Should Penn State Suspend Its Football Program?

[Oh8ch]

One of the victims testified that Sandusky knew that Arrington was his favorite player, and used the prospect of meeting Arrington to get the boy to the campus.

How can anyone not see the direct connection between the PSU football program and Jerry Sandusky? You might hold the program innocent if the men who covered it up were not motivated to protect it. But the program abetted Sandusky every bit as much as Paterno, et al.

It may sound silly to say "punish the program". But however symbolic such punishment may be, the message sent by not doing so is overwhelmingly powerful.

I'm still here kids, with my nameless uniforms and my lion mascot. My All American linebackers and my marching band. My screaming crowds and my TV contracts. I am sorry that they used me as they did, but I'm still here - untouched.

 

[HorseshoeFetish]

I'm still here kids, with my nameless uniforms

I think this would be a great new look for Ped State. Maybe Nike can make em.

 

[Deety]

At this point I'm just interested to see what kind of stance the NCAA takes and what they do and don't punish. They've got plenty of evidence/infractions to choose from.

I'd rather see PSU dumped from the NCAA altogether. This isn't a matter of counting infractions and expecting the punishment to be sufficient deterrent from doing the same things in the future. If something isn't done to completely overhaul the culture, the next debate at PSU would simply be whether Johnny getting anally raped will cost them too many scholarships to risk reporting it. When the mindset is to protect football at all costs, imposing NCAA sanctions simply adds another incentive for a cover-up.

If the school won't do what it takes to change the culture - and this does not appear to be on their agenda - then grownups will have to step in and help them find their way.

These are not simply infractions we're discussing; they are atrocities. They should be treated as atrocities.

 

[Oh8ch]

I'd rather see PSU dumped from the NCAA altogether. This isn't a matter of counting infractions and expecting the punishment to be sufficient deterrent from doing the same things in the future. If something isn't done to completely overhaul the culture, the next debate at PSU would simply be whether Johnny getting anally raped will cost them too many scholarships to risk reporting it. When the mindset is to protect football at all costs, imposing NCAA sanctions simply adds another incentive for a cover-up.

If the school won't do what it takes to change the culture - and this does not appear to be on their agenda - then grownups will have to step in and help them find their way.

These are not simply infractions we're discussing; they are atrocities. They should be treated as atrocities.

I think you nailed it. This isn't an issue for the NCAA.

We need to call in the UN.

 

[Deety]

I think you nailed it. This isn't an issue for the NCAA.

We need to call in the UN.

Heh, if you swapped out BOT with the UN, I bet few would notice a difference.

But yes... the central reason PSU needs to be gone is well beyond what the NCAA was intended to address, so kicking them out seems more appropriate than trying to get them on specifics other than YOU LET KIDS GET RAPED FOR DECADES. Put the burden of proving the culture has changed on PSU before they can reapply for membership.

 

[Taosman]

Deety is absolutely correct. The adults must step in to change the culture.
But, what are the chances of that when the BOT has so many Paterno apologists? I don't think the BOT wants to change things much. They need a push in the right direction by someone.

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

you don't want to devastate the economy in that community now do ya?

Maybe if you do then the community won't turn a blind eye the next time another coach like Paterno comes around. The local press might start investigating the program when stuff comes up instead of accepting what the coach tells them as gospel.

 

[Woody1968]

I have come to the conclusion that I do not care if PSU continues to field a team. I believe that their fans should receive a permanent ban from the human race, though.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Deety is absolutely correct. The adults must step in to change the culture.
But, what are the chances of that when the BOT has so many Paterno apologists? I don't think the BOT wants to change things much. They need a push in the right direction by someone.

And the ncaa isn't capable of making that push. I'm not holding out too much hope for the Big Ten Presidents either--to many conflicts of interest. The push needs to come from the AAU (you think the MIT or Yale Presidents give two fucks about ped aggy football plus non-BIG football schools such as Washington or Texas can have a soapbox moment), the accrediting agencies and the Dept. of Education.

 

[AKAK]

And the ncaa isn't capable of making that push. I'm not holding out too much hope for the Big Ten Presidents either--to many conflicts of interest. The push needs to come from the AAU (you think the MIT or Yale Presidents give two fucks about ped aggy football plus non-BIG football schools such as Washington or Texas can have a soapbox moment), the accrediting agencies and the Dept. of Education.

Here's how I think it should go down...

The DOE should find them in violation of the Clery Act...

Then say something to the effect, "Well, since you're a bunch of inbred hicks, and you're patently unsafe and conspired to let sexual assaults against minors go unreported.. we're yanking your Pell Grants, Fed Work Study, all that nifty shit"

Then call the Governor and the PA Legislature of the same. No warnings, no fines, no double secret probation... but then tell them, look we'll give it all back if, you guys shit can the whole BOT, and every administrator higher than "X" (or give them a list of anyone that's even near this POS scandal, whatever).. then reappoint a new BOT (only 1/3 of which can have attended PSU), to start, and cahnge the rules for membership to be only appointed by the Governor... (and not by the almumni since... well... they.. are a bunch of inbred hicks.) Find a new, non- Penn State interim President... to find a new non Penn State President and key faculty/administrators... (Oh, and the legislature should amend the charter to make it a fully public institution subject to FOIA requests, and all that nifty BS.)

Then... let that group decide what emphasis they want on football going forward.

See, the NCAA can trump up shit if they want... but, they can't fire people. I mean, can the slap a show cause on the VP for Student affairs? (just an example). Fucking shit can everyone and start over.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Ultimately, I'd like to see it result in ped aggy getting booted or suspended from the ncaa entirely. Others will have to take point on this though and create enough of a national outrage that the ncaa will be forced to act.

I think the order of action will/should be something like:

AAU
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Accrediting Agencies
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Federal Dept. of Education less so under a Romney administration though give Central PA's importance to the Republicans. I'm not being partisan about this. Were this Wiscy, I think a Dem administration would pressure their AG and Dept of Education to back off. Were it Ohio State (dead in the middle of the biggest swing county in the biggest swing state in the country) both parties would run in terror from taking ownership for shutting down the athletic department.
.
.
.
.
.
Big Ten Presidents/CIC
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.
.
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.
.
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NCAA only then will they have enough guts to come in and administer the coup de grace headshot to ped aggy's athletic department

 

[AKAK]

Ultimately, I'd like to see it result in ped aggy getting booted or suspended from the ncaa entirely. Others will have to take point on this though and create enough of a national outrage that the ncaa will be forced to act.

Here's the thing... and its not necessarily that I disagree with you, here. It's more that its a failure at the highest levels. So, the NCAA takes football away. That doesn't preclude them from having a pederast Sociology prof or something along those lines using facilities or position to perpetrate crimes. Less sensational? Sure. Just as bad for the potential victims, though. Point being, the institutional changes need to be comprehensive.

 

[alexhortdog95]

Hey guys, it's been a very long time since I've posted, but I felt compelled to do so in all of this.

First, and foremost, let me say that my prayers and support go out to all of the victims in this tragic situation. I have two daughters and trust me, I would kill the person who ever tried to do anything inappropriate to them.

While I can see the points that the PSU faithful are throwing out there, there is nothing that anybody on that end of the spectrum can say. Period. This is the one of the most heinouus crimes in the history of sports. Yes, it's about sports, and let me tell you why.

Because a man....who was trusted as a COACH.....used his position and status as a COACH....to take advantage of young children.

Because a man....who was trusted as a COACH.....used his position and status as a COACH....to look the other way.

I don't want PSU to have to stop playing football. I think that Joe Pa did a great deal of good in his life. But, like one of my old bosses used to say, "One oh shit moment kills 100 attaboys."

All of the good that Paterno did in his life was wiped out in one poor decision. And the most shameful thing of it to know - he wouldn't have said a damn thing about it unless it came out like it did.

Omission of the truth - or not doing enough is just as much as pulling the trigger on a gun.

So, while I had a great deal of respect for Paterno and even the PSU faithful....I lost it all as soon as he said, "In hindsight, I could have done more."

And THAT'S why PSU deserves to take a seat for quite some time in competitive sports. In this case, football WAS greater than a person's (or 40 people's) lives.

But it won't happen. This is the same school that allowed the transgressions to occur. Do we honestly think they're going to put the victim's lives over their endowment, or the revenues they get from being PSU?

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Here's the thing... and its not necessarily that I disagree with you, here. It's more that its a failure at the highest levels. So, the NCAA takes football away. That doesn't preclude them from having a pederast Sociology prof or something along those lines using facilities or position to perpetrate crimes. Less sensational? Sure. Just as bad for the potential victims, though. Point being, the institutional changes need to be comprehensive.

You're right. It's just that as long as King Football is alive and breathing, I don't think the necessary environment can ever exist to clean out the administration and BoT. This is a case of killing/cutting away the cancer first as a necessary prerequisite to healing the rest of the body.

Remember, the alumni--led by Luberano--are agitating for more alumni presence on the board. I've seen numerous posts on BWI demanding that the new President be a ped aggy alum. If the alumni elections are a true indicator, their alumni want the place to become more, not less, insular and inbred. The only way you can shock that system enough to prepare it for change is by shutting down the football program. Otherwise, the national media will go away, and it'll be back to business as usual in 18 months.

 

[NFBuck]

No offense, alexhortdog, but I keep hearing people say paterno made "one mistake" and that's a load of horse [Mark May]. The man knew Sandusky was a pederast. The man knew he was bringing young boys on campus, to games, to practices, and so on. He knew it for well over a decade. 1998 is the year that keeps popping up, but this was his right hand man, and at one point appointed successor, so I have a hard time believing that's when he was first clued in. I think that just so happens to line up with when communications and records keeping became predominently electronic, and therefor more available.

Joe Paterno could have ended this all years and years ago and left a real legacy behind. Now, I know full well, he's not the only evil [censored]er here. But, he could have made a difference. He wielded God-like power in that little hick town. He could have ended it. Instead, he chose the path of least resistence, like a [censored]ing coward, and played an active role in keeping this all hush-hush. All to protect his "legacy" and the ped aggy brand. In short, [censored] Joe Paterno. All of the good he did amounts to a hill of beans when he allowed lives to be ruined to protect his precious football team. He didn't make "a mistake", he chose a path, and continued on it knowing how fucked up it was...right until he hacked out his last evil breath.