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Penn State sanctions: $60M, bowl ban

Some need to get a grip. This is the NCAA which has ZERO criminal prosecution ability. The DA can still file charges and the victims can still sue the University for some of the profit in covering up the rapes. This is nowhere near done. Prison time and heavy civil fines are still in bound.

Loss of bowl money is a heavy fine all by itself.

This is most likely not the beginning of the end to this matter but rather the end of the beginning. Penn State has not begun to feel pain. Those who think to this point has been too much, take some Midol, it ain't gonna get better anytime soon.

Child rape, long time cover-up, athletic program over child welfare... I find the whine over the 'poor athletes' instead of damn Paterno and the University for allowing YEARS of child abuse rather disgusting. You don't think the poor athletes knew what the rumors were????

I was born at night, but not last night!
 
this way to extremly excessive for what has taken place..........teams (football, basketball, baseball, ect) are to be penalized for cheating...acadmics, eligiblity whatever....what happend here did not give Penn State an edge on the football field.....a criminal act took place that just happened to be conducted by football staff, prosecute the ones guilty accordingly.....how does revoking scholarships, banning bowls, vacating wins ect. help the victims?......the money ok, i can see that but the "football program" didnt do this to those kids...only a handful of individuals did

I would assume it was done to set an example make sure other football programs don't try cover up tragic incidents like this because they don't want to take a dip in football profits.
 
I'm fine with the penalties, and I especially like the warning to other schools to be wary of "hero worship". This is a big problem at many schools where some coaches enjoy a virtually god-like position on campus.

However, the hypocrisy of these rulings coming from such a corrupt organization like the NCAA is disgusting, too.
 
Sports has become thugged up, or more so, in the last 10 years. Much of it, maybe all of it, is related to the "win at all costs" attitude and the emphasis on players rather than teams. An old coach once told us that there is no "me" in "team". We're forgetting that as a nation maybe.

The pressure to win at college level is enormous. Penn State is but one example. It is a horrible example, but it isn't alone. In Penn State's case the football program became the university. Joe Paterno became God. Nothing was more important than football, even little kids. It borders evil when the head coach, athletic director, and the president of the university turn a blind eye to child rape. In fact, they enabled it. At Penn State thuggery became pervasive and extended to the very top of the university.

The penalties were appropriate. Hopefully, other universities will do a gut check. Athletes, their coaches and the universities are not special people, they are not immune from the law, their moral missteps are not excusable. Universities have a duty to teach that to its athletes and students. Sexual abuse, sexual assault and rape are not program perks. Those acts are wrong and they are always wrong. All people who commit such acts are wrong. People and institutions who ignore these acts are wrong. The NCAA made that point this morning. Let's hope all institutions of higher learning "get it."
 
Before he announced the punishments....he said they were harsh and the intention is to send a message that FOOTBALL does not come before education and the safety of our children...and for that I support every single sanction....football shouldnt be and cant be more important than a schools mission of education.

Me too, and I ****ing love college football. Love it.
 
Sure, if you allow the behavior of a few to tarnish the image of the many.

It appears that is your impression, however, when someone like Micheal Vick, a convicted felon, is lauded because he is doing what everyone else is required to in society then is cavalier in subsequent interviews it is hard to say that these football factories turn out the cream of society's crop.

Incidentally, my NFL guys were friends and I would join them for charitable events. They were never required to make personal appearances or play sports for charity these guys were just a bunch of great people that wanted to give back to society for what they have been received so freely in their lives.
 
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from Charles Pierce, a great writer

Nittany Wits

This is punishment. This is not "reform."

This is not "reform" because the NCAA, the most corrupt entity in a corrupt business, is still in place, and so are its rules. This is not "reform" because, all over America, there are still multimillion dollar sports enterprises wagging the dog at universities, and coaches with enough power to cover up even the most heinous crimes. This is not "reform" because nothing was, well, reformed.

As punishment, though, it is a big old meteor from space. Sixty million bucks is a considerable fine. (The essential worth of it, of course, will be judged by where the money actually goes.) And, of course, it's a happy day around the Bowden household.

Pay the money, boys. It's chicken feed compared to the civil judgments that are coming down the track.

It is highly possible that Penn State, within a few years, will be relegated to Div III status for its football teams because it won't be able to afford the high salaries demanded by Div I coaches.
 
from Charles Pierce, a great writer



It is highly possible that Penn State, within a few years, will be relegated to Div III status for its football teams because it won't be able to afford the high salaries demanded by Div I coaches.

That's quite possible, but Penn State administration were well of the risks they were taking by hiding a monster and by allowing him to continue to rape children. Football was more important to them than anything. Of that there can be no doubt. It isn't the NCAA who ****ed over the university, the football program, the players still on the football team, the students, the fans and the supporters. Penn State, including Joe Paterno, made the conscious decisions to throw everything out there to sweet ****all and hope that they wouldn't get caught aiding and abetting child rape. Penn State sold the university down the river, not the NCAA.
 
from Charles Pierce, a great writer



It is highly possible that Penn State, within a few years, will be relegated to Div III status for its football teams because it won't be able to afford the high salaries demanded by Div I coaches.

Good. Actions have consequences, the entrie reason to have RULES and LAWS that are enforced by imposing penalties. If the right to football money is secured by the right to allow staff to sexually abuse children then that DESERVES very, very serious sanctions. I am sick of the excuses from PSU morons; they enjoyed the benefits of condoning child sexual abuse BY ITS STAFF for 15 years, and now must pay a price, too low of a price, IMHO, but a price none the less.
 
This went on FOR AT LEAST 15 years, thus the vacation of ALL of those wins, yet the sanction money is for 1/15th of that, only a single year's revenue. Even if only 10 children were harmed (a VERY low estimate) that is only $6 million per kid raped, FAR below what a civil jury award is likely to be. Placing money in a victim's fund is NOT the pervue of the NCAA, especilly limitting it to $60 million total, perhaps $60 million per victim or (per year) would be more appropriate. Much like saying we caught you STEALING $900 million so give back $60 million and we will call it all square.
The $60 million is not going to the victims.

The NCAA ordered Penn State to pay the penalty funds into an endowment for "external programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at the university.

Any money going to the victims will come from the civil suits that are sure to be filed against those responsible and the university.
 
The $60 million is not going to the victims.



Any money going to the victims will come from the civil suits that are sure to be filed against those responsible and the university.

The funds for "assisting victims" will not be used for any PSU related victims? I am confused then.

The NCAA ordered Penn State to pay the penalty funds into an endowment for "external programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at the university
 
When I consider this this raping little boys in the ass scandal combined with the climategate scandal at PSU from a couple years ago, I think it is tme to cut-off all taxpayer funding for PSU. Permanently.

$60 million is just a drop in the bucket.

Cut them off.

PERIOD.

Judging by the history of that corrupt institution, in my opinion, the only prudent thing for the taxpayers to do is sever all ties with PSU.
 
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When I consider this this raping little boys in the ass scandal combined with the climategate scandal at PSU from a couple years ago, I think it is tme to cut-off all taxpayer funding for PSU. Permanently.

$60 million is just a drop in the bucket.

Cut them off.

PERIOD.

Judging by the history of that corrupt institution, in my opinion, the only prudent thing for the taxpayers to do is sever all ties with PSU.

It's a public university. That would be like saying we should cease all funding to the DOD 'cause a few soldiers and their superiors tried to cover up the Koran-pissing incident.
 
Not so very long ago, I would have said this was overkill.

But then, the rape apologists starting pouring out of the woodwork. "Oooh, you can't punish the program!" "But the football team had nothing to do with this!" Oh yes it did. Oh yes it freaking did. They had built a culture of enabling one of the single most despicable crimes that a human can commit. Meanwhile, their football program was thriving, not just culturally and financially as well. In short, it was built on the backs of these children.

And NOW the crocodile tears start to flow? Puh-lease; where was this sympathy when the story first broke? Anyone wanna remind us of the pathetically self-absorbed reaction when the scandal first broke last fall? I could care less if Penn State wins another football game. Ever. Their fans are pathetic enablers and absolutely are getting what they deserve.
 
It appears that is your impression, however, when someone like Micheal Vick, a convicted felon, is lauded because he is doing what everyone else is required to in society then is cavalier in subsequent interviews it is hard to say that these football factories turn out the cream of society's crop.

Incidentally, my NFL guys were friends and I would join them for charitable events. They were never required to make personal appearances or play sports for charity these guys were just a bunch of great people that wanted to give back to society for what they have been received so freely in their lives.

I never liked Mike Vick and I still don't, but he did his time and paid his debt to society.

This post hardly negates what I said though. For every "thug" in the NFL, there's 10 solid guys who keep their noses clean and put their souls out on the field for us on Sundays. This thread isn't even about the NFL though, so I don't even know why this is being brought up.
 
I wonder how many of those advocating that the central Penn State administration is to blame would make the same accusations of the Catholic Church's coverups of THOUSANDS of such incidents.
 
I wonder how many of those advocating that the central Penn State administration is to blame would make the same accusations of the Catholic Church's coverups of THOUSANDS of such incidents.

I most certainly would. At the heart of both issues is a cultural problem of institutional corruption where people find it easier to sweep things under the rug to protect the institution rather than do the right thing.
 
I most certainly would. At the heart of both issues is a cultural problem of institutional corruption.

Sure. But you'd never advocate that they should be barred from having new converts or members join their ranks. You wouldn't even advocate banning them from conducting services. What's the difference here? The University Program shouldn't be punished. The people who played a role? Yes. But the entire school? They didn't know about Sandursky anymore than we did.
 
I never liked Mike Vick and I still don't, but he did his time and paid his debt to society.

This post hardly negates what I said though. For every "thug" in the NFL, there's 10 solid guys who keep their noses clean and put their souls out on the field for us on Sundays. This thread isn't even about the NFL though, so I don't even know why this is being brought up.

The post was never meant to negate what you said, it emphasized YOUR misunderstanding of what I said. If you read the whole post you would see that I was friends with these people, accepted them into my life and I will add, stuck with them after their professional careers when many of the hero worshiping fans forgot who they were while these former players adjusted to life with injured and broken bodies and wallets to match.
 
Sure. But you'd never advocate that they should be barred from having new converts or members join their ranks. You wouldn't even advocate banning them from conducting services. What's the difference here? The University Program shouldn't be punished. The people who played a role? Yes. But the entire school? They didn't know about Sandursky anymore than we did.

In both cases I'd argue for the institution to be punished as a whole, not simply the men who perpetrated the crimes. In the case of Penn State, anything less would be a slap on the wrist. This isn't one of those situations where a few guys went rogue and everyone else is guiltless. This has to do with a culture that's so messed up that it ends up making a football coach the most important person at an academic institution. The fact that you still have Paterno cultists up there whining about how he and his legacy are being unfairly persecuted just tells you how much they don't get it and how out-of-whack their perspective is.

Let's not get it twisted, this is the worst thing to happen in the history of college sports, if not American sports, period. SMU got the death penalty for two years because they paid some of their athletes and changed some grades. The damage that was done here absolutely PALES in comparison to what happened at SMU, and in my opinion the NCAA merely slapped Penn State on the wrist given the magnitude of what happened.

There's absolutely nothing I see here that discourages something like this from happening again. PSU will still bring in tons of revenue even with a ****ty team, they'll still fill stadiums, and they'll still have their wealthy donors covering their asses. So after I've heard arguments from all sides and have had time to reconsider, I've changed my position from "seems fair" this morning to "no way in hell is this even close to being adequate."
 
The post was never meant to negate what you said, it emphasized YOUR misunderstanding of what I said. If you read the whole post you would see that I was friends with these people, accepted them into my life and I will add, stuck with them after their professional careers when many of the hero worshiping fans forgot who they were while these former players adjusted to life with injured and broken bodies and wallets to match.

Fair enough. The National Felons League comment got me riled up a bit is all.
 
I wonder how many of those advocating that the central Penn State administration is to blame would make the same accusations of the Catholic Church's coverups of THOUSANDS of such incidents.

I would.

Both are despicable.
 
In both cases I'd argue for the institution to be punished as a whole, not simply the men who perpetrated the crimes. In the case of Penn State, anything less would be a slap on the wrist. This isn't one of those situations where a few guys went rogue and everyone else is guiltless. This has to do with a culture that's so messed up that it ends up making a football coach the most important person at an academic institution. The fact that you still have Paterno cultists up there whining about how he and his legacy are being unfairly persecuted just tells you how much they don't get it and how out-of-whack their perspective is.

Let's not get it twisted, this is the worst thing to happen in the history of college sports, if not American sports, period. SMU got the death penalty for two years because they paid some of their athletes and changed some grades. The damage that was done here absolutely PALES in comparison to what happened at SMU, and in my opinion the NCAA merely slapped Penn State on the wrist given the magnitude of what happened.

There's absolutely nothing I see here that discourages something like this from happening again. PSU will still bring in tons of revenue even with a ****ty team, they'll still fill stadiums, and they'll still have their wealthy donors covering their asses. So after I've heard arguments from all sides and have had time to reconsider, I've changed my position from "seems fair" this morning to "no way in hell is this even close to being adequate."

Yes and hitting the institution with a fine and banning all current sports administration members from NCAA sports would suffice. To continue to punish them 4 years from now for something their players in 2016 had nothing to do with is extreme.
 
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