Why no talk of death penalty for Penn State?

[uconndogs]

I think Penn State will itself decide to pull the plug on football for at least some period of time. Anything short of that will leave Penn State's current leaders open to criticism that they have failed to recognize the gravity of the situation and again compromised for the benefit of the football program.

I'm beginning to think that is more and more likely.

 

[Waquoit]

Emmert thinks differently and has written to PSU to advise them of same.

In fact, I heard it was a strongly worded letter.

 

[metsfan2323]

It's amazing how many PSU supporters continue to say this is not a football scandal. This is the worst football scandal in history. The worst sports scandal in history. PSU sacrificed kid's lives to protect their football program, how is that not a football scandal?

It doesn't take much of an imagination to think that Sandusky had the goods on Paterno and the program for a more typical recruiting violation, or grade fixing violation and that is why they were afraid to turn him in. Sandusky had free reign to the campus until last October, talk about keeping your enemies close. If you are willing to cover up child rape, what aren't you willing to cover up? Are we supposed to continue to believe the fairy tale the PSU was a clean football program?

The worst football scandal.

 

[upstater]

Fair enough.

So death penalty or not?

I said either/or, don't really care, don't feel strongly. I have friends and acquaintances still employed at PSU and I'm more concerned about the multi-billion dollar enterprise than I am the 50 million dollar enterprise. I only mentioned that a punishment of death penalty will be proper out of moral opprobrium (though I disagreed with Carl that it would be some catalyst for change, I think the potential is there to make it quite the opposite by being the trigger that gives the BOT more power), but I also said that, given the university budget, all money to victims comes out of tuition money, unless you take it out of next year's football receipts. Of course, you need next year's football receipts to make that happen. Either way, I am not so interested in the football side as I am in what happens in terms of power-sharing. That's why I posted the Michael Berube article in the New York Times that looks at the import of the scandal at the university wide level instead of focusing on football, which is practically what everyone else is doing.

 

[upstater]

I think his "stance" has evolved and that he is now close to the thread's Consensus.

Actually, it hasn't evolved. Not since the emails were released weeks ago. Prior to that I agreed with the firing of Paterno etc. and thought he had a major moral failure (for not reporting). That was my position since November. If anything, the only way my position has slightly changed because of the Freeh report is to blame Spanier more than I otherwise would have. Why? Because Freeh didn't leak Schultz's handwritten memo to the media. But, since November, I've been pointing out to people here that Spanier has shirked his responsibilities when it came to allegations of abuse that were not football-related, and given that, I suspected he was a prime actor in the cover-up. The leaks kept much of the blame off Spanier, but the Freeh report--despite Freeh's conclusions--shows Spanier's conclusions long before the earlier leaked Curley email. I can only assume those conclusions were reached with Paterno given the date of the memo (which was directly after McQueary met with Paterno and the lawyers).

And still Spanier is unindicted and retains his position at PSU. Which begs the questions: why doesn't the state prosecute Spanier? Why doesn't PSU fire him? And why did Freeh's leaks deemphasize Spanier's involvement?

 

[noeynox]

Spot on mets fan. EVERYTHING about PSU is in question. The y covered up for a pedophile. Doesn't get worse than that.

 

[RedSoloCup]

I'll admit that I was a JoePa-logist for a bit, hoping that there was a back story that wasn't damning... but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

What coach did we look at from PSU, Bradley?

 

[coachcap]

Time to pay the Piper!http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf-...ky-victims-cost-joe-paterno-freeh-report.html

 

[nimzovich]

In fact, I heard it was a strongly worded letter.

link to that letter from Emmert to PSU was posted on page 48! of this thread. Here it is again.

http://www.psu.edu/ur/2011/NCAA.pdf

 

[Doggie Style]

I'll admit that I was a JoePa-logist for a bit, hoping that there was a back story that wasn't damning... but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

What coach did we look at from PSU, Bradley?

==============
yes! At one point he was a lead candidate. Makes u wonder........

 

[Adios]

Bradley has nothing to do with all this BS. He is actually against Joe Pa apologists.

 

[Jarhead_1775]

I don't think he was suggesting that Bradley had anything to do with it, Butchy. I think the inference was that maybe word of what was going on out there had leaked out and no one would touch anyone in the program with a 100 ft pole, guilty or innocent

 

[HuskyBandDad]

I think Penn State will itself decide to pull the plug on football for at least some period of time. Anything short of that will leave Penn State's current leaders open to criticism that they have failed to recognize the gravity of the situation and again compromised for the benefit of the football program. Renovating the locker rooms is a joke and leaving JoePa memorabilia in place is not acceptable in my opinion. While I would have expected more decisive action by now, too many people are watching for the University leaders not to realize that their only move is to take the highest road on their own accord.

I do not think this will happen unless the NCAA hands out some kind of punishment. I do not think the NCAA wants to get involved at this point because of all the legal stuff going on now and in the future lawsuits. I heard a report that the school just had a record year for fundraising - if the school shuts down football the donors would probably revolt. Not saying what is right or wrong.

 

[Nostical]

Let's all agree that what went on was despicable. There will be plenty of criminal and civil penalties to pay by those involved. Victims litigation will strip the Paterno estate of the outsized termination money they received. So how should the University deal with this as an institution. Like the Catholic Church, there are calls to punish the institution--here with the death penalty. But outsiders (like the NCAA) shouldn't, and may not have the power under these circumstances, to sanction the school. The PSU President, with the backing of The Governor, needs to impose a three year hiatus from football (like USF did earlier--the Dons not the Bulls). The Board of Trustees should also be disbanded and a new one installed. And Paterno's statue and name-plate on buildings must go.
The folks in Happy Valley may want to revel this fall in another prime time white out, but they can't simply white-out the terrible stain on their reputation with a mere moment of silence before just another kick off to just another game.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Let's all agree that what went on was despicable. There will be plenty of criminal and civil penalties to pay by those involved. Victims litigation will strip the Paterno estate of the outsized termination money they received. So how should the University deal with this as an institution. Like the Catholic Church, there are calls to punish the institution--here with the death penalty. But outsiders (like the NCAA) shouldn't, and may not have the power under these circumstances, to sanction the school. The PSU President, with the backing of The Governor, needs to impose a three year hiatus from football (like USF did earlier--the Dons not the Bulls). The Board of Trustees should also be disbanded and a new one installed. And Paterno's statue and name-plate on buildings must go.
The folks in Happy Valley may want to revel this fall in another prime time white out, but they can't simply white-out the terrible stain on their reputation with a mere moment of silence before just another kick off to just another game.

I agree with all you say here but I do not think the death penalty is going to happen because $$$ is going to decide what the school does not the NCAA.

 

[minidarren]

Should Penn State impose a 1 year ban on football as a self inflicted punishment, does HCPP hold out on offering scholarships in hopes that some of those players may leave and look elsewhere?

 

[huskypantz]

I think Tom Bradley is wishing he had taken either the UConn or Rutgers gigs before this steaming pile of ish hit the fan.

 

[jdb50]

I'd be very surprised if the only people in the know besides the janitors were the big 4 plus McQuerry. The statue needs to go, the name comes off the buildings and the board of trustees needs to be replaced. A new president needs to be brought in from outside Happy Valley. Eliminate the football program for 3 years. Sandusky was using the facilities like nothing had ever happened. The worshipping of false idols and giving control of the college to the football coach was a disgrace. Once again it is the coverup that brings down the hammer.

 

[geordi]

This guy has it right. At least there is one rational mind out there.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-fo...y-jerry-sandusky?eadid=EL/SICOM&sct=hp_t2_a16

 

[CTMike]

The BOT is hell bent on only making the minimal changes to allow this to blow over.

 

[pj]

The BOT is hell bent on only making the minimal changes to allow this to blow over.

Yes. At Penn State getting rid of football is as unthinkable as getting rid of English, History, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. They will not voluntarily shut down the football program. If they were willing to sacrifice 10-year-olds to preserve a football assistant coach, they'll sacrifice everything to preserve the whole program.

 

[minidarren]

Yes. At Penn State getting rid of football is as unthinkable as getting rid of English, History, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. They will not voluntarily shut down the football program. If they were willing to sacrifice 10-year-olds to preserve a football assistant coach, they'll sacrifice everything to preserve the whole program.

And this is why I think that someone is going to have to forcefully shut them down. Too much pride.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Heard a good point on the radio. Sandusky was the top assistant at a high profile successful program. He was the force behind Linebacker U. How come he never got a head coaching gig? Was he ever offered? Why not? Had the word gotten out?

From what I understand, Scumdusky was basically the head coach in waiting from the early 1980's until the 1998 incident, at which point he no longer stood a chance.

Random comments on this issue:

About eight years ago when there was a fire Joe Pa movement, I read an article explaining why most of the higher level academics at PSU would never attempt to use their influence to force Joe out. At that time there was a ridiculously high dollar amount (I believe the article said $200 mm but it may have claimed $300 mm) that per the article Joe Pa was directly (through donations and donations he solicited) and indirectly (through the increase profile of the school and moneys that found their way to the endowment thaat would have been directed elsewhere if not for the success of the football program) responsible for within PSU's endowment. The article claimed that Joe Pa had added too much value to the school for any senior academic to consider siding against him. Yesterdy, while running errands I heard John Clayton (ESPN NFL reporter) talk of how he was not surprised by the Freeh report and spoke of how, fresh out of college, on assignment for a Pitttsburgh newspaper as a PSU beat reporter in the mid 1970's Joe Pa had him run off the job because he asked a few questions on a couple of off field (my guess is arrests) incidents (Clayton stated that he was thrilled by this as the newspaper gave him the Steelers' beat, the job he dream about). Evidently other beat reporters knew enough not to ask these questions as the image of PSU being pure was Joe Pa's highest priority. He then stated that once victims and their families are done seeking damages, that dollar amount would be astronomical. He said "it could be a couple of hundred million, it could approach a billion". It is quite likely that the few hundred million that Joe Pa brought to the school could end up as a fraction of what this will cost them.

I understand Jay Paterno wanted to defend his father and his father's legacy but he needs to think a little more about at least one of his comments. The one where he said "it is possible that Joe Paterno could have done more. Perhaps he should have done more to ensure that his superiors did their jobs" reflects the exact problem with how this was handled for nearly a decade and a half. There were victims, real victims, children. Even if the premise that they were Joe Pa's superiors were accepted, there is no way in hell any0ne can keep a clear conscience by saying "I did what I needed to do. It is not on me that it continued". This wasn't neglecting to tell people approaching a beach that that water is a bit cold (but no signs were posted by the proper authorities). This is neglecting to tell them that the water is infested with sharks while the authorities have safe to swim signs posted everywhere. The core of the problem has been (from at least 1998, perhaps earlier) that the victims really didn't matter and Jay Paterno's statement makes it clear that in at least his eyes they still don't.

 

[CL82]

This guy has it right. At least there is one rational mind out there.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-07-13/freeh-report-penn-state-joe-paterno-ncaa-death-penalty-jerry-sandusky?eadid=EL/SICOM&sct=hp_t2_a16[/quote]

The opinion that 'this event requires punishment and the death penalty, the most significant punishment the NCAA has isn't enough, therefore the NCAA should do nothing' is a lot things but rational isn't one of them.

 

[SAMCRO]

I go back and forth on what should be doled out to the PSU athletic dept. the civil suits will take care of themselves and that will punish the University to a degree (can any dollar amount really be enough retribution for what was allowed to continually happen to these children?).

Here is where I'm at as of today (subject to change). I'm opposed to the death penalty, but would like to see a TV and bowl ban imposed for 3-4 years, with the option for all current football players to transfer without having to sit out a year (and no restriction on where they can transfer). This allows the players who wish to continue pursuing their degree at PSU to do so while playing the game they love. It also allows those players who Value playing on national TV and in bowl games moe than a degree from PSU to go that route. It seems like the fairest to the current student-athletes, while still delivering a firm penalty to PSU (and a message to all Universites about covering up illegal activities for the sole sake of protecting a football program/person). As for schools scheduled to play them, and the fact it would impact their not being on TV...oh well, it's one game. If its a non-conference opponent - then they can opt out of the contract. If its a B1G opponent, well if you lay down with a dirty dog, sometimes you get bit by its flea's. If it did happen -which it wont, i realize this punushment will never happen - the B1G could make a decision that says PSU games do not count against the B1G conference record, as well as give the other B1G programs the option to opt out of playing PSU those years. Then it puts PSU at the mercy of their conference brethren.
I doubt this will happen, but would be pleasantly surprised if it did. I think it delivers a pretty fair penalty while still allowing those kids who chose to play there a chance to continue playing