Penn State scandal

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8481896/jerry-sandusky-sentenced-least-30-years-child-sex-abuse-charges

Not much to see here, I think we all knew that he was going to get an effective life-sentence, him being 68, and he did, but thought it was worth mentioning since it is pretty major, if totally sordid, CFB news. 

He repeated his claims of innocence, FWIW.

This is your Penn State Open Thread. Keep the board open for other topics please. I know it's tempting, but lots of other, less disturbing topics are available to discuss. I'm not trying to censor anyone. Instead, this is an open place to discuss your thoughts. Keep it clean. I'll review the thread later and be very unkind to posters who decide to be jerks.

NCAA Punishment:

• $60 million dollar fine payable to an endowment for sex abuse victims
• 10 initial scholarships per year for 4 years
• 65 total scholarships on the roster for four years
• 4 year bowl ban
• Free transfers at any point in an athlete's career

NCAA source tells CBS News athletic assn. will announce "unprecedented" penalties against Penn State, football team http://cbsn.ws/QnwOzy

NCAA ‏@NCAA

NCAA to hold press conference on #PennState Mon at 9 a.m. ET. Live coverage from @InsidetheNCAA & web stream link avail tmrw.

UPDATE #1:

- Reports that PSU will not fight the penalties. Points to deal between PSU and NCAA.

Bruce Feldman ‏@BFeldmanCBS

RT @djoneshoop PennSt will NOT appeal NCAA's decision, I've been told. Speed of decision/lack of contention pts to a deal betw NCAA & PSU

UPDATE #2:

- Yahoo Sports NCAA Angel of Death Charles Robinson reporting penalty of multiple bowls and crippling scholarship losses.

Charles Robinson ‏@CharlesRobinson

Penn State penalty: multiple bowls, crippling scholarship losses & NCAA Prez is levying it w/ no in-house investigation http://tinyurl.com/btmywbn

UPDATE #3:

- CBS Sports reporting massive fine in penalty.

@McMurphyCBS: Penn State will be fined b/w $30 million to $60 million, sources told @CBSSports http://cbsprt.co/O8tNRq

Freeh Report release this morning at 9am on the PSU Sandusky scandal.

Freeh Report text:

http://www.thefreehreportonpsu.com/REPORT_FINAL_071212.pdf

Freeh Press Release on Report (summary of findings):

http://www.thefreehreportonpsu.com/Press_Release_07_12_12.pdf

Live coverage of press conference at 10am (one of these links should work):

http://www.witf.org/regional-a-state-news/live-audio-video-and-interactive-coverage-of-freeh-report

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8732365

Deadspin obtained drafts of Freeh preparation for Q & A at today's press conference:

http://deadspin.com/5925339/the-freeh-report-will-conclude-paternos-firing-was-warranted-according-to-these-preparation-documents

Link to source, copy/pasting the entire thing because it's a press release, not ESPN content.

The Big Ten Presidents and Chancellors express their sincere concern for any harm done to innocent young victims and their families. Protection of our children is one of society’s most central responsibilities and institutions of higher education should be particularly vigilant. We are committed to examining our own institutions to assure that effective measures are taken to assure the safety of children on our campuses.

It has been approximately one month since the initial release of the Grand Jury report in the Penn State matter and a number of federal, state and institutional investigations have been launched. While it is premature to reach any conclusions regarding civil or criminal liability arising out of these events, there does appear to be sufficient information to raise significant concerns as to whether a concentration of power in a single individual or program may have threatened or eroded institutional control of intercollegiate athletics at Penn State.

As a result, the COP/C has determined that:

• It will gather and review the facts arising out of the allegations in the Grand Jury report that pertain to matters of institutional control, ethical conduct and/or other compliance related issues
• It will request from Penn State University and the NCAA that Big Ten legal counsel be allowed to participate in the investigations or reviews, as the case may be, being conducted by Penn State and the NCAA as pertain to these issues
• It will reserve the right to impose sanctions, corrective or other disciplinary measures in the event that adverse findings are made in the areas of institutional control, ethical conduct and/or other Conference related matters

In addition, the COP/C discussed the imperative of maintaining the public's trust in the integrity of its member institutions and, in earning and deserving this trust, the importance of asserting each institution’s control over its intercollegiate athletics programs. The COP/C recognized and acknowledged that from time to time its institutions have failed to maintain the proper control of their athletics programs and that whenever this occurs at one institution in the conference, due to the common bonds and shared values of the members of the Big Ten, each other member of the conference is impacted. Accordingly, the COP/C has directed the conference to initiate an immediate review of the fundamental issues and systems affecting intercollegiate athletics, including the serious issues relating to the institutional control of athletics. It intends for this review to lead to the consideration of a common set of "stress tests" or other criteria that could be applied by the conference to its member institutions (a) to insure that each member is responsible and accountable to the collective membership of the conference for the control and operation of its intercollegiate athletics programs as well as (b) to prevent anyone, whether a trustee, administrator, faculty member, athletic director, coach, booster or otherwise, from eroding the effectiveness of an institution’s practices and procedures designed to protect the institution’s integrity and control over its intercollegiate athletic programs. The COP/C intends for the review to be completed and for the proposed standards, stress tests and other criteria, along with the proposed enforcement procedures and penalties, to be presented to it for consideration at a special meeting to be held in spring 2012.

When Nikita Khrushchev addressed his fellow Soviets in 1953 following his succession to leadership of the USSR, he delivered what would become known as “the Secret Speech”.  Its content sought to unveil his predecessor, Josef Stalin, the mass murderer and ruthless dictator that had maintained public opinion steadily in favor of him, whether by appeal or fear. These methods were captured in the phrase “cult of personality”. Despite Stalin’s horrendous acts (many of which Khrushchev still refused to condemn, as he would need the same actions to retain power) the Russian people continued to veritably worship their leader, something which Khrushchev needed to correct both to fall in line with Party ideology and lead effectively.

Joe Paterno has forged a similar cult at State College for over sixty years. This past week, the curtain has been pulled back. The king is dead.

While Paterno did not doctor photos, order assassinations of rivals, or produce propaganda to keep his job as head coach and de facto autocrat of the small Pennsylvania town, he used his aw-shucks demeanor and commitment to worthy ideals to centralize his authority and mold the football program, in an already tight-knit community, into a fortress. Football coaches across the country have long sought the personality cult that “Joe Pa” crafted for Penn State football. The Nittany Lions were embodied in him so completely that the surreal scenes of students rioting in State College ought come as no surprise.

Jerry Sandusky’s disgusting and unconscionable tale has already been recounted many times, and I have no desire to go into that again. What remains is the fallout.

Before late Wednesday night it appeared that while the university president and athletic director would be immediately removed, the coaching legend would be allowed to retire in a relative amount of style. Before late Wednesday night, he would coach his final home game Saturday and continue leading his team in oblivion towards winning the Leaders division, to the B1G championship game, and yet another bowl. Before late Wednesday, the person ultimately morally responsible for the actions of the football program at Penn State would retain (albeit for a time) at least titular, and as I suspect, quite tangible control of the program.

The board of trustees’ choice to depose Paterno is obviously the right one, and they should be commended for it. The backlash in State College from disgruntled students and bewildered players is amplified by the thousands of PSU alums voicing their support for Paterno on the internet. And it is absolutely despicable, yet absolutely understandable.

When a person of such lauded moral high ground as Paterno fails, it shocks the world, and too often appalls little. Regardless of your metaphysical and religious views, the fact is that any human can and often will fail. It’s cases where the failure shreds the work of a lifetime into scraps of what legacy had previously been taken for granted. The risk of embodiment of a football program in one person, from Paterno to Wooden to Krzyzewski to, dare I say, Schembechler, is inherently risky. Trusting the ruler to tread flawlessly always is what we expect is impossible. Everyone does make mistakes (insert Terrelle Pryor joke here). It’s the degree and management of these mistakes that separates the legends from the ordinary.

And of those names I just dropped, one clearly does not belong with the others any more. Its time to destroy Paterno’s cult of personality. The victims cry for justice and PSU students would rather “demonstrate” outside their leader’s home, rather than look the harsh realities in the face as Khrushchev did. It’s easier that way, but it’s also wrong.

P.S. I am not a Communist nor do I think Khrushchev is by any means a stellar person. Just wanted to illustrate the most prominent reference of the term. Nor are Stalin and Paterno equivalents. Their followers have acted in a similar manner.