Penn State And The Death Penalty

[SlappyCajun]

I think the stripping of wins is a hollow, pointless act that does nothing. I think the money fine, bowl ban, etc is appropriate.

Boom, IMO this is harsher than a death penalty.

[wgwillis]

As horrible as this whole thing is, I do not think the NCAA has the right to make such a decision. This is a criminal and civil matter and goes way beyond the scope of the and function of the NCAA. They should stick to sports related items. Their input is hollow. This is much more involved than their penalties and they should yield to the civil and criminal courts as this is way over their heads. This has nothing to do with the NCAA or the PSU sports programs. This is much bigger than they are and if the civil and criminal authorities wish to fine PSU so be it but the NCAA is way out of line. I think the NCAA is getting to much power and may need to have some of their authority cut. As far as the victims, whatever the courts say should be done and my sympathies and support are with them but this not a problem that the NCAA should have any authority over. So, if Paterno had shot and killed someone should the NCAA be allowed to destroy a entire football program. Don't you see we have laws for such acts and the NCAA is not the LAW of the land!

[CajunAmos]

As horrible as this whole thing is, I do not think the NCAA has the right to make such a decision. This is a criminal and civil matter and goes way beyond the scope of the and function of the NCAA. They should stick to sports related items. Their input is hollow. This is much more involved than their penalties and they should yield to the civil and criminal courts as this is way over their heads. This has nothing to do with the NCAA or the PSU sports programs. This is much bigger than they are and if the civil and criminal authorities wish to fine PSU so be it but the NCAA is way out of line. I think the NCAA is getting to much power and may need to have some of their authority cut. As far as the victims, whatever the courts say should be done and my sympathies and support are with them but this not a problem that the NCAA should have any authority over. So, if Paterno had shot and killed someone should the NCAA be allowed to destroy a entire football program. Don't you see we have laws for such acts and the NCAA is not the LAW of the land!

Actually, I do feel this is also sports related. A decision was made at the highest levels that it was more important to maintain a football programs good name and success than to report a criminal act that occurred within the department. It actually seems to fall greatly under lack of institutional control.

[wgwillis]

I respect your feelings but I simply disagree. We have to many people and groups that think they have a right to tell others what to do. The law is good enough for me.

[VObserver]

I respect your feelings but I simply disagree. We have to many people and groups that think they have a right to tell others what to do. The law is good enough for me.

So you are saying that the Knights of Columbus or the Shriners should not be allowed to impose sanctions on their members who engage in criminal behavior? Remember, the NCAA is a voluntary organization. PSU can always withdraw from the NCAA if it does not want to accept the sanctions.

This is clearly a lack of institutional control issue of the highest order, and the penalties handed down by the NCAA are appropriate.

[VObserver]

As horrible as this whole thing is, I do not think the NCAA has the right to make such a decision. This is a criminal and civil matter and goes way beyond the scope of the and function of the NCAA. They should stick to sports related items. Their input is hollow. This is much more involved than their penalties and they should yield to the civil and criminal courts as this is way over their heads. This has nothing to do with the NCAA or the PSU sports programs. This is much bigger than they are and if the civil and criminal authorities wish to fine PSU so be it but the NCAA is way out of line. I think the NCAA is getting to much power and may need to have some of their authority cut. As far as the victims, whatever the courts say should be done and my sympathies and support are with them but this not a problem that the NCAA should have any authority over. So, if Paterno had shot and killed someone should the NCAA be allowed to destroy a entire football program. Don't you see we have laws for such acts and the NCAA is not the LAW of the land!

This is not about Sandusky's acts, per se. It is about a systematic and pervasive coverup of those activities over a multi-year period for the stated and specific purpose of protecting the PSU football program. If PSU had fired Sandusky and turned him over to authorities immediately upon finding out about his activities, there would have been no NCAA action.

The FOOTBALL program at PSU had become more important than the integrity of the university. That is quite clearly an NCAA matter.

[CharlieK]

I respect your feelings but I simply disagree. We have to many people and groups that think they have a right to tell others what to do. The law is good enough for me.

I'm guessing that if Penn St doesn't want to be a part of the NCAA anymore (their choice) then the NCAA's penalties mean nothing. But since they want to be members of the NCAA, that organization has the right to penalize them as they see fit. Paterno and his "superiors" covered up these terrible crimes in order to safeguard the football program. Anything that occured after the point were the coverup began certainly affected the wins and losses, recruiting, and revenue of the program....and the NCAA is the governing body (a governing body that Penn State is a willing member of) for all of those things. Paterno and his bosses obviously believed publicity about the crimes would have hurt the program, otherwise there would have been no coverup.

At least on first glance this penalty seems very appropriate.

[Just1More]

I respect your feelings but I simply disagree. We have to many people and groups that think they have a right to tell others what to do. The law is good enough for me.

Penn State is a member of the NCAA. While a member of this association, Penn State became a highly successful athletic program. The primary reason this crime went unreported, unacted upon, blatantly ignored and allowed to continue was due to the damage it might have upon the image of not just Penn State University, but Penn State football. It is not just within the rights of the NCAA to administer penalties against PSU, it is their obligation. The NCAA is meaningless if they are not the first to step forward and declare that neither football, nor any other athletic program, is to be placed above the morality or laws of the land.

The NCAA is not just "some group". They are the governing body of member collegiate athletics. They are not addressing the crimes committed. They are addressing this athletic institution's lack of institutional control. This person perpetrated his crimes either in the facilities of the athletic department, or at the very least by using his association with that program as a guise for access to young at-risk boys. That university needs to "feel it" from every side. And maybe, just maybe, some of the bloated administrative fat-cats at other universities just might act a little quicker to clean a criminal from their ranks... even at the risk of tainting a small piece of their beloved institution's image.

[Policarp]

Too light without death penalty. PSU already raised over $100,000,000 in past year in new donations.

[VObserver]

Too light without death penalty. PSU already raised over $100,000,000 in past year in new donations.

But will they continue to support at that level with 7-8 years of 0-12 records? Remember, they will essentially be Nichols State playing a Big 10 Schedule.

[Cajunsmike]

But will they continue to support at that level with 7-8 years of 0-12 records? Remember, they will essentially be Nichols State playing a Big 10 Schedule.

I am very disappointed that the sanctions did not include a ban on TV appearances. Without that, they will still get better players in their 15 scholarships than most MAC schools simply because they play other Big 10 schools. Hopefully the networks will impose an artificial ban on TV appearances.

[Friscodog]

Because Penn State doesn't have an appeal option, that seems to me that Penn State went to the NCAA and negotiated a deal and knew what they were going to be hit with before the announcement was made? NCAA never even had a chance to complete or really get started their own internal investigation.