I noticed the title of this article right off the bat. Since this scandal has been so public lately, I was interested to see what the author meant by cult. I wondered whether this had to do with the Sandusky incident, or if this was another unrelated article about different problems Penn State was facing. As it turns out, it was related to the Sandusky incident, though only loosly. It was more like the author was using this event to back up the main point of her article.
The author was a graduate of Penn State who had grown up watching the Nittony Lions and cheering for them simply because that was what Pennsylvanians did, and that was how she had grown up. People looked up to Joe Paterno because he seemed to be what every person dreams to be: honest virtuous and humble.The players were revered, and were noticeably favored over other students, getting to take easier classes and being shown unwavering respect by other Pennsylvanians, whether they were other students or regular citizens who didn't even attend the university. When the author realized this and asked her parents not to get her season tickets, she felt like she was betraying everyone she had grown up around. She began realizing the team had less of a fan base, and more of a cult following. This observation was emphasized when the scandal came out and people pitied not only the children, but Joe Paterno the coach.
The author's main point was to try never to get so invested in something that you loose sight of what is right and wrong. The author used ethos by showing her close involvement in the Penn State "cult" and her view of fans and how they were effected by the team. Ultimately, her argument was very persuasive and although I don't personally agree with her believes about football, I can see how something so innocent looking can easily be twisted to look like a cult, especially in the case with Penn State.
"The Cult of Penn State"
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-1113-hubler-pennstate-20111113,0,4148222.story
I think it's ridiculous to love a football team too much to care when people rape little kids. No one should feel bad for anyone but the victims, and if people really feel bad for the coach, I agree when this article says that the fans are more like cult members.
ReplyDeletePeople should never allow their interests to over power the moral thing to do. It is sickening to me that fans of Penn State have felt for Joe Paterno because he lost his job when the victims of this scandal will be hurt by these events for forever. Paterno deserved to loose his job because he tried to help cover up the scandal and not once did he report the incidents to the police.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with nora and Kelly, and i've expressed my disgust on the Penn State situation many times. The world can be ugly.
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