NCAA sanctions could be next for Penn State

[maddezmom]

Last edited Tue Jul 10, 2012, 02:01 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Eight months ago, the NCAA sent a letter to Penn State expressing its intention to investigate the athletic department because of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse case.

With the trial over and Sandusky convicted, there has been speculation about possible NCAA punishments, even death penalty for the football program. The NCAA, its decision to investigate revealed by the university’s public release of the letter, faces a tough decision.

“They’re kind of in a box,” said Joe Nocera, a New York Times columnist and blogger who has written extensively ­— and critically — about the NCAA. “Something bad has happened, but they have a lot of difficulty coming at it. It’s not something they are set up to do.”

NCAA bylaws provide no basis for punishing institutions for crime. Before Penn State, the NCAA had no history of even investigating institutions based on criminal offenses perpetrated by administrators, athletes or coaches.


Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/13699791-419/ncaa-sanctions-could-be-next-for-penn-state.html

---

and now this:


Lawyers: Spanier never knew about Sandusky allegations

By Jeremy Roebuck


Attorneys for former Pennsylvania State University President Graham B. Spanier insisted Tuesday their client had never been told of potential sexual misconduct involving Jerry Sandusky.

Their statement comes days after the leaking of several 2001 e-mails in which Spanier and two other administrators appeared to discuss in detail allegations against the former assistant football coach.

"Selected leaks, without the full context, are distorting the public record and creating a false picture," attorney Peter Vaira said. "At no time in the more than 16 years of his presidency at Penn State was Dr. Spanier told of an incident involving Jerry Sandusky that described child abuse, sexual misconduct or criminality of any kind."

The e-mail contents - first reported by CNN - were discovered earlier this year by a group of independent investigators hired by the university in the wake of Sandusky's arrest.

That panel, led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, uncovered the correspondence dating back to the days in 2001 when graduate assistant Mike McQueary spotted Sandusky sexually assaulting a boy in a football locker room shower.

more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/161943355.html

[Rambis]

1. Never been a more clear cut case for the death penalty

If it is not enforced the NCAA should close up shop!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

3. It's a serious possibility

Their status as a legendary program might not even save them now. The problem is there has never been a scandal of this type.

[Rambis]

4. They have lied about everything for years

Jo Pa doesn't use email....

Joe Paterno used email to control of investigation in 2007 football players disput

http://www.faniq.com/blog/Joe-Paterno-used-email-to-control-of-investigation-in-2007-football-players-dispute-Blog-51950

[geekd]

6. here here

I second the notion. What happens to players when they break the law? Banned from the team. Penn state did more than break the law by taking into their own hands. They were judge and jury by putting football first above all else. That which they desire most should be taken away from them. Just as what those kids wanted most was taken from them, a chance. What you measure out, shall you meet yourself. Take away football from penn state to give those kids closure. Tell them this is not acceptable in our society. Our society protects the corporations by our laws. This has to change, a precedence need to be set.

[Boabab]

8. Agreed. This is the worst scandal in the history of collegiate athetics.

If the death penalty doesn't apply in this case, then there's no reason for the NCAA to exist -- other than to collect huge sums of money from the efforts of "student-athletes" who aren't even allowed to hold a job.

It is clear from the evidence revealed so far that there was a complete lack of institutional control over football. Joe Paterno was the most powerful figure on campus, and he ran the program like his personal fiefdom. Revealed e-mails indicate that it was Paterno who put an end to any feeble efforts by his "bosses" to report sandusky to outside authorities.

Sadder still, the PSU defenders still don't get it, and continue to be active in message boards "defending" their school.

Football needs to be shut down for at least five years until some proper perspective on sports is restored to that campus and community.

[Rambis]

9. Worse yet- Recruits Using child rape as motivation

Penn State Football Recruits Using Scandal As ‘Motivation’

(WSCR) This seems hard to believe, but the child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is apparently giving Nittany Lions football recruits “motivation”.

“We’re building our own relationships, and nothing is going to get in the way of our goals,” Fork Union (Va.) quarterback Christian Hackenberg told The Patriot News. “I really don’t have any comment on that whole situation. That’s the same for a lot of us. That wasn’t us in any shape or form. That was the last staff. And, to be honest, we’re sort of using it as motivation.”


http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/07/05/penn-state-football-recruits-using-scandal-as-motivation/

[yellowcanine]

22. I am a PSU alum and I support the death penalty.

But I think Penn State should impose it on themselves. Shut down the football program for at least one year. During that year they should reassess whether they should be playing Division I football at all and how. I would urge them at the least to strongly consider dropping out of the Big Ten and reverting to independent status so that they could more strictly control how many games are played and when. The overarching goal should be academic progress of players, with no games scheduled at times which interfere with that = such as during final exams. And I would urge them to adopt similar rules for the football coach that are in place for department heads and administrators - specifically a 5 year term with mandatory review before renewal with heavy emphasis on strict adherence to NCAA rules as well as academic performance and progress of players. Also the renewal would be good only once, meaning a coach would only serve 10 years max. In return the university would agree to not fire a coach before completion of a term for anything other than a violation of NCAA rules or misconduct.

[get the red out]

2. Lack of institutional control

Seems they would have something there. The University I graduated from got that one thrown at it when I was a student, coach had a drinking problem, assistant coach paid money to a recruit's Dad..... That's really the kind of "wrongs" the NCAA is set up to investigate, but one has to admit that what went on at Penn State makes that kind of thing seem petty by comparison.

[HooptieWagon]

5. I agree.

When the HC, AD, and president conspire to coverup felony crimes committed by an employee... thats a serious lack of institutional control. Penn St football program should be shut down, and athletes permitted to transfer without penalty.

[rocktivity]

7. If the "former" president didn't know, he SHOULD have

and his "punishment" fit the crime in that respect. Unless he'd like to go for being an accessory after the fact.


rocktivity

[maindawg]

10. the NCAA

is as corrupt as the IOC. we are expecting what amounts to gangsters to cut its own finger off.I would like to see them take definitive action. Allow the team to play its schedule with no bowl this season and then terminate the entire program for at least 5 years. The players who are left can transfer with no penalty .
The cover up was an effort to maintain a competitive advantage against the bad publicity that would have resulted in the crime being reported and subsequently prosecuted.Several boys were molested after the fact.These are very serious charges and the people who participated in the crime will be in prison for a very long time. however, I don't see the NCAA doing much. A bowl ban, loose a few scholarships. Maybe they pay a fine.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

11. I wonder what the Big 10 will do.

[47of74]

12. I just did a couple things

First I wrote to the President of the University of Iowa and asked them to refuse to play Penn State this fall. Even if it means forfeiting the game. I told them that there are some things more important than football. Do I think that Iowa will actually do the right thing and tell Penn State to fuck off? No, not really.

And I just sent a tweet to the Big Ten Conference asking them to expel Penn State from the Big Ten;

@bigtenconf You need to expel Penn State from the Big Ten immediately, as in right now.

I'm not holding my breath for the Big Ten to do the right thing either.

I am just one person, but if people start pressuring the conferences, schools they are playing, and the sponsors maybe the school will be made to suffer the "death penalty."

[BT021]

13. the students and fans of PS did nothing wrong

the crimes committed have nothing to do
with the integrity of college sports,
so it is not NCAA'a business.

on top of that, it would be indirect
punishment of teams that are scheduled
to play PS

[elleng]

14. I agree.

Unfortunately, there may be no suitable 'punishment,' except that for the responsible individuals. Is that satisfactory?

edit: Just noticed: reply to #13, Friday the 13th.

[BT021]

15. the people involved ...

perhaps the people who were complicit.

who acted with depraved indifference,
and in doing so brought
disrepute on college sports,
should be banned for life from college activity,
and all NCAA schools must cooperate
with that ban.

I don't know what else can be done

[elleng]

16. Yes, and to the extent appropriate,

they should also be charged.

[TeamPooka]

19. You are so wrong. The crimnes committed have EVERYTHING to do with the integrity of college sports

There are two crimes here.
the crime of child molestation and the crime that covered it up.

Cover-ups have everything to do with INTEGRITY.
And they only covered it up to protect their football program which the last time I checked was a "college sport"

So you are way off base to claim that.
And the teams scheduled get a forfeit.
That's a free win.
They won't complain.

Now if you want to find some other new rationalization for protecting the institution that protected the child molester go ahead.
At least we'll know whose side your really on pal.
A brief look at your other posts like the banned ones show us whose side you're on already and I don't think it's President Obama's.
did you think you could be here long without being outed?

[alp227]

17. How about instead of punishing current players for past sins,

make Penn State forfeit every year 1997-2011 or whenever they failed to report Sandusky?

[Akoto]

18. I am honestly split on this.

On the one hand, we have officials within the football program who were guilty of doing terrible things - Sandusky for his acts, and others for ignoring or covering them up.

On the other hand, the football players and other faculty didn't do anything wrong, and I feel like they shouldn't pay for the crimes of the administrators.

[Posteritatis]

21. When the academic part of a school manages to lose its accreditation...

...that would "punish the students" for something they didn't have a hand in as well, and would do so in a manner that is objectively vastly worse. And yet, it happens now and then.

In those cases it's the school's own damned fault and they're the ones responsible for dealing with any students who get caught in the fallout. I'm not sure why this should be different.

[yellowcanine]

23. Current players would be allowed to transfer to other schools if the death penalty were implemented.

Or they could sit out for a year or however long the death penalty was imposed. Yes, innocent people are hurt, but it can't be helped and their hurt is nothing compared to the real victims here. They can still play inter collegiate football, just not at PSU.

[Princess Turandot]

20. So Spanier says he didn't know that the Sandusky incidents involved sexual abuse...

what did he think was the reason that he and his cohorts were debating whether or not to report Sandusky to the state's Child Welfare department? Using too much hot water during his showers?