Report: NCAA To Hit Penn State With “Unprecedented” Penalties

Deadspin ^ | July 22, 2012 | Sean Newell

[John W]

Tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. in Indianapolis, the NCAA will reportedly announce how it intends to punish Penn State following its handling of the the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The penalties have been termed "unprecedented" and will be leveled at both the school itself and the football program.

According to Armen Keteyian, a source had "never seen anything like it."

Things are happening quickly, now.

[silverleaf]

If you want to look at institutional complicity in sexual expliotation of minors.... lets look at the US Congress vs Penn State

Did Barney Frank (and other members of Congress) ruin any lives by being intern-chasing chickenhawks?

Barney Frank allowed a boyfriend to run a male prostitute ring from the basement of his townhouse. Congess ALL knew. Any underage lives ruined by that?

What did Congress do about it?
Tear down a statue of Barney? Ot dedicate legislation to him
(statue to come in future, I’m sure)

Gerry Studds and other members of Congress diddled teenage boys who were sent by their parents to be Congressional pages. What did Congress do about that? Censure Gerry Studds (1983 page scandal) ..... then seated him for another decade after he was reelected 6 more times.

Congress KNOWS about sexual deviancy in its halls...and is silent

Maybe Congress should themselves out of business for 5 years... or more

[lonestar]

It makes as much sense to punish the innocent at Penn State as it does to take guns away from people who don’t murder.

[rbg81]

There really isn't any reason for the Colleges and Universities to be in the professional entertainment business at all. In theory, some of the top programs make a profit. In fact, a careful forensic accounting would demonstrate that most university's lose money on sports entertainment program and many of them lose a significant amount. And the sports focus deteriorates from the primary mission of education. Under circumstances where most schools, particularly the football factories, are doing a really poor job in the education environment.

---

I'm a college professor and I'm kind of torn on the sports issue. On one hand, sports helps build a Esprit De Corps among the students. Also, athletics can help build character and, as a result, some athletes are really outstanding young people.

On the other hand, far too many athletes act like slugs off the playing field. They are arrogant and have the attitude that all that matters is sports. I've had a few that practically yelled at me for handing out assignments that detracted from their “practice”. And some refuse to do the work altogether. These are the kids that come to you after the semester (having failed) looking for a “second chance”. Basically, they want a redo on the semester to retain their eligibility to play. Not only do they want a different set of standards for themselves, they want you to do substantially more work because they screwed up. My answer is: Sorry Charlie. You made your bed, now lie in it.

Many of the worst kids in this category also seems to have an entourage of worshipers (enablers) hanging around them in class. These are kids who might do better, but are influenced by the poor study habits of the athlete. I suspect some of them actually do the assignments for the athlete too.

[mass55th]

What are they going to do? Take away their TV privileges for a month?

[DC Bound]

I absolutely hate agreeing with you, but you’re right. I’m angry, and the angry thing to do is shut down the program forever. But the program wasn’t responsible; individuals were. In fact, shutting down the program would be counterproductive because it would serve as a proxy for justice, while the people who turned a blind eye to the abuse, and enabled it, get to go about their lives. Much better to destroy them, than the program they were “defending.”

[volmann63]

I am not a PSU fan. But seems to me they will be punishing the players and the fans the most! They will be punishing 100k fans every Saturday and the people that work at the games if they stop them

[100American]

Again you provide no proof just what you and the press put out, if you knew and would state facts then we can talk. Paul Dees (Miami) and others from competing schools wanted to pull USC down because of the big connection between ESPN and the SEC schools. The BCS “playoff” is a nod to the “powerhouse” SEC schools who rarely play OOC games and if they do they schedule cupcakes.

Tiger Claws, Hmmmmmmm

Maybe associated with one of the SEC conference schools where cheating has become an art?

Auburn maybe?

Interesting

[FatherofFive]

It is really time to bring an end to intercollegiate athletics.

Just doesn't follow.

Did you ever play sports at the College level? Any of your kids?

Competitive sports teach life lessons at every level. The discipline of hard work. How to deal with defeat and setbacks. Preparation and results. Individual responsibility. Teamwork.

This is why schools who violate their responsibilities need to be severely punished.

[100American]

Again you provide no proof just what you and the press put out, if you knew and would state facts then we can talk. Paul Dees (Miami) and others from competing schools wanted to pull USC down because of the big connection between ESPN and the SEC schools. The BCS “playoff” is a nod to the “powerhouse” SEC schools who rarely play OOC games and if they do they schedule cupcakes.

Tiger Claws, Hmmmmmmm

Maybe associated with one of the SEC conference schools where cheating has become an art?

Auburn maybe?

More likely LSU, will wait and see

Interesting

[LRoggy]

For those of us who are big college lacrosse fans there is a really interesting side story at play here if Penn State sports in general gets the death penalty.

A couple of years ago Jeff Tambroni left his position at Cornell as head coach, where he enjoyed tremendous success to take the head coaching position at Penn State. He would have not done this (Cornell was the more prestigious lacrosse program) except for the fact that his wife was offered the head field hockey position and he decided to move with her since she had sacrificed for him earlier in going to Ithaca and turning down other coaching offers (the wife graduated PSU and was an All American in field hockey so this was her dream job).

Right now that decision looks pretty tenuous. If the death penalty comes down on the entire athletic department both could face a loss of income as well as having to represent a toxic future recruiting environment.

When I watch tomorrow’s announcement part of me will be looking at this side story.

[Mr. Bird]

For anyone (and there are a lot of them) claiming that the NCAA has no jurisdiction or should just concentrate on individuals and not the program, allow me to introduce you to section 2.4 of the NCAA bylaws, the Principle of Sportsmanship and Ethics:

For intercollegiate athletics to promote the character development of participants, to enhance the integrity of higher education and to promote civility in society, student-athletes, coaches, and all others associated with these athletics programs and events should adhere to such fundamental values as respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. These values should be manifest not only in athletics participation, but also in the broad spectrum of activities affecting the athletics program.

That about sums it up, I'd say.

[Joe 6-pack]

"I just think folks are now really soiling a great man, Joe Pa."

Seems like it would be hard to soil anybody at PSU with all the showering going on.

[rintense]

A great man wouldn’t have turned the other way while a good friend raped young boys. If that’s how you define great, I feel sorry for you.

[DC Bound]

This isn’t killing a horse thief. It is allowing the horse thief to fade from the headlines, while hanging the town where the horse thief grew up. I guess, so that other would-be horse thieves realize how bad it is to steal a horse.

[babble-on]

Agree completely with your post #14. The football programs should all lose their tax exempt status. There’s no reason why anyone should get a tax deduction for giving money to pay some head coach 5 million dollars a year.

[Gaffer]

I don’t support 5 years. I want at least a generation. A generation for all those people who looked over this, closed their ears, and “thought about the good of the footbal program” to reflect on, and in their passing, their replacement generation be on the vigil to not repeat this. Unexcusable, and 5 years is a slap on the wrist.

[detective]

“I absolutely hate agreeing with you, but you’re right”

You don’t have to hate agreeing with me. Great minds think alike.

Thanks for the post.

[Gamecock]

In fact, shutting down the program would be counterproductive because it would serve as a proxy for justice, while the people who turned a blind eye to the abuse, and enabled it, get to go about their lives.

I'm seeing a similar theme throughout this thread.

NCAA sanctions will not take the place of any civil suits or criminal prosecution.

The upcoming NCAA sanctions are an institutional punishment for the failure of proper oversight.

And for those who think that those currently at PSU are innocent, let's remember the riots that occurred when Paterno was axed. And the former chair of the Board of Trustees JUST resigned a couple of days ago.

Any penalty won't hurt the students who are there to get an education one bit.

[fuente]

Why thank you for your concern. hope your life is not completely defined by your biggest mistake and that you know exactly how much Joe Pa knew. I’m not defending the guy, I am just not so quick to judge, for lack of your moral superiority. Feel sorry for yourself, I really don’t need your concern.

[Lurker]

I’m ok with razing Penn State.