David Joyner had to deal with unprecedented NCAA sanctions.

Sandy Barbour guided the athletic department through a pandemic.

Patrick Kraft has a tougher job than either of them.

Penn State introduced its new athletic director on Friday, and it was pretty much what you’d expect to see at these sorts of things. Kraft, sitting next to incoming university president Neeli Bendapudi, hit on the big points – winning, and doing things the right way, and … well, you’ve heard it all before. Kraft perhaps delivered his opening salvo with more enthusiasm than any of his recent predecessors – a relatively low bar set in that regard by Barbour, Joyner and Tim Curley – but it was essentially the same old intro, a combination of praise for the new program and promise to build on its reputation, success with honor and so on.

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The Blue-White Game is easy to take for granted. It has some of the perks of a game that counts – tailgating, a chance to yell at players (or coaches … or officials), a look at incredible athletes making plays mortals could only dream about, and uh, tailgating – without the possibility of a crushing defeat. Everybody plays, no one gets (actually) sacked, LaVar stops by to chat. It’s a great time for all ages.

At the same time, Penn State’s annual spring game, back in Beaver Stadium for the first time in three years on Saturday, is also the very definition of empty calories. That’s partially because no coach in his right mind wants to give any future opponent any hint of a playbook wrinkle, or risk anyone on his two-deep to injury, and partially because there are no bowl ramifications (at least not any that I’m aware of).

And yet, there are some things to watch for that can provide clues about the type of team the Nittany Lions have in any given year. You want to see proficiency. Guys don’t need to pancake a linebacker or making a diving interception, but you want to see them in the right spots and playing sound, fundamental football. You want to see the returning starters be a little bigger, stronger and more decisive than they were the previous November, sure, but you also want the likely backups to show that they’re capable of handling shotgun snaps filling in for an injured starter and not have the air go out of the entire unit.

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