70,000 Penn State Fans "Like" This Facebook Post Demanding An Apology From ESPN For "Dragging Joe Pa Through The Mud"

Every time we publish one of those " look at all these crazy Penn State fans" posts, Nittany Lions fans pour in with the complaints that the Paterno defenders and child rape-enabler deniers are a small but vocal faction and that the majority of the PSU community doesn't think that way. We're inclined to agree, knowing a good number of sane and perfectly nice Penn State folks ashamed by their school's role in perpetuating child molestation.

Then we find something like this, an impassioned screed from a Penn State fan that has run the viral marathon over at Facebook. For the tl;dr crowd, here's some highlights:

To Rodney Erickson, and the rest of the Penn State Nation, I hope that this status goes viral so you will someday read it.

Uh, success!

We do not remove the Lincoln Memorial because he started the Civil War, rather we leave it as a reminder of the good he's done.

It's been a few years since I had Mr. Inselmann's AP American History class, but I'm pretty sure Abraham Lincoln didn't "start the Civil War."

Even until the day he passed away, Coach Paterno lived with gracious integrity and still to this day, has been the only staff member to admit he was wrong.

Sure, if you consider protecting Jerry Sandusky to be the mark of integrity.

I also ask that ESPN give a sincere and public apology for dragging the school, Joe Pa, the victims, and the fans, alumni, and families of Penn State through the dirt by giving an unfair and completely biased, opinionated report.

...

You might be excused for considering this just another lone wolf wacko, but the post has made its way around Facebook enough to be liked more than 70,000 times in the seven days since it was posted. It also, of course, led to more than a thousand replies from people who found a common bond:

h/t to Jared