Earlier today, the NCAA handed down their penalties to Penn State and their football program for the roles of three former administrators and their late Hall Of Fame coach Joe Paterno in the Sandusky scandal, largely based on the results of the "independent" report from the Freeh investigation that was released earlier this month.
The penalties are: 1) a $60 million dollar fine, to be given to a endowment for EXTERNAL programs that combat child abuse and/or assist the victims of such (these programs cannot be at Penn State) , but these monies CANNOT be taken from the funding of other sports programs at the school other than football 2) the ENTIRE athletic program is on a 5 year probation (a penalty matched by the Big Ten Conference shortly thereafter), 3) 4 year football postseason ban (no bowl games or participation in the Big Ten championship game, regardless of record) and most importantly: 4) the loss of 20 football scholarships for the next 4 years 5) the program and Coach Paterno vacates all football wins between 1998 and 2011, including bowl wins (6) and conference championships (2). That drops the coach down to 12th on the all-time wins list and pushes former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden (who lost ten wins himself over violations a few years ago) into first on the FBS (former Division I) wins list and late Coach Eddie Robinson of Grambling returns to first on the overall wins list. Current and incoming players are, however, allowed to transfer to another school and play football immediately without a penalty.
Are these penalties too harsh? Yes and no, in my opinion. The fine, probation and postseason ban are reasonable. Vacating all of the football team's wins for the last 14 years might be a bit much. This move punishes the players (and other assistant coaches) who helped win these games more than those who actually did the cover-up. I would not have minded Penn State getting the death penalty for 1-2 years, then starting over from scratch. The new Penn State coach is screwed for at least four years as these sanctions run their course. I have a feeling that Penn State football will never return to a (near or true) championship level in my lifetime, much less in my lifetime.That may be the most cruel result, but perhaps this IS the right result. Athletics is important, but it is never more important than academics or learning how to be a good person, with the proper sense of right versus wrong.
No one questions that what Sandusky did was wrong. Covering up what he had already done, and doing nothing tangible to prevent future incidents, all in the name of protecting the school's and in particular the football team (the players did nothing wrong) and their beloved coach and a few million dollars in revenue, willingly or not, is almost as bad. Paterno's legacy is toast, and that is too bad...but it is not a unfair penalty, either. But the innocent victims list grows exponentially, but Sandusky's victims and their families are, and will always be, at the front of the line. And that will never change. THAT is a true "death penalty". Big mistake, Penn State. Big mistake.
The penalties are: 1) a $60 million dollar fine, to be given to a endowment for EXTERNAL programs that combat child abuse and/or assist the victims of such (these programs cannot be at Penn State) , but these monies CANNOT be taken from the funding of other sports programs at the school other than football 2) the ENTIRE athletic program is on a 5 year probation (a penalty matched by the Big Ten Conference shortly thereafter), 3) 4 year football postseason ban (no bowl games or participation in the Big Ten championship game, regardless of record) and most importantly: 4) the loss of 20 football scholarships for the next 4 years 5) the program and Coach Paterno vacates all football wins between 1998 and 2011, including bowl wins (6) and conference championships (2). That drops the coach down to 12th on the all-time wins list and pushes former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden (who lost ten wins himself over violations a few years ago) into first on the FBS (former Division I) wins list and late Coach Eddie Robinson of Grambling returns to first on the overall wins list. Current and incoming players are, however, allowed to transfer to another school and play football immediately without a penalty.
Are these penalties too harsh? Yes and no, in my opinion. The fine, probation and postseason ban are reasonable. Vacating all of the football team's wins for the last 14 years might be a bit much. This move punishes the players (and other assistant coaches) who helped win these games more than those who actually did the cover-up. I would not have minded Penn State getting the death penalty for 1-2 years, then starting over from scratch. The new Penn State coach is screwed for at least four years as these sanctions run their course. I have a feeling that Penn State football will never return to a (near or true) championship level in my lifetime, much less in my lifetime.That may be the most cruel result, but perhaps this IS the right result. Athletics is important, but it is never more important than academics or learning how to be a good person, with the proper sense of right versus wrong.
No one questions that what Sandusky did was wrong. Covering up what he had already done, and doing nothing tangible to prevent future incidents, all in the name of protecting the school's and in particular the football team (the players did nothing wrong) and their beloved coach and a few million dollars in revenue, willingly or not, is almost as bad. Paterno's legacy is toast, and that is too bad...but it is not a unfair penalty, either. But the innocent victims list grows exponentially, but Sandusky's victims and their families are, and will always be, at the front of the line. And that will never change. THAT is a true "death penalty". Big mistake, Penn State. Big mistake.
