WE ARE....STILL PENN STATE: How Fandom never changes, even in the worst of times.

  On January 22 students and fans of Penn State football visited the grave of their late head coach Joe Paterno.

     It’s been over a year since former head coach of Penn State Joe Paterno died after retiring because of the Penn State Sex Scandal.   To make a long story short, former coach Jerry Sandusky's dirty laundry went out to dry in early November 2011.  Sandusky was charged with 40 criminal accounts including sexually abusing minors, and head coach of Penn State Football, Joe Paterno, was fired from the head coach position for not doing anything about it.  Later in January, Paterno would die of lung cancer.  Later that year, Sandusky is charged with 40 of 45 felonies.  Most people would think that sex scandal at major football program would create an uproar on campus and around the US.  And this scandal was no different, but instead of the students and fans of Penn State just turning their backs and walking away from the program, the fans rallied behind it. The fans made sure that Joe Pa's name wouldn't be in vain.  The fans of Penn State loved Joe  Paterno so much that they stood by him until the day he died. 

       "I definitely think that everything that has happened isn't at all indicative of the kind of man that he was," said Bridget Beromedi, 32.

   The fans of Penn State have a behavioral motivation of family. On the day Joe Pa died thousands of Penn Staters showed up on Old Main lawn at Penn State to attended a candlelight vigil to mourn Joe Pa's death. This goes to  show how much Penn Staters  loved their coach.
     The Penn State fan base is a family and will always be.  If the above statement isn't enough, the fans and students of Penn State attended a vigil for the former Penn State head coach. There were 150 fans that attented the vigil, lighting luminaries with someone’s name, a message for Joe Paterno, or a quote to Joe.   The vigil was heldon the corner of Heister Street and College Avenue, the location where the "Inspiration" Mural is painted on the outside of the book store and of course Joe is apart of it.  

      “To people around here, Penn State is not just a school or team they root for, it’s a part of their identity,” Wright said. “It’s the greatest loss this community has ever known, and there is a state still in mourning.”

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2013/01/23/3474551/vigil-held-for-paterno.html#storylink=cpy

      I'm not alum or a current student at Penn State, but I love it because of the family aspect.  My entire family loves Penn State and grew up watching Joe Pa  and the team win titles.  I might not be involved with the program in any way shape or form, but there is a companionship with my family that is very strong because of a sports team.  This is also how the fans felt when Joe Paterno died.  The fans joined together and helped each other through it.  Joe Paterno was the face of Penn State for many years and in the fans minds he still his.

      The fans of Penn State understand the wrongs that had happened to Joe Paterno  and accept them.  They don't hold those wrongs against them, but will stand behind their beloved coach no matter what.

 WE ARE..........STILL PENN STATE!