Jordan Center getting ready to get "Raw"

Boy, things have changed in Penn State sports since we left for the semester break. Instead of the happy-go-lucky-type attitude, it seems like everybody in the department is in the put-up-your-dukes attitude.

Nittany Lion football coach Joe Paterno was a bit upset when he found out sports agent Jeff Nalley gave his star tailback Curtis Enis a suit for his appearance at an awards show, making him ineligible for Penn State's 21-6 loss against Florida at the Citrus Bowl. So Paterno would like to give Nalley something in return.

"The guy I'd liked to give a punch in the nose is that agent," Paterno said.

The Penn State wrestling team got a huge win at second-ranked Iowa last Saturday. Three wrestlers decided to celebrate their victory by going out to a nearby bar to kick back a few. Unfortunately, they kicked back a few people in a bar fight and were arrested by Iowa City police. The wrestlers were suspended by the team for this past weekend's meets against Michigan and Michigan State.

Why has Penn State gotten so violent in the past two weeks? Well, there is one explanation. Maybe everybody was getting in the mood for tonight's activities at The Bryce Jordan Center.

Maybe, believe it or not, Penn State is getting "Raw."

The World Wrestling Federation brings its wild and wacky antics in its weekly live television show "Raw is War" here at 7:45 tonight at the center. The show will be televised live on the USA Network (TCI Channel 53) and on TSN in Canada starting at 8:57 p.m.

The WWF doesn't call its product a sport. They call it "sports entertainment." With pyrotechnics, a big screen stage and whatever else they can cram into the arena (which included a pick-up truck and a Port-a-potty in other shows), you can see why they do. Indeed, the WWF has changed since the Hulkamania days.

Instead of the usual wrestling routine, the WWF has added a more realistic approach that is sometimes controversial. Small uses of profanity and occasional showings of mild nudity (male and female) have caused some fans to turn away.

The most controversial wrestler, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is a prime example. Besides using the words "ass" and "suck" in front of little kids in the audience, Austin also belittles his opponents by flipping "the bird" in front of the audience full of little kids. He also runs through the audience at certain times to enter or leave the ring, going through crazed and excited fans. And his infamous phrase that mocks the bible reading John 3:16, named Austin 3:16, which says, "I just whipped your ass."

But the real wrestling fans (you know who you are) still continue to come to the shows, yelling, screaming and holding up signs that say "Marry me, Sable," "Rocky Sucks," and "Austin 3:16 Rules." The WWF calls the increase of signs the fans' use of "their freedom of expression." I call it the fans' freedom to make a fool out of themselves on television.

The whole card of tonight's festivities will not be announced until the bell rings at 7:45 p.m., and what will happen when things get started is even more of a mystery. The WWF tries to use the surprise factor on its audiences, trying divert attention to their product and away from their rival company, World Championship Wrestling, which consists of former WWF stars like Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and recently Bret "Hitman" Hart, who joined in late November.

The WWF/ WCW rivalry is so full of hatred that it has put the old Cowboys-Eagles games to shame. Both organizations try every trick in the book to get the wrestling audience to watch their Monday shows. "WCW Monday Nitro," the show that competes against "Raw" on TNT (TCI Channel 20), has been winning the ratings war of late, mostly because of the creation of the New World Order, a group of former WWF stars led by Hogan and Savage that tries to take over the WCW. The group's swagger, attitude and really cool theme music has won over some fans. But the WWF owner Vince McMahon has a ploy that might get his organization back into the limelight.

Or maybe the doghouse.

McMahon is negotiating with boxing's monarch Don King to allow boxing outcast Mike Tyson to participate in "Wrestlemania XIV" in March. This is a huge gamble for the WWF, risking its integrity for the sake of increased publicity.

But if McMahon really wanted some big publicity for tonight's event, he would be already on the phone setting this one up. A steel cage match between Paterno and Nalley for the Penn State Heavyweight Championship.

My money would be on JoePa. I heard he's got a wicked elbow drop.