College sports has needed greater oversight for decades. Penn St. has always been a bit arrogant because of their teams, perhaps ending the entire sports program is in order. College is more about learning than sports, and that is the way it should be.
Without a doubt, what Penn State allowed to happen on their campus and in their community going back to the 1970's is worse than anything that any other school which received the death penalty ever did. They deserve the ultimate penalty for their program.
The NCAA needs to take prompt, decisive action and not linger Reggie Bush style for years and years. If you agree, sign the petition at:
NCAA - Death Penalty. There's no way that the institutional failure and lack of control in this case isn't worse than the SMU pay to play culture.
Federal law - Cleary Act should be enforced. PSU should lose federal funding due to failure to report crimes on their campus.
JoePa's name and likeness should be removed from PSU library and football stadium.
Rick - 12 years ago
As a university professor at a big name college (10+ wins a year) I saw the way everyone kowtowed to the football gods. Academics always came second. It was always bigger stadium, better facilities, multi-million dollar budgets, etc.
Penn State may have finally taken it to the breaking point but many others are not far behind. Maybe not legally but in the sense of football running the institution.
I recommend Penn State get the death penalty. But I would also recommend that the University use all the football and other big time sports assets to pay off all the civil judgements to come. The academic side should not suffer. But the holier than thou sports side should. Sell the practice fields for development. Sell the buildings or use them for dorms, libraries, or class rooms. Penn State is a fine institution of higher learning so get rid of the cancerous growth once and for all and produce productive citizens, not the average football or basketball player who really should be back in 8th grade.
And don't tell me about the high graduation rate of the players. If the average entering student only has a 35% to 60% chance of finishing, how does a jock have a 90% - 95% chance of graduating, unless they are not really taking college level classes.
So just kill off the money grubbing college athletic business and get back to producing people who really benefit this country.
Albert Firestone - 12 years ago
The Penn State football program should be completely shut down for at least 10 years. If the NCAA is too cowardly to do this, then it is up to Penn State's opponents to do the job. They all have to get together and agree to refuse to play against Penn State, to forfeit all of those games if necessary; and as someone else mentioned the fans should refuse to attend and shut off their TV sets whenever one of those games is being broadcasted. One reason for this is that Penn State is not the only major college sports program with a record of sexual assaults by coaches or players which has covered up and obfuscated the facts, it's just that they are the worst of all of them. The other schools who are guilty (they know who they are) need to be put on notice what could happen to them if they get caught.
Tom - 12 years ago
If the NCAA does not give Penn State the "Death Penalty" then the fans should. If Penn State football comes on the TV, switch channels and call the local station and tell them why. If on ESPN or other cable channel, email them and tell them that you are not going to watch Penn State football ever again! The coverup was for money, and they need to pay for it.
Karen Funyak - 12 years ago
Not just the football program, but the entire university should go. Violationof the Cleary Act is unforgiveable and the scandal itself is immoral. I hope the victims can feel some sense of justice and retribution from all of the findings and eventual sanctions against PSU. Sandusky is in jail, but this university should never again be trusted to act in the best interest of students or the education process again. It disgusts me to the point that I truly hope that the U.S. DOE does its job quickly and completely. There are other fine institutions in Pennsylvania that can collectively handle the influx of displaced students and many fine athletic programs throughout the country that can handle displaced athletes. And, I agree with another post that the Paterno family needs to shut up and fade away. Personally, I do not believe that many in the family did not already know about the events, especially the son who is also a PSU coach. Perhaps they should be scrutinized a little closer as well!
Homer - 12 years ago
Why isn't anyone condeming the original investigation and the current governor who was Attorney General at the time? Why did THEY put the owness on the university when it was reported appropiately; by the way, the law in PA states that you have to have proof. This is more about an individual than the athletes themselves.
Edward Stewart - 12 years ago
The Paterno family should just fade away and stop the dribble of trying to convience themselves that joe did nothing wrong his only concern was his own self intrest period .
Revoke the pension the benefits and all identy of him then PSU can start the long road back to respect
Grant - 12 years ago
This is what happens when institutions of higher education become addicted to the teat of big-time athletics. With so much money at stake, even human life is expendable to them. If that is how Penn State wants to operate, so be it. Let those responsible for harming others be indicted and tried for their crimes. BUT ... what I really resent is the blood staining my hands as a result of my tax dollars supporting this institution and its immoral behavior.
I never liked Penn State or its ilk, and if given the choice would never have supported it financially. Where is the check-box that says "I opt out of my tax dollars being given to pedophiles, extortionists, thieves, liars, and murderers?"
I suppose there would be little left of government if we were given such a choice.
If I were Penn State, I would reconsider the entire idea of intercollegiate athletics, which has compromised the academic integrity of so many institutions and is at the root of this problem. Let other institutions deal with the hypocrisy and deceit of exploiting their students in order to run professional sports franchises. Why can't Penn State jettison intercollegiate sports and simply strive to provide a quality academic experience to its students?
chris - 12 years ago
NCAA Death Penalty
Todd - 12 years ago
Everyone within the football program needs to be gone. And in my opinion the program need to be put down with the NCAA to hand down the death penalty. Harsh? Yes, yes it is but so is what Penn State allowed to happen and cover it up because it was "The Penn State Way". So I feel the best way to change "The Penn State Way" is to kill it.
Steve - 12 years ago
The civil suits and the damages that will be levied on PSU will be huge! As it should be. Actions speak louder than words. The actions of those "in charge" are beyond inexcusable. As coaches like to say, this is a teachable moment. Drop the hammer and send the message that needs to be sent. NEVER AGAIN!
jim - 12 years ago
I don't care if it affects the B1G, the state of Pennsylvania, or the entire east coast, the football program has to go down. From a law perspective the first thing that comes to mind is a RICCO racketeering charge. This is so blatantly obvious that anyone who says other wise if fooling them selfs and might as well touch one of the boys.
This entire cover up was based on more wins, more dollars, and more ego. any dollar that was earned in that time was done so under false pretense. Happy Valley should loose, Penn St should loose and sorry but every one else is just victims of a drive by at this point. Put it down, death penalty, death penalty, death penalty!
Brian - 12 years ago
So you want tens of thousands of students to "suffer long-term" based on the behavior of their school's leaders? I do not believe that negatively effecting grants, fellowships and internships will in any way fix the problems at hand. You are a fool for suggesting that funding reduction in academic areas will effect Penn State in a positive way.
Risher Fairey - 12 years ago
Because key administrative personnel and the football coaching staff chose to knowing downplay the entire situation I believe the university should be the focus of the majority of any punishment. JoePa clearly knew quite early in the saga and his name and any visible reminder of his legacy should be removed from the campus. The Board of Trustees should examine every aspect of this chapter in the history of the institution and make the proper administrative changes to insure such future behavior is dealt with no matter the status of the employee involved.
The football program should suffer an immediate bowl ban for at least the next three seasons and all current players should have immediate tranfer rights to other institutions without restriction. An NCAA probation status with stern consequences should be placed upon the football program for the remainder of this decade with the death penalty being a worst case option as punishment for any future major violation. From a legal perspective the entire university should be penalized monetarily to the fullest extent possible through the legal process. While I do not believe the football program should actually be shut down I do believe Penn State as an academic institution should receive appropriate sanctions pertaining to institutional behavior (ethical/moral standards) as set forth in academic and accreditation guidelines. The review of such standards could lead to negative funding consequences related to grants, fellowships and internships just to name an outcome. The loss of potentially millions of dollars throughout the university would have a profound impact upon the university as a whole and this is where Penn State could suffer long-term.
College sports has needed greater oversight for decades. Penn St. has always been a bit arrogant because of their teams, perhaps ending the entire sports program is in order. College is more about learning than sports, and that is the way it should be.
Without a doubt, what Penn State allowed to happen on their campus and in their community going back to the 1970's is worse than anything that any other school which received the death penalty ever did. They deserve the ultimate penalty for their program.
The NCAA needs to take prompt, decisive action and not linger Reggie Bush style for years and years. If you agree, sign the petition at:
http://www.change.org/petitions/ncaa-president-mark-a-emmert-impose-the-death-penalty-on-the-penn-state-football-program
NCAA - Death Penalty. There's no way that the institutional failure and lack of control in this case isn't worse than the SMU pay to play culture.
Federal law - Cleary Act should be enforced. PSU should lose federal funding due to failure to report crimes on their campus.
JoePa's name and likeness should be removed from PSU library and football stadium.
As a university professor at a big name college (10+ wins a year) I saw the way everyone kowtowed to the football gods. Academics always came second. It was always bigger stadium, better facilities, multi-million dollar budgets, etc.
Penn State may have finally taken it to the breaking point but many others are not far behind. Maybe not legally but in the sense of football running the institution.
I recommend Penn State get the death penalty. But I would also recommend that the University use all the football and other big time sports assets to pay off all the civil judgements to come. The academic side should not suffer. But the holier than thou sports side should. Sell the practice fields for development. Sell the buildings or use them for dorms, libraries, or class rooms. Penn State is a fine institution of higher learning so get rid of the cancerous growth once and for all and produce productive citizens, not the average football or basketball player who really should be back in 8th grade.
And don't tell me about the high graduation rate of the players. If the average entering student only has a 35% to 60% chance of finishing, how does a jock have a 90% - 95% chance of graduating, unless they are not really taking college level classes.
So just kill off the money grubbing college athletic business and get back to producing people who really benefit this country.
The Penn State football program should be completely shut down for at least 10 years. If the NCAA is too cowardly to do this, then it is up to Penn State's opponents to do the job. They all have to get together and agree to refuse to play against Penn State, to forfeit all of those games if necessary; and as someone else mentioned the fans should refuse to attend and shut off their TV sets whenever one of those games is being broadcasted. One reason for this is that Penn State is not the only major college sports program with a record of sexual assaults by coaches or players which has covered up and obfuscated the facts, it's just that they are the worst of all of them. The other schools who are guilty (they know who they are) need to be put on notice what could happen to them if they get caught.
If the NCAA does not give Penn State the "Death Penalty" then the fans should. If Penn State football comes on the TV, switch channels and call the local station and tell them why. If on ESPN or other cable channel, email them and tell them that you are not going to watch Penn State football ever again! The coverup was for money, and they need to pay for it.
Not just the football program, but the entire university should go. Violationof the Cleary Act is unforgiveable and the scandal itself is immoral. I hope the victims can feel some sense of justice and retribution from all of the findings and eventual sanctions against PSU. Sandusky is in jail, but this university should never again be trusted to act in the best interest of students or the education process again. It disgusts me to the point that I truly hope that the U.S. DOE does its job quickly and completely. There are other fine institutions in Pennsylvania that can collectively handle the influx of displaced students and many fine athletic programs throughout the country that can handle displaced athletes. And, I agree with another post that the Paterno family needs to shut up and fade away. Personally, I do not believe that many in the family did not already know about the events, especially the son who is also a PSU coach. Perhaps they should be scrutinized a little closer as well!
Why isn't anyone condeming the original investigation and the current governor who was Attorney General at the time? Why did THEY put the owness on the university when it was reported appropiately; by the way, the law in PA states that you have to have proof. This is more about an individual than the athletes themselves.
The Paterno family should just fade away and stop the dribble of trying to convience themselves that joe did nothing wrong his only concern was his own self intrest period .
Revoke the pension the benefits and all identy of him then PSU can start the long road back to respect
This is what happens when institutions of higher education become addicted to the teat of big-time athletics. With so much money at stake, even human life is expendable to them. If that is how Penn State wants to operate, so be it. Let those responsible for harming others be indicted and tried for their crimes. BUT ... what I really resent is the blood staining my hands as a result of my tax dollars supporting this institution and its immoral behavior.
I never liked Penn State or its ilk, and if given the choice would never have supported it financially. Where is the check-box that says "I opt out of my tax dollars being given to pedophiles, extortionists, thieves, liars, and murderers?"
I suppose there would be little left of government if we were given such a choice.
If I were Penn State, I would reconsider the entire idea of intercollegiate athletics, which has compromised the academic integrity of so many institutions and is at the root of this problem. Let other institutions deal with the hypocrisy and deceit of exploiting their students in order to run professional sports franchises. Why can't Penn State jettison intercollegiate sports and simply strive to provide a quality academic experience to its students?
NCAA Death Penalty
Everyone within the football program needs to be gone. And in my opinion the program need to be put down with the NCAA to hand down the death penalty. Harsh? Yes, yes it is but so is what Penn State allowed to happen and cover it up because it was "The Penn State Way". So I feel the best way to change "The Penn State Way" is to kill it.
The civil suits and the damages that will be levied on PSU will be huge! As it should be. Actions speak louder than words. The actions of those "in charge" are beyond inexcusable. As coaches like to say, this is a teachable moment. Drop the hammer and send the message that needs to be sent. NEVER AGAIN!
I don't care if it affects the B1G, the state of Pennsylvania, or the entire east coast, the football program has to go down. From a law perspective the first thing that comes to mind is a RICCO racketeering charge. This is so blatantly obvious that anyone who says other wise if fooling them selfs and might as well touch one of the boys.
This entire cover up was based on more wins, more dollars, and more ego. any dollar that was earned in that time was done so under false pretense. Happy Valley should loose, Penn St should loose and sorry but every one else is just victims of a drive by at this point. Put it down, death penalty, death penalty, death penalty!
So you want tens of thousands of students to "suffer long-term" based on the behavior of their school's leaders? I do not believe that negatively effecting grants, fellowships and internships will in any way fix the problems at hand. You are a fool for suggesting that funding reduction in academic areas will effect Penn State in a positive way.
Because key administrative personnel and the football coaching staff chose to knowing downplay the entire situation I believe the university should be the focus of the majority of any punishment. JoePa clearly knew quite early in the saga and his name and any visible reminder of his legacy should be removed from the campus. The Board of Trustees should examine every aspect of this chapter in the history of the institution and make the proper administrative changes to insure such future behavior is dealt with no matter the status of the employee involved.
The football program should suffer an immediate bowl ban for at least the next three seasons and all current players should have immediate tranfer rights to other institutions without restriction. An NCAA probation status with stern consequences should be placed upon the football program for the remainder of this decade with the death penalty being a worst case option as punishment for any future major violation. From a legal perspective the entire university should be penalized monetarily to the fullest extent possible through the legal process. While I do not believe the football program should actually be shut down I do believe Penn State as an academic institution should receive appropriate sanctions pertaining to institutional behavior (ethical/moral standards) as set forth in academic and accreditation guidelines. The review of such standards could lead to negative funding consequences related to grants, fellowships and internships just to name an outcome. The loss of potentially millions of dollars throughout the university would have a profound impact upon the university as a whole and this is where Penn State could suffer long-term.