The Death Penalty

[Flipper]

If you "punish the wrongdoers"....you encourage s hools to hire whatever reprobates tbey want. You just fire them andsay " the bad guys are gone" and move on. PSU erred...PSU will be punished

[mmisbg]

A four year post season ban, a $60 million fine, and vacating wins from 1998-2011.

Quite frankly, that's ridiculous. It isn't that I don't think there should be blood in the water. but rather that I believe the group responsible in this case was small enough to be dealt with individually. This action punishes everybody BUT who was responsible.

On the upside, Gary Blackney's record just improved with the reduction of one loss.

[Flipper]

Penn State allowed the football program to become more powerful than the institution as a whole. In five years PSU will be back to business as usual. The kids who were victimized will carry this for the rest of their lives. If anything, PSU got off lightly.

[footballguy51]

Don't forget, there is also a reduction in scholarships of initially 10, and then 20 per year for four years.

Now, they were saying Penn State would have wished for the death penalty instead of this. Anybody agree with that statement?

[MarkL]

I think it is pretty just. The mess at Penn State involved a serious pervert and a complete and total failure of leadership at the university. Not punishing the university's football program and athletic department to this severity sends the message that universities can commit egregious violations, fire the leaders responsible for said violations, then move on like nothing happened. This was a necessary and correct step, and for what it is worth, I have always had a soft spot for Penn State and have many PSU friends and coworkers.

Wasn't Greg Christopher recently added to the NCAA committee on violations? Was he part of this decision? If so I am very proud of the role a BGSU representative played in this decision. This is a monumental punishment in an unprecedented case, and for the NCAA to have the stones to hammer a program as big and storied as Penn State is an indication that NCAA violators had better clean up now.

[BGFalconfromCincy]

IMO no team will ever get what SMU got, so to me this is the new death penalty

[Flipper]

The guy who announced the death penalty against SMU was so shook up that he fainted on his way out of the press conference...so, you're probably right

[musicman2343]

Pathetic - I just saw a post on Facebook which said this:

"Ohio State is now the outright champions [sic] of the Big Ten for the 2005 and 2008 seasons.

The Buckeyes had shared the titles with Penn State, but the vacation of PSU's wins hand the title over to Ohio State entirely."

Still all high and mighty....

[mmisbg]

I still can't get behind this. I find the actions repulsive, and I'm okay with sending everybody involved to jail for a very long time (if not permanently). But when there are institutions, like the one already mentioned (plus USC, Miami, and a few others), that have had improprieties at every single level (admin, coaches, players, boosters, community members) and there isn't the establishment of "lack of institutional control", I don't see how you apply it here.

Once again, this punishes everybody accept the people involved. I guess I can get behind the monetary fine. Maybe some loss of scholarships, and perhaps a one year ban from post season play. But primarily, there should have been a mandate that PSU exterminate and prosecute everybody involved in this scandal...and that hasn't even been brought up in the NCAA response.

IMO, vacating wins should be reserved for times when a team has been caught cheating on some level. As an amateur sport, fielding players when you know they should be ineligible for taking unsanctioned gifts qualifies as cheating, and that is why I agree with vacating wins in those cases. Naturally, this isn't the only possibility for this occurrence, but it is the most common.

In the end, none of this really affects me, and I really don't give a hoot what happens to PSU. I guess what upsets me the most is that the NCAA's ruling might be where this scandal comes to a close. If that is the case, some innocent people will have been severely punished, and some VERY guilty people will be getting a slap on the wrist.

[BGFalconfromCincy]

The awful actions of Sandusky were covered up to protect the football program. Football became too powerful at the school, and now must pay the price for being considered more important then the lives of the victims. Do I feel bad for the coaches and players currently at Penn State, yes, because they are innocent. But guess what, life isn't fair, and they don't have to stay, the players can leave and go else where without having to sit out a year.

Mark Emmert said it best - "Football will never be put ahead of educating, protecting and nurturing young people."

Football was put ahead of those things at Penn State, and now they have to pay. Like I said earlier in my post it may not be fair, but life isn't fair

[transfer2BGSU]

Once again, this punishes everybody accept the people involved. I guess I can get behind the monetary fine. Maybe some loss of scholarships, and perhaps a one year ban from post season play. But primarily, there should have been a mandate that PSU exterminate and prosecute everybody involved in this scandal...and that hasn't even been brought up in the NCAA response.

IMO, vacating wins should be reserved for times when a team has been caught cheating on some level. As an amateur sport, fielding players when you know they should be ineligible for taking unsanctioned gifts qualifies as cheating, and that is why I agree with vacating wins in those cases. Naturally, this isn't the only possibility for this occurrence, but it is the most common.

I agree with you on both accounts. I would like to see the NCAA tell those responsible for this chaotic fiasco that they have a SHOW CAUSE penalty for X number of years and cannot work at any NCAA member institution without a show cause. If a member institution wants to hire the former PSU President, former PSU AD, and others associated with this whole mess, they have to show cause and if the NCAA says NO - then that institution has penalties to face for its decision to hire them. Yeah....I know.....hard for Mark Emmert to sanction one of his own but that is why he is paid the big bucks by the NCAA.

The bowl ban is ridiculous because it punishes the players who had absolutely nothing to do with the mess. Fine - do not allow them to receive bowl money payouts. Forfeit their share of BCS, Big Ten, and Big Ten Network revenues. Allow those student-athletes that want to transfer from PSU the ability to do so without penalty (regardless of sport). But I think the NCAA over reached in some areas, and didn't do enough in another.

[mmisbg]

On side note, I'm pretty sure this makes the coach with the most career victories none other than the universally beloved: Bobby Bowden.

[unfalconbelievable]

Mark Emmert said it best - "Football will never be put ahead of educating, protecting and nurturing young people."

This is the exact quote in which I was about ready to fall out of my chair laughing. College Football is the biggest sports money maker next to the NFL. Getting a football playoff and letting towns bid on who is to host it...... you really think education comes first along with protecting and nurturing young people. This single statement just shows how transparent the Head of the NCAA is. He may have looked the part today by dealing out punishments but that statement made me laugh. College sports are about money, march madness, the frozen four, college world series and football, its all about the money. If it was about education bowls wouldn't be strung out for months and schools wouldn't be shifting conferences like dirty clothes. Emmert you showed your true colors today and didn't fool anyone.

[Falcon Fanatic]

Paterno family statement on the sanctions:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index. ... caa_s.html

The line that made me scratch my head was this: "The sanctions announced by the NCAA today defame the legacy and contributions of a great coach and educator without any input from our family or those who knew him best."

Seriously?? My reaction to that was: "I don't think they had to ask the family for input on this decision!!" Is it just me or did that come across as very self serving and arrogant?

[Flipper]

Penn State and the Paternos have been self serving and arrogant throughout this process....