Penn State University - The Freeh Report

[diaclone]

it is a crap situation... but if one recruiting violation happens it punnishes the entire team, every single kid for one player's actions.

nothing you can do

Well, I don't know if it's really that hard. Penn State had a culture where it was ok for football coaches to cover up such terrible crimes to cover the school's collective *****. The school needs to own up to it - the players can always play somewhere else. And, best of all, it will create some accountability at Penn State.

 

[diaclone]

My sense of justice for the victims wants PSU to pay. But then I keep wondering if that's just also making victims out of the athletes there, too. It's just an awful situation.

I do wonder if PSU will actually lose many recruits for this, though, if they don't suffer any type of penalty (i.e. loss of games, death penalty, etc.).

Yes, it's an awful situation, but the athletes there aren't victims. Let's not compare the victimization of the kids to college students who might have to play football somewhere else. The athletes just aren't victims. They may have even heard rumors of Sandusky's behavior......

 

[Klubber]

Their fans are disgusting. Throughout this whole thing, they have been in a complete state of denial about Paterno's role in this.

Yeah, maybe ESPN will have more footage tonight of students holding a vigil on campus chanting, "We are Penn State!" Although it is summer break so maybe not. One thing's for sure: State College has a cult like mentality for Paterno and PSU football.

 

[Cyched]

Reading through the report..absolutely sickening. This paragraph really stood out to me. Really says a lot about the culture Paterno created around the football program.

Janitor observes assault by Sandusky, but does not report the assault for fear that "they'll get rid of all of us." Another janitor concludes that the University will close ranks to protect the football program.

 

[Clonefan32]

I'm sure that his family will enjoy the coming years without his money. That's going away.

While I think the family's statements attempting to paint Joe in a positive light recently have been out of line, I feel slightly bad for his kids. I can't imagine growing up idolizing your dad and finding out, upon his death, that he aided in unimaginable crimes. I imagine it is hard on them to realize their dad is about half the man they thought he was throughout their lives.

But in the grand scheme of people to feel sorry for in relation to these crimes, I understand that his kids aren't up there real high.

 

[Melvin]

Penn State needs to suffer the 'death penalty' for two years, with a freeze on athletic department donations. If the NCAA does not penalize Penn State in this manner, Mark Emmert (NCAA Commissioner) should be investigated and fired. There is absolutely zero excuse for Penn State to serve no consequence for these actions. In addition, none of the current players at Penn State should be forced, or even allowed, to play under the cloud of suspicion and guilt in State College right now as the investigations and proceedings take place. It is time to put down the hammer.

I totally agree with this sentiment. Penn State Football should go through a "Cooling Off" Period, at least 2 years. This would allow the entire organization to evaluate itself and determine what direction it should go in. To some, this may seem excessive, but I believe the total disregard for Human Life in the name of Penn State Football can not be denied.

 

[CLONECONES]

when your program is exposed in a 300 pages like this.... doesn't matter is you have 60 years of coaching "excellence"....

unacceptable

 

[Cyched]

I'm REALLY starting to wonder what happened to Ray Gricar (Centre County DA who disappeared in 2005). That's one more thing that could make this ordeal stink even worse.

 

[kingcy]

The football program should be shut down for three years. This is what happens when the program becomes more important than anything else.

They dont have to take it away to do damage. IMO the Big 10 put up a fight to keep the program going. I would like to see the NCAA reduce their scollies to l50, for 5 years, allow them no non conference games for 4 and no bowl games for 8.

 

[DeereClone]

I want them to get as much punishment as possible from this. It is disgusting what they have allowed to take place. They are scum and there is no way around it. This isn't paying players, giving them fancy cars, fudging grades, etc....these are children we are talking about here. Innocent kids, that were vulnurable, that Sandusky took advantage of, and they knew about it.

 

[Cyclone06]

I'm REALLY starting to wonder what happened to Ray Gricar (Centre County DA who disappeared in 2005). That's one more thing that could make this ordeal stink even worse.

No kidding. Hard to believe Mr. Gricar's end had nothing to do with what he was working on. If so that is one hell of a coincidence.

I read a few threads on the PS board. What a sad sad state they are in. Denile in a big way, why should their be punishment, its not a football issue, etc. Had I kept reading I probably would have vomited.

 

[Let's Go State]

See, I agree, but what sucks is that its never those involved who get punished. Its the people having to clean up the mess that do.

I agree with the death penalty as well, and agree with your point above. The NCAA has to look at this and send a message that if you put your program at such a level that you protect criminals in order to protect the image of your program - you will suffer grave consequences. They need to make it not worth it to do so. Death penalty does that, and Penn State will recover from that as they are stronger than SMU.

I'd be ok with 'brink of death penalty' sanctions.....zero scholarships for 4 years, no post season, no tv, no positive revenue kept..... Make it so Penn State wants the death penalty.

 

[Mr Janny]

I agree with the death penalty as well, and agree with your point above. The NCAA has to look at this and send a message that if you put your program at such a level that you protect criminals in order to protect the image of your program - you will suffer grave consequences. They need to make it not worth it to do so. Death penalty does that, and Penn State will recover from that as they are stronger than SMU.

I'd be ok with 'brink of death penalty' sanctions.....zero scholarships for 4 years, no post season, no tv, no positive revenue kept..... Make it so Penn State wants the death penalty.

I just don't think the NCAA has any jurisdiction in this case. The NCAA is just not set up to be a governing body in cases like these. It would be like asking the IRS to prosecute a murderer. Let the appropriate agencies deal with Penn State. The NCAA just needs to butt out.

It all comes down to this question. What NCAA rules has Penn State broken?

And don't say "lack of institutional control." That's not an NCAA rule. That's a charge that the NCAA applies when their rules have been broken.

 

[Angie]

Yes, it's an awful situation, but the athletes there aren't victims. Let's not compare the victimization of the kids to college students who might have to play football somewhere else. The athletes just aren't victims. They may have even heard rumors of Sandusky's behavior......

In my next post, I made sure to make it clear that the victimization of the athletes in this was nothing compared to the kids. My point was just that, if they didn't let athletes out of their scholarships, that it could be ruining their future - producing more victims (on a much smaller scale).

I don't feel comfortable making that assumption about the athletes. I think this thing is a whole, huge mess without making it worse through conjecture.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

So where is the B1G in all of this ? If they were truly "Legends and Leaders" as they have appointed themselves shouldn't they have stepped up and booted Penn State out of the conference. Would you really want your conference to be associated in this mess ?
As far as the death penalty goes the way I look at it is the university officials did everything they could to protect the golden goose so the only appropriate punishment is to take away said goose.

 

[Mr Janny]

So where is the B1G in all of this ? If they were truly "Legends and Leaders" as they have appointed themselves shouldn't they have stepped up and booted Penn State out of the conference. Would you really want your conference to be associated in this mess ?
As far as the death penalty goes the way I look at it is the university officials did everything they could to protect the golden goose so the only appropriate punishment is to take away said goose.

I can get behind this. Let the Big10 step in and punish Penn State. Bar their games from appearing on their broadcasts, refuse to let them play conference games, etc. The conference seems like a much more appropriate governing agent than the NCAA for this.

 

[cycloneworld]

I just don't think the NCAA has any jurisdiction in this case. The NCAA is just not set up to be a governing body in cases like these. It would be like asking the IRS to prosecute a murderer. Let the appropriate agencies deal with Penn State. The NCAA just needs to butt out.

It all comes down to this question. What NCAA rules has Penn State broken?

And don't say "lack of institutional control." That's not an NCAA rule. That's a charge that the NCAA applies when their rules have been broken.

Good points. But Baylor basketball got a modified death penalty when the coach covered up the facts about a murder. In my opinion, what Penn State did was 10x worse as their cover up directly led to dozens of additional children being molested.

This is such an extreme (and terrible) situation, I think the NCAA should intervene with massive penalties.

 

[Let's Go State]

I just don't think the NCAA has any jurisdiction in this case. The NCAA is just not set up to be a governing body in cases like these. It would be like asking the IRS to prosecute a murderer. Let the appropriate agencies deal with Penn State. The NCAA just needs to butt out.

It all comes down to this question. What NCAA rules has Penn State broken?

And don't say "lack of institutional control." That's not an NCAA rule. That's a charge that the NCAA applies when their rules have been broken.

I thought the same thing at first.... This is a criminal case and let the victims seek justice.... But then when the Freeh report said that Penn State administrators turned their heads this to happen 'to avoid the consequences of bad publicity....'. they even found them communicating in codes to cover it.

Protecting publicity now falls in the same catergory as paying a recruit. It does fall under the NCAA under institutional control and ethics in general.

I admit this is stretching a little... But there is too much public pressure here no to act quickly and heavily. They have the room in the bylaws to do it.... They should.... And they will.

 

[CLONECONES]

I just don't think the NCAA has any jurisdiction in this case. The NCAA is just not set up to be a governing body in cases like these. It would be like asking the IRS to prosecute a murderer. Let the appropriate agencies deal with Penn State. The NCAA just needs to butt out.

It all comes down to this question. What NCAA rules has Penn State broken?

And don't say "lack of institutional control." That's not an NCAA rule. That's a charge that the NCAA applies when their rules have been broken.

so if a kid severly injures a fellow student outside of say...a highschool... the highschool should do nothing about it?

 

[Mr Janny]

Good points. But Baylor basketball got a modified death penalty when the coach covered up the facts about a murder. In my opinion, what Penn State did was 10x worse as their cover up directly led to dozens of additional children being molested.

This is such an extreme (and terrible) situation, I think the NCAA should intervene with massive penalties.

Here's the big difference between Baylor and Penn State. The Baylor situation directly involved athletes and a pay for play scandal, a clear violation of NCAA rules. The Penn State case does not.