Penn State Weathers Media Storm

Things could always change without notice, but doesn't it feel like Penn State has come out of the mainstream media onslaught in one piece?

For more than a year, PSU was bombarded with accusations that Joe Paterno had lost the team, that players were getting in trouble with the law on what was made to seem like a daily basis. It was a horror movie, one that wouldn't end.

If it wasn't news from the crime blotter, it was endless questions about how the team could possibly win without an experienced quarterback, or underachieving receivers, or the zero chance of winning in Columbus.

Yes, from the spring of 2007 right through the end of 2008, Penn State was college football drama at its nastiest, right down to the total hatchet job by Outside the Lines. But no more. At least, we hope.

Just look at the mainstream media blogs.

Bruce Feldman's "Top 10 winter soap operas" this offseason: no Penn State.

Stewart Mandel's "10 offseason storylines to watch": no Nittany Lions there either.

Even Dennis Dodd's blog "Dodds and Ends" lacks a single tidbit about Penn State, anywhere. Go ahead, do a "Find" and search for "Penn State." Zip.

However, let me stress again, we could very well wake up tomorrow to a glaring Google alert. But even with that chance of bad news at the click of a mouse, I'm optimistic.

Penn State took the punches and is almost stronger because of it. Joe Paterno has proven nearly everyone in the mainstream media wrong, period.

Sure, they'll never admit it, and they shouldn't have to. The mainstream media gets paid to entertain us. Unfortunately for Penn State fans, horror movies are just as entertaining to people as feel-good flicks. But this movie is rolling the credits, and the audience is filing out of the theater.

Penn State has finally turned the page. Let's hope there's no going back.