more Fiesta magic when it drove deep into Penn State’s territory twice in the second half. The Nittany Lions’ defense responded both times, with Defensive MVP Zakee Wheatley’s interception of Maddux Madson in the end zone and Amin Vanover’s red-zone sack on the Broncos’ next possession.
Like the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, the opposition arrived in special garb: Boise State didn’t don fatigues like the ‘86 Hurricanes but instead wore shirts that read “Count Us Out.” And, like Penn State did in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, the Nittany Lions rose to the occasion.
“We were not counting those guys out,” Franklin said emphatically in his postgame press conference. “They had our attention, and I think that showed up today…When things don’t go well, [Penn State’s players] don’t panic.”
Next up for the Nittany Lions is the national semifinal in the Orange Bowl. It isn’t the same Orange Bowl where Nebraska celebrated a national championship that Penn State was denied 30 years ago, but that’s the least of the changes.
The biggest change is that the Nittany Lions now have the opportunity to win a title on the field for the first time since the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
