I posted the OP, so let me add after reading through a lot of it.
First off, again...."WE ARE" is hardly original, like someone said, if you have a two syllable team name or school, it is an easy cheer. But I just saw WE ARE MARSHALL, on the tele again a few days ago, and thought about this. The crashed happened in 1970. The "WE ARE" stuff happened in 1971. I am almost....ahem, well, 50. So I have been around awhile. All through the 70's and even into the 80's, never really heard this as the definitive PSU chant until the last 20-25 years. But it has become more than a chant, it is a declaration. Which is a difference. I will go into that more in a moment.
As for USC, I thought there thing was "Fight On". That is their Fight song. Like Hail To Pitt, "Fight On, for old SC!". As for the "We Are" stuff, again...it is usually defined by that declaration and then the school. Hence, "WE ARE.........MARSHALL". Someone posted it is no different than the "Let's Go"........followed by team name and I disagree. For example, WVU's is a sing song, "Let's Go...Mountaineers" They don't have all of these Hoopies signing off everything or tweets with #Let's Go". It is not their's, without the Mountaineer part.
#We Are. PSU fans, Penn Staters, think that is their's, Then the arrogance continues on so many levels with "WE ARE...THE BEST". Really? The best at what? Best of who? We Are Unrivaled. Again, really? And in this case, that is largely true, and it is not based on Penn State's status, but because no one in the B1G would consider them their #1 rival. Well maybe except Rutgers. But it is that whole, "WE ARE.....THE BEST" crap that makes people hate you.
It is okay to have pride. But they have this cult like devotion that makes them the Scientologists of the college sports, hell the sports world. But it is more than sports, it is even more than that college, it is that town. They have made J. Vincent Paterno into L. Ron Hubbard. People like Thomas Lubrano are their David Miscaviage and Franco into their Tom Cruise. WE ARE...BETTER! Take THON, on the surface it is a great thing. But Penn State turns this into another "WE ARE BETTER" crap than everyone else. WE ARE...BETTER. My Pitt response is...WE DID CURE POLIO! (mic drop) Bitch!
I know this sounds overdramatic, but all they can do is focus on how many white people they can gather into parking lots and Beaver Stadium as some sort of cultish ritual to show how "BETTER" they are than everyone. How much "better" are you when you define everything by how many people go to a flippin' football game? That makes you "better"?
I have friends and coworkers that are Penn State grads, and while I like them, there is something "off" about them in many cases. It is that "WE ARE" mentality, like they are god's chosen ones. It is pretty creepy. And like Scientologists, we see what happens when people try and open the drapes and look behind the curtain. WE ARE!
For these past few decades Pitt fans have had this shoved down our throats, from Nitcentric media who were no doubt either part of the cult, or just bedazzled by J. Vincent Paterno. Success With Honor was their Dianetics. Meanwhile as we all now know, and in like most devout and closely held groups, all was not what it appears.
Back to the point. It is okay to cheer and root for your team. It is okay to be proud of your school. But PENN STATE ESPECIALLY, have a little god damn humility. It tends to go a long ways to help people sympathize and try and understand you guys.
First off, again...."WE ARE" is hardly original, like someone said, if you have a two syllable team name or school, it is an easy cheer. But I just saw WE ARE MARSHALL, on the tele again a few days ago, and thought about this. The crashed happened in 1970. The "WE ARE" stuff happened in 1971. I am almost....ahem, well, 50. So I have been around awhile. All through the 70's and even into the 80's, never really heard this as the definitive PSU chant until the last 20-25 years. But it has become more than a chant, it is a declaration. Which is a difference. I will go into that more in a moment.
As for USC, I thought there thing was "Fight On". That is their Fight song. Like Hail To Pitt, "Fight On, for old SC!". As for the "We Are" stuff, again...it is usually defined by that declaration and then the school. Hence, "WE ARE.........MARSHALL". Someone posted it is no different than the "Let's Go"........followed by team name and I disagree. For example, WVU's is a sing song, "Let's Go...Mountaineers" They don't have all of these Hoopies signing off everything or tweets with #Let's Go". It is not their's, without the Mountaineer part.
#We Are. PSU fans, Penn Staters, think that is their's, Then the arrogance continues on so many levels with "WE ARE...THE BEST". Really? The best at what? Best of who? We Are Unrivaled. Again, really? And in this case, that is largely true, and it is not based on Penn State's status, but because no one in the B1G would consider them their #1 rival. Well maybe except Rutgers. But it is that whole, "WE ARE.....THE BEST" crap that makes people hate you.
It is okay to have pride. But they have this cult like devotion that makes them the Scientologists of the college sports, hell the sports world. But it is more than sports, it is even more than that college, it is that town. They have made J. Vincent Paterno into L. Ron Hubbard. People like Thomas Lubrano are their David Miscaviage and Franco into their Tom Cruise. WE ARE...BETTER! Take THON, on the surface it is a great thing. But Penn State turns this into another "WE ARE BETTER" crap than everyone else. WE ARE...BETTER. My Pitt response is...WE DID CURE POLIO! (mic drop) Bitch!
I know this sounds overdramatic, but all they can do is focus on how many white people they can gather into parking lots and Beaver Stadium as some sort of cultish ritual to show how "BETTER" they are than everyone. How much "better" are you when you define everything by how many people go to a flippin' football game? That makes you "better"?
I have friends and coworkers that are Penn State grads, and while I like them, there is something "off" about them in many cases. It is that "WE ARE" mentality, like they are god's chosen ones. It is pretty creepy. And like Scientologists, we see what happens when people try and open the drapes and look behind the curtain. WE ARE!
For these past few decades Pitt fans have had this shoved down our throats, from Nitcentric media who were no doubt either part of the cult, or just bedazzled by J. Vincent Paterno. Success With Honor was their Dianetics. Meanwhile as we all now know, and in like most devout and closely held groups, all was not what it appears.
Back to the point. It is okay to cheer and root for your team. It is okay to be proud of your school. But PENN STATE ESPECIALLY, have a little god damn humility. It tends to go a long ways to help people sympathize and try and understand you guys.
