Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Penn State Football Letter & Internet Proximity

STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Jonathan Sutherland #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after a tackle against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at Beaver Stadium on September 14, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) ***BESTPIX***



If there's one thing Americans love...it's sports.

More specifically, football.

We view our athletes as these larger-than-life figures that exist to do our bidding and nothing more or less. We tell them to "Shut Up and Dribble" and expect them to fit whatever mold we cast on them This misguided sense of entitlement combined with the increased access and connections we have through social media and the internet can lead to incidents such as what occurred back in October when Jonathan Sutherland, star safety for Penn State's football team, received a letter criticizing his dreadlocks.  **See Below**


Aside from the blatant racism contained within the letter, the thing that really intrigued me about this entire fiasco is the boldness behind the letter. Regardless of whether the letter actually came from an alumni, the problem lies in the writer's assumption that they are somehow entitled to some kind of input regarding Sutherland's appearance simply because he plays for Penn State.

Because of the internet and social media platforms, people have a totally new level of access to their favorite actors, singers, and celebrities.

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