Penn State Bans ‘Sweet Caroline’ at Football Games
The Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State had many innocent victims. First and foremost are the young boys abused by Sandusky, then there are the current and future Penn State players and students who will suffer for years under the weight of the NCAA punishments. And now you can add Neil Diamond to the casualty list.
Penn State announced Monday that it would be ending its long-standing tradition of playing the Neil Diamond classic ‘Sweet Caroline’ during games because university officials felt it wasn’t the best move in light of the scandal to have a stadium full of people singing “touching me, touching you” at the top of their lungs.
Probably a smart move on Penn State’s part as they try to rebuild the university’s image. And for a program as steeped in tradition as the Nittany Lions, this probably won’t be as noticeable a change as, say, putting players’ names on the backs of their jerseys. But it shows that the fallout from the Sandusky scandal is far from over.
And not even Neil Diamond is safe.