OT: Paterno statue to stay for now, per ESPN

Submitted by vablue on

Per the below ESPN article the Paterno statue at PSU is going to stay, for now.  Personally, I think that is a huge mistake.  I have a lot of family that are big PSU fans and I understand the love for the guy.  But, I think the Trustees (ironic name in this case) is in for a bit of a shock when they realize that every televised game is going to start with them showing the statue and talking about what Joe did, or did not do.  Essentially, every time your University is put on TV it is going to be shown how they still praise a guy who at the very least enabled a child molester.  Yeah, that is just the way I would want my University represented.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8166643/joe-paterno-statue-remain-penn-state-sources-say

 

 

bluebyyou

July 14th, 2012 at 10:18 PM ^

Perhaps I am a bit naive, but if Penn State, as a university, continues to treat Paterno "memorabilia" on their campus as if none of this had transpired, then I'd like to think that at some point, the B1G presidents, including MSC, do something. If they don't, then I will have to seriously rethink what this conference is about and whether I want to continue to support anything to do with B1G athletics.

Has anyone heard one word from any of the B1G universities about the Scandal, because if they have, I sure haven't.  Have they been told as a group to keep silent?  

MrVociferous

July 14th, 2012 at 10:31 PM ^

Forget where, but I read something recently about them still selling JoePa memorabilia around State College.  These fucktards do just not get it.  Your glorious coach lied to all of you.  And they must have that statue under 24-7 watch, because I'm amazed someone hasn't defaced it yet.  I mean shit, if I lived closer I'd drive there and do it myself.

ThadMattasagoblin

July 14th, 2012 at 10:59 PM ^

Should USC be punished because OJ Simpson killed someone.  Should Ohio be punished because they have a booster who is a child molester.  People do terrible things, but you don't punish the program for a legal matter.

Brhino

July 15th, 2012 at 12:21 AM ^

 

"The statue represents the good that Joe did. It doesn't represent the bad that he did."

 

Selective statue representation! Makes sense. That's why there's a statue of Adolf Hitler looming over every entrance to the autoban.

/godwin'd

MGoVoldemort

July 15th, 2012 at 12:33 AM ^

The problem here is, is there is no precedence for this kind of an infraction. Any punishment handed down is going to be the first of its kind. Do time limitations handcuff the NCAA here? Do they have to add entire sections to the NCAA rule book and guidelines? So many questions need to be answered. The only thing that can be said with absolute certainty is that the NCAA must act and they must do so in the correct manner. It's the hurried and rushed swing that often goes astray, so I think the NCAA needs to gather the appropriate information to best hand down a punishment that best suits the crime. A death penalty not only destroys the football program, but would probably cost a lot of innocent people their jobs. I'm not even sure the victims themselves would be advocates of what would essentially be destroying Penn State itself. A grievous wrong was done here, and the people involved need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. A death penalty, however, does not make sense. Those bring punished for the crime, will have had nothing to do with it. Young men who dreamed their entire lives about playing for PSU, will have to unquestionably, under a death penalty scenario, have to alter their plans. Punish the program, yes, but not to the extent that it would punish fans and generations of alumni. The death penalty here is a mistake, and it would only create more bitterness and bad memories. The infraction is monumentally severe, but don't make the severity of a few men's crimes, be a monument that innocent players and fans will be forever stuck with.

big john lives on 67

July 15th, 2012 at 12:45 AM ^

In my opinion, the NCAA violation here is very clear - lack of institutional control.

The program should be punished by the NCAA because presrving the reputation and continued excellence of the football program was the main reason that the crimes were covered up by the powers-that-be in the university.  This type of behavior must be strictly dissuaded by the NCAA so that the penalties for covering up any crimes within college sports programs are so severe that doing so would never be considered by administrators.

I do agree that the death penalty here is too severe.  I am thinking three year bowl ban and loss of 15 of 85 schollies over that time.  I believe NCAA will come down with a two year bowl ban and loss of ten scholarships.

 

Mr Miggle

July 15th, 2012 at 2:00 AM ^

I'm sorry, but I can't see any way that scholarship reductions or bowl bans fit the offenses. While we might disagree on the severity of their penalties and their consistency, the NCAA does a good job of making the punishments fit the crime.

The problems stemmed, at least in part, from the football program becoming much more important to a school than it should. The crimes weren't just the actions of a few men. They were the leaders of the school acting in their official capacities. They put concern for their football program above all. Unfortunately, that was symptomatic of the culture of the institution.The most relevant penalties will need to address that.

The death penalty for a year or two is appropriate. Penn State gets to show it can function as a university without football. Football will come back. They'll be good again before too long. It's a temporary punishment that might actually do some long-term good for the school and the community. A less drastic penalty along the same lines would be a ban on home games for some period of time.

I'd like to see what Penn State proposes. The comments from their board on Paterno's statue are not a good start. If they're going to resist meaningful penalties then it's time for the Big Ten to look for a replacement.

M-Dog

July 15th, 2012 at 9:40 PM ^

That's what's so awkward about NCAA intervention in this case.  It has to be the Death Penalty or nothing.

If it's just scholarship reductions or bowl bans, it comes off as trivial and ridiculous, as if the NCAA made up a chart and said  "Let's say the rape of one child is worth 5 scholies and a single season bowl ban.  So if we just do the math . . . "

 

Mr Miggle

July 15th, 2012 at 8:28 AM ^

I get the idea of taking a contrarian view to get page hits. Some of his reasoning was so appallingly stupid as to make me think he was, perhaps subconsciously, trying to convince us he was wrong. I'll highlight a few examples.

They were afraid of Joe Paterno. This was his program, his school, and if he wasn't going to punch Sandusky in the nose and call the cops every hour on the hour until they started investigating that monster, well, neither were they.

I find the comment about calling the cops every hour extremely offensive. Why is he making it sound like it would have been so difficult for PSU to stop Sandusky and that the police would have been disinterested? They didn't just avoid reporting Sandusky. They went to the extreme of lying to authorities when there finally was an investigation

The school was lacking moral fiber in a way that soars well above the NCAA's jurisdiction, and believe me, the school will pay for that. There's the civil suits that are coming, and there's the loss of reputation that is here now. A few years ago the phrase "Penn State" meant excellence: great school, great football, great coach. Today Penn State means "Sandusky." That's all it means, and that's all it will mean for decades.

This is of course, just an opinion. But it's so over the top that I have a hard time accepting that he actually believes it. The concept of offenses being too egregious for the NCAA to act is a novel one. I don't really understand the concept.

Fair play matters, no matter the stakes, and the death penalty for Penn State would not be fair. It would be worse than double jeopardy, because Penn State is already getting hammered on multiple fronts -- and I'm fine with that. Criminal cases for school officials. Civil cases, sure to come, for the school itself. The court of public opinion. Guilty, guilty, guilty.

First of all, nothing that he mentioned was a punishment for the football program. Second, he has absolutely no idea what double jeopardy means. It means that the government cannot try someone more than once for the same crime. There are some exception even to that narrow definition. Third, would he make the same argument for Sandusky? Why should he have been prosecuted? He's already been convicted in the court of public opinion, lost his position with his charity, and is going to lose plenty in civil cases.

But how many organizations should take a bite out of this bitter apple? Should the IRS audit everyone at Penn State just to show the IRS doesn't abide by pedophilia? Should the post office stop delivering mail for the same reason? No more cable for you, Penn State, because the cable company cannot sit idly after the atrocities committed on campus by Jerry Sandusky.

At the heart of this scandal was football. Illegal and amoral acts were committed, in large part for the perceived benefit to their football program. That is obviously relevant to the NCAA, which makes them completely unlike the organizations he listed. Whether any NCAA rules were broken is relevant. Perhaps if he had researched that he could make a coherent argument, or realize that he is completely wrong. He preferred to simply embarrass himself.

 

 

GoBluePhil

July 15th, 2012 at 10:41 AM ^

of Penn State. Let them have their football team, and all their other sports teams. I don't think the NCAA can or will sanction the university with loss of scholarships, bowl games, etc. But what should happen is a total media ban. Don't allow any team events to be televised or have radio broadcast. This will obviously Impact the teams that play PSU but the other schools could still have radio broadcast rights. With this ban, there will be no discussions about PSU and the legacy of Joe Paterno. No discussions about the scandal. I think they used this technique in past cultures to punish violations of law or policies. With no TV and radio exposure PSU becomes out of sight and out of mind for the fans and followers. It will hurt the school financially and force PSU to pay lawsuits with athletic money which will then impact facilities and improvements. If players still want to go to PSU they can. It's their choice. But they will not be seen on TV and the games will not be heard on radio. I know that in the age of technology people will find a way but there will be no "ESPN Game Day" or any other TV cews in the stadium. Let them be happy all alone in "Happy Valley".

sdentuco

July 15th, 2012 at 1:03 PM ^

That is something that can be done right now. It might not be fair for the team playing them but I wouldn't have watched that game anyway. I will not watch any game that they play. I thought that Penn State might be smart and try to self impose sanctions but with the comments about the statue and letting some time pass it is obvious that is not going to happen.

alanmfrench

July 15th, 2012 at 11:51 AM ^

all paterno had to do as soon as he got wind of sandusky's behavior is point at him and say sick'm and he would have been locked up before anyone even knew what happened. get rid of that damn statue.

TheFrigz

July 15th, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^

The death penalty is the right call in this situation.  I realize it's unprecedented, but an example has to be made of penn state.  

M-Dog

July 15th, 2012 at 9:24 PM ^

Leave the statue up, but make it more realistic.

Sneak in at night and weld a figure of a crying child clutching at Paterno's foot begging for mercy, while Paterno ignores him in favor of the football team and waves his finger in the air while doing it.

 

Just like what happened in real life.