Say it ain't so, Joe

[infrared41]

The only downside for us is if the message isn't heard and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it.

Yeah oops that's the downside' date=' but other than that, obfuscating systematic child rape is [i']all upside.

TAKE AWAY THEIR FOOTBALL TEAM

I'll say it again...There's something completely -ed up about football. Hopefully I'm wrong about this, but I have a feeling that Penn State is not the only college or high school school with a "Jerry Sandusky."

[njmeadowlanders]

Yeah, that. Give them the death penalty. This is worse than what SMU did.

Won't happen. You're forgetting your basic math here:

Money > All Else

[Cujo]

This sh1t has become so much bigger than the game football. Either honor the players' scholarships (the ones who actually want an EDUCATION), or let them transfer to another school, free of punishment. It's time to just shut the entire Penn State football program down. Happy Valley officially SUCKS.

[njmeadowlanders]

This sh1t has become so much bigger than the game football. Either honor the players' scholarships (the ones who actually want an EDUCATION), or let them transfer to another school, free of punishment. It's time to just shut the entire Penn State football program down. Happy Valley officially SUCKS.

How do you think it feels now sending out resumes that say "Penn State University - Class of 2008" on them?

[Lights Out]

Penn State has long since proven that they can't handle the privilege of having a bigtime NCAA football program. They completely deserve the death penalty. However, since they're a traditional "name" program in a power conference, the NCAA will never do it. Too much money at stake.

[Kevin W.]

Yeah, that. Give them the death penalty. This is worse than what SMU did.

Won't happen. You're forgetting your basic math here:

Money > All Else

The Big Ten has eleven other programs, several of which are bigger than Penn State right now. Shut them down temporarily and let them suffer the consequences for their actions. Sandusky is being punished for his part but the school's officials knowingly covered it up.

However, now that I think about it, the NCAA can't give them the death penalty. The death penalty is only for repeat offenders. Penn State wasn't on any kind of probation at the time, so the NCAA should give them a harsh penalty, but it can't be the death penalty.

[CS85]

This scandal is going to be the end of their recruiting pull for awhile, so it might inherently accomplish the death penalty, albeit in a drawn out fashion.

[Lights Out]

This scandal is going to be the end of their recruiting pull for awhile, so it might inherently accomplish the death penalty, albeit in a drawn out fashion.

Again... traditional name school, power conference. Recruits will still gladly hop on the gravy train.

[rams80]

The NCAA isn't going to institute the death penalty because 1) the NCAA does not want to set the precedent of outright criminal enterprise meriting sanctions and (more importantly) 2) because the NCAA does not intend to commit spectacular suicide. Because the response of a Death Penalty sanction to the football team in a major conference would be for all of the major conferences to inform the NCAA to piss up a rope and strike off on their own. Which would be an effective death blow to the NCAA's revenue streams.

[The_Admiral]

It's virtually unenforceable, but along with suspension of the football program, I'd like it if "Success With Honor" were stricken from anywhere it may be engraved or otherwise presented. Wouldn't you?

[rams80]

The NCAA isn't going to institute the death penalty because 1) the NCAA does not want to set the precedent of outright criminal enterprise meriting sanctions and (more importantly) 2) because the NCAA does not intend to commit spectacular suicide. Because the response of a Death Penalty sanction to the football team in a major conference would be for all of the major conferences to inform the NCAA to piss up a rope and strike off on their own. Which would be an effective death blow to the NCAA's revenue streams.

Anyway, just so I don't sound like a complete apologist here, here would be the likeliest "harshest" yet fairest penalty to toss to Penn State:

1. 5 year postseason ban for football.

2. All TV and postseason revenue is IIRC centrally distributed through the Big Ten. For that same 5 year period, Penn State doesn't see a dime of their share. Instead Penn State's money goes to a trust fund for the victims.

[CS85]

The TV ban needs to happen. If PSU has a cinderella season in 2012, all we're gonna hear from the booyahs is "healing process," and "football bringing a community together" and all this ridiculous bull .

[Kevin W.]

The NCAA isn't going to institute the death penalty because 1) the NCAA does not want to set the precedent of outright criminal enterprise meriting sanctions and (more importantly) 2) because the NCAA does not intend to commit spectacular suicide. Because the response of a Death Penalty sanction to the football team in a major conference would be for all of the major conferences to inform the NCAA to piss up a rope and strike off on their own. Which would be an effective death blow to the NCAA's revenue streams.

Anyway, just so I don't sound like a complete apologist here, here would be the likeliest "harshest" yet fairest penalty to toss to Penn State:

1. 5 year postseason ban for football.

2. All TV and postseason revenue is IIRC centrally distributed through the Big Ten. For that same 5 year period, Penn State doesn't see a dime of their share. Instead Penn State's money goes to a trust fund for the victims.

I like it, though I think a substantial portion of their share should also go to RAINN.

[Lights Out]

The TV ban needs to happen. If PSU has a cinderella season in 2012, all we're gonna hear from the booyahs is "healing process," and "football bringing a community together" and all this ridiculous bull .

And all the NCAA will see is $$$$$. If anything, those greedy slimeballs will promote Penn State even more because they're so polarizing now.

[dfwabel]

The only downside for us is if the message isn't heard and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it.

Yeah oops that's the downside' date=' but other than that, obfuscating systematic child rape is [i']all upside.

TAKE AWAY THEIR FOOTBALL TEAM

I'll say it again...There's something completely -ed up about football. Hopefully I'm wrong about this, but I have a feeling that Penn State is not the only college or high school school with a "Jerry Sandusky."

It is not just a football story, as in 2010 USA Swimming had numerous allegations of sexual abuse, even recording the abuse. Overall, 59 coaches once certified by USA Swimming were banned; 36 of them all since 2000.. Most were later charged and were convicted.

This scandal is going to be the end of their recruiting pull for awhile, so it might inherently accomplish the death penalty, albeit in a drawn out fashion.

By the time this story broke, the enrollment process was well underway and Penn State had their highest number of applicants ever (28,000+ for 7,200 Freshman slots). How far on their accepted list they have to go to get 7,200 is a separate story, along with the number of applications they will receive from the class of 2013.

[slapshot]

Wasn't SMU's death penalty enacted because it directly affected the student-athletes on the team? As horrible and disgusting as everything that went down at Penn State, this had nothing to do with the players on the team, just the coaching staff.

I'd like to see Penn State be punished for its ineptitude and ignorance as much as anyone else, and it's hard to compare anything to innocent children suffering at the expense of a monster, but if you shut down the team, aren't more innocent student-athletes getting punished as well?

I think there should be a way to punish the athletic department and all culpable members of the coaching staff without further punishing other student athletes. Bringing in a brand new football coach and staff should be a head start.

[Cujo]

This scandal is going to be the end of their recruiting pull for awhile, so it might inherently accomplish the death penalty, albeit in a drawn out fashion.

Again... traditional name school, power conference. Recruits will still gladly hop on the gravy train.

Penn State has no tradition anymore. Paterno and what he did at Happy Valley for five decades is DEAD. If I'm a potential recruit, I want nothing to do with representing that school. You think any student or their parents want to walk around rocking "PENN STATE" gear? They'd all be walking billboards for pediphillia. Regardless of sanctions from the NCAA, Penn State football is currently on life support and will remain scarred for the remainder of our lifetimes.

[infrared41]

Wasn't SMU's death penalty enacted because it directly affected the student-athletes on the team? As horrible and disgusting as everything that went down at Penn State, this had nothing to do with the players on the team, just the coaching staff.

I'd like to see Penn State be punished for its ineptitude and ignorance as much as anyone else, and it's hard to compare anything to innocent children suffering at the expense of a monster, but if you shut down the team, aren't more innocent student-athletes getting punished as well?

I think there should be a way to punish the athletic department and all culpable members of the coaching staff without further punishing other student athletes. Bringing in a brand new football coach and staff should be a head start.

Agree 100%. There is no reason to wipe out the entire football program. I'll agree that every person involved in the Sandusky nightmare should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. (If I had my way, they'd all be hung by their balls from one of the goalposts.) Where I have to get off the bus is when we start punishing the third string linebacker for something he had absolutely nothing to do with. We all want to see justice served as swiftly and severely as possible, but I'm pretty sure that taking out the entire football program isn't part of that process.

[IceCap]

It's virtually unenforceable, but along with suspension of the football program, I'd like it if "Success With Honor" were stricken from anywhere it may be engraved or otherwise presented. Wouldn't you?

Yes. A million times yes.

This scandal is going to be the end of their recruiting pull for awhile, so it might inherently accomplish the death penalty, albeit in a drawn out fashion.

Again... traditional name school, power conference. Recruits will still gladly hop on the gravy train.

Penn State has no tradition anymore. Paterno and what he at Happy Valley did for five decades is DEAD. If I'm a potential recruit, I want nothing to do with representing that school. You think any student or their parents want to walk around rocking "PENN STATE" gear? They'd all be walking billboards for pediphillia. Regardless of sanctions from the NCAA, Penn State football is currently on life support and will remain scarred for the remainder of our lifetimes.

Harsh, but accurate. So much of Penn State's tradition and allure came from Paterno and his legacy. That legacy is (rightfully) tarnished forever.

The only downside for us is if the message isn't heard and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it.

Yeah oops that's the downside' date=' but other than that, obfuscating systematic child rape is [i']all upside.

TAKE AWAY THEIR FOOTBALL TEAM

I'll say it again...There's something completely -ed up about football. Hopefully I'm wrong about this, but I have a feeling that Penn State is not the only college or high school school with a "Jerry Sandusky."

I don't think it's a football thing. It's a "we as a society place way to much emphasis on collegiate athletics" thing. As soon as people who could have done something about it became aware the cops should have been called and Sandusky should have been arrested. Instead they covered it all up because SPORTS.

We're grown so enamoured by athletic competition that people with real power in a university athletic department chose to cover up and enable child rape because they feared having the pedophile arrested would have hurt the department's "image." That we've gotten to the point where that looks like the legitimate course of action to some people, much less people in positions of authority, is sickening.

[infrared41]

I'll say it again...There's something completely -ed up about football. Hopefully I'm wrong about this, but I have a feeling that Penn State is not the only college or high school school with a "Jerry Sandusky."

It is not just a football story, as in 2010 USA Swimming had numerous allegations of sexual abuse, even recording the abuse. Overall, 59 coaches once certified by USA Swimming were banned; 36 of them all since 2000.. Most were later charged and were convicted.

I meant football specifically, not sports in general, but thanks for that. That said, your propensity to pull up articles, stats, and links on...well...most everything, always leaves me both impressed and a little freaked out.