Blue White Illustrated

A TIME TO REFLECT Amid the cheers, a call for introspection as normalcy returns to PSU n the wake of any tragedy, a period of mourning ensues. Likewise, moments of reflection are often necessary to move beyond the shock and sadness that tragedies evoke. It's been weeks since the Penn State football team celebrated one of its all- time greatest triumphs in the Big Ten Championship Game. But the Nittany Lions won't face Southern California in the Rose Bowl until Jan. 2, and the gap between those two games makes this an opportune moment for introspec- tion. Athletics can serve as an escape from even the harshest realities. Although the uglier side of the world can at times jut into and intertwine with sports, more often, sports act as a shield and diver- sion from those realities. Those norms aside, Penn State football and the community that follows the program have nonetheless found them- selves in a uniquely grave and emotion- ally burdensome muck the past five years. Using deception and manipulation, a depraved criminal assaulted some of the most vulnerable people in the commu- nity. He was a fixture in the State Col- lege area, and he used the Penn State football program as his primary bait as he preyed on children who came from broken homes or had suffered severe so- cioeconomic disadvantages. The destruction that this criminal caused is something to be mourned deeply – now and into the future. Given the way Penn State football has been drawn into this tragedy – a link that has been litigated and re-litigated both in the courts and through public discourse – the program and its fans have been forced to confront questions previously unimaginable in the world of college athletics. A game played by hardworking stu- dent-athletes and managed by dedi- cated coaches, supported in kind by passionate followers, became a ground zero for arguments regarding hero wor- ship and its implications. Accusations of complicity created an atmosphere ripe for perceived guilt-by-association, rais- ing challenges to the very nature of fan- dom. Forced to grapple with a deeply com- plex, painful tragedy playing itself out in direct opposition to the immense pride of players, coaches, fans and alumni, Penn State found that an uncomfortable relationship had become the norm. Only the passage of time provided the neces- sary buffer to ease those ills. That has changed. On Dec. 3 in Indianapolis, a 38-31 vic- tory against Wisconsin propelled the Nittany Lions to their first conference title since the 2008 season and first- ever win in the Big Ten Championship Game. On the heels of their improbable run of success, during which they over- came obvious handicaps beyond their control, the Nittany Lions changed the narrative of upheaval, transition and discontent that had consumed the pro- gram on and off the field. The celebration will continue as fans flock to Pasadena for the Nittany Lions' biggest game in nearly a decade. But in many ways, this is a moment that calls for introspection. Unranked to start the season, the Lions split their first four games. In doing so, they brought back to the sur- face the discontent that had been sim- mering after back-to-back 7-6 seasons. Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour was forced to address James Franklin's future by giving him a public vote of confidence. But with each passing win, from the first steps against Minnesota and Maryland to the upset of No. 2 Ohio State to road wins and dominating performances late in the season, Penn State shed its an- chored identity. The Lions' run was worthy of the catharsis and exuberance that accompa- nied it, and no one understands that better than Franklin. Said the third-year head coach, "With all the personnel changes we've had, with all the coaching changes we've had, with the challenges in terms of scholarship reductions and things like that, there's probably more on our plate than most places. It makes it probably that much more satisfying because we know what we've been through to get here." No one who's been associated with the program the past few years is likely to forget the challenges, and fans will re- flect fondly on the unexpected joy this particular team brought its community at this unique moment. But as the mo- ment passes, some semblance of nor- malcy will quickly descend. Having proven themselves on the field and on the sidelines, the Nittany Lions will be judged increasingly on wins and losses, their performances evaluated without caveats. While seasons are often ap- praised in relation to the expectations JUDGMENT CALL I

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