The punishment that the National Collegiate Athletic Association gave to Penn State Monday was an act of creative cowardice. In response to revelations of horrific sexual abuse of children by assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, the NCAA drew up a series of penalties that include a four-year bowl ban, lost football scholarships, a $60 million fine to be paid into a child sexual abuse prevention fund, and the vacating of coach Joe Paterno’s victories since 1998 — the year that the university first became aware of allegations against Sandusky.
Yet even as NCAA president Mark Emmert declared that “football will never again be placed ahead of educating, nurturing, and protecting young people,” the organization lacked the nerve to simply suspend a Penn State football program that covered up for Sandusky even as he used its prestige to gain access to victims. “One of the grave dangers,” Emmert warned, “is that the sports themselves can become too big to fail — indeed, too big to even challenge.” Precisely. But in allowing the Penn State football program to keep playing, hamstrung but uninterrupted, the NCAA proved the point, shielding the university from the consequences of its own failure.
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***********************First let me say I am not really a college football fan.The abuse that happened was horrendous and my prayers are with the STUDENTS that suffered the abuse.********* Having said that--------This is my take--- Joe Paterno is dead. With luck, Sandusky will spend the rest of his life in jail.******"The decision will The decision will test the commitment of the players, coaches, and recruits tied to the Penn State program, which is almost certain to enter a period of irrelevancy on the field. of the players, coaches, and recruits tied to the Penn State program, which is almost certain to enter a period of irrelevancy on the field". SO--- let's punish all the NEW KIDS!!!!*****"TEST THE COMMITMENT OF THE PLAYERS"--- what does that mean??????????????What did the players do, exactly, that THEY need to be tested? This is smacks of collective punishment so that the PUNISH-ERS can feel good about THEMSELVES.
College football on this scale is essentially professional football. Start a minor league and get this kind of football out of the colleges and universities.
Heavens, yes! Let's not take away football! Penn State might have to concentrate on academic matters.
I think you have to take into consideration the innocent people/universities that would be impacted by Penn State not playing football. I haven't read the Freed report but, to the best of my knowledge, there were a handful of very powerful coaches/officials who were aware of Sandusky's despicable acts. Those people should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law but to penalize current athletes, local businesses, and competing universities for the behavior of a few would seem extreme. I can see the other side of the argument but I think it's too easy to make the judgement that football should have been shut down. Clearly the safety of children dwarfs the importance of a football program but the NCAA did the right thing by restricting the collateral damage it could have inflicted.
Life is often unfair, and the Penn State situation is a very good example. How do you punish the handful of people who failed their responsibilities without also punishing thousands of others -- students, athletes, alumni, and ordinary fans -- none of whom had anything to do with child abuse? It's a difficult problem, but maybe firing everyone involved and charging them with crimes, such as obstruction of justice, should be enough. The peripheral damage seems excessive when the innocents being punished far outnumber the guilty.
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I should have added that the editorial is blindly guilty of the wide brush approach. "...the NCAA proved the point, shielding the university from the consequences of its own failure." What a simplistic statement. "The University" is composed of students, teachers, staff, and administration. It was a handful of administrators who failed in their responsibilities to the children and to the citizens at large. I've lost a lot of respect for the Globe's editorial staff. They had the time to consider the human perspective but instead characterized "the university" as an unity.
I should have added that the editorial is blindly guilty of the wide brush approach. "...the NCAA proved the point, shielding the university from the consequences of its own failure." What a simplistic statement. "The University" is composed of students, teachers, staff, and administration. It was a handful of administrators who failed both the children and our society. I've lost a lot of respect for the Globe's editorial staff. They had the time to consider the human perspective but instead characterized "the university" as an unity.
I should have added that the editorial is blindly guilty of the wide brush approach. "...the NCAA proved the point, shielding the university from the consequences of its own failure." What a simplistic statement. "The University" is composed of students, teachers, staff, and administration. It was a handful of administrators who failed both the children and our society. I've lost a lot of respect for the Globe's editorial staff. They had the time to consider the human perspective but instead characterized "the university" as an unity.
The root cause of the Penn State tragedy was not football. It was an example of what can happen when ANY institution or person becomes too powerful - be it a football coach, a CEO, a government agency, a church, a Board of Directors, etc. People and institutions need transparency and checks and balances. Unfortunately, we have no shortage of companies or institutions with enough power to 'cover-up' - so let's hope this tragedy will empower more people to speak out if aware of other cover-ups.
I think it is ridiculous for Penn State football to even take the field this season. Although the players and much of the current personnel are innocent of these horrid crimes, anyone displaying a Penn State logo at an away game will be subject to the worst kind of ridicule from the opposing fans. Don't expect the opposing team fans to take the high road, regardless of where the guilt lies. Penn State football needs to sit out this one in respect to the victims and all it's alum. Football is not the purpose of a university, education and improving society is, and taking at least a season off will demonstrate to the general public the character that is so needed by Penn State.