What I'm about to say here may get me some flames in the comments, but I'm going to say it anyway. Penn State students have no class. Now, I'm not talking about all Penn State fans, just the students.
On Saturday, when the Youngstown State Penguins came on the field, the student section erupted into a chorus of boos. I can handle that. Booing the opponent is just good natured hostility. Letting them know this is our house. But after the boos stopped I could hear a chant coming from the student section that disgusted me. The students were chanting "FUCK OHIO".
I first heard this chant last year when the Buckeyes came to Happy Valley. I didn't like it then either. It shows a lack of class and intelligence. Seriously, how hard does one have to think to come up with a chant like that? Is that the most clever thing they can come up with?
Now contrast that with what I saw after the game on the opposite end of the stadium. From my seat in section WH, I had to exit the stadium right at the gate next to the visitors locker room. While the visiting players are coming off the field, they often barricade the fans to create a path for the players to make it from the field to the locker room. As we stood there watching the players walk by, the fans...Penn State fans...gave them a polite round of applause. The applause started when the first player came through and did not end until the last player went by probably five minutes later. It was an excellent display of gamesmenship. You could see the Penguin players pick up their heads as we cheered them. Some of them cracked smiles and shook hands with the fans. I saw a few players take off their gloves and hand them to kids in Derrick Williams jerseys. It was a good feeling.
I often wonder why younger Penn State fans are the way they are. (FOS crowd: I'm looking in your direction) Last year I was at the Ohio State game and sat next to an older gentleman and his wife. Everyone around them was really nice and was curious to get their take on the game before it started. After Penn State scored their first touchdown, a punk kid from two rows back jokingly punched this guy on the shoulder and said something like, "How do you like that, buddy?" The kid was immediately confronted by all of us PSU fans in the immediate area and he was told if he did that again WE were going to beat the crap out of him. Those are the fans I choose to associate myself with.
I know Kirk Herbstreit said the Penn State student section is the best in the country, but that doesn't give them the right to be disrespectful. Be enthusiastic. Cheer on the team. Be loud. But don't be rude and obscene. Show a little class and represent your school with honor. Maybe next time they play the alma mater before the game, instead of signing "We don't know the G*d d*mn words" you should look up to the scoreboard and read them. Make sure you pay attention to the fourth verse.
May no act of ours bring shame
To one heart that loves thy name
May our lives but swell thy fame
Dear old State, dear old State.