Issue 182001 Graduate Surprised by Rose Bowl Turnout
By Winnie Fooslager
Pasadena, CA-- Amanda Theether ('01 - Industrial Engineering) made her first and probably last trip to see PSU play in a BCS bowl game when she attended last week's Rose Bowl. Although she had an "ok" time paying $1,000 for round trip airfare and $300 for a ticket, she just didn't except to see so many PSU fans.
Die-hard PSU fan Amanda Theether dons a grey shirt to show her undying support for the Nittany Lions.
"I was a big PSU football fan for the 4 years I went to PSU, and saw all the home games," said Theether. "Well, I mean, if you don't count the times we just pre-gamed and didn't go to the game at all, or the times when it was 21-0 after the first quarter and we just left to go downtown before halftime."
Theether, a self proclaimed Nittany Lion for life who bleeds blue and white, has not missed a game in person or on TV in the nearly 8 years since she graduated. "I don't really need to watch the games; I see the scores in the paper, that's the same thing. Plus, the whole 2003 season with a 3-and-9 record, and 4-and-7 in 2004, there was no need to really watch any of those games, since I already knew the team wouldn't have a winning record."
Hope resurfaced for Theether around October of last year. "When I checked my text messages and saw that PSU was off to an undefeated season in 2008, I felt something magical was about to happen, so I had to see them play. I know the Daryll Collins and Deon Bututzio, they are my favorite players. Not to mention the defense, #19 and #98 are amazing!"
Theether bought her ticket to the Rose Bowl in early December, and enjoyed seeing the game in person. "One thing that surprised me though, was how many 'untrue' Penn State fans there were. Frankly, a lot of them were just jumping on the bandwagon."
Theether is on her way back to State College, where she will celebrate Penn State's resurgent season by taking some pictures by the Joe Paterno statue and parading down College Avenue as Penn State's "#1 fan."