<p>This is a link to a story, but the report it references actually pre-dates the Sandusky case. As in, the U was talking about this long before it became fashionable to have an ill-informed opinion.</p>
<p>(I had two more graphs about this ridiculous continuation of harping at one another about things clearly we will never ever agree on. Decided there is no point, here’s the article. )</p>
<p>You guys asked what aspect of the culture was troubling. We’re telling you --it’s the idolization of the coach. Yes, we get that PSU was “clean” in terms of not changing player grades or doing bad things in recruiting. But that’s not the point.</p>
<p>I can not believe that Penn State still encourages the now-named Nittanyville. It is a waste of students’ time. Have a lottery for the better tickets. Maybe give everyone with a GPA above say 3.8 into the lottery.</p>
<p>Mom, apparently there are not enough student tickets for the football games, or not enough ones for good seats. So students, with the encourage of the administration, camp out next to the stadium. Now, they do it in groups, so they can take turns going to class, but it is still absurd. I would suggest a way to give out these tickets without a time waster. Open to other ideas.</p>
No not all big U FB fans have signs praising their coach. I live in a small town dominated by a PAC 12 U. H goes to most of the home FB games and he has never seen a sign nor a banner praising the coach - even when the team has had a good season, or beat our cross state rivals or gone to the Rose Bowl.</p>
<p>PSU fans do act like a cult, with JoePa and football at the head. The problem is that cult, and the willingness of PSU, the institution, to allow that cult to continue in the same manner as in the past. The administration supports (or did, and still appears to do so) the cult in the mistaken belief that PSU deperately needs the support it gets from the cult in return.</p>
<p>The advantage of NCAA sanctions is they primarily target that cult, and the mechanism of the cult. It does not target the student body. I think it is appropriate the accreditation is under review - not because I think PSU should lose accreditation, but that the risk of such might force the BOT to actually do something. Even if the NCAA were to dismantle the football program, the school still exists, with the ability for football to eventually rise from the ashes. If the school loses accreditation, the currency of its academic programs disappears, and everything else with it.</p>
<p>There is an arrogance among some at PSU (particularly certain BOT members), who think the PSU football is so important that the current sanctions are inappropriate, that they are above the law. That grew from the belief that PSU as an institution needs the football program, and that the NCAA needs it too. Football is nice to have, but it is not the primary purpose of the institution. Letting it go for a few years, or removing the focus, would be a positive step. Yes, it causes problems for the players, so you find a way to help them. They will face far bigger problems if they lose accreditation. The student body would have bigger problems if they lose title IX funding.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl…there is a huge difference between idolizing and supporting. Interesting that a simple sign signifies(to you) an idolization. Whether it’s at a sporting event, political convention or whatever, signs are typical to show your support. Somehow at PSU I guess they have a different meaning. Whatever.</p>
<p>Signs, at televised games, are a way to be seen on television. During slow times, cameras will feature clever and topical signs. Also, signs are used to show support while marking a meeting place for friends. I’m sure that the PSU students would be surprised to see the significance that some are assigning. Did you ever notice that the kids mouth “Hi Mom!” not “I worship XXX”. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe they are actually saying “Help Mom! Please get me out of this CULT”.</p>
<p>Nittanyville is not a means to get tickets. Student season tickets are sold during the summer, via a online system and in descending order of credits completed. Students can sell any tickets they aren’t going to use via that same online system, for facevalue, to any other student and the “ticket” electronically transfers. All tickets are general admission. It is not particularly hard to get them. </p>
<p>By tradition, seniors, Lion Ambassadors and Blue/White society students make up the “S” that often appears in the student section. All other seats are first-come, first served. Nittanyville students sign in when they pitch their tent, and are logged in as to arrival time and given a wristband. One student from every bunch must be present in the camp, but it doesn’t have to be the same student, so there’s no reason to miss class, and students don’t tend to. PSU gave them grounded electricity access a few years ago, so laptops could be recharged, but otherwise treats them as any other chartered student organization. During the rest of the year, Nittanyville members raise money for THON, address any issues of governance or compliance,and advocate for the athletic program.</p>
<p>Actually - the students are not camping out to GET tickets, they are camping out to get the BEST SEATS (front row) in the first-come/first-served student section. These students already HAVE tickets.</p>
<p>And from what I read - they love it and have fun. This year there were about 30 tents and about 240 students.</p>
<p>Oh - and it’s not just haphazard. There is a student run organization that coordinates the whole thing, and students have to sign up in advance to get space. Plus, this year, there was some fundraising, with proceeds going to a child abuse center.</p>
<p>slipjig - He played in the Pep Band his first year and really enjoyed it. But by his second year the time commitment for both (Blue Band and Pep Band) was too much and he decided to stick with Blue Band. He still participates in informal groups that play for other sports and events around campus.</p>
<p>Green and Grx – did you read where I said kids were camped to get tickets OR.OR.OR tickets for good seats?</p>
<p>I get it that it is voluntary and kids have fun. It’s time to stop it. It sends a message that kids are over-focused on football. </p>
<p>All this fundraising can be accomplished without football worship. The “oh and we raise money” is easily seen as an excuse for football worship.</p>
<p>Penn State 50 + yrs ago. Small college in the middle of no where. Joe Paterno comes to coach football. PSU slowly grows into a great institution and a great college sports power at the same time. </p>
<p>Your grandfather, your father, you and your son have all met Joe and his family and many have benefited from the school. 1 out of every 144 college graduates is a PSU graduate. </p>
<p>He becomes a legend BECAUSE he was there for so long and is so intertwined with the small town area. The school grabs hold of the marketing aspect and there you have it.</p>
<p>Big fish, small town, too much power.</p>
<p>PSU did not invent big time football. You and I did with our nike shoes, underarmour shirts, gatorade guzzling , sports watching, ticket buying behavior for an athletic culture that dominates America. We have made it a money sport. It is the farm system of professional football. </p>
<p>So the legend is gone. He is dead. You are still not happy.</p>
<p>Oh no camping out is horrible…tell that to Duke basketball. SIgns supporting the coach… on, no!!! Turn on your TV Saturday morning and watch every single big football school screaming and holding up signs some about there coach. If it wasn’t for the colors and the mascot they would all look exactly alike. Google traditions in college football…</p>
<p>You say PSU has been forced into making moves. Yes they have succummed to the pressure of the media driven frenzy to fire people, rip down a statue, owe millions of dollars and accept sanctions even before any of these PSU administrators have had their say in a court of law. What the hell is the hurry?</p>
<p>Not the America I know and love. Trial by media. Maybe this is the new justice. You can have it.</p>
<p>I cannot remember anyone on this thread advocating that Pennsylvania State University “ceases to exist.” What I and others have advocated is that THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM should cease to exist for a period of time. That is not the same thing.</p>
<p>Whatever. I attended a rival Big 10, my son attends there, and I guarantee you that football does not rise to the level of cultishness that it does at Penn State. And the proof is that it’s ok if our football team isn’t great, because it’s about enjoying an event on a lovely fall day, not proving anything about the university one way or another. And no one idolizes the coach - I bet most of the student body doesn’t even know the coach’s name, which is just fine and dandy. Maybe you should take a page out of that kind of playbook.</p>
<p>“And his family.” Don’t you get it? That’s the idolization! You think that a football coach is so special that even meeting his family is an event of some importance! Gosh, I got to meet JoePa’s FAMILY! Can you wash your hands afterwards?
I couldn’t care less about meeting my alma mater’s football coach’s family because … well, he’s just a guy who goes and does a job for the university, that’s all - just like thousands of other employees of the university!</p>
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<p>Not I. I was perfectly happy to attend a school with a so-so football team, since I was there to get an education. As the team got better, we still didn’t take it as anything other than “who would have thought, it’s kind of fun to win a few games.” No one got lionized. </p>
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<p>Duke has somewhat of an arrogant, take itself too seriously type of culture. This really isn’t the culture you guys want to be emulating or pointing to as a role model. But meanwhile, since Duke basketball doesn’t appear to have created a cult that enabled the administration to shelter child abusers because you can’t possibly cross the coach, what students at Duke do or don’t do wrt camping out is irrelevant.</p>