Shutting down the program doesn't penalize the players. It penalizes the university. Every one of those players could easily go play someplace else. Not being able to play college football at all would be penalizing the players. Not being able to play for Penn State is not punishment. It may be inconvenient, but it doesn't keep them from being able to play the sports and earn a college degree.
The university and program are responsible for this, and they should have been punished in accordance to how atrocious it was that they let it happen after they knew about it, and for creating the type of culture that allowed it to get swept under the rug. You punish the university and the program by taking away the thing that was so precious to them that it caused them to put that thing above something as obvious as protecting children from a pedophile. To me, that was the only real choice. I wouldn't have been opposed to the school itself being shut down as well, but I think taking away the football program was the least they should have done.
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
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I still oppose taking victories away years after the fact. The wins happened.
However imposing the death penalty as was done to SMU makes a great deal of sense to me. As MWM noted, the death penalty hits the university, not current players who had nothing to do with Sandusky, et al. In this regard the penalty imposed upon PSU was too light.
"Hey...Dad. Wanna Have A Catch?" Kevin Costner in "Field Of Dreams."
This is what the NCAA meeting was like...
Not really. Let's use tOSU as an example. Those players that got the free and/or discounted tattoos has nothing to do whether they can win games. It's just a benefit of being a football player. The real "crime" was Tressel covering it up. Players who get money and/or gifts from boosters doesn't give a team a competitive advantage. It's just an extra benefit. That's really what most violations are: extra benefits that regular students don't get. If some auto dealership in Columbus wants to give football and basketball players free rides, there's nothing stopping a dealership in Ann Arbor or Iowa City or Minneapolis from doing the same.
Taking victories away does nothing to help the kids. It just makes some frustrated folks feel better that something was done. I understand the temptation to "do something" on this but there's not much that can or needs to be done now. The perpetrator is in jail for life. The head coach is dead. I agree with the NCAA's recent action; time to move on
RedFanAlways1966 (01-24-2015),Revering4Blue (01-23-2015),villain612 (01-23-2015)
I still feel the university was penalized for things that did not involve the NCAA's realm of focus. The bigger out cry should have come from the B1G, kicked their arsz's out of the conference. Then the rest of the Power 5, could have followed suit...don't let them in. Penn State would have been relegated to playing either as an independent or a conference that has no title hopes. Let the victories stand, but the "mystique" of Penn State football would have fell off the map.
In regards to Ohio State's violation, had Tressel reported the extra benefits as he was supposed to, then Pryor and the other players would've been suspended and missed games. So lying about it (or not reporting it) gave them the on-the-field advantage of having those players being able to play when they shouldn't have been able to. Vacating those wins actually makes sense in that case.
It's a weird situation.
When the 2001 incident occurred, Sandusky was no longer on the PSU coaching staff. He was a retiree who had access to the school's facilities and still had involvement with the 2nd Mile organization. Would reporting him to the cops then been a detriment to the football team? Maybe. It's possible I guess. To me, after reading the report, it reeked of JoePa and a few others covering for a an old friend of 30+ years (and JoePa's right hand man) than it did of protecting the football program. Regardless of motivation, still some messed up stuff.
Bumping for the yearly reminder that Penn State -- an athletic department that hid a child rapist for decades and allowed him to victimize innocent children so they could protect the reputation of their football program and head coach -- are about to kick off another year of football.
After their "devastating" sanctions 3 years ago, they're projected just outside the Top-25 (32) and picked to finish 3rd in the Big 10 + 2. http://athlonsports.com/college-foot...15-predictions
Viva la Cover Up.
Cincinnati Reds: Farm System Champions 2022
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Anyone else watching Hard Knocks think Bill O'Brien comes off like a complete tool?
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Razor Shines (08-17-2015)
"I know a lot about the law and various other lawyerings."
Hitters who avoid outs are the funnest.
I am generally a Marvin Lewis fan, so take this with that in mind, but O'Brien's Hard Knocks appearance vs. Marvin's makes Marvin look amazingly competent and in control.
I was not overly impressed with O'Brien run at Penn State and this is kind of reinforcing that.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
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