Interesting title I know, hopefully I haven’t lost you yet, just hear me out. If you are one of the 3 people who read this blog you should know that I started this blog with no intention of creating more noise in an already noisy world. It is my hope that in my life that when I speak or voice an opinion it is only after careful thought and consideration. Now let me be honest I think I actually accomplish said goal about .5 % of the time. I am constantly putting my foot in my mouth, opening my mouth with nothing but nonsense flowing out, or just making noise to make noise, my mother would agree to that last one, seeing as I have made more noise then my siblings my whole life according to her!
With all of that said: The reason I am writing is because over the last few days scandal has broken out in a place close to home, literally. I grew up just a few hours from State College, PA and some of my earliest and best memories are of watching Joe Paterno run out onto the field in Beaver Stadium with my brothers and Dad. For as long as I can remember I have been a Penn State Nittany Lion fan. Beyond that I have been a college football fan. Growing up in Pennsylvania, my Saturdays in the Fall looked something like this; morning soccer game, if no game, rake the leaves, have lunch watch the Penn State game which was immediately followed by the Notre Dame game (because my Dad is Irish he always had an interest in them and Notre Dame has had a long standing tv contract with NBC so it was usually the only other game on.) Following the games, if there was enough daylight my brothers and our neighborhood friends and I would play our version of what we just witnessed on tv. Depending on the week and what team won, we would pretend we played for Penn State or Notre Dame. Say what you will but these are some of the most cherished memories, looking back at my childhood, I know I will never forget those Saturday’s in the fall.
As I have gotten older and busier college football is still and even more so become one of my favorite things. Living in Florida for the past 12 year I have even opted to cheer for the Gators. So yes I technically have 3 teams…what there is no rule about that? I digress! All that to say college football for me, for my brothers, my father, and friends is something we care deeply about. If you are not a sports fan go ahead with your judgment, I am just being honest! A typical Saturday now, is filled with College Gameday, smack talk via facebook, twitter, and text messaging, an afternoon of games, followed by the main event the 8:00pm ABC broadcast Game of the Week! College Football has become a god in our culture and I am the greatest offender, I have allowed it to become something much bigger than I think it was ever intended to be.
Over the last few years we have seen some of the great college programs crumble because of recruiting violations, illegal drugs, and the latest and the most bone chilling for me, sexual violation of minors by a grown man! This latest scandal has caused me to think a lot about the current state of college football in America. In its purest form, college football like most other sports are entertaining, inspiring, and life giving. Unfortunately, we have clouded this ideal because now its about the BCS and getting a shot at a national title. So now Universities throw ridiculous amounts of money into programs, finding the best coaches, recruiting the best players, building the biggest stadiums, having the best looking uniforms ( obviously I am not including Maryland in that category…what were you thinking this year with those uniforms?!) And like most college football fans, I think those things are important…I probably think they are WAY more important than they actually are. Programs are built now for nothing else then winning…and I like most love to win. But at some point we lost our way, winning became more then just putting up more points than your opponent, winning became an all consuming way of life, and nothing can or will get in the way of it.
Pennsylvania State University’s football program has had a long standing tradition of winning, Joe Pa passed former FSU coach Bobby Bowden with the most wins in college football history, as a Nittany Lion fan I couldn’t be more proud, that was until this Saturday. Since the news first broke, I have been reading, watching, and listening to everything about the scandal heartbroken over what Sandusky did, frustrated and disappointed in McQuery for not stepping up, and sadly disappointed in Joe Paterno for not doing more. It saddens my soul to think that because we have created this god of College football in this country that something like this could happen. Those directly involved in this can do nothing but start telling the truth and seeking forgiveness, but I can’t help but think should I, the die hard college football fan also be looking inward, dealing with the fact that I have created an idol, this golden calf known as love for college football?
There is nothing wrong with being a true fan of any sport, as a matter of fact I admit those who don’t like sports, I don’t know if I’ll ever understand that, but have we flirted with the line of love of sport or love of winning and put college football and all the players, coaches, and front offices on a pedestal in which they never had any place being?
Just a thought.
*I pray that the families involved in the scandal at State College would find comfort in the Lord, that they would be healed and restored by their creator. I pray that the one who committed such horrible offenses, Lord I pray that your justice would prevail, I pray his soul would grieve and have nothing short of an attitude of honest repentance, God have mercy on his dark, sinful soul.
