I emailed Onward (long)
Sent to Managing editor & sports editor cc: managing editor emeritus, every writer who wrote an article about PSU football in the last month.
Onward,
Since the announcement of the
Rutgers - Penn State game moving to prime time on BTN there has been a
lot of talk about if it should be an official white out. I was an
undergrad when the white outs started and became a thing (05-09) and
generally they were always chosen by the students. I remember the 05
Wisconsin game a bunch of guys in the back of pick up trucks driving
around with bullhorns the night before the game telling everyone to
"White Out" Wisconsin to clinch the Big Ten title. I digress.
The
reason I am emailing you about it is because I believe that as largest
digital media voice of the students you are the tail that can wag the
dog on this issue with the Athletic Department. I am in the camp that
doesn't really want to see Rutgers be the White Out game because I don't
think 23-2 makes for a rivalry and making it as such kind of diminishes
that the White Out is something for big games or games of significance.
Plus Rutgers fans behavior last year when we visited Piscataway was
ridiculous and should not be rewarded with a trip to the White House.
(Certainly the Michigan game would be the White Out if it weren't
scheduled in November during Thanksgiving break)
An alternative idea was suggested on the Rivals BWI McAndrew Message Board that I particularly like (link:
https://bwi.rivals.com/ showmsg.asp?fid=36&tid= 180022387&mid=180022387&sid= 890&style=2):
The Spin Meister[/URL]
Post #
1897
Forget Rutgers, make Army the WhiteOut Game
We play Army on Oct 3rd. West Point is close
and should send a nice contingent of cadets. Move it to night time, have
a combined WhiteOut /Salute the Army. 110,000 fans in white waving US
flags. Fly over with smoke, Red, White, and Blue. Salute war vets at
half time. Army band does National Anthem. What a pic that would be on
national TV!
4/15 9:45 AM | IP: Logged
I
think this would be a great sign of respect to the Army and US military
and would not diminish the value of the White Out game because we are
doing it out of appreciation for the Army. An argument could be made
that all night games at Beaver Stadium should be White Outs, but just
two years ago when we played UCF in prime time it was not a White Out.
Also, my Wisconsin example from 2005 shows that White Outs can also be
during day games (07 Notre Dame was also a twilight start that was a
White Out). An argument could also be made for having no White Out game
at this year but I fear that if the students don't pick a game and run
with it that the Athletic Department will and we'll be stuck with it.
At
minimum I believe this is a conversation worth having amongst the
students and would gain a lot of traction for Onward by putting the
conversation out there (certainly some hate from Rutgers as well).
I
believe the selection of the White Out games is something the students
should come up with, not the athletic department, and as the largest
digital media voice I think Onward should start that conversation. No
better week than to run a story like this than with the Blue-White game
coming up this weekend, and right after Ben Jones article yesterday.
Thank you for reading and Best Regards,
Brent '09
We Are...
Why? well, then it will have NO MEANING at all !!!!
