Poll: NCAA's Penn State Penalty Excessive?
School's athletic program, Paterno legacy hit hard by decision.
As the sexual abuse case against Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky works its way through the court, the school and the legacy of head coach Joe Paterno learned their fates Monday.
The school faces a $60 million fine, a four-year ban on bowl games and 10 fewer football scholarships.
Paterno had been criticized for not acting when he received information about alleged Sandusky abuse.
In response to Paterno's role and the role of the Penn State football program, the school has been stripped of 14 years of wins — stripping Paterno of his title as the most successful coach in history.
The school is also losing top talent, as athletes get a free pass to transfer to another school.
The school's alumni and supporters have used the phrase "knee-jerk" more than once since the NCAA penalties were announced.
Brad Benson, a former Penn State and New York Giants player, told the Associated Press that the NCAA is out of line.
"It's a knee-jerk reaction," he said. "They can take the games, take the wins away. That's fine. There's no future in the past anyway. But to punish the university now? How does this work for the new coach? What's fair about this for him? It's absolutely crazy."
Richard Hayes
10:41 am on Tuesday, July 24, 2012
There is no logic -- taking away 111 victories. Sandusky was not even the coach for most of this time. Should not penalize the students playing football - they had nothing to do with this tragedy. They should tell Penn State to use the $60M to correct the inherent supervisor and leadership issues/problems.
Kat B
11:09 am on Tuesday, July 24, 2012
They did this to get rid of the 'hero worship' that caused no one to come forward to speak out about it, because they did not want the program to look bad. No football or any other program should be more important than the emotional or physical health of a child being abused by someone in said program.
Craig Brooks
4:21 pm on Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The punishment should not be made to hurt the student population. The persons with the decission making responsibility for this going on and being overlooked are the one who should be fined, punished, and sanctioned. Not the school and the sttudents.
Killing sports projram of the school will hurt the students and the comunity and they are not responsible!!!
maizenbluedoc
5:29 pm on Tuesday, July 24, 2012
While I don't approve of punishing innocent players/students for something the coaches and administrative personnel at Penn State condoned, those responible for the alleged coverup should pend time in jail. All those involved, including the board members should be dismissed and replaced. I think the reason the NCAA decided on such a harsh penalty was because the acts were so egregious they are saying to the other schools, "If you do this, expect very harsh consequences". All this could have been prevented if Paterno and others had done the ethical, moral and legal thing to expose Sandusky. A sad day for Penn State and college football. Power corrupts.
Abe
7:33 am on Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Those in the highest levels of authority, who served as representatives of Penn State, were involved in a coverup. Obvioiusly they knew to report what was suspected could bring bad publicity to Penn State. When people as such make good decisions that serve to promote the image and financial wealth of a school everyone profits. On the other hand, when the decisions are wrong then the opposite happens. The school is justly being ounished and now the school, current students and coaches included, will have to suffer.
JoSCh
2:27 pm on Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Well said Kat B.
I find it curious that child rape is sanctioned less by the NCAA than paying players.
College should be NFP.
Erasing wins really doesn't do anything one way or the other, does it?
And finally the students/players aren't really being punished, are they? The players who are pro material can transfer, the players that aren't pro material will get a chance to play, and any student that is attending Penn State for their football program that isn't playing football needs to reassess their lives.
Tom Musolf
12:55 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012
I don't believe in "slap on the wrist" justice. An example must be made.
Jerry Carman
7:47 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
If you could just punish Jerry Sandusky, NO, in fact, it ain't enough, and as for Joe Paterno keeping his mouth shut about it, too bad he's dead. But that doesn't justify punishing the current footballl players that had nothing to do with it, They should just let them play football, and if they win enough games, let them go to a bowl game.