Penn State Football – Not “Fair Weather” Fans
Posted in General,Penn State on January 12, 2015
Talk about a poor sport! New Orleans Saints football fan David Mancina has filed a class-action suit against the NFL for $5 million, probably sparked by the Saints’ current 1-4 record. Not only has the league suspended the head coach and several players for supporting an alleged pay-to-injure program, the Saints were also required to give up their 2012 and 2013 second-round draft picks. As a season ticket holder, Mr. Mancina no longer thinks that he’s getting his money’s worth because of the NFL’s sanctions.
Penn State Football Fans – Not “Fair Weather” Fans
The word “sanction” is just one of the many negative words thrown about during this last tumultuous year at Penn State. The unprecedented sanctions that were imposed by the NCAA on the Penn State Nittany Lion football program were enough to make the most faithful of the Blue and White fans lash out. Plenty of fans did express their disbelief and anger at the decision, but the fans took the negative and spun it into a positive by using the sanctions as somewhat of a rallying cry of support, not just for the Penn State football team, but for the entire Penn State University. While the Penn State football team dropped the first two games of the season to lesser opponents, the loyal Penn State fans did not take to the courts and file law suits. Instead, the true blue fans continued with their support of Penn State community, weathered the storm, and are enjoying the Penn State football team’s resurgence. Penn State fan base could have taken the same road as did Mr. Mancina, but instead they did what good fans do – they showed up to cheer on their team.
Penn State Proud – Thon 5K Run
While many outsiders bash Penn Staters for supporting the football program and accuse us of solely being a football school, I am proud that Penn State does so much more to give back to our community. The Thon fundraising activities are in full swing as Penn Staters are out “canning,” meaning collecting money at intersections throughout Pennsylvania. Also, this past weekend, the proud Penn State spirit was also found at the Thon 5K. More than 7,000 students and Penn State supporters laced up their running shoes to help raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer. I didn’t participate this year, but I happened to be close enough to the race route to see the teams getting ready. Some wore costumes, some wore running gear, and I think at least one team had its own mascot. They were there for each other and to help others in need, and this is really what it means to be a team. Whether it’s playing a game for fun or raising funds for a life threatening illness, we need to come together and get through the good times and bad. Perhaps, Mr. Mancini, the fair-weather Saints fan, could learn a thing or two from the Penn State fans. As as a Penn State alum, I am proud to say that “We are PENN STATE”.