Penn State Football: Fans Must Not Hold Sandusky Scandal Against New Regime

As the rolling tide of anguish and pain flows at Penn State, it must ebb as the new regime enters the university's once-storied grounds.

As much pain, anger and raw emotion that has enveloped Penn State's campus since former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse against boys, we must remember that whoever tries to fill the void is not to be blamed.

Too often we see coaches enter a hostile and troubled environment, only to be driven away the first time they step foot on the field.

I don't doubt that Penn State's campus will be under a black cloud for a long time. It may even take decades. However, we also need to realize there is the possibility for change always, no matter what has happened before. Without hope, we are lost.

Right now, it's hard to feel anything else but anger. Even for those who aren't associated with Penn State, we constantly find ourselves fighting back for the boys and families who were undoubtedly devastated.

We also must remember that without pushing forward, without looking out at that beacon of hope, we will remain in this state for eternity. Even if someone comes along and truly tries to reverse the culture, there will be no chance of succeeding if Penn State is already deemed to be in ruins.

We must pick the pieces up, as heavy as the may be. We must dust ourselves off as a human race, as bitter as we may feel. We must prove this is not what we have become.

But in order to do all of this, we must first heal.

We can only heal by remembering the past, but remembering it is the past.

There is no timeline for how quickly a human being can heal from prior wounds, but hopefully when we all come out of this nightmare, we come out of it better as a human race.