(Newser)
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When Penn State announced yesterday that Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" would no longer be played at its football games, speculation immediately centered around the song's lyrics, specifically the "touching me, touching you" bit. In light of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal, that must be why the song was dumped, right? Nope, insists the school: "Absolutely no song changes were made based on lyrics," a spokesperson says.
"This song has come up on the list in recent years because it happens to be played in so many other professional and collegiate venues and has no real origination here at Penn State," he continues. The Tribune-Review notes that "Sweet Caroline" is indeed a popular sing-along song at US sporting events. The spokesperson, it should be noted, was specifically hired in June to help the school deal with the Sandusky scandal.
