The Penn State Nittany Lions football team announced last week that going forward, the names on the back of the jerseys will be removed, returning to the “Basic Blues” that the university wore for more than 100 years.
By now, it’s old news, and the change has been welcomed by almost all, especially alumni.
“That simple tradition, I feel, takes away from a lot of the chest-beating and ‘look at me’ mentality we have in society and puts the importance on working together and being a team,” said 2015 Penn State graduate Jay Wareham.
He continued, “The meaning behind it is honestly one reason I choose Penn State, because it’s always been about doing things the right way and together.”
Madison Perkins, a longtime Nittany Lions football supporter and member of the Class of 2014, was “disappointed when the names were put on because that wasn’t the Penn State football I knew and loved.” She later added, “It’s a legacy.”
To many fans, taking the names away not only represents a return to the tradition that carried the university for 125 years, but also represents a time of healing.
After dealing with the fallout of the Sandusky scandal – both in terms of the emotional and fiscal reparations to the victims – the university was left rocked. The football team was one of the foundations of the Penn State community; students, fans and alumni were united over the team, and everything about it changed, including the one thing that had remained untouched for more than a century.
The actions of Jerry Sandusky ruined lives, there is no denying that or rationalizing it away. However, the fact remains that it was not the fault of the football team. While changing the way the team operated was necessary in the moment, and a break from the past was absolutely essential, the football team was turned on its ear.
Some have implied that removing the names from the jerseys is disrespectful to the victims and will allow Penn State to bury the past and forget it ever happened.
This writer argues that tradition is integral to the Penn State culture; just as it is to many football-oriented universities across the country, and that removing the names is not disrespectful, but is rather a time-honored tradition for the Nittany Lions. It’s one that will ignite and reunify fans, students, alumni and the team.
Penn State’s choice to remove the names from the jerseys honors the foundations of the football team while the choices made by university officials and fans have and will continue to honor and respect the victims of horrific abuse.
Penn State paid for its crimes. Moving forward, this writer believes that the university will be able to return to its customs and traditions without regressing. The steps that the entire Penn State community has taken to prevent further abuse are impressive and should be commended.
The Nittany Lions open the 2015 campaign at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Photo Credit: NittanyLionsDen.com
