Attempts to belittle Pryor halted

You know Bob,

In a perfect world you are correct, but there is no such thing as perfect.

Pryor chose the red hot stage lights of OSU, jumped into the political fray of sporting Michael Vick's name & number under his eyes and so on and so on.

The criticism goes with the territory when playing at such a high profile university.

Stull got the horns at Pitt, Morelli at PSU, and now Pryor. I am certain there are 18 year old boys in Afghanistan that would change places with Pryor in a heartbeat.

I've seen people criticize kids in pee wee football.

Bob -

I actually think the shirts are funny.... part of sports is heckling the other team and other teams players.  If a player can't handle it (at this level.... not talking HS or younger) then maybe the spot light isn't for them.  It isn't an attack on anything personally or his family....

I do think the Dan Sturman statement is BS

(It's not a question of Pryor being able to handle it. If you read the story, he seemed capable of handling it very well. It just seems inappropriate to me. What ever happened to just rooting for your team?  --  Bob Smizik)

I understand that the idiots at PSMA were trying to make a buck.  I don't understand who would be stupid enough to buy them.  Would Pryor actually see the shirts?  I also don't understand the Nutcracker part of the shirt.  Never mind, I don't want to know.  By the way, Buckeye fans are giving him a lot worse than that on their blogs.

I know I am missing something real obvious (so seriously,  someone jump in and let me know what it is), but is the "cryer" part the only thing that caused this uproar?  If so, that is a pretty mild insult by today's standards.  At any given game there is usually a segment of the crowd hounding some athlete about things much more personal than being whiny, like transferring schools (remember Doug West), underage drinking or questionable recruiting.  And thats just in the colleges.  In the pro's, anything goes.   Terrelle "Cryer".....is that really an attempt to "embarrass, offend and humiliate"?

(Why did they pull the t-shirt, if it was so inoffensive? It's one thing when the students start something (Doug West), it's quite another when a university organization does.  -- Bob Smizik)

MSB - Nutcracker because of buckeyes......

santo - totally agree.... calling him a cryer is causing an "uproar" - come one people..... I got called worse than that in my Sunday softball league........... all in good fun of course.

Bob -

I'll make a mental note to never accuse you of crying about something in your blog since you find it very inappropriate.

I don't think that the shirt itself is offensive. If it is, then that's being a little over sensitive.

I think the problem is that the shirt was made by a University affiliated entity. If it were made by any other group not affiliated with PSU, then it'd be fine.

So, spontaneous student heckling is OK, but pre-planned "corporate heckling" is an attempt to "embarrass, offend and humiliate"?  

"It's hard to believe there are adults in this world so concerned about making a dollar that they'd go so far as to attempt to embarrass and humiliate a college football player..."

& even harder to believe that there are adults so sensitive & void of a sense of humor, that they make this an issue...it's college football, take it for what it's worth.  

each & every fall weekend all anyone needs to do to find something that can potentially be deemed offensive in sports, is tune in to a college football game & watch the crowd shots replete with obnoxious (& for the most part, liquored up) students taunting the opponent in one way or another.  

hell, espn even makes a habit of showing as many crowd shots as possible even if it means capturing something many would find even more offensive than what you apparently do,

(I see. If ESPN does it, it's OK. I prefer to set my standards a bit higher than theirs. -- Bob Smizik)

Blitz,

You're correct.

I mean half of the signs behind the guys every Saturday doing their live 'Gameday' are more offensive (not to me in any way though) than this shirt.

Yes the students will always taunt another team's players. That is part of the raw raw aspects of sports. But when the taunting, or in this case offensive tee shirts, are sponsored by the school then I think it becomes wrong. Go to a Steelers game and look at the shirts that are sold on the bridge down there. They are stupid and obnoxious but they aren't sponsored by the Steelers.

Cracking the Buckeyes this Saturday is PSU's PRIORity.

I know...it's Terrelleble of me...

I just don't see that big of a difference between a homemade t-shirt heckling someone compared to one that came off a printing press.  Either you find whats on the shirt offensive or you do not.  Why should it matter where it originated from?

I've seen some the Steeler shirts they sell outside Heinz Field all the time; now those I would call offensive.   But this seems so mild compared to that.  Plus, I wouldn't call Pryor a cryer anyways.  He may be struggling and frustrated, but a cryer?

msb46:  I didn't get the "nutcracker" thing either.  It's pretty lame.

Can we get the lion to hand Bob a Tissue?

Another example of political correctness going to far. Print the t-shirts sell them, lighten up, poking fun at your opponent is no reason to get your panties in a wad.

It is as simple as this:

If PSMA is an independent firm , then I find it OK to sellthe shirts but still would espect PSU to discourage it.

If PSMA is actually a university affiliate or is licensed by the school, the there is no way that the university can condone this, and it took the appropriate action.  Frankly, for one school to sanction a ridicule of a player of another school is not acceptable by any standard.

I have some intimate knowledge of the situation and want to go to bat for PSMA.  No question, it was a mess up.  People feel bad for the poor press drawn to PSU.  It was in poor taste, but please, spare me the fire and brimstone directed at them.  Athletes get excused all the time for serious lapses and it's often brushed off as youthful misdeeds.  This group is actually one of the more accomplished and motivated on campus here, and their good far outweighs the bad.

What people don't understand is that Penn State didn't sign off on this material.  The printer was not licensed to produce merchandise with Penn State trademarks.  They should have told the group when approached that they weren't allowed to print them.  They are hearing from the licensing department.  Penn State would not have approved that design.

It is unfortunate, but the group is looking to make good and move on.  They aren't a bunch of rogue savages.  Here, the situation is being used as a learning tool and a fascinating study on how information travels, the power of the internet, and how people prioritize what they pay attention to.  Once the school newspaper put the drawing on its website, it exploded in no time.

(I see. If ESPN does it, it's OK. I prefer to set my standards a bit higher than theirs. -- Bob Smizik)

That was not my point Bob & had you not edited my post, it would be clear to others that my point was, that it is commonplace in college athletics for the mostly immature & often inebriated student bodies, to taunt their opponents in a variety of ways.  One of which is the outfitting of those student fanbases in t-shirts emblazooned with off-color slogans, many of which are just plain derogatory (as per the example I provided & you edited, in my initial post) compared to this one, that you vehemently oppose.

(I edited your comment because I thought it was off-color. I can't believe you would even mention it because I rarely, if ever, touch you stuff.

My point was that just because it's done by college students and shown on ESPN does not make it proper. -- Bob Smizik)

Don't see what's not to agree with here...

Bob's saying that an organization that is supported and sanctioned by the University should be held to a higher standard than the random people on the street selling derogatory tshirts (which I personally have nothing against, if that's your thing).  

The tshirts themselves aren't overly offensive, but when an organization that represents an official arm of the University releases a shirt that demeans an individual on another team, that's ridiculous and uncalled for.  And employees for a university-sponsored company should know better.

I think it's a shame and in poor judgement by an obviously rude university.

Hail to Pitt and Go Gators.

Seriously though when is it ok to have a little fun at the expense of your opponent. I don't know why we've all become so sensitive anymore. A little laughter and poking fun at yourself is not always a bad thing. I just really don't see the big deal sorry Bob.

for those who see nothing wrong with the shirt ...I would like to know your honest opinion of the anti-Crosby presentation by both Wachovia Center and the Capitol Center

I remember the Cap Center game and how brutal their fans were.  I didn't agree with or like the anti-Crosby signs and shirts and I'm sure Sid was aggravated by them.  But I never once thought "they shouldn't be allowed to display those signs/shirts in public".  We get enough social engineering in our lives from politicians, no need to bring this into the sports arena over something as small as this.

Heckling other team's players obviously can cross a line when it goes too far.  For some people, that line is crossed with calling someone a whiner or a "cryer".  I draw the line a little further beyond that.

(Santo:  He's a sophomore in college. What's next? Taunting high schoolers?  Little Leaguers?  -- Bob Smizik)

Santo,  I'm not talking about the signs ... how about all of the images shown on the scoreboard that casts a negative light on Crosby in both Philly & DC?  I've been told that both places have a montage intended to incite the home rowdies ... totally classless.

No one has suggested that taunting anyone at less than the college level is acceptable.  I think I have been clear that there is a line that should not be crossed in regard to how far taunting shoudl go.  Pryor is 20 years old.  Old enough to serve his country, old enough to have a family, have kids, etc.  I'm certain that the univeristy has more than enough handlers helping all athletes, especially the starting QB, in dealing with the media, opposing fans, and how to deal with taunting.  Whatever image you have of what the student-athlete's college life should be like is at least 50 years outdated.  And even back then, I doubt fans sat orderly in their seats, clapped politely when the home team did good, applauded the visitors for a good effort, and shook hands with opposing fans at the end of the game.  That ship sailed long ago.  While your paternalistic protection is noble, it is completely unnecessary.   And back to my main point, we are only talking about him being called whiny, which I really can't believe anyone would raise an eyebrow over.  [I'm joking of course]

collegesportsfan:  I don't recall the video stuff you mention.  I might agree with you that it was classless and maybe should not have been shown by the organization.  But my point is that, to me, the method of delivery isn't as important as the message itself.  I understand why others may feel differently, but to me a shirt or a sign is either offensive or not offensive, regardless of where it was made or who is using it.

(What about the 18 or 19 year old still in high school and old enough to have a family and serve their country. Are they fair game, too?  --  Bob Smizik)