Last year, I hosted a good friend, who is a tried and true Alabama fan, to the Penn State-Alabama game. We toured the campus and town, tailgated, pre and post game for over 12 hours. As we drove back to my house, after the game, he said he finally understood the difference between Penn State and all other universities, including his own.
Of course, I asked what he meant. He said that, like Alabama, and all other universities, they were passionate about their football programs. But the difference between Penn State and all other universities was that while they were passionate about their football programs. Penn State was not only passionate about their football program, and obviously their coach, but all Penn Staters were passionate about their university. It never occurred to me that any other university was any different from Penn State. The NCAA does not get it, Penn State is unique to all other universities in existence.
We do not have a culture problem about our football program; we have a passion that is not matched by any other university in the world.
No one outside the Penn State tradition will ever know what it is like to be a Penn Stater.
Suzanne Lord
Franklin, Tenn.
