October 6th, 2009
Christopher Morelli, editor of Blue White Illustrated
Morelli OnLion: The Towel or the Whiteout
It was an interesting question, and one that took me by surprise.
On
Monday's edition of "Sports Central," a talk show that airs on ESPN Radio in
Altoona and State College, host Cory Giger asked his audience which stadium had
a better atmosphere for football — Heinz Field or Beaver Stadium? To clarify,
Giger was talking about Pittsburgh Steeler and Penn State football. Pro versus
college.
In today's edition of Morelli OnLion, we'll take a closer look
at that very topic, look back at Saturday's win over the Fighting Illini and
look ahead to this week's game with Eastern Illinois.
Let's start with a
fun debate.
 
The Whiteout is an amazing sight, for sure, but doesn't have the magic of The
Terrible Towel.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
The Towel or The Whiteout?
As I mentioned, callers to
Monday's "Sports Central" were asked what has a better atmosphere for football —
Beaver Stadium or Heinz Field? Personally, I've never seen a more electric
atmosphere for football than Heinz Field and a Monday Night Football game. But
that's an argument for another day.
What I decided to compare were two
things that are exclusive to the stadiums — The Terrible Towel and the Whiteout.
What's better? Well, that depends on your perspective. Personally, I give the
edge to The Terrible Towel. Here are my reasons why the Towel gets the
edge.
1. Originality — The Terrible Towel was the invention of the late
Steeler broadcaster Myron Cope. In his autobiography "Double Yoi," Cope explains
that he was asked by his boss at WTAE radio to come up with a "gimmick" that
fans could carry to games. And so The Terrible Towel was invented. For those of
you who think that The Terrible Towel was invented to be a money-maker, keep in
mind that Cope told fans simply to bring a gold or yellow towel to the game. It
was later that The Terrible Towel took off. All the proceeds from The Terrible
Towel are donated to charity. While the Whiteout is very cool, it's not an
original idea. The Winnipeg Jets (now the Phoenix Coyotes) hosted the first-ever
Whiteout.
Edge: The Terrible Towel.
2. Frequency — If there's one
disadvantage to the Whiteout, it's the fact that you can only have one (or two)
per season. And as we saw a few weeks ago against Iowa, rain can put a real
damper on a stadium-wide Whiteout. There were plenty of orange, blue, green and
even some camo ponchos in the crowd, which ruined the effect of the Whiteout.
The Terrible Towel, however, works no matter what the weather is like. And The
Terrible Towel is in effect at every game, and even some road contests.
Edge:
The Terrible Towel.
3. Appearance — A stadium-wide Whiteout looks really
cool, especially on television. However, 65,000 swirling towels also look very
cool. This is a tough call, but Beaver Stadium holds more fans.
Edge:
Whiteout.
4. Fans — With any gimmick, it's not a success unless fans get
involved. Well, fans are an integral part of both the Whiteout and The Terrible
Towel. Let's face it, if fans don't wear white, the Whiteout isn't a success.
Likewise, if fans don't carry their Terrible Towels to Heinz Field, the
appearance is diminished. But here's the big difference — Penn State fans have
to be told to wear white to Beaver Stadium. Pittsburgh Steeler fans don't have
to be reminded to bring their Terrible Towels to games at Heinz Field.
Edge:
The Terrible Towel.
5. Success — The way to measure the success of any
gimmick is, of course, success. This is no contest. Cope insisted that The
Terrible Towel had mystical powers. Six Super Bowls later, it's hard to argue
that point. While the Whiteout has enjoyed moderate success (see: Notre Dame in
2006, Illinois in 2007), it's also had a failure (see: Iowa in 2009).
Edge:
The Terrible Towel.
There you have it. Shoot me your e-mails, Nittany
Nation. I'd love to hear your arguments.
Stephfon Green had a big day for the Nittany Lions, rushing for 120 yards.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated)Looking Back: Illinois
After
a slow start in Champaign, the Nittany Lions poured it on in the second half to
blow out the Fighting Illini, 35-17, on Saturday. The ground game finally got
untracked, as both Stephfon Green (120 yards) and Evan Royster (105) eclipsed
the 100-yard mark. The offensive line played much better to open plenty of holes
for the backs. They also did a good job of pass protection for QB Daryll Clark,
who did not turn the ball over in the contest.
The Nittany Lions were
without the services of linebacker Sean Lee, who missed his second consecutive
game. We're guessing Lee will also miss this week's non-conference
game.
Saturday's second half was easily the best that Penn State has
played all season long. If it can continue to play like that for the remainder
of the season, the Nittany Lions will be tough to beat.
Looking Ahead:
Eastern Illinois.
Why is this game on the schedule? Who knows. Well, there
are actually two reasons — money and Ws. By adding a 12th game, this is what
we've done to the college game. Athletic directors are scrambling to add games
and make some quick bucks. So welcome to Happy Valley, Eastern
Illinois.
The Panthers are 4-1 and have former Iowa QB Jake Christensen.
We're guessing that Christensen will bring some of the Hawkeye karma with him to
Happy Valley. Guess what? It won't matter.
Gantdaily.com prediction: Penn
State 45, Eastern Illinois 3.
Chris Morelli is the award-winning editor
of Blue White Illustrated, a weekly publication devoted to Penn State athletics.
He is also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona
and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com. This column
does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of BWI’s writers or
publisher.
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