NCAA imposes stiff penalties on Penn State

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | July 23, 2012 | Jeremy Roebuck

[Zakeet]

College sports' governing body today suspended Penn State's football team from postseason bowl play for four years and fined the university $60 million for its handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

The team also must vacate all wins from 1998 through 2011.

"The career record of former head football coach Joe Paterno will reflect these vacated records," the NCAA said in a statement. "Penn State must also reduce 10 initial and 20 total scholarships each year for a four-year period. In addition, the NCAA reserves the right to impose additional sanctions on involved individuals at the conclusion of any criminal proceedings."

The fines are to be paid into an endowment for non-university programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims, the NCAA said.

"The NCAA recognizes that student-athletes are not responsible for these events and worked to minimize the impact of its sanctions on current and incoming football student-athletes," the statement said. "Any entering or returning student-athlete will be allowed to immediately transfer and compete at another school. Further, any football student-athletes who remain at the university may retain their scholarships, regardless of whether they compete on the team."

[Wise Hectare]

The comparison isn’t “ridiculous”; it is precisely on point. Punishing people or institutions has negative side effects on others whose income depends on them — that’s just how it is.

[dfwgator]

I’m not! Where are they going to transfer too?

If any of them can block decently, Florida sure could use them.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Not sure how covering child rape for the purposes of protecting his coach and football program is a “bum rap” but you are entitled to you own opinion...........

[jboot]

I guess you think you’re funny.

I guess you didn't read the thread, or the post I was responding to. The example may have been extreme, but the concept is both portable and scalable. To wit:

Apart from shielding a child rapist, Joe Paterno was a great guy.

[dfwgator]

If the Feds find out that some big business is actually a money-laundering front, should they refrain from shutting it down because that will hurt the local economy?

I think he was referring to the vendors and all of the stores that rely on 100,000+ coming to Happy Valley on football weekends. They are going to be decimated by this.

[NCLaw441]

I am not suggesting that. I wonder if the NCAA COULD have acted if it had been the chess team that was involved? Cheating in NCAA sports, violating recruiting rules, mistreating players and other team personnel, cheating at academics to preserve elegibility, etc. all seem fair game for NCAA action.

I suspect that any number of on campus actions might potentially harm an athletic program. If the marching band director was implicated in such actions, and Paterno had not disclosed it, would that be enough to invoke the NCAA? How about a physics professor? If Paterno had gone public, would Sandusky’s actions have been enough to invoke the NCAA’s authority? How do the lines get drawn, and do the schools know in advance what would constitute a violation?

As has been pointed out by others, Penn State signed off on the sanctions, so the point is moot here.

[RCFlyer]

“This isn’t sending the bank robber to prison. This is after they’re sent to prison, the police coming in to take the clothes and books away from the kids because they shouldn’t have profited from the bank robbery.”

---

I disagree. This is letting the kids get their clothes and books from somewhere else, or allowing the kids to keep their clothes and books for free, even without playing for PSU.

The punishments says, “Any entering or returning student-athlete will be allowed to immediately transfer and compete at another school. Further, any football student-athletes who remain at the university may retain their scholarships, regardless of whether they compete on the team.”

[USMCWife6869]

I agree. I thought that was what was going to happen, but according to ESPN, the students are well and truly screwed. And I agree with you. I think it sucks.

[redgolum]

For later read.

Not quite what I expected.

[rollo tomasi]

"Oh my".

Sorry, my math was way off, about 112 game losing streak.

[Jay Redhawk]

The football players at these schools are some of the most pampered people on earth. Many schools have luxury dorms, and special cafeterias for these guys. Not to mention they have people who write their papers, and do their assignments for them. For this they play a game so that alumni and others can live vicariously through them. I care far more for the kids that work a job, take classes, do their own work.

[Wise Hectare]

If Sandusky beat his wife under circumstances that put Paterno under an obligation to come forward (i.e. he was a witness or it happened in the facilities under his supervision) and he covered it up in order to protect the football program, then, yes, it becomes an NCAA issue.

Signatories to the NCAA agree to follow NCAA rules, which include a rule against blatantly disgracing the sport.

[dfwgator]

Other than the War and that unfortunate business with the Jews, Hitler was a great guy.

He could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon....Two coats!

[PapaBear3625]

“Any entering or returning student-athlete will be allowed to immediately transfer and compete at another school. Further, any football student-athletes who remain at the university may retain their scholarships, regardless of whether they compete on the team.”

Any PSU students who recognize that they are unlikely to make the NFL draft pick should take this as an opportunity to get a real education, and take a full credit load in some real major, rather than the watered-down education that student football players take.

[rollo tomasi]

NCAA said the integrity of their organization was violated and the governing by-laws has restrictions placed on each member (Which Penn State broke). Perhaps Penn State athletics should cut ties with the NCAA if they want to avoid their wrath,lol. Not sure where the competition would come from though.

[EEGator]

I agree with the NCAA’s penalties. I was stating to another poster that eliminating all sports permanently is wrong. I also stated on this thread that those involved should pay financially and criminally.

[Covenantor]

JoPA

Yeah, that's what I said

Child Sacrifice

Great civilizations and sports dynastys they've all been built on

Child Sacrifice

Raping little boys? I didn't see it.

Somebody mighta said something. But none of my staff would do that.

Look, you want to keep the cash register ringing?

Want to keep your job?

Then just STFU!

Be carefull with that soap there. Hehehe. Gotcha

So, Be True to Your School!

Thank you all

Couldn't have done it without your silence.

[jboot]

could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon....Two coats!

He liked children, puppies and long walks in mountain meadows. What's not to love?

/double making myself ill sarc

[100American]

Not the same but welcome to the world of the NCAA

USC was sanctioned without precedent because of a violation between a step father and a sports agent in a city 200 miles from the school. No one at the school had any incolvement in this action but they were “cited” by the NCAA for lack of institutional control, no trial was held and it was a decision from a Board of Trustees, not a trial.

The actual trial of the supposed participant in the whole situation Todd McNair is still pending and the NCAA is not happy about the discovery they are being subjected to, it has yet to take place. There is a very ood probablility they will try to settle out of court as they have shown excessive bias and poor foundation for their activities related to this school. A lot has yet to be known but if this keeps going the NCAA may eventually be pulled down across the board IMHO.

USC lost:

Games from the record book
A Heisman trophy awarded to a player
Scholarships reducing the total amount to 75
Bowl Ban
Players allowed to leave for another school and play immediately (which some did)

The school, players etc. suffered as a result of this “infraction” and failure by the school and coaches to provide “Institutional control”

What the NCAA did is under their bylaws as it pertains to Sports related issues, and no “trial” per se will change it, that will be and has been a separate event that uncovered what had been going on for years

I am personally not a big fan of the NCAA, too much to post here but unless and until this is changed their decision will stand

Sorry PSU, you are a great school and were let down by authority figures for their own reasons and you are paying a price for it and will be stained by their human failure for a long time.

[EEGator]

Ouch.