Basketball game a reminder that yes, Penn State sucks

Growing up in central Pennsylvania, blue and white is not just the color of the sky. It is on… Growing up in central Pennsylvania, blue and white is not just the color of the sky. It is on flags, T-shirts, banners, cars – anything the Penn State logo can fit on.

Revisiting my home area this weekend felt good, not because of that overwhelming feeling of home, but because I knew that the winless Nittany Lions basketball team did not have a chance against our undefeated Panthers.

In years past, this game would have been huge. Buying a ticket at the door for five bucks would have been impossible. Even with Penn State’s poor record, their fans would have been out to support their team in one of the biggest rivalries in college history.

But that wasn’t the case. The Bryce Jordan Center was not empty, but was far from full. Penn State fans don’t think of Pitt as a rival. Maybe it was because in the last 10 years, Pitt has not been the opponent that Penn State thinks it deserves. At least that is one of the excuses I constantly heard during my days in central Pennsylvania.

What about now? Last time we played them in football we won. Our men’s basketball team is ranked fourth in the country. There is no trace of us not being worthy opponents.

Even their beloved JoePa has shown interest in renewing our rivalry. In the Nov. 20 edition of the Tribune-Review, JoePa said he would like to see Pitt join the Big Ten Conference.

As a Pitt fan since birth, I would love to see the rivalry back. I want every meeting with Penn State to be a huge ordeal, just like football games used to be.

The turnout at the game Saturday showed that there are still Pitt fans out there who really care about the rivalry. I was amazed at how much blue and gold I saw, and how loud the Pitt cheers echoed in the arena.

Surrounded by “Zoo” shirts, I remembered how fun the rivalry was. This is what rivalries are about. It isn’t about causing fights or calling names. It’s about making a game fun, regardless of how exciting it is. It’s something that is capable of pulling an entire city (or valley) together.

I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Even coach Ben Howland said that the rivalry “is good for college basketball in western Pennsylvania to create interest.” He believes “the two universities should play every year, in football and basketball.” He went as far as saying, “the legislature of Pennsylvania should demand that. It is ridiculous that the football teams don’t play when you look at the history of the two schools.”

The Pitt community needs to remember the joy this rivalry brought to the fans. I don’t want to see us to leave the Big East to make it happen, but a rivalry this wonderful shouldn’t die. And just because the band stopped playing it, we don’t have to stop the chanting: “Penn State sucks! Penn State sucks! P-E-N-N-S-T sucks!”

Courtney Oberdorf was the Layout Editor when she wrote this column, but has since given up her position. She enjoys kicking JoePa’s ass – well, at least the statue’s ass. She wants all her Penn State friends to realize that Pitt is superior.