Look, there is a generation that is now attending college that is emotional immature, anti-social, and filled with anger.  The video here is just another example of ut.

And this is not a Penn State only thing.  This is occurring across the nation.

But nothing will be done about it, for to do so, would not be politically correct.

The internet is a double edged sword.  24 hour a day sports and news is a double edged sword.  Cell phones with video cameras are a double edged sword.  You get the picture.

If you believe or agree with what I just said, then we would essentially be depriving 109k good people from experiencing a night game because of technology.  Not because the people in this video are doing anything new.

Just picture if this happened and nobody was there to record it ?  Then it wouldn't have "happened".  I don't have empirical evidence to support this, but I have heard that over the last 10 years, school shootings are down....but thanks for 24x7 everything it seems like they are on the rise.  Just something to consider.

Time to wake up and realize this behavior is prevalent throughout your university, from the students to the football team, to the actual coach.

I guarantee if there wasn't video we'd be told how this "didn't happen" either, just like the apartment fight didn't happen and the urine bombs didn't happen and the spitting on OSU's kids didn't happen...  

Well, congratulations on getting two disgusting acts caught on camera this week.

While I vouch that most Ohio State fans are good people just coming to see a football game, I know there are some idiots in their fanbase as well - while standing in front of Gate A waiting for the gates to open, an Ohio State fan came prancing into the middle of the lines bringing attention to himself, and then running over to the freshman/sophomore line and getting extremely close to a Penn State-clad female.  He received several bottles, some filled, some not, lobbed in his direction - all of which missed and splashed on bystanders (including one on my legs).

However, the behavior in the video is simply ridiculous, yet completely unsurprising to a fellow Penn State student, as sad as that sounds.  We can all propose solutions, but I can't really think of one plausible thing that would change the behaviors of such a group of people.  After all, it may only be 1% of the people with the negative thoughts in the first place, but they can quickly get 25%, 50%, 75%, or even 100% to follow along through the magic that is peer pressure.

I'm glad it's getting attention, but even Tom Poole - Spanier's assistant is quoted as saying:
"I don't know what can be done about it," Poole said. "People act like fools."

Way to go, PKA fools.

Just think about all the people who throw random beers in the student section.  Think about the riots downtown after wins.  This is not an isolated incident.  

I'll start with you Mike -- you can shove it with the Pittsburgh comments.  

This kind of stuff has been going on wherever there has been beer and sports, sorry to say.  Philly has a entire court system including a jail cell setup in their stadium for crying out loud.  They pegged Santa with snowballs and brag about it to this day.

The kind of act in the video is of course deplorable, but if you guys think it's a recent thing, or a PSU thing, you're all mistaken.  Whenever you have alcohol, young people, and large groups, this stuff happens.  It's a fact.  

Off the top of my head I can reel off stories of this kind of thing from Michigan, Pitt, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, and Ohio State alone.   Not to mention all the NFL fans.

My cousin went to Penn State in the mid 80's and the picture she painted of college life back then was much looser and more party-filled than when my brother and I attended in the late 90's.  There's been a huge attempt at curbing drinking at PSU going on 2 decades now.  And when I went up to State College for the Wisconsin game I was shocked to see mounted police on every block.  THAT is a completely new thing.  

Yet one video comes out and the end of civilization is near.  

In this thread alone we've blamed: parenting, lack of military experience, technology, an entire class of students, an entire generation of people, and geography for what was viewed in one video clip.  

The same thing happened after the riot 10 years ago at ArtsFest over the summer.  I witnessed a line at Acme Pizza kicking a Coors Partyball onto the balconies of Penn Tower apartments turn into a full blown riot.  The only two things that caused it were alcohol and a group of people standing in a pizza line.  But afterwards, every paper from Pittsburgh to Philly theorized about "what it meant" and "what were the kids trying to express."  

Alcohol + Groups of young people + 0 accountability = Problems

Always has, probably always will.

But existing in the time we do, we can vent about it and chastise those who committed it on the World Wide Web.   Of course, like someone already posted, it's a double-edged sword... and we have unbridled paranoia about where our society is headed.  

Along with viewing a singular event that would have otherwise gone unnoticed, we can also find out the identities of those who posted it and recorded it, which the Collegian already has.  Knuckleheads who do stuff like this, also tend to implicate themselves..  Spanier said he's received so much mail that he felt compelled to release a statement.  And some of you people have already posted on tOSU blogs.  Amends are being made.

Sorry for the long post.

Allegheny County is home to the most PSU alums in the state.

Also, I'm not advocating that we accept this behavior..just recognize it for what it is and not overreact.  Someone posted that they were having second thoughts about sending their kid to PSU... ridiculous.

Can anyone find the contact info for that fraternity?  That seems to be a good place to start.

As Associate to the President for Administration, I help Dr. Spanier address the important issues that are brought to his attention.

Thank you for sharing your concerns about the behavior of some of our fans. Media accounts following the game indicated that fans were spirited, but overall exhibited better behavior, so I was disappointed to see the youtube video.  State College Police are investigating the incident in an attempt to identify those involved.  The results of their investigation will be shared with the University's Office of Judicial Affairs.  It is extremely unfortunate and embarrassing that some fans engage in behavior that reflects badly on all Penn Staters, the majority of whom are respectful and well-mannered.

A group of students and administrators have been meeting to encourage better behavior from our fans. A number of initiatives are underway--posters have been placed around campus, ads have been placed in the student newspaper and on television promoting good sportsmanship. Prior to the Ohio State game, a message from the Athletic Director was sent to all students via the student newswire concerning appropriate fan behavior. Coach Paterno also addressed the issue when he visited the students camping outside the stadium.  Clearly more can be done and we will continue to work on this.

Coordinating these efforts into an effective campaign that garners results does not happen overnight, but we are committed to the effort and to its success.

I will be sure the President sees your note.  Thank you for taking the time to write.

Sincerely,

Tom Poole

Thomas G. Poole, Ph.D.

Associate to the President for Administration

I also think it's time for undercover cops to starting donning the opposing team's jerseys and walking around the stadium and the parking lots.  

Expel a few students for this stuff and arrest a few non-students and this will end quickly.  Just like the balcony riots started ended a few years back.  

I bet getting the national chapter, or whatever it's called, involved would help.  Afterall, they're making their own fraterntiy look stupid as well.

What did they expect to happen?? The behavior of the frat boys was intolerable, but is anyone really that surprised that it happened? I would never wander ANYWHERE near the frat houses in Columbus on a weekend that we are playing them. Not wearing full PSU gear. These guys made a decision to walk straight through it. And I mean STRAIGHT though the madness.

Actually the only really bad part of the video was the 1 stupid kid who ran right up to the guy and gunned the beer at him. The regular beer tosses happen all the time, but that kid was acting in a malicious manner.

Just an opinion from a guy who thinks these 2 OSU fans are idiots.

Fire away folks!

Funny thing was that more than a few people came up and said "you're lucky you're not in Michigan!"  My friend from Notre Dame backed it up with his story of being showered with garbage in the top row of the Big House when Notre Dame beat them a couple seasons ago.