Penn State Sanctions

[K00L]

From Sports Illustrated:

 

"STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- A potential exodus of star athletes. No hope of playing in the postseason. More than a decade of accomplishments erased from the record books. And Joe Paterno's legacy in shreds.

Penn State football, a longtime powerhouse that was once one of the cleanest, most admired programs in college sports, escaped the so-called death penalty from the NCAA on Monday but was dealt a heavy blow that will cripple it for years to come.

The university agreed to an unprecedented $60 million fine, a four-year ban from postseason play and a cut in the number of football scholarships it can award - the price it will pay for having looked the other way while Jerry Sandusky brought boys onto campus and molested them.

The NCAA also erased 14 years of victories, wiping out 111 of Paterno's wins and stripping him of his standing as the most successful coach in the history of big-time college football.

"Football will never again be placed ahead of educating, nurturing and protecting young people," NCAA President Mark Emmert declared.

Penn State meekly accepted its punishment, pledging to hold itself to high standards of honesty and integrity.

Penn State spokesman David La Torre said university President Rodney Erickson had no choice but to acquiesce, given the threat of a total shutdown of the football program.

"It was clear Penn State faced an alternative - a long-term death penalty and additional sanctions for the program, university and whole community. Given the situation, he believed the sanctions offered and accepted was the appropriate and course of action," La Torre said.

At a student union on campus, several dozen alumni and students gasped, groaned and whistled as they watched Emmert's news conference. The news was a crushing blow to many students.

Nicole Lord, a senior, questioned why Penn State's student body, and especially its athletes, should be punished "for the wrongs of three men and a monster."

"They keep breaking our hearts and breaking our hearts and breaking our hearts," she said.

Sandusky, a former member of Paterno's coaching staff, was found guilty in June of sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years, sometimes on campus. An investigation commissioned by the school and released July 12 found that Paterno, who died of lung cancer in January at age 85, and three other top officials at Penn State concealed accusations against Sandusky for fear of bad publicity.

The NCAA's punishment was announced a day after the school took down a statue of Paterno that stood outside Beaver Stadium.

The sanctions will make it difficult for the Nittany Lions to compete at the sport's highest level. Raising the specter of an exodus of athletes, the NCAA said current or incoming football players are free to immediately transfer and compete at another school.

For a university that always claimed to hold itself to a higher standard - for decades, Paterno preached "success with honor" - Monday's announcement completed a stunning fall from grace.

Paterno's family said in a statement that the sanctions "defame the legacy and contributions of a great coach and educator."

"This is not a fair or thoughtful action; it is a panicked response to the public's understandable revulsion at what Sandusky did," the family said.

Emmert said the penalties reflect "the magnitude of these terrible acts" and also "ensure that Penn State will rebuild an athletic culture that went horribly awry."

He said the NCAA considered imposing the death penalty, or a complete shutdown of football for a season or more, but worried about the collateral damage.

"Suspension of the football program would bring with it significant unintended harm to many who had nothing to do with this case," Emmert said. "The sanctions we have crafted are more focused and impactful than that blanket penalty."

Gov. Tom Corbett expressed gratitude that Penn State escaped the death penalty, saying it would have had a "severe detrimental impact on the citizens of State College, Centre County and the entire commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

A drop-off in attendance and revenue could damage both the university, where the football team is a moneymaker that subsidizes other sports, and much of central Pennsylvania, where Saturday afternoon football at Penn State is an important part of the economy.

But given Penn State's famously ardent fans and generous benefactors, the precise economic impact on Penn State and Happy Valley, as the surrounding area is known, remains unclear.

First-year coach Bill O'Brien, who was hired to replace Paterno, will have the daunting task of trying to keep players from fleeing the program while luring new recruits.

"I knew when I accepted the position that there would be tough times ahead," O'Brien said.

Already, at least one recruit, Ross Douglas, a defensive back from Avon, Ohio, backed out of his commitment. Douglas told Rivals.com on Monday: "We prepared ourselves for it, and today was just the icing on the cake. I love Penn State to death, but I have to do what's best for me, and I'm going to look elsewhere."

Separately, the Big Ten announced that Penn State will not be allowed to share in the conference's bowl revenue during the NCAA's postseason ban, an estimated loss of about $13 million.

Emmert fast-tracked the penalties rather than go through the usual circuitous series of investigations and hearings.

The NCAA said the $60 million fine is equivalent to the annual gross revenue of the football program. The money will go toward outside programs devoted to preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims.

Penn State said it will pay the fine in five annual installments of $12 million. The governor demanded assurances from Penn State that taxpayer money will not be used to pay the fine; Penn State said it will cover it with its athletics reserve fund and capital maintenance budget and, if necessary, borrow money.

By throwing out all Penn State victories from 1998 to 2011, the NCAA stripped Paterno of the top spot in the record book. The governing body went all the way back to 1998 because, according to the investigative report, that is the year Paterno and other Penn State officials first learned of an allegation against Sandusky.

Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden will replace Paterno with 377 major-college victories, while Paterno will be credited with 298.

"I didn't want it to happen like this," Bowden said. "Wish I could have earned it, but that's the way it is."

Penn State will also be limited to 65 total scholarships a year for four years. Major college football programs are normally allowed 85 scholarship players per year. The program cannot give out more than 15 scholarships in any year during that span, 10 fewer than the usual maximum.

The postseason ban is the longest handed out by the NCAA since it gave a four-year punishment to Indiana football in 1960.

Penn State players left a team meeting on campus in State College without talking to reporters. Penn State's season starts Sept. 1 at home against Ohio University.

"Our heritage, our legacy has been tainted and damaged," said Troy Cromwell, a wide receiver on the 1986 team that won the second of Paterno's two national championships. Cromwell said he felt bad for current and incoming players, "but at the end of the day, there were still those kids, those poor kids, and those victims, and we have to think about them first in everything that we do."

The harshest penalty handed out to a football program came in the 1980s, when the NCAA shut down Southern Methodist University's team for a year. SMU football has never gotten back to the level of success it had before getting the death penalty.

Jim Delany, commissioner of the Big Ten conference, said he believes Penn State is capable of bouncing back. "I do have a strong sense that many of the ingredients of success are still at Penn State and will be there in future years," he said."

 

 

What does everyone think of the punishments? This is pretty big news in the US (and has caused quite a stir), specifically the wiping of the records, which is the part that I feel may have been a bad call. They are making a fine of 60 million dollars, already took down the coach's statue, and now have wiped his wins from all the way back in 1998 to 2011. (For those that don't know, this coach actually died last year because of complications with his cancer treatment.)

I agree with them that the school and employees should be punished, but what they've done by wiping the records is essentially punishment to the students. I get that it was meant as a punishment to the school and the coach because of his bad decisions during the wins, but it really is hurting the students as well. They took the wins from all those players who worked so hard for them. I understand that their coach, Joe Paterno, did nothing to report Sandusky but it seems wrong to get rid of the wins, like they are punishing the athletes. I also understand that if they kept the wins it would be Paterno's record, which they don't want, but why not just leave him out of the records. They got rid of over 100 of their wins under Paterno's coaching. I can certainly see why they did what they did and it is a reasonable idea, just very unfair for all the hard working players. They won the games, not the coach, and they know that. I have a feeling this is going to change, or something will change because of this. Its certainly not getting very good reception despite what the coach's actions, or lack of action.

Anyway I was kind of curious what people outside the States think of this.

Edited July 24, 2012 by K00L

[Killerbuddy]

Not from outside the states here, but honestly, watching these men's legacy burn and crumble around them, is fitting. The officials are setting an example that no degree of child abuse is ok, and I am 100% behind them. Even though the students also shared these victories, this goes to show that if something is going on, speak the f*** up. Children's well beings are in distress here, so if a group of men concealed these truths just for their damn legacy, then I say let that legacy burn to the ground. A legacy of football built upon the harming of children is a legacy that deserves to die.

[K00L]

Not from outside the states here, but honestly, watching these men's legacy burn and crumble around them, is fitting. The officials are setting an example that no degree of child abuse is ok, and I am 100% behind them. Even though the students also shared these victories, this goes to show that if something is going on, speak the f*** up. Children's well beings are in distress here, so if a group of men concealed these truths just for their damn legacy, then I say let that legacy burn to the ground. A legacy of football built upon the harming of children is a legacy that deserves to die.

:P Well I wanted opinions from both out and in the States but I was curious about how people not influenced by our news felt.

Yeah and that's the reason I do agree with it. This is one of those things where I feel rather conflicted about. A just punishment for the men who did this, but I can't help but feel really bad for the students.

Although if it doesn't change I really won't care, it was very very wrong what they did and there really isn't a punishment in the world horrible enough for the pain they caused. If they change it so the wins count but maybe just "forget" who was the coach then that's great.

Edited July 24, 2012 by K00L

[HeyYou]

I thinking vacating the victories was just a bit over the top. The coach is dead, sandusky is going to spend the rest of his life in prison, but, there are still other folks out there that knew what was going on, didn't report it, and are still free, un-charged, and making fat piles of cash. The fine? Sure, Ok. I can see that. But, taking the victories away from students, most of whom had nothing whatsoever to do with the situation, is, in my view, extreme, and uncalled for.

 

You want to make sure this isn't repeated? (well, at least, give a good attempt at it....) PROSECUTE ALL that participated in the coverup. After the first victim was reported, and nothing was done, they all might just as well have been in the room with sandusky while he was molesting children.

[Aurielius]

I'm from Pennsylvania and know quite a few PS grads and they are almost like a cult in terms of their passion for PS's college football team and it's demigod Coach Paterno. If you ever went to a home game you might swear that you are in southwest Texas, they are that fanatical. Nothing short of what was handed down would put a damper on PS's operational modus vivindi. Without some draconian action it would be business as usual within a very short amount of time. The relevant people knew full well what was happening but would do nothing to tarnish the image of the program so it's a fully justified sanction and most Pa residents that are not alumni feel the same way. Since PS is a state school it's liabilities from civil suits will of course in the end run will be paid by us the taxpayers of the the state....now thats the real injustice. Edited July 24, 2012 by Aurielius

[K00L]

I'm from Pennsylvania and know quite a few PS grads and they are almost like a cult in terms of their passion for PS's college football team and it's demigod Coach Paterno. If you ever went to a home game you might swear that you are in southwest Texas, they are that fanatical. Nothing short of what was handed down would put a damper on PS's operational modus vivindi. Without some draconian action it would be business as usual within a very short amount of time. The relevant people knew full well what was happening but would do nothing to tarnish the image of the program so it's a fully justified sanction and most Pa residents that are not alumni feel the same way. Since PS is a state school it's liabilities from civil suits will of course in the end run will be paid by us the taxpayers of the the state....now thats the real injustice.

The part I bolded and underlined. That's the problem with all big coaches and actually any celebrity. They can do whatever they want and get a way with it. I mean how many famous people can you name that are using drugs but NEVER end up in jail?

And the last sentence, that's another thing I heard a lot of people talking about. And that's A LOT of money.

[Aurielius]

I'm from Pennsylvania and know quite a few PS grads and they are almost like a cult in terms of their passion for PS's college football team and it's demigod Coach Paterno. If you ever went to a home game you might swear that you are in southwest Texas, they are that fanatical. Nothing short of what was handed down would put a damper on PS's operational modus vivindi. Without some draconian action it would be business as usual within a very short amount of time. The relevant people knew full well what was happening but would do nothing to tarnish the image of the program so it's a fully justified sanction and most Pa residents that are not alumni feel the same way. Since PS is a state school it's liabilities from civil suits will of course in the end run will be paid by us the taxpayers of the the state....now thats the real injustice.

The part I bolded and underlined. That's the problem with all big coaches and actually any celebrity. They can do whatever they want and get a way with it. I mean how many famous people can you name that are using drugs but NEVER end up in jail?

And the last sentence, that's another thing I heard a lot of people talking about. And that's A LOT of money.

Some friends of mine once took me to a PS alumni gala and I met Paterno, he seemed to be a very nice guy so I am sorry that his legacy is now so tarnished. Penn State has made a point of putting it's program ahead of scholastics which is open knowledge within the state, they built their prosperity on the backs of their athletes. To my knowledge the current athletes may transfer without penalty to other schools, so their path to the professional leagues is still open just not at PS for the next few years.

[K00L]

Some friends of mine once took me to a PS alumni gala and I met Paterno, he seemed to be a very nice guy so I am sorry that his legacy is now so tarnished. Penn State has made a point of putting it's program ahead of scholastics which is open knowledge within the state, they built their prosperity on the backs of their athletes. To my knowledge the current athletes may transfer without penalty to other schools, so their path to the professional leagues is still open just not at PS for the next few years.

Yeah, its honestly a better thing than what could have happened. The NCAA could have shut down their football completely. At least they have a chance to get it back.

[bben46]

Joe Paterno's 'crime' was not reporting a subornate that he may have not known was abusing the student atheletes - but most likely did and didn't say anything about. It's a little late to ask him now. Fire him, absolutely, Take away his legacy, and the wins by his teams - NO. Coach Paterno didn't win those games alone. The student athletes did all of the real work. They are the ones who sweated through months of practice, then left their blood on the field for those wins. The NCAA ruling takes away their glory along with that of Coach Paterno - and the real criminal was assistant Sandusky not Paterno. Taking away Paterno's legacy after he is dead is an empty gesture and another example of the NCAA throwing their weight around just to show how powerful they are and to show that they are doing something besides intimidating the schools and student athletes.

 

Student athletes are unpaid for their sacrifice and the majority of them never make it into the professional ranks where they stand a chance of making money from their skills. For most, their ONLY reward is the glory they get for playing for a winning team. The NCAA, in their zeal to punish a dead man, took that away from the unpaid athletes who played at Penn State under a great coach who MAY have made a stupid mistake.

 

IMHO the school probably made many hundreds of millions of dollars due to the success of Coach Paterno's program, the fine is appropriate. However, the student athletes got NONE of that money. Including them in the punishment is wrong.

 

I am not affiliated in any way with Penn State, and the only time my university played against them we beat them soundly in the 1988 citrus bowl.

[K00L]

Joe Paterno's 'crime' was not reporting a subornate that he may have not known was abusing the student atheletes - but most likely did and didn't say anything about. It's a little late to ask him now. Fire him, absolutely, Take away his legacy, and the wins by his teams - NO. Coach Paterno didn't win those games alone. The student athletes did all of the real work. They are the ones who sweated through months of practice, then left their blood on the field for those wins. The NCAA ruling takes away their glory along with that of Coach Paterno - and the real criminal was assistant Sandusky not Paterno. Taking away Paterno's legacy after he is dead is an empty gesture and another example of the NCAA throwing their weight around just to show how powerful they are and to show that they are doing something besides intimidating the schools and student athletes.

 

Student athletes are unpaid for their sacrifice and the majority of them never make it into the professional ranks where they stand a chance of making money from their skills. For most, their ONLY reward is the glory they get for playing for a winning team. The NCAA, in their zeal to punish a dead man, took that away from the unpaid athletes who played at Penn State under a great coach who MAY have made a stupid mistake.

 

IMHO the school probably made many hundreds of millions of dollars due to the success of Coach Paterno's program, the fine is appropriate. However, the student athletes got NONE of that money. Including them in the punishment is wrong.

 

I am not affiliated in any way with Penn State, and the only time my university played against them we beat them soundly in the 1988 citrus bowl.

Yep that's how I feel about taking the wins away. It wasn't really the coach who was out there working their butts of to win those games. Also I think, but I'm not entirely sure, that Paterno reported it to someone higher up in the school (can't remember what school official it was) and when they did nothing he didn't pursue it either. Got that mixed up, someone told him that something disturbing and possibly sexual in nature had happened, and Paterno told the guy to tell the athletic director and never did anything else.

Edited July 25, 2012 by K00L