General Discussion

IdaBriggs

(10,559 posts)

40. It wasn't the crime. It was the cover-up.

Wed Jul 25, 2012, 10:03 AM

Jul 2012

The crime was heinous. The cover-up was despicable. The emails show the cover-up was "to protect the football program."

The punishment was aimed squarely at the crime. If it had been done to protect women's soccer, the women's soccer program would have been "punished" just as squarely.

The idea behind collegiate sports is to teach leadership, teamwork, and a whole host of other things that it may or may not do, but when it fails on such a colossal level - someone raping small children and the "leadership" turning a blind eye/continuing to enable the same behavior - you either hang up your "we're doing this for the values" hat, or you smack down hard on the offenders.

Cover up will aways cost. You might kill someone, but the fool who helps you hide the body goes to jail, too, because It Is Wrong.

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Penn State fans/alumni are having a HAL 9000-type psychotic break: [View all] PCIntern Jul 2012 OP

That's a good one about the sky... joeybee12 Jul 2012 #1

Actually, the sky is Carolina Blue. Go Tar Heels! 11 Bravo Jul 2012 #57

Actually, the sunset is bunt orange. Hook 'em Horns! ashling Jul 2012 #80

Grew up in central PA...Every Steelworker/Miner had two dreams for their boys:: Junkdrawer Jul 2012 #2

I'm not sure that PA only rivals Texas in football social life. Fawke Em Jul 2012 #46

High School Football.... Junkdrawer Jul 2012 #48

You forgot to mention deer season. jerseyjack Jul 2012 #3

+1 alcibiades_mystery Jul 2012 #4

Not a myth CANDO Jul 2012 #49

Yes. Penn State, football, deer season. The holy trinity of rural and working class PA. TwilightGardener Jul 2012 #41

The NCAA penalties WERE draconian. MercutioATC Jul 2012 #5

I'm assuming this type of public punishment are also meant to send a message lunatica Jul 2012 #6

Maybe it's because I don't take sports as seriously as some. MercutioATC Jul 2012 #8

It wasn't the crime. It was the cover-up. IdaBriggs Jul 2012 #40

Very well said. redqueen Jul 2012 #56

The cover up made a one-person crime become the crime of all of them DonRedwood Jul 2012 #58

You missed something in all the reporting. ieoeja Jul 2012 #71

please, correct me if wrong, however, "...The guy who caught him in the showers..." Raster Jul 2012 #88

You are correct. That is exactly how he made him stop. Then he turned him into school admin. nt ieoeja Jul 2012 #90

Not to be the contrarian, however, it only made sandusky temporarily stop. After locker-slam guy... Raster Jul 2012 #92

Bingo. hifiguy Jul 2012 #60

College football is a business, period. Ikonoklast Jul 2012 #9

I don't see how the football program at Penn State is to blame. MercutioATC Jul 2012 #10

A man commits murder, goes to prison and his wife and children suffer... joeybee12 Jul 2012 #19

But do we directly penalize the wife and kids? MercutioATC Jul 2012 #22

How are they directly penalized? It's not their money... joeybee12 Jul 2012 #24

Reducing the number of scholarships by 20? MercutioATC Jul 2012 #27

Paterno covered for and permitted it to happen. morningfog Jul 2012 #43

Paterno had the most wins in College Football ipfilter Jul 2012 #76

True, but you don't fine the town that he lived in because he lived there. joeglow3 Jul 2012 #53

The coverup was specifically to protect the football program. Of course it's to blame. (nt) Posteritatis Jul 2012 #63

you fail to see because you have no understanding.. frylock Jul 2012 #65

i think it is appropriate and fair. barbtries Jul 2012 #11

I agree with you. How is pulling those millions in the 'fine' going to ...... marble falls Jul 2012 #12

Exactly, punish the offending individuals, MercutioATC Jul 2012 #13

I think it is great. Send a message. Hit them where it hurts. morningfog Jul 2012 #44

The fine is going to help abused people. IdaBriggs Jul 2012 #42

"Nothing to do with sports..." Alduin Jul 2012 #16

As far as the INDIVIDUALS concerned, I agree MercutioATC Jul 2012 #18

The NCAA has no authority in academics. Alduin Jul 2012 #21

It's also a huge ethical issue and the NCAA does get involved with ethics at least sometimes.. Fumesucker Jul 2012 #23

Neither you nor Alduin answered my question. MercutioATC Jul 2012 #26

Not penalizing the program would certainly send a message of approval to some.. Fumesucker Jul 2012 #28

If this was for player steroid use or some form of cheating, I'd agree. MercutioATC Jul 2012 #30

Because it was largely the program that enabled Sandusky's crimes.. Fumesucker Jul 2012 #47

So, you think the English department should be eliminated in the aforementioned question? joeglow3 Jul 2012 #55

Penn State football was not eliminated exboyfil Jul 2012 #62

In fact, had the university English dept done this, the university might well have been eliminated. ieoeja Jul 2012 #75

sandusky's crimes were covered up by paterno and the athletic dept ffs! frylock Jul 2012 #69

which students are being penalized? frylock Jul 2012 #68

English teachers don't usually hang out in the locker room and morningfog Jul 2012 #45

what part of these "individuals" representing the "institution" are you not getting? frylock Jul 2012 #66

If his superiors in the English Department and college that it fell in helped cover it up, then yes. whopis01 Jul 2012 #79

The Football and other PSU officials hid criminal behavior obamanut2012 Jul 2012 #17

Neither Paterno nor Sandusky are the Penn State football program. MercutioATC Jul 2012 #20

That's a situation that just wouldn't occur.. Fumesucker Jul 2012 #29

I'm allergic to straw and other grasses obamanut2012 Jul 2012 #54

paterno was not only the football program, he was the most powerful MAN on campus! frylock Jul 2012 #70

How much money does the English department rake in? KamaAina Jul 2012 #77

Had an academic dept done this, the entire university should have been shuttered. ieoeja Jul 2012 #78

They needed to be. Do you think that all Skidmore Jul 2012 #39

Draconian and very wrong. CANDO Jul 2012 #50

This message was self-deleted by its author devilgrrl Jul 2012 #52

They're the ones that decided to not call the police, and just let little boys be raped. Dash87 Jul 2012 #81

"If you knowingly let kids get raped" ... The PSU football players now being punished were ... 11 Bravo Jul 2012 #82

It's the school being punished. Dash87 Jul 2012 #83

"Appealing to the 'What about the PSU students' is lame because it acts as if the punishment ... 11 Bravo Jul 2012 #84

You missed the second part Dash87 Jul 2012 #89

the PSU players can fucking leave! frylock Jul 2012 #86

Hey, what's raping a few children compared to football? RainDog Jul 2012 #87

Which is why the NCAA is letting them transfer out of the program hifiguy Jul 2012 #91

do share barbtries Jul 2012 #7

It went like this: Hassin Bin Sober Jul 2012 #35

lol barbtries Jul 2012 #36

Have them sing 'Daisy' as they go under. doohnibor Jul 2012 #14

I disgree with you about one thing obamanut2012 Jul 2012 #15

We should pay close attention. This is what it looks like when you topple over someone's sacred cow. Baitball Blogger Jul 2012 #25

Implosion and supernova... PCIntern Jul 2012 #31

Hopefully they'll go out with a whimper and not a bang. Baitball Blogger Jul 2012 #33

Well, they need to get over it and GROW THE FUCK UP hatrack Jul 2012 #32

Don't joke about this sort of thing 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #34

I'm sure they hate asterisks now too. lpbk2713 Jul 2012 #37

Yeah...tough shit. nt PCIntern Jul 2012 #38

It's completely mind boggling how many Paterno / Penn State fans are in denial. Initech Jul 2012 #51

What sort of conversations? Any epiphanies? pnwmom Jul 2012 #59

It takes time for people to understand that their heros are, after all, only 1monster Jul 2012 #61

Some of the responses in this thread certainly prove your point, don't they? (nt) Posteritatis Jul 2012 #64

That very disconnect appears even within this thread... LanternWaste Jul 2012 #67

It's terrible. I've accepted reality though. Avalux Jul 2012 #72

This message was self-deleted by its author JoePhilly Jul 2012 #73

I grew up in Philly, so I believe it. JoePhilly Jul 2012 #74

great post RainDog Jul 2012 #85