Contributors
Looking back on the events of the past week, it is difficult to find something positive but I believe there are many positive things that have and will come out that shine a favorable light on the situation.
Volumes have been written about the alleged abuse and subsequent cover-up that has occurred and ramifications it has had on individuals and the Penn State community in general. Here are a few observations I have about the good that will come from this situation.
The Nebraska coaches, administrators, players and fan base were forced to share the spotlight simply because we were the next game on the schedule. I believe that everyone from the Nebraska side handled it about as well as it could have been done by all that were involved. The same can be said about the vast majority of Penn State folks as well. Sure there was some rioting and vandalism early on but that quickly transformed into the Friday night vigil and the show of support for the victims that followed.
Speaking of the show of support for the victims, I now have a new friend for life that I have never met in person and only talked to on the phone once so far. His name is Jerry Needel, a 1998 Penn State graduate. Jerry and I have a mutual friend and co-worker of Jerry's named Jay Stockwell who is originally from Hartington, NE and who introduced Jerry to me. Through a grass-roots effort started by Jerry and his wife, there has been over $300,000 raised for child abuse victims through an organization called RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network).
More support has come from the Nebraska Heisman Trophy winners. Johnny Rodgers has donated a full-size Heisman Trophy logo helmet that will be signed by Johnny, Mike Rozier, and Eric Crouch and auctioned off on eBay for RAINN in the near future to help get to and hopefully beyond the $500,000 goal that Jerry Needel has set.
Another positive I see is that the Nebraska and Penn State fan base will be forever connected by the events of this past week. I can see the rivalry developing into one of mutual respect much like the one we had with Oklahoma in the old Big Eight. The stories about bad treatment of Nebraska fans by Penn State fans will forever be limited to 1992 and earlier. I have heard many stories about how nice the PSU fans were last Saturday before, during and after the game to Husker fans. I KNOW that the Nebraska fan base will return the favor in spades the second weekend in November next year. Jerry and his friends and family will be guests at the HuskerMax tailgate in Lincoln every other year from now on.
The biggest positive of all will be that the awareness of child abuse will be magnified greatly in the eyes of the general public going forward. Never again will an individual be able to do what Jerry Sandusky is alleged to have pulled off for the past decade. It is going to take time for the Penn State community to rebuid their brand and restore the trust of future students, athletes, and the public in general, but I am confident that the actions of a few are not going to forever put a tarnish on the University as a whole. Forgiveness is more powerful than revenge and with Penn State graduates the likes of Jerry Needel, I am confident that it won't be long before Penn State fans, graduates, and players will once again be proud to say We are Penn State.
Let's continue our support by helping Jerry and the Penn State community reach their goal of $500,000 for RAINN. The link is below.
http://www.rainn.org/ProudPSUforRAINN
Video player
Recent Forum threads
27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"
vBulletin Message
The following errors occurred with your submission