Penn St investigation results revealed. Sick to my stomach

[MIB41]

The statue is coming down this weekend!!!! Common sense prevails!

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/07/20/penn-state-reportedly-plans-to-remove-paterno-statue/

[madmarva]

^I sympathize and empathize with the victims in this tragedy and pray for them, and I understand how emotional this issue is and how wicked and terrible the crimes Sandusky committed and how deluded, corrupt, irrational, and yes evil the thinking behind and the actions of the cover-up was.

It's obvious the statue should come down and anywhere on the campus where Paterno's name is given a place of honor should also be taken down as well.

However, dismantling Penn State's football program and by virtue of that the viability of its entire athletics program is a radical, radical move and an emotional response that accomplishes absolutely nothing.

It will not stop pedophiles from preying on victims, and it won't stop wrong-headed powerbrokers from wielding their power inappropriately, it won't turn back the clock on this heinous situation and it does not punish the ones who committed the crimes or actions in question.

It accomplishes absolutely nothing, and would be unjust and unfair.


As for money for the victims, there will be civil suits and that may very well do in Penn State's athletic department, and if that happens so be it, But Pennsylvania is in the United States. Under the constitution, U.S. citizens and organizations not only have the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, the right to a fair trial, but also the right to receive fair punishment.

Scott, some businesses do go under after scandals and/or criminal convictions, but unless the actions committed specifically call for the punitive action of business closure — which the ones committed in this instance do not — it's generally market forces that shut them down. And, that too, could happen with Penn State.

The NCAA may very well take some kind of action because of public pressure, but the reason it hasn't done so already is because all of this is outside of its jurisdiction. The NCAA governs athletics. While these crimes were committed by a coach/former coach and the cover-up was committed by a coach and athletics administrators, their actions were of a criminal nature not having anything to do with competition in any way shape or form, which is what the NCAA governs.

Penn State's board took action with Paterno when they found out about the cover-up and fired him. It also placed the other administrators on leave when charges were filed against them. The board will fire them when they are convicted perjury and obstructing justice if they already haven't fired them.

Symbolically, it's a bad move, too, because it only further advances the notion that the football program and Paterno were one and the same. That it only lived while he breathed and that it should die with his fall from grace. While there is no doubt Paterno is the key figure in PSU football history, there was PSU football before him and I hope there will be after him.

Now, I do believe everyone in Penn State's football program above the secretary level should be gone. One PSU board of director resigned, and I believe the rest of the directors should do the same. Penn State's administrative and athletics power structure should be cleaned out completely and their jobs filled with people without ties to the Paterno regime. Whatever booster clubs it has probably should be dismantled and reformed, as well.

But dismantling Penn State's football program because of this would be like closing down that Aurora, Col. movie theater that's in the news today because a terrible crime occurred there or mandating that Warner's never make another movie because of the tragedy. It's too much and achieves nothing.

[megomania]

^I sympathize and empathize with the victims in this tragedy and pray for them, and I understand how emotional this issue is and how wicked and terrible the crimes Sandusky committed and how deluded, corrupt, irrational, and yes evil the thinking behind and the actions of the cover-up was.

It's obvious the statue should come down and anywhere on the campus where Paterno's name is given a place of honor should also be taken down as well.

However, dismantling Penn State's football program and by virtue of that the viability of its entire athletics program is a radical, radical move and an emotional response that accomplishes absolutely nothing.

It will not stop pedophiles from preying on victims, and it won't stop wrong-headed powerbrokers from wielding their power inappropriately, it won't turn back the clock on this heinous situation and it does not punish the ones who committed the crimes or actions in question.

It accomplishes absolutely nothing, and would be unjust and unfair.


As for money for the victims, there will be civil suits and that may very well do in Penn State's athletic department, and if that happens so be it, But Pennsylvania is in the United States. Under the constitution, U.S. citizens and organizations not only have the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, the right to a fair trial, but also the right to receive fair punishment.

Scott, some businesses do go under after scandals and/or criminal convictions, but unless the actions committed specifically call for the punitive action of business closure — which the ones committed in this instance do not — it's generally market forces that shut them down. And, that too, could happen with Penn State.

The NCAA may very well take some kind of action because of public pressure, but the reason it hasn't done so already is because all of this is outside of its jurisdiction. The NCAA governs athletics. While these crimes were committed by a coach/former coach and the cover-up was committed by a coach and athletics administrators, their actions were of a criminal nature not having anything to do with competition in any way shape or form, which is what the NCAA governs.

Penn State's board took action with Paterno when they found out about the cover-up and fired him. It also placed the other administrators on leave when charges were filed against them. The board will fire them when they are convicted perjury and obstructing justice if they already haven't fired them.

Symbolically, it's a bad move, too, because it only further advances the notion that the football program and Paterno were one and the same. That it only lived while he breathed and that it should die with his fall from grace. While there is no doubt Paterno is the key figure in PSU football history, there was PSU football before him and I hope there will be after him.

Now, I do believe everyone in Penn State's football program above the secretary level should be gone. One PSU board of director resigned, and I believe the rest of the directors should do the same. Penn State's administrative and athletics power structure should be cleaned out completely and their jobs filled with people without ties to the Paterno regime. Whatever booster clubs it has probably should be dismantled and reformed, as well.

But dismantling Penn State's football program because of this would be like closing down that Aurora, Col. movie theater that's in the news today because a terrible crime occurred there or mandating that Warner's never make another movie because of the tragedy. It's too much and achieves nothing.

This^

Very well stated. Could not agree more. NCAA cannot justify stepping in.

-Chris

[Random Axe]

For this kind of crime, I usually believe in biblical punishment, swift and appropriate. You send a HUGE message out there and make an example out of these morons that NOBODY will ever forget. However, I can tolerate the continuation of the program as long as the profits go to the victims and to victim centers. If I were on the team I don't even know if I'd want to play this year anyway. Can you imagine the treatment they will receive on the road? I envision some...interesting signs carried into the home stadiums. I know the players and campus staff who depend on the football team would be severely affected by a work stoppage, but allowing the school to self impose it's own punishment by firing a few people who still may draw a pension down the road doesn't seem adequate.

If a couple of frat boys rape a college freshman, the entire fraternity and house is likely barred from campus. They are freakin gone, crushed to dust. I really don't see the difference, but I'm not involved in athletics or campus politics so my perspective is skewed at best. The university needs to be hit with a MAJOR sanction of some kind either from the NCAA or the state.

[J.B.]

I don't think it would be correct to penalize Penn State's Football Program. The "Death Penalty", fines, stripped scholarships and stripped National Championships occur when a school violates NCAA rules, like USC and Miami have done recently. Penn State's situation is different; their football program didn't cheat or illegally give themselves any kind of advantage. The crimes committed at Penn State are of a different nature all together and should be penalized with Prison time for Spanier, Curley and Schultz. Had Paterno not lost the will to live, he would have faced the same music.

[MIB41]

The NCAA ruling has come down and in my book, it sends the right message. Don't ever place your own sense of glory over your greater responsibility to protect those who can't defend themselves when you could have stepped in. Here are some highlights from those penalties and fines:

1) $60 million fine which will go to an endowment to help children of sexual crimes.
2) ALL of Paterno's wins from 1998 to 2011 have been vacated. Which reduces those wins from 409 to 298. He has now dropped from first to twelfth. Quite fitting.
3) Penn State will also have six bowl wins and two conference championships erased.
4) The Penn State athletic program will also be put on a five-year probation and must work with an athletic-integrity monitor of NCAA's choosing.

The Big Ten fully supports the NCAA's actions, saying in a news release it is condemning and censuring the school for "egregiously" failing on "many levels -- morally, ethically and potentially criminally."

The conference will also place the university on a five-year probation to run concurrently with the NCAA's and has declared the football program ineligible for the Big Ten championship game for the four years in which the NCAA banned the Nittany Lions from postseason play.

Penn State's proceeds from Big Ten bowl revenues from the four years, amounting to an estimated $13 million, will be allocated "to established charitable organizations in Big Ten communities dedicated to the protection of children," the conference said.

Ah... justice is being served!!!

Here is the article...

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8191027/penn-state-hit-60-million-fine-4-year-bowl-ban-wins-dating-1998

[toys2cool]

i'm glad they deserve worst but it's a start...I just wish Joe would've been alive to see it

[kingdom warrior]

I think they shouldn't be allowed to play at all for five years......if i was a player there I'd be gone like a fart in the wind and play for another school...I wouldn't want my name associated with their program.....

[Mikey]

I see they took his statue down.

They should put it on ebay and send the money to the families

[toys2cool]

I see they took his statue down.

They should put it on ebay and send the money to the families

no one will buy that crap, atleast not any decent person

[Mikey]

I bet somebody would and they'd pay a lot of money for it.

Some people buy the craziest things that's controversial - Like I heard Penn Gilette buys John Gacy paintings and WW2 nazi human skin stuff.

[MegoMark71]

I think the penalty is right on. The NCAA had to set a precedent and they sure have done that. I talked with my brother in law this morning and he is sad for the school, but he agrees that they deserve what it gets. At the time they had yet to announce the penalty. Again he is very sad because he still loves the school and received a great education there.

[jwyblejr]

I wish Paterno's family would just shut up. They say it's not fair to Joe's legacy.

[Werewolf]

Some people buy the craziest things that's controversial - Like I heard Penn Gilette buys John Gacy paintings and WW2 nazi human skin stuff.

And that's why I think it should be melted down for scrap. It doesn't belong in somebody's morbid collection.

[thunderbolt]

I wish Paterno's family would just shut up. They say it's not fair to Joe's legacy.

Paterno himself ruined his legacy and he knew it.