Fight On State
You’ve probably seen LaVar Arrington’s Facebook “Message to Penn Staters” by now. It’s well-said and worth looking up. He says, in part:
“WE Are not a cult football community that blindly defends our school. Heck truth be told the football program isn’t even the most successful one on campus. WE Are great across the board. WE Are students of higher learning, WE Are professionals in the work force that drive world and American economy. WE Are fathers, mothers, daughters and sons. WE Are people that just happen to have a Ton of pride about who WE Are… PENN STATE!!”
He goes on to say that we are ultimately the ones who possess the true power to tell our story, and wraps up his thoughts with “TIME TO MOVE ON!!”
I’m with you, LaVar. I cannot stand nervously answering that I’m a PSU alum, waiting for the question that comes next. I’m done with that question. I’m done feeling like I owe some sort of defense. I will continue to swell thy fame with my character and choices, and I will do it with the same Penn State pride I had before Sandusky.
Though our administration continues to allow, encourage even, the media to tell the story, WE are the ones who tell our Penn State story every single day with our lives. WE are the true Penn Staters who show the world one person at a time what it means to be a product of this family.
I have to admit, though, that I always bristle at the use of the phrase “move on”. It was the battle cry of the Old Guard Board of Trustees, a quote from Trustee horrible-aire Karen Peetz, who infamously claimed all of this would be forgotten by 2014.
And I have to admit, that this is where LaVar and I part ways. Now is not the time to “move on.”
This game isn’t over. We’re in overtime here. We’re all exhausted, but it’s time to dig deep, duck our heads, and barrel up the middle.
If you’ve been paying attention, you see that the stone is finally starting to roll downhill. The alumni trustees won access to the Freeh source materials. The charges against Spanier, Curley, and Schultz were dropped. And there have even been a few media stories pop up that have mentioned The Second Mile culpability.
This team isn’t giving up. It may appear that it’s off-season and summer break but these Lions do not rest. Let us not “bury all of the guilt, embarrassment, shame, anxiety, anger, pain, regret and all the other feelings that this scandal created” but instead use it to fuel our victory. The truth is coming. Hang in there.
Don’t give up now, LaVar. We’ve got your signature leap up our sleeves. We’re not going to lose this game.
“WE Are not a cult football community that blindly defends our school. Heck truth be told the football program isn’t even the most successful one on campus. WE Are great across the board. WE Are students of higher learning, WE Are professionals in the work force that drive world and American economy. WE Are fathers, mothers, daughters and sons. WE Are people that just happen to have a Ton of pride about who WE Are… PENN STATE!!”
He goes on to say that we are ultimately the ones who possess the true power to tell our story, and wraps up his thoughts with “TIME TO MOVE ON!!”
I’m with you, LaVar. I cannot stand nervously answering that I’m a PSU alum, waiting for the question that comes next. I’m done with that question. I’m done feeling like I owe some sort of defense. I will continue to swell thy fame with my character and choices, and I will do it with the same Penn State pride I had before Sandusky.
Though our administration continues to allow, encourage even, the media to tell the story, WE are the ones who tell our Penn State story every single day with our lives. WE are the true Penn Staters who show the world one person at a time what it means to be a product of this family.
I have to admit, though, that I always bristle at the use of the phrase “move on”. It was the battle cry of the Old Guard Board of Trustees, a quote from Trustee horrible-aire Karen Peetz, who infamously claimed all of this would be forgotten by 2014.
And I have to admit, that this is where LaVar and I part ways. Now is not the time to “move on.”
This game isn’t over. We’re in overtime here. We’re all exhausted, but it’s time to dig deep, duck our heads, and barrel up the middle.
If you’ve been paying attention, you see that the stone is finally starting to roll downhill. The alumni trustees won access to the Freeh source materials. The charges against Spanier, Curley, and Schultz were dropped. And there have even been a few media stories pop up that have mentioned The Second Mile culpability.
This team isn’t giving up. It may appear that it’s off-season and summer break but these Lions do not rest. Let us not “bury all of the guilt, embarrassment, shame, anxiety, anger, pain, regret and all the other feelings that this scandal created” but instead use it to fuel our victory. The truth is coming. Hang in there.
Don’t give up now, LaVar. We’ve got your signature leap up our sleeves. We’re not going to lose this game.
