Occupy Herbstreit

Donate to prevent Child Abuse. Support the Rape, Abuse and...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:19:00 -0500

Donate to prevent Child Abuse. Support the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network here: http://rainnmakers.rainn.org/occupyherbstreit

Occupy Herbstreit visits Penn State

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:17:31 -0500

I had been planning to go to the Penn State-Nebraska game this weekend for several months. I have a good friend who attended PSU and I had yet to go up there myself for a game. When Occupy Herbstreit took off, my anticipation for the game grew larger, thinking it would be a great atmosphere to feed off for sign ideas. After Penn State’s thrilling win over Illinois, we even thought there was an outside chance College Gameday would make an appearance, before Nebraska eventually lost to Northwestern. And then everything changed.

I had no idea what to expect when I arrived Saturday morning. What I found was a campus and collection of fans unquestionably damaged by the events of this scandal, but trying to remain proud of this affiliation which has played such a central role in their life. There were the students outside of the stadium with their signs soliciting donations to assist the battle against child abuse. There were the loud cheers for the seniors playing in their last home game, who had nothing to do with any of the accusations surrounding the program. There was the simple but poignant hand-made sign hanging in the row in front of our seats, “THIS WILL NOT DEFINE US”. That sign said much in few words. While this scandal has hurt everyone involved in different ways, there was a passion to remain resilient to its impact and a struggle to rectify its damage.

This story has made many of us question what role being a sports fan should play in our lives. As many have said, this story makes it clear that some things are larger than sports. I don’t disagree with this, but as a fan myself, I see the essential role that it can play in many of our lives. It bonds us with friends and family. It gives us a great highs and heart-wrenching lows to celebrate or commiserate with complete strangers. And sometimes, unexpectedly, it can give us much more.

To be honest, up until kickoff, I wasn’t even sure I should be at Penn State this weekend. I felt like an interloper, someone with no connection to the program or game, appearing at this difficult time, like someone crashing the funeral of a stranger. This feeling continued through the pre-game ceremonies, as I politely clapped for the seniors, listened to the National Anthem and participated in the moment of silence for the victims of sexual abuse. And then something revelatory occured. To what I imagine must have been the surprise to almost everyone in attendance, instead of preparing for the start of the game, the two teams walked to the center of the field and all bent down in prayer. A hush filled the stadium. This surprising quiet, unlike a planned moment of silence, struck us all. In our society, it is almost impossible to have moments of unexpected reflection. We are constantly interacting with the world around us, be it with other people in real life, communicating using our technology, listening to TV, surfing the internet, etc, etc. This unplanned opportunity for all of us to reflect on the events of the past week, without taking a side in a debate or arguing your own opinion in some manner, finally allowed the cathartic release of how truly tragic this was for everyone, be they Penn State supporters, sports fans in general, or just members of the human race. The eyes of many of those around me teared up. It is difficult to describe to anyone not in attendance, but it was one of the most moving moments I have ever participated in. It made us all realize that everyone in that stadium of 107,000 was trying to process this individually, but none of us was alone in doing so. We were all people trying to deal with the sometimes horrific behavior of man and what it meant.

So yes, sports can be a great diversion from real life. And most of the time the collective experience is simply one of cheering for your chosen team against another collection of athletes and fans. But sometimes, the collective experience can impact all of us in an unplanned, healthy, non-competitive way that makes our lives more meaningful for having experienced it. I was expecting to leave Happy Valley sad that we perhaps do put sports on too high a pedestal in our lives. And we should examine what role that may have played in this tragedy. However, as a sports fan, I feel reaffirmed that sports is one of the few mediums where individuals from all backgrounds can come together and experience something moving and powerful that makes us all reflect upon who we are and what it means.

Once again, a hearty thank you to all of our fans, and anyone who has made it this far reading my thoughts on what this weekend meant to me. If you care to support us in our fight against the sexual abuse of children, please donate to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network at http://rainnmakers.rainn.org/occupyherbstreit. We all need to feel something positive after this, and this is our way of doing our part.

The moment no one in attendance will ever forget, from this...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:10:00 -0500

The moment no one in attendance will ever forget, from this weekend’s Penn State-Nebraska game

New fan shot: Occupy Herbstreit makes it to College Gameday

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:08:11 -0500

New fan shot: Occupy Herbstreit makes it to College Gameday

I AM THE 100%. I am the 100% who are appalled at the reports...

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:32:36 -0500

I AM THE 100%. I am the 100% who are appalled at the reports from Penn State. Those responsible will face their day in court. However, this is not only about punishment & retribution. This is about doing good for your fellow man. Please consider donating to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network at http://rainnmakers.rainn.org/OccupyHerbstreit. I am the 100% who stand against sexual abuse of children. I AM OCCUPY HERBSTREIT

A Message from Occupy Herbstreit

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:37:45 -0500

When we launched Occupy Herbstreit about a month ago, we were both very surprised and highly flattered by the positive reception from the media and thousands of fans. For those of you who have followed us this past month, thank you.

As we wind down Occupy Herbstreit, we have been thinking about how to use the attention we have received to make a positive contribution to society, beyond simply making some people laugh with our signs. Like all College Football fans, we at Occupy Herbstreit were shocked and dismayed by the recent events surrounding the Penn State football program. Those involved deserve their day in court. But regardless of what occurs with the legal process, these allegations highlight the horrific nature of sexual abuse in our society. It has made us at Occupy Herbstreit ask what we can do to help make a difference in this immensely important fight against sexual abuse.

You may remember Occupy Herbstreit’s 13 Demands. We now add our 14th, and the most serious: we ask that you donate to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). RAINN is the U.S.’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. Although RAINN does many things, it “educates the public about sexual assault; and leads national efforts to prevent sexual assault, improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.”

We would be honored if each of you will consider donating whatever amount you feel is appropriate to RAINN on behalf of Occupy Herbstreit. Occupy Herbstreit currently has over 2,300 followers on Twitter (@LostGamedayFan). If everyone of our followers donates $5 to RAINN, we will have raised over $11,500 for this vital organization. Whatever the amount, your donation will help show that College Football fans care about more than just what happens on Saturdays, and it will also assist a very important cause. You can donate to RAINN through the Occupy Herbstreit donation page we created at http://rainnmakers.rainn.org/occupyherbstreit. Additional information about RAINN can be found at their website: http://www.rainn.org.

We at Occupy Herbstreit thank you, our fans, for your support over the past month, and we hope that you will seriously consider donating to RAINN.

— Occupy Herbstreit

Occupy Wall Street receives $5,000 a day, from Nevin Shapiro

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:50:58 -0500

Occupy Wall Street receives $5,000 a day, from Nevin Shapiro

And our favorite: Was Moody’s the source of Florida...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:06:19 -0500

And our favorite: Was Moody’s the source of Florida State’s preseason rating?

What do the economy and Texas football have in common? Both are...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:03:39 -0500

What do the economy and Texas football have in common? Both are underperforming at historic levels …

Today’s fan contributions were submitted by...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:00:52 -0500

Today’s fan contributions were submitted by @jillkimbrough. We loved all her pics, but we chose our three favorite to share: My Roth IRA is dropping faster than teams from the Big 12

John Paulson bet against the Big 12 too

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:19:49 -0500

John Paulson bet against the Big 12 too

End reliance on foreign oil, for Nick Saban’s hair

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:58:15 -0400

End reliance on foreign oil, for Nick Saban’s hair

Bigger MYTH? A corporation is a person or Les Miles is a human?

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:53:25 -0400

Bigger MYTH? A corporation is a person or Les Miles is a human?

There will be an Occupy Tuscaloosa as soon as the Trailer Park...

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:47:57 -0400

There will be an Occupy Tuscaloosa as soon as the Trailer Park bubble bursts

Our economy is crippled because the Honey Badger tackled it

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:33:25 -0400

Our economy is crippled because the Honey Badger tackled it

This is the only place that loves grass more than LSU’s...

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:00:25 -0400

This is the only place that loves grass more than LSU’s lockerroom

Nick Saban trusts the mainstream media less than we do

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:57:36 -0400

Nick Saban trusts the mainstream media less than we do

We were also pleasantly surprised to see fans of other sports...

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:16:03 -0400

We were also pleasantly surprised to see fans of other sports taking up the Occupy Herbstreit cause recently: Equality is our GOOOAAALL!!! GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!

Skip Bayless loves Occupy Herbstreit, unless the person on the...

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:44:13 -0400

Skip Bayless loves Occupy Herbstreit, unless the person on the other side of the table agrees

Sometimes we are asked our opinion of the other movement...

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:42:21 -0400

Sometimes we are asked our opinion of the other movement sweeping this country at the same time that OccupyHerbstreit has gained popularity. Of course, we are speaking of Tebowing, and our opinion is we support all forms of social and political expression: 1% of Tebow can fix the 99%