Penn St. Punishment. Thoughts?

[Dusty]

To me it looks like the punishments fit the crime.  Simply killing Penn St's football program would have been letting them off easy.  The sanctions handed down to today were the show cattle equivalent of : "you can still show, but you have to pick out your calves from the sick pen of the local feedlot, you still have to go to all the shows however you are not allowed to ever be in a divsion, final drive etc."

This punishment ensures that every game they play for the next ten years will be an embarrassment to the school and the fans.  Every analyst and sports writer will cite the sanctions from the scandal as to why they won't have football success for a long time if ever.

This punishment is harsher than killing the program

 

[jphelps]

Haven't been following the situation too close but I think it does fit as well, as long as the current players are allowed to transfer and play immediately (which I think is what I heard correct me if I'm wrong). Just saw something online today about how in 2010 Ohio State played penn state which they both have now vacated, thought that was kind of interesting.

 

[jason]

It is actually harsher than I envisioned, but justified.  I knew they wouldn't get the death penalty, but I didn't think they would vacate everything from 1998 on.  60 million is a lot of jack too, I know their endowment is huge, but that is going to hurt a bit, especially with a bowl ban.

The sound you here above you  is every team's jet on the way to pick off recruits.


Penalties

1.  $60 million dollar fine, goes to child abuse charity.  1 Year of Football Revenue
2.  PSU won't see a bowl game for 4 years.
3.  PSU's football team will lose 10 scholarships a year for 4 years.
4.  All athletes can transfer without penalty
5.  Those who stay can retain scholarships.
6.  NCAA vacates everything from 1998 on
7.  5-year probation
8.  NCAA reserves right to investigate and impose further sanctions

Corrective actions

1.  Demands certain policy reforms
2.  Athletic integrity agreement with NCAA and Big 10
3.  Independent monitor for five years

 

[mark tenenbaum]

I think the currant players should and CAN go elsewhere.Penn State got what they deserve-what price do you put on ruining a kids life? Much less 30-40 lives,or however many that evil low life  coward molested. Ditto to the Airforce lacky who prayed upon female recruits-preditors like these need to get HARD TIME-and maybe have a couple hundred cartons of ciggaretts sent to the wrong inmates O0

 

[jason]

Already lost their first recruit...this is going to get ugly.

 

[trevorgreycattleco]

Penn State just became the equivalent to a MAC school. They won't be relevant for a long time. And rightfully so. I hope Sandusky gets tossed into general population. Shower time won't be nearly as fun. I think PSU will eventually get tossed from the big ten.

 

[pa showman]

I know i am the minority here but, i feel it is wrong for the kids now not to be able to go to bowl games and i know they can transfer but, i feel its wrong to punish kids for what Jerry sandusky and other people did. I do understand though that what he did was cowardly but , why punish the school however many years later.    JMHO
                                                                                       

 

[twistedhshowstock]

I dont think the school itself should have been punished.  I think those in charge that swept things under the rug should have been punished, but not the school itself.  All this did in my opinion was create more victims.  Is it fair to all those players who worked their rear ends off to win those bowl games that now suddenly because their coach was a sleeze bag all their accomplishments have been nullified.  What about those kids whose families are full of tradition at Penn State and they want to go to Penn state because its where their father, grandfather, great grand father went.  Now if the want to go and play football their, they have to make the choice between following tradition that may near and dear to them, knowing that they will never get in a bowl game, thus meaning nothing will advance beyond playing for an obsolete team. Or make the choice to break a tradition to be allowed any chance at success.
In my opinion yes people needed to be punished for their actions, but Penn State is not a person. It is a school that had a lot of tradition and history before this sleezebag ever even dreamed of being a coach.  I think some penalty to the school monetarily would have been good, but what I think would have been more fitting would have been for the NCAA and every other college accrediting group to come in and force Penn State to fire every scum bag that had any knowledge of this and didnt say anything, no severance package, no notice, just pack your crap and get out.  I think they should all be banned from working in any field even remotely related to this ever again, and I think the fines should be instated on the people not the school.  After all it was a crime for them to have knowledge of this and not say anything.  I think the courts should also dictate those people must pay the fines or face jail time as well, since them knowing about this without saying anyting was in fact illegal.

 

[ploughshare]

I do think the school should be punished and I have to agree with the NCAA.  Football was bigger than doing the right thing in this case or cases and Top to bottom, everyone failed.  When the community and university let football, a game of entertainment, take precedence over the well being of children, then a real problem exists.  What if one of the abused had been your child. They deserve all they got and more.  The cover up or lack of action and not reporting the incidents to law enforcement was just as bad as Sandusky's abuse.

I work at a Division I school  and we are having to react to the outcome of these events down to the 4-H extension program. That is just another reason why I have no sympathy for the school that let this happen.

God save Cale Sanderson.

 

[farmboy]

The only question now is will the recruits go to Michicant or will they go to OSU?

 

[aj]

Aren't all colleges maxed out on scholarships this time of year.

 

[Mainevent]

My opinion is, that penn state football was not the reason those kids were harmed the actions of a sick old man did! And not Joe Pa, Jerry Sandusky is now going rot in the prison system for what he did, the football program did nothing wrong these sanctions are absolute BS! Everyone who was involved is either dead, in prison till the day he dies, or will never be able to come close to getting a job again. NCAA had no real reason for the sanctions, the court system did what it was supposed to. Now your killing a program and the name of a man who god rest his soul can't even fight back! Rediculous!

 

[DiamondMCattle]

It may not have been the University's fault, but a number of their leaders knew and didn't do anything. The NCAA had to make an example out of them and show that there are more important things that athletics. My sympathy is for the players who are getting punished for something they had nothing to do with. At least they have the option to transfer.

 

[TxAdmin]

The NCAA did the right thing.  All the kids currently there can transfer without losing eligibility. Schools can take them and be exempt from the scholarship limit.   The school and any loser that chooses to still be associated with it will be an emberassment and a laughing stock. I can't imagine the jets landing in happy valley tonight looking to pick up the free agents. And Joe pa's family, do yourself a favor and go hide and quit trying to defend that POS

I did not know that.  I just assumed that another less talented player decided to transfer because playing time was going to be limited.  See Calpari taking over Kentucky.

 

[hamburgman]

I am really torn on the situation.  This whole thing doesn't fit Paterno's character, it still baffles me.  I agree more with twistedstock, why are we not hearing about the people who actually did leg work to cover it up having their heads rolled?  My beef is with them, not the football program and players.  At the same time you need to set examples to prevent this from happening again, however I highly doubt it is these punishments that will prevent this in the future.

 

[RyanChandler]

The NCAA did the right thing.  All the kids currently there can transfer without losing eligibility. Schools can take them and be exempt from the scholarship limit.   The school and any loser that chooses to still be associated with it will be an emberassment and a laughing stock. I can't imagine the jets landing in happy valley tonight looking to pick up the free agents. And Joe pa's family, do yourself a favor and go hide and quit trying to defend that POS

Blasphemy!

 

[jason]

I am really torn on the situation.  This whole thing doesn't fit Paterno's character, it still baffles me.  I agree more with twistedstock, why are we not hearing about the people who actually did leg work to cover it up having their heads rolled?  My beef is with them, not the football program and players.  At the same time you need to set examples to prevent this from happening again, however I highly doubt it is these punishments that will prevent this in the future.

I think we will see more that comes out.  I do feel for Penn State alumni, teachers, students, athletes and community that have to deal with the perverse actions of top brass at the school.   They had an awful lot of chances to stop the abuse over the years and decided to protect their own buts and the football program.  It's a no win situation all around.

 

[comercialfarmer]

Yep, I agree.   Those poor athletes, losing the chance to play in a bowl GAME is probably WAY worse than being sodomized by a grown man.  Heck, if they didn't like it, they probably would have told someone a long time ago.  ???

It is a game people.  For a game, someone didn't report sexual crimes against the most defenseless victims- CHILDREN.  

The culture of the football organization allowed this to happen, it was diseased throughout.  Everyone that placed this game above the value of a child is guilty.  It is imperative that there be repercussions.  There has to be a message that this was so wrong and any thing like this won't be tolerated.  Universities should take heed to police their own activities closely. 

Yes all involved should be prosecuted.  The fact that multiple people felt more pressure to not report the crime against a child than do the right thing, is evidence that the environment surrounding  this program was bad.  And  to allow business as usual and just replace the players in a diseased system would be another failure to the victims and the integrity of the NCAA.  What was worse, SMU or PSU?  No body was physically injured with SMU?  Were you crying then?  Or with any other program that has received punishment for a coaches actions?  

I think that if the NCAA really wanted to clean things up, they should be able to fine coaches percentages of their salary for infractions and the punishment should follow the coach if they leave the program but were the fault of the infraction.  

But as far as this goes, crippling the program that these fools lied and neglected to protect is justice.  You don't let a robber keep his loot. 

 

[linnettejane]

my opinion:
they should have ended the program. period.  the news last night reported there has only been one team that ncaa closed the football program on and that was for players taking money...ummm...in my book, what happened at penn state was way worse than that! allowing the program to continue doesnt do anything but hurt more innocent people...every time that team takes the field all you will hear about is the scandal, more disgrace and shame brought to the innocent people of penn state, who had nothing to do with the scandal, but will have to bear the weight and punishment of something they had nothing to do with.  its really a sad situation, but i think the best thing for the victims and people of penn state would be to end it.  zero tolerance.  because really the ncaa is telling the world they will tolerate such behavior by letting the program continue. oh, but you sure as heck better not give money to players! 

 

[WJ Farms]

First off let me say this..........child abuse and espcially sexual child abuse is in no way shape or form need to be tolerated and Sandusky should have his testicles cut off and suffer more than just sitting in jail for the rest of his life. With that said it had absolutely nothing to do with the football players and them kids that busted their asses from 1998 till now. I just think the NCAA was tryign to prove a point and I think it was wrong. They should of left it at the fines and bowl ban that is fine. But the vacating wins I think is a little harsh.