We have been inundated with opinions regarding the possible penalties that could or should be given to Penn State as a result of the 14 year cover up of child sex abuse that happened within the university’s football facilities and elsewhere by Jerry Sandusky along with clear knowledge and non-reporting of it happening by Joe Paterno, Gary Schultz, Tim Curley and President Gary Spanier.
Murder’s Row.
Those opinions on punishment have ranged from the NCAA washing their hands of the responsibility of oversight by doing nothing because “It is a criminal matter not a football issue” to the NCAA giving PSU a five year death penalty and a 14 year bowl ban. Both are ridiculous in their extremes. Something is going to happen here and we await their decision.
Here is an article that lists four alternatives other than the Death Penalty. Sorry, but I read these and it makes my skin crawl with the preemptive assumtions that PSU somehow deserves lienency.
“Realistically, there is no form of justice the NCAA has the authority to hand down that could rectify the horrors that unfolded for the victims of Jerry Sandusky; the major players in the case have either passed away or are already, or may soon, face trial, leaving behind only a shattered shell of what once was Happy Valley.
To impose the Death Penalty on Penn State would not only punish those left behind, but potentially cause economic chaos in a town driven greatly by the existence of the Penn State football program. “
Huh, “the shattered shell of what once was Happy Valley“. Well, he certainly knows how to turn a phrase as well as turn his back from the actual perpetrators in this case which is the University administration, you know, the guys who were mandated to actually live the ethical lives they espoused in public. Sandusky was just the public criminal face of the horrors and to deflect either blame or punishment from where it also rightfully lies is only perpetrating the damage.
“Realistically, there is no form of justice the NCAA has the authority to hand down…” Really? Does he somehow miss the fact that as a voluntary membership organization they certainly do ‘have the right‘ to impose any punishments they see fit. Of course on the flip side PSU has the right to appeal the punishment, not accept the punishment and withdraw from the NCAA or file suit against the NCAA. There are always options in business matters when it comes to group organization.
By and large the most common answer I’ve read about what the NCAA should do is a loss of bowl games, usually four years worth, and allowing the “innocent” PSU players to transfer without a loss of a year’s eligibility.
I have to shake my head at this thought and try to keep my anger level down.
Four years without a bowl game would mean just about zero impact for PSU in the long run. It would be business as usual with one less game per year. As the author above states “A season without a bowl bid can often feel empty; no fancy trip, no national TV audience, no relevancy in the national spotlight.”
Cry me a friggin’ river. The Penn State family would feel empty, with no fancy trip. God, if this isn’t the worst bit of football-centric self serving tripe I’ve every read… but it gets worse when he talks about a television ban.
“TV is a powerful marketing tool and the NCAA could use it as a way to hurt Penn State without giving them the Death Penalty. No TV contracts, no prime time Whiteouts…
Oh hell, can’t do without prime time whiteouts, can we? What he really means is that the rabid PSU fans won’t be able to force that now vomit inducing chant “We Are… Penn State” down national TV audience’s throats for a year.
So, they would perhaps not make their normal $53M per year but would still rake in a ton of money from conference bowl money shares and gate receipts.
PSU would not change their ways one iota with those penalties. However, they might just have to strap themselves into their chairs to keep from falling on the floor laughing after hearing that decision from the NCAA.
I also ask that with any sanctions other than the Death Penalty why should the NCAA allow PSU players to transfer when they haven’t allowed it in other, less serious, cases? If the NCAA does evoke the slap on the wrist bowl ban for four years is telling a player that he’ll have 48 games in four years vice 52 some sort of life crippling punishment for that kid? No, it isn’t and there shouldn’t be exceptions made for them.
Those kids will choose to remain at PSU or they will not. Each one of them already has the option to leave the PSU program and either transfer to a lower division and play immediately or sit out a year and play D1 football. It is done every year by D1 players and none of them have had to have therapy because of it. In all honesty for most of those players on that roster it would actually mean more playing time in the long run.
Should the players not exercise that option then they play one less game a year. Again, big friggin’ deal. Good God – that would put them in the same predicament that over 50% of D1 schools are in each single season!
Let’s cut to the chase here and get brutally honest.
Sometimes life rears its ugly head and people get hurt even though they had nothing to do with the central issue. This is one of those cases. But every PSU player, every PSU fan and every small business in Happy Valley tied their futures to PSU’s coat tails knowing full well that they did so.
In doing so they placed themselves in harm’s way should PSU falter or fail. PSU failed in its basest duties and that is just a fact. It is too bad for them it happened I suppose but that truly is how life sometimes plays out.
Ask anyone who has been laid off, ask anyone whose apartment has burnt down due to to negligence of others living close by, ask anyone whose retirement investments in companies whose stock prices tumbled because the SEC levied sanctions against it or there was fraud perpetrated.
This sort of thing happens every single day in America and only now, through some false romantic visions of college football, these ‘innocents’ should be immune to life’s vagaries?
If you truly believe that then click your ruby slippers together three times and say ‘There’s no place like home…” Especially if home is Happy Valley apparently.
Nothing short of a Death Penalty stopping the football program in its tracks for at least one season along the with post-ban effects and public humiliation that ensues from that would make any difference at all. Other than that the Penn State apologists will wail and gnash their teeth, all the while thumbing their noses at anyone outside their cracked ramparts.
On the other hand, if there really was the death penalty with a cancelled season or two I would see nothing wrong with allowing players to transfer to without needing to sit one year. In fact, IMO, it would enhance the penalty’s positive impact toward correcting the PSU/Happy Valley disfunctional football above all else culture by causing it take longer to rebuild the PSU football program to national relevance after the cancelled season or two.
Which is a key, but hidden, component to the punishment. Taking scholarships away is strong in itself but losing established starters is what really set SMU back those first few years – and the program never recovered until just lately.
It amazes me somewhat that they think the damage can be minimized by their wanting to be seen as responsible. But attempting to tell the NCAA what to do is not being responsible but rather dictatorial. The fallen regime still reigns in the hears/minds of the PSU faithful and others (insert sports media persons name here).
It is not so great an idea to tell the the king, Emmert/NCAA, what he has to do particularly when what the serf did is plain for all of serfdom to see….
But if penn state thinks they will then penn state should do what ohio state did punish them selves take away 10 scholrships over 2 years that way they might not get worst and they could at least say then look we get it which they cant say now.
“Even in the middle of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, Penn State fans are doing their best to keep the faith as a university release shows that over 3,400 new season ticket packages have been sold for the 2012 season. According to the release, roughly 94 percent of 2011 Nittany Lion season ticket holders have renewed their seats for the coming season. The 3,400 new season ticket purchases more than doubles the number from the year before.”
I really feel for the players here, if my kid were on scholarship I really would not want the death penalty to be applied. I think the collateral damage has to be analyzed. The kids there need not be punished.
As stated, it is all about the money. Where is the federal punishment here? Make them donate a large percentage of the football profits toward child abuse programs. Why aren’t they being treated like any other business the screwed people over.
The Department of Education should yank their accreditation for willfully failing to comply with the Clery Act.
In order to remain open, PSU will become a branch campus of the University of Pittsburgh.
The Nittany Lions football team will become the Junior Varsity Squad of the Pitt Panthers. Tino will be demoted to the JV squad.
Beaver Stadium will be torn down and replaced with a super Wal-Mart.
The Paterno statue will be moved to the Pitt-Johnstown campus, with Paterno pointing the way to the UPJ nature trails.
I say this tongue in cheek, obviously.
Would PSU be able to recuit this well if not for the success for the past 14 years? Could they have expanded the stadium? Would they have shared in 2 B10 titles? Could they have paid the current staff a top notch salary?
All the riches they currently enjoy is because of the reputation and successes of FB.
Nick Saban
“It’s probably too almost raw to really have a feeling that I can express. I think that what we all should probably be thinking a little bit more about is what do we want to be the outcome of this? Something that’s a win-win type thing, for kids in the future, the people that are there now, the players that are there now.
“Maybe they ought to tax all the tickets that they sell on athletics and give the proceeds to some child abuse organization. Or something like that, rather than worrying about some punishment that is really going to have no positive affect on anything.”
Do you really think PSU has a chance to be issued the “Death Penalty”? Not that they don’t deserve it on several levels — for those tired uniforms if for no other reason. But I just don’t see it, even in this unprecedented case.
What do you think is the Nits’ LIKELY punishment, especially in light of the fact that the O-State Bugeyes basicaly skated?
I heard an interesting idea for the Paterno statue. PSU should build a block stockade around the statue with bars on the front giving Joe is prison cell and provide a constant reminder of Joe’s mistaken ways.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if there is some behind the scenes negotiating going on over the next few months.
The “Big Ten will be harmed” argument is as large a bit of bull as the ‘innocents’ will be harmed.
Every single one of Marshall’s opponents had to re-schedule their games for the years Marshall had to rebuild their program after all their players and coaches died. They didn’t have the luxury of having a full year to do it either but it worked out. In reality it will be another win for almost every team in the B10 who would have played PSU if it happens.
The B10 will take a hit for sure but it won’t be the end of the world for them. The big schools will sell out their stadiums regardless of who they play and if they lose some TV revenue – tough crap, that’s life also.
Why do you guys think coaches like Nick Saban and Les Miles, etc. take these “don’t harm the innocent with the Death Penalty” stances? Tick, tick, tick…..
Because they are scared shitless that if the NCAA will do it to PSU they will do it to anyone, and you know there are a lot of dirty programs out there. Of course they want PSU to get a slap on the wrist! If the NCAA gets actual balls and does their job? Then no bad actors are safe.
One rule I would like to see when the death penalty comes down….PSU players can transfer immediately but only within the state of Pennsylvania!
Hail Pitt