I find the latest attacks against the Nittany Lion football team and Nittany Apartments to be completely hypocritical. Penn State is more known for its football team than anything else. The millions and millions of dollars in revenues brought in by football-related sales each year are the backbone of the athletic department's financial well-being.

Football players at Penn State deserve something extra. They do more than most students on campus.

They work long hours on the practice field for free. The University reaps the benefits of their labors while all the players receive is a few minutes of fleeting fame.

The Nittany Lions deserve to be paid for their efforts. But, if colleges around this country are going to continue to exploit young athletes to serve their own purposes, then I say let's give those athletes a little recognition for all their hard work.

Something as simple as a nicer place to live on campus (like a room in Nittany Apartments) is nothing compared to all that these athletes give back to Penn State.

To all those students who whine and complain about the football team getting a special privilege, I have only one question: Where would you be if Penn State football didn't exist?

Surely your University would not be able to afford its countless academic opportunities and resources. Most likely, your smaller sports -- such as gymnastics or swimming -- would not be able to survive. In essence, your University would be a second-class school.

Everybody here at Penn State owes the football team gratitude for all that these hard-working young men have made possible. To not provide an occasional thanks with a special privilege would be nothing less than insulting.