A new conference just concluded where the NCAA announced harsh sanctions against the Penn State football program including fines, bans, and retroactively removing years of winning seasons from the official stats in the wake of the child abuse cases swirling around Jerry Sandusky:
Philly.com — College sports’ governing body today suspended Penn State’s football team from postseason bowl play for four years and fined the university $60 million for its handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
The team also must vacate all wins from 1998 through 2011.
“The career record of former head football coach Joe Paterno will reflect these vacated records,” the NCAA said in a statement. “Penn State must also reduce 10 initial and 20 total scholarships each year for a four-year period. In addition, the NCAA reserves the right to impose additional sanctions on involved individuals at the conclusion of any criminal proceedings.”
Wow, those are some harsh penalties.
Silly me – I thought collective punishment was frowned upon if not illegal. Since Paterno is dead, Sandusky in prison and the execs of PennState due to get their comeuppances who is being punished here? Lots of innocent people that’s who!!
The football program was allowed to run the University. In order to wake up every university where this is happening (be it in football or basketball), The NCAA should have turned P State into a Div. II program. Emphasize the education, not the sports.
Worth pointing out:
Sailor1031
The only way to get some people’s attention is with a (metaphorical) 2×4. The point is to up the ante until those with no morals decide that “protecting” the reputation of a fucking football program is less important than stopping a child racist. Since they can’t figure it out on their own the NCAA is explaining it to them in terms they can understand.
A fine equivalent of one years income from football…yeah that will show ’em!
What they were all complicit in demanded nothing less then the ‘death penalty’ for their so called football programme.
They have demonstrated they are manifestly not fit to run such an endeavor.
They should not have actually worked in a University…totally unsuitable.
Sometimes…well always…money speaks far louder then ethical behavior.
This is not punishment it is a get out of jail free card!
Sailor1031:
When the “collective” is invloved with the crime, the collective should be punished.
QFT. What they just established is the cost of doing business. The only way the removal of wins might help is to demonstrate to coaches that their legacy might be damaged, as it sure doesn’t affect Paterno any more.
Also, otrame: “child racist” = child sex abuser?
@ Gvlgeologist, FCD & otrame-
I just assume that it was a spelling error, intended to be *rapist.
Most at Penn State – students, fans, boosters, administration, etc. – are moaning and wailing over this. But I can think of some people who are going to benefit from this: current and future players.
The players currently under scholarship will be allowed to quit playing and PSU must continue to fulfill their scholarships, room and board and tuition. If I could keep a free ride without having to play anymore, I’d take it. They won’t lose their eligibility and could even go play somewhere else with a second scholarship after they graduate.
Two other types of people who are going to benefit are (a) the student/athletes, emphasis on student, and (b) players who aren’t 5-star or 4-star prospects.
The NCAA is appointing an on-site monitor of its own choosing who will watch PSU to prevent violations. Those who actually want to get educations and graduate won’t be forced to skip classes for practice, and boosters will be less likely to pressure them. They’ll actually get to be students.
Current PSU players can transfer without penalty, and some already are. Other recruits are choosing not to commit to PSU. For the less talented players who could never get looked at by PSU, this means scholarships and more playing than they would have ever gotten under Paterno. That’s true, even taking into account the ban on bowl games and the conference championship game.
leftover1under wrote:
“The NCAA is appointing an on-site monitor of its own choosing who will watch PSU to prevent violations. Those who actually want to get educations and graduate won’t be forced to skip classes for practice, and boosters will be less likely to pressure them. They’ll actually get to be students.”
Penn State’s football program always emphasized education. Players were not allowed to skip classes. Players caught skipping classes didn’t play. Over 80% of the football players graduate. That’s a rate that far exceeds the rest of the student population.
Penn State’s football players are true student athletes and they should not be punished for something they had nothing to do with.
It’s time that every athletic program should be scrutinized, at all levels. I taught in Texas, where the athletic departments, especially football departments, where kings. The coaches got by with anything, and the rest of the faculty understood that if a coach wanted a student athlete to pass our classes, no matter what, we had to make it happen. Coaches were also able to quickly and easily move from school to school to avoid “problems” that would have been career-ending for any other teachers.
Every athletic program on all levels should be held up to high standards, and education needs to re-emphasize academics. This would help our education system, IMO.
lactosefermenter (#11) –
You might want to read up on Vicky Triponey who tried to blow the whistle on Paterno – not on the sex scandal, she wasn’t aware of that, but on the culture of violence around the football team. Football players were beating up non-athlete students, among other criminal acts, and Paterno made sure they went unpunished.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/colleges/163319246.html?cmpid=15585797
Paterno had enough influence to cover up assaults and get the Curley and Schultz to cover up pedophilia. Are you trying to tell me its impossible for Paterno to have demanded fake grades for his students?
If someone has a clean record, you give them the benefit of the doubt. But now that we know how vile and power-mad Paterno was, everything should be investigated. How do we know that the “80% graduation rate” isn’t just propaganda?
http://deadspin.com/5924458/more-leaked-emails-reveal-more-about-joe-paternos-preference-to-play-by-his-own-rules-but-wheres-it-all-going