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Re: Should Penn State get the Death Penalty?
The fact that Sandusky was able to continue his reprehensible acts for years after they first came to the attention of Penn State officials indicates an institutional desire to minimize damage to the allmighty football program to the detriment of the abused children. Based upon what I hear and see coming from Happy Valley these days,(eg.: alumni donations are actually up since the scandal came to light), that attitude -the desire to minimize damage to the football program- has not changed. For this reason alone, I vote for the death penalty. I would allow all current football players to transfer to another program without penalty, but for a minimum of four years there should be no football at Penn State. Yes, lots of people will be hurt and dissapointed by this. Too bad, lots of kids had their very lives ruined by this poor excuse for a human being and until the institution that allowed it to continue suffers some real penalty there is no reason to think that almighty football won't continue to do as it pleases in Happy Valley, to the detriment of whomever gets in its' way.
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To me, this is kind of picking nits. On one hand, there are no ncaa rules, but to any living human being it's obvious that the spirit is there in ncaa rules under "total lack of control". Penn State has never had control of the football program, ever. Remember when they wanted to fire JoPa? (Late 80's?, early 90's?) He said no and he stayed on for lots more years. That does not remotely smell like the school had control, at least not to me. The NCAA did nothing then. The question is really whether or not the ncaa should or needs to take action, or if it's beyond their hand, or if the law should handle it, as has already been done. If they give the football program the death penalty, they gutshoot a major cash cow that could, if so managed, funnel a lot of money into programs for victims of violence, etc. Penn State has already commissioned the Freeh report to the tune of over 6 million dollars to prove their guilt, and it appears they plan to do everything in their power to right this situation, not that all the money in the world can right it. (Insurance will cover victim lawsuits, but I want to see what they actually DO to make right.) Everyone involved in this whole deal is gone, dead, in jail or headed for jail. Dom made an excellent point, what sense is there in pissing on the rubble? If anyone doesn't think Penn State Football has already been handed the death penalty, they're sadly mistaken. The whole school has been handed the death penalty. Paterno's legacy is shot. The entire school will carry this shame for decades. The odds of the football program ever gathering any real football talent in my lifetime is impossible. The alumni can't say where they went to school without someone looking at them with contempt, as if they had something to do with it. That's your standard "string them up" mob mentality at play. It's doing it's job persecuting the innocent as we speak, so there's solace there, vengeance is being served. I took up for JoePa when this all came out the first go around, I truly believed he couldn't have possibly played a part in sweeping all this under the rug and that Spanier was behind it. I can remember when Spanier took the helm way back when, thinking he looked like a weasel. He turned out worse than I imagined. The fact that JoePa took part in covering for Sandusky so that his football program wouldn't suffer just absolutely makes me sick. More sad than sick, but sick nonetheless. All the good that Joe did for so many years, all the people he loved and helped, all the devotion and time, all shot in the ass over an astronomically bad judgement call. I've always considered how my life can change completely in a split second, the time it takes to pull a trigger. Joe pulled the trigger and changed many, many lives with this move. Back to the NCAA and the death penalty for the football program... Can someone explain the positive aspect of shutting down the program for me? I mean, I get the vengeance thing. Paterno's family is ruined, the campus and alum are scarred, everyone involved are locked up or will be soon. An untold number of people have already suffered as a result of these crimes, along with the victims. Where's the benefit? Who feels better? The kids who were raped? I'd think they'd want the people involved to answer for the crime perpetuated against them, not for completely unrelated people to suffer. Granted, I've not walked in their shoes, but that doesn't quite add up. |
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Make no mistake, what happened at Penn State turns my stomach. But this is a can of worms that shouldn't be opened. |
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Did you consider that many would not even be able to play football at other schools, not be able to play this coming year, that their families could not afford such a "no penalty" move? Who willl foot the bill for hauling all their furniture and stuff from PSU to the imaginary school they're being transferred to, provided they could even find a spot? I'm not picking on you, brother. I just want people to think about the people we're affecting when we spout solutions like "let's just move the kids to another program". Why in God's name should yet more people have to suffer? What exactly did these kids do that they should be punished? What about all the men and women who make a living from that program? What about their kids? Who feeds them, and where do they go? Here's the odd thing... I actually agree with you, on some level. If PS Football could be erased without hundreds of innocents suffering, I'd be all over it. Just because JoePa is gone, I can't believe that 60 years of his way of thinking don't linger, and that worries the hell out of me. |
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I'm just stating an opinion of what I think should happen... If it does or doesn't, who cares?:sh Jim, I think the NCAA will do what they want in this situation, regardless if there is an actual rules violation. They are on new ground and I think will try to do what they think is appropriate....maybe that will be being satisfied with whatever PSU does to themselves. |
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You're right, though. The policy cost will be passed down, and they'll pay a lot more for insurance, but they're insulated from the lawsuits completely. |
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Just saw this article in USAToday http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...ess/56278226/1, the original victim was harrased so much by the residents of Happy Valley that he had to go into witness protection. This just reinforces my belief that the Death Penalty needs to be applied.
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Erickson also said the board called for an inquiry to make sure that they'll be covered in the future with adequate insurance now that all this has happened. That might prove a bit tougher. |
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Yes. If the NCAA can issue a death penalty for paying players or similar LEGAL rule infractions, how can they issue a lesser penalty for allowing these actions to continue in their facilities?
I think they should lose football altogether for 2-4 years and the BigTen should kick them out. AKA no TV revenue sharing. |
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The abridged version: I apologize if I come across as contrarian, and that even though my opinion is that the NCAA doesn't/shouldn't have jurisdiction, it also doesn't mean that I in no way am defending what transpired at Penn State. Further, I could never do what you do because I'm a big softie that can't stand to see children in pain. :D |
Re: Should Penn State get the Death Penalty?
I understand the blame for the football program because Sandusky's acts were covered up to protect the program and university. However, I think there is a distinction between (1) covering up criminal acts to protect the degradation of a program on the one hand, and (2) covering up NCAA violations to enhance the success of a program on the other.
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Since the situation involves Collegiate athletics, a subject that evokes competitiveness between people, logic and reason becomes obscured, even if it is done subconsciously. If you apply the same exact circumstances to another business, you would not look to that businesses governing body to discipline them, but rather the authorities and law to handle punishment. If the same exact scenario played out on a dairy farm, would you expect the FDA to get involved? If you tell the same exact story, but substitute "Penn State University" with "George Washington High School", do you still feel the Board of Education should lock the doors or cancel the schools extra curricular activities? To answer your question, NO I am not a fan of Penn State. As a matter of fact, I could care less about any college sports. I don't watch Bowl games, or March madness. The last college game I watched was LSU v Alabama Pt.1 I found that game to be so boring that I didn't bother to watch the rematch. I do know what the BCS is, I do know what the main conferences are, as well as most of the rivalries. I honestly feel, I have no bias here. |
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I'm also sorry if I came across as contrary, it's certainly not my desire.
I just fail to see what the NCAA do that won't hurt people that don't deserve to get hurt. They're powerless unless they can somehow think of something that will help the victims, their families, and stop this from happening in the future. If PSU and all their memory could be rubbed out without harming so many other kids and families along the way, I'd be right on board and leading the charge. There's nothing anyone can do to even take the edge off this tragedy, or to assuage the agony of the kids and families Sandusky touched. As with everything, there's always those things that go mostly unreported. Sandusky's father hosted a sports boy's camp. Sandusky hosted a boy's sports camp. Sandusky molested his own adopted son, Matt. It's not too tough to fill in the blank there, and I've listened to a lot of detail about this stuff via sports radio (which is nearly my every waking hour). I'm not trying to dredge up any sympathy for Sandusky, I'm suggesting that someone doesn't get that seriously sick and depraved by just being on the planet, and he was very likely taught his propensities, or tortured into them. Maybe if people can focus their disgust and hatred, then nobody else needlessly gets hurt in the aftermath? I know it's a far stretch to not judge and to forgive in instances like this, and I'm failing miserably. Maybe the best I can do is focus on who's to blame and hope they don't get another chance to do harm. |
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You are likely right. Most, if not all liability policies exclude intentional acts. |
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Therefore, unless the NCAA invents a reason, regardless of what anyone arguably thinks should be the penalty, the death penalty does not appear to be an available option. |
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As far as what I bolded above... YES!!!!! Not shut down the school, but the athletic program, YES, YES, YES. If the football coach at my local high school(he is a friend of mine), where I went to school and now my kids go to school, when I played, MY FOOTBALL PROGRAM...was involved in such a thing as this(long time cover-up with numerous administrators involved, all for the sake of keeping the programs image squeaky clean)....I would hope the Board of Education would show everyone in the community that kids are worth more than the program and shut the phucker down. Fire everyone and shut it down! IMO, the cover-up was because of football.... Would it happen, I don't know....probably MUCH, MUCH easier at the high school level.....but it is what I think should be done. Not forever, but for a time....yes. Would it effect the innocent, sure....but that is the way the cookie crumbles. Note, I still am not saying that I think PSU should get the Death Penalty, I'm saying if that happened at my High School...what I think should happen. |
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James, I found one story about PSU's insurance, but not the one I initially read. I read a number of others that were much like this one, and two of their insurers are covering other liability claims, maybe because they weren't didn't include the necessary wording to allow them to avoid it? They're trying to settle the claims quickly. You guys are apparently onto something. |
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Here's an article about the same thing: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/emmert-...96--ncaaf.html Quote:
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Re: Should Penn State get the Death Penalty?
I'd guess a big reason of why they want to settle out of court quickly is to avoid the bad press from a trial. Not sure of the insurance reasons to do so.
Problem is, with the damning content of the Freeh report, Penn State likely has very little leverage. They can throw out numbers to the victims all they want, but it sure seems like the victims have all the power in the world because there isn't a jury out there that won't give them a huge some of money, and deservingly so. |
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I guess this is where we really disagree. I agree that every one involved should be fired, prosecuted, and serve the maximum sentence. After those that are involved are removed, what purpose does shutting down the program serve? Is it fair to the students who had nothing to do with incidents to lose their programs? If it is to lead by example, isn't a better example set, by returning a program to its glory, using the principles that it was originally founded on? IMO, the cover up wasn't because of football, it was because the Men in charge of football, lacked the moral character to do what's right, and others lacked the conviction to challenge those in charge. Neither of those reasons, is the fault of football. |
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The program has no glory.... It's foundation is 45 years of a coach that harbored a child rapist, many of said rapes, happening in that programs facilities. He knew that children were being abused and swept it under the rug for the sake of the glory of said program. This program has won 2 National Championships with a child rapist as their D Coordinator and had him on staff for 33ish years. They knew who he was and let him hang around.....you know, for the glory of the program. Joe Paterno = Penn State Football |
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As for work, fortunately, I guard one of the research buildings, but if you're in the hospital, you see it. Our department also often guards the victims, as determined by medical staff, so we learn about the case histories, as well. |
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Wow. This thread started off at a limp yesterday, but exploded after that. This alone has convinced me Penn State SHOULD get the death penalty for a few years, for if emotions are running this high, even with people who claim to care nothing about PSU, JoePa, college football, or even NCAA sports altogether, then a cooling-off period in State College is definitely a good idea.
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Those of you that are saying PSU didn't break any NCAA rules, are you sure?
I find it hard to believe there is nothing like a "morality clause" that athletes have in their contract, to govern their behaviour and give the owners an out. I remember a lot of people castigating the PSU Board when this first came out because they fired Joe Paterno. I think it's pretty clear now why they did, they must have known how deep the cover up was, and how liable they were going to be. I can't imagine how many tens of millions of dollars they are going to get hammered for in civil suits. The death penalty may not be their biggest worry. |
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However, it's still not above the NCAA to make something up. Many would view that as a good thing in this case, but in general I get bothered by their inconsistent enforcement of rules. |
Re: Should Penn State get the Death Penalty?
I think this pretty well covers it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.4 THE PRINCIPLE OF SPORTSMANSHIP AND ETHICAL CONDUCT "For intercollegiate athletics to promote the character development of participants, to enhance the integrity of higher education and to promote civility in society, student-athletes, coaches, and all others associated with these athletics programs and events should adhere to such fundamental values as respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. These values should be manifest not only in athletics participation, but also in the broad spectrum of activities affecting the athletics program." I've bolded the language at the end of this rule, because it is broad enough to allow NCAA action if the organization desired to act under the scope of this rule. Was is ethical for Penn State coaches, athletic administrators and the president of the institution to cover up child sex abuse? Certainly these unethical acts would fall within "the broad spectrum of activities affecting the athletics program." The NCAA could enforce penalties under this prong if it so desired. 10.01.1 Honesty and Sportsmanship. "Individuals employed by (or associated with) a member institution to administer, conduct or coach intercollegiate athletics and all participating student-athletes shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports." Again, broad language that I believe the NCAA could cite in choosing to discipline Penn State. They key is that the language includes not just Paterno and other employees, but Sandusky as well. But here comes the provision that is an absolute slam dunk violation. 10:1 Unethical Conduct Unethical conduct by a prospective or enrolled student-athlete or a current or former institutional staff member, which includes any individual who performs work for the institution or the athletics department even if he or she does not receive compensation for such work, may include, but is not limited to, the following: (d) Knowingly furnishing or knowingly influencing others to furnish the NCAA or the individual’s institution false or misleading information concerning an individual’s involvement in or knowledge of matters relevant to a possible violation of an NCAA regulation; This prong of the NCAA rulebook is a slam dunk which nails down a clear NCAA violation because while Sandusky may not have been a current coach at the time of his acts, he was certainly a representative of the athletic department's interest. That is, Sandusky was bound to comply with the Unethical Conduct provisions of the NCAA rulebook because he was a "former institutional staff member, which includes any individual who performs work for the institution or athletics department even if he or she does not receive compensation for such work." http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/nc...th-penalty.php |
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I don't know about "slam dunk". Here is the full text of rule 10:1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.1 UNETHICAL CONDUCT Unethical conduct by a prospective or enrolled student-athlete or a current or former institutional staff member (e.g., coach, professor, tutor, teaching assistant, student manager, student trainer) may include, but is not limited to, the following: (a) Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of an NCAA regulation when requested to do so by the NCAA or the individual's institution; (b) Knowing involvement in arranging for fraudulent academic credit or false transcripts for a prospective or an enrolled student- athlete; (c) Knowing involvement in offering or providing a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete an improper inducement or extra benefit or improper financial aid; (d) Knowingly furnishing the NCAA or the individual's institution false or misleading information concerning the individual's involvement in or knowledge of matters relevant to a possible violation of an NCAA regulation; (e) Receipt of benefits by an institutional staff member for facilitating or arranging a meeting between a student-athlete and an agent, financial advisor or a representative of an agent or advisor (e.g., "runner (f) Knowing involvement in providing a banned substance or impermissible supplement to student-athletes, or knowingly providing medications to student-athletes contrary to medical licensure, commonly accepted standards of care in sports medicine practice, or state and federal law; (g) Failure to provide complete and accurate information to the NCAA or institution's admissions office regarding an individual's academic record (e.g., schools attended, completion of coursework, grades and test scores); (Adopted: 4/27/06) (h) Fraudulence or misconduct in connection with entrance or placement examinations; or (i) Engaging in any athletics competition under an assumed name or with intent to otherwise deceive. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The rule is not limiting to the list given, but the problem is that this Penn State situation does not fit under any of the prongs, and it is doubtful there is any support for going beyond them. But you are right that, if the NCAA wants to, they are more than capable of concocting a reason. |
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I looked over the article you posted, and I thought this individual summized my thoughts on this subject nicely: Quote:
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See, your getting all defensive about this all. I am just pointing out that they did in fact break NCAA rules. Rather they deserve the "death penalty", that is up to the NCAA I guess. The rules I posted, none of them alone really warrant the death penalty. It's all the rules together they have broken that is going to get them the death penalty. Nebraska has never done anything this serious to deserve a "death penalty". Your over analyzing all this and it seems your taking it personally. They broke the rules and the NCAA CAN punish them for it. It is what it is rather you agree with it or not. |
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Some folks have a difficulty recognizing their own theft of intellectual property as an unethical personal conduct. Beyond that, and all chest thumping, self masturbatory, sports "hero" worship culture aside, whether Penn State gets financially "chastised" has absolutely zero impact on the genesis of the cultural problem that pervades the many unfortunates who are unable to function as a Happy Homer automaton without being immersed in it.
Your Mileage May Vary. ;) |
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Christan Peter Lawrence Phillips Ring a bell? Quote:
Herein lies my uneasiness with NCAA, and have yet to see a credible argument (here or elsewhere) to convince me otherwise: It's arbitrary and capricious. If the NCAA does decide to levy sanctions, they're saying that murder, the raping of women, robbery, drug usage, drug distribution, assault, etc. aren't a violation, but THIS is. |
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nice to hear from you too, Pete |
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My point is that if the NCAA steps in, they are open up a can of worms that aught not be opened by the NCAA. Leave criminal matters to the legal system and the NCAA take care of the issues it was created to take care of. But as already pointed out numerous times, opinions will be different. Especially on such a hotbed issue. |
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You can't say, oh the NCAA didn't do anything when Oregon had a player get a felony bla..bla..bla..., then they had a kid get a DUI, then a theft....and have it compare to what happened at PSU. We are talking about the raping of kids for years and years and years and the school covering that up to save their good name.... That isn't a bunch of single incidents over a period of time, which generally are addressed by the school with suspensions anyway... How the difference doesn't compute with you is beyond me..... |
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