PSU: What's worse? 4yr death or what they got?

untjim1995 · July 27, 2012

From the outside of their culture, you are correct. But, if the kid is caught up in what now is so clearly a culture blinded by football (His parents are grads, family members are grads, grew up in the proximity, etc...), that kid will keep his commitment. Look at most of the comments. One ESPN story really struck me. They showed numerous people willing to go on camera and talk about how the statue should have been left up and the sanctions were way too tough, and then they quoted one student as saying the statue needed to come down and the sanctions were appropriate. That student would not go on camera and refused to allow ESPN to use his name. THe reporter stated something to the efect that he didn't blame that student, as that student's opinion was by far in the minority and that emotions were running high.

Really?? They have learned something?

The quotes from regents in the article in this thread are disturbing. They are wanting to fight this because the university president didn't have the authority to make the decision and they don't agree with the sanctions? I fear not one thing has been learned in Happy Valley or by the Penn St. culture.

I remember thinking similarly of Indiana fans when Bob Knight got fired, that their culture caused some hate to come out because of thier beloved coach being fired. But, as time went on, most Hoosier fans realized it was the right thing to do and they moved on. And IU basketball fans love their team every bit as much as Penn State football fans love their team. But I believe that time will change the mindset of those who are fighting this now. Time has a way of healing people and making them recognize their mistakes.

untjim1995 · July 27, 2012

No, I reject the argument that what they got was "worse" than the death penalty.

They still get to sell tickets and collect booster money and field a football team and be nationally ranked. And if they field a good team and run through the B1G, they'll claim they are the real champions but couldn't lift the trophy because the NCAA "punished the innocent."

They should all pay the ultimate price... the coaches, the players, and the community. Because really, they ARE the culture that Penn State was trying to protect when they looked the other way. They all created this monster.

I just can't see a scenario in place where Penn State will field a decent team for a long time. I doubt they'll even contend for .500 in the B1G, much less a championship. I get that you are worried that Penn State could still win big again and that their chance of that occurring should be stripped, but the cost to the Big Ten, to the Pennsylvania communities that benefit economically from Penn State games, and to those kids on the team all combine to make this level of punishment acceptable. And I disagree on the entire community being the monster here. Sandusky was the monster, Paterno and the other administrators that turned a blind eye were complicit in helping the monster so as to keep their reputations intact, but the kids at Penn State and their fans weren't monsters. If the entire community was the "monster", Paterno would still be on the sidelines becasue they wouldn't have allowed this to change anything. If this all would have come to light when it should have 10-15 years ago, Paterno and the admins would have had the same thing happen--they would have been fired and prosecuted. The kids there and the fans there would have recognized then what they do today or will soon enough--that this place is toxic because the "royalty" of Penn State turned it that way and kept it that way--not the students, alumni, or citizenry of Happy Valley, PA. They would've said then what they say today, "Now is the time for true change in the eladership of our university and athletic department and our football program". The citizens of Happy Valley, PA and the counties that surround it don't deserve to lose their jobs or lose governmental services (due to lack of taxes generated from the revenue spent during those home games) because of this, though. They'll all be hurt enough as it is by the fact that a stadium that holds over 100k probably will see its attendance plummet over the coming years once the losing really sets in. This will kill their program, its just a matter of killing via lethal injection instead of by electrocution.

UNT90 · July 27, 2012

Sandusky was the monster, Paterno and the other administrators that turned a blind eye were complicit in helping the monster so as to keep their reputations intact

You make a rather large assumption for their motives in protecting Sandusky.

What if their motive was to protect the football program. What if, in the meeting with JoePa, the President learned that 2nd mile was a slush fund for player payment.

That would explain why the president changed his mind about contacting authorities and why 3 very smart people continued to allow Sandusky access to young boys in the football facilities of Penn St.

Sadly, we will never know if that's the case because the NCAA took the easy way out.

Not really shocking.

UNTFan23 · July 27, 2012

You make a rather large assumption for their motives in protecting Sandusky.

What if their motive was to protect the football program. What if, in the meeting with JoePa, the President learned that 2nd mile was a slush fund for player payment.

That would explain why the president changed his mind about contacting authorities and why 3 very smart people continued to allow Sandusky access to young boys in the football facilities of Penn St.

Sadly, we will never know if that's the case because the NCAA took the easy way out.

Not really shocking.

What is it that gives you the impression that the 2nd Mile was used to pay players? You keep bringing it up yet I've yet to see anyone make that link.

UNTflyer · July 27, 2012

This will kill their program

No, it "might" kill their program. We don't know that it will. But a 4-year suspension most certainly would have.

UNT90 · July 27, 2012

What is it that gives you the impression that the 2nd Mile was used to pay players? You keep bringing it up yet I've yet to see anyone make that link.

Motive.

What was the motive for this to be hidden all these years? You may say JoePa's friendship with Sandusky, ok. But what motive for Spanier?

I'm not saying that 2nd mile was used to pay players, but you don't know unless you look. Could there have been a money motivator to the cover up? It sure would make sense, wouldn't it? It would explain Sandusky being allowed access to kids on the Penn St. campus after JoePa, the athletic director, and Spanier knew about the sexual assault allegations, don't you think?

These people were morally bankrupt. Why would anyone think they wouldn't pay players. What would they be more motivated to cover up, child sexual assault or a 2nd mile slush fund used to pay players? Child case does nothing if they report it when it happened (except for some bad pub), but if Sandusky was running player payments through second mile, the same organization he was using to groom young children? Well, THAT is a financial loss that Spanier may have not been willing to take.

The man lied under oath to a grand jury, knowing the consequences of that lie.

I just think there is a lot more here that Penn St and the NCAA wants to just go away.

But, you don't know unless you look.

Edited July 27, 2012 by UNT90