NCAA Should Stay Out of the Penn State/Sandusky Mess
Penn State’s potential Sandusky coverup involves prominent sports figures, including the athletic director and a legendary coach. This scandal, however, is not a sports or a football story. It is an academic and legal one. Calls for the NCAA to get involved with Penn State and to exact penalties on the football program are misguided.
The NCAA is not an ultimate arbiter. It is a regulatory body for sports rules. It polices summer jobs, supplementary textbooks and bagel toppings. It determines the value of a night spent on a football player’s futon. It struggles to do that equitably, competently and in a timely fashion. A child molestation coverup and criminal activity is outside and beyond the organization’s purview. The NCAA does not “have to do something.” This would be like the EPA fining a company found guilty of fraud and embezzlement.
Appropriate authorities will mete out punishment. Sandusky will never leave prison. The University itself likely will be saddled with a civil settlement, potentially worth nine figures. The individuals still with us are facing criminal charges or likely to face criminal charges. This is being handled. Flying in with NCAA violations and competitive penalties would just be blind vengeance.
In an ideal world, Penn State itself would reevaluate the role of Division I-A football related to its academic mission. In the practical one, eliminating the football program or placing it in suspended animation, would mean the de facto end to intercollegiate athletics. It student-athletes who weren’t even on campus when this happened and did nothing wrong.
After the initial shock, Penn State has been doing what it should: cleaning house, handing over documents and behaving in a proactive, forthright fashion. This is bigger than football. It is being handled by the proper authorities. The NCAA finding some specious reasoning to pile on for PR purposes would be silly and egregious.
Previously: Penn State Emails Show Obvious Cover-Up Attempt of Sandusky Shower Rape in 2001
Previously: Jerry Sandusky Will Still Receive His $59,000 Per Year Pension in Prison
Previously: Sandusky Attorney Joe Amendola Was a Barrel of Laughs Right After the Verdict
[Photo via Presswire]
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41 Responses to “NCAA Should Stay Out of the Penn State/Sandusky Mess”
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July 2nd, 2012 at 4:27 PM
Agree.
/puts on puka shell necklace
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:28 PM
It polices summer jobs, supplementary textbooks and bagel toppings.
Is that what the kids are calling it now? So you’re saying the NCAA should get involved.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:28 PM
If this happened at OSU. This site would have multiple posts a day demanding the death penalty. ESPN would constantly run segments as well.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Have to agree. Even when the NCAA investigated Baylor over the murder, and Bliss was involved in the cover up, none of the sanctions dealt with the fact that there was a murder cover up, they were all about players and coaches breaking rules directly related to eligibility.
Now a posthumous show-cause penalty on Paterno, that would be something.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Also, this post is like 8 months late.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Nobody wants to fuck children from Ohio.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:32 PM
I’d actually be rooting for PSU if this happened.
And if this happened at OSU there would be no outrage – most of us would shrug, as if we were expecting OSU to behave that way.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:32 PM
Well, somebody must, or else they’d all die off.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:35 PM
“Come here, son, let me show you what it really means to ‘Dot the I.’”
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:35 PM
Also this is most likely going to destroy PSU football for the longrun anyways. Let’s not forget who they just named their starting quarterback.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:38 PM
nice to see a nice measured response on this topic from this site.
too bad it’s 9 months late.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:38 PM
Fuck Parise. Glad he’s not going to the Hawks though.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:42 PM
i know it doesnt distinctly say but im assuming its in response to those emails that came out last week, the ones where joepa was willingly harboring a child molester.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:44 PM
Nobody reads the links. This post is explicitly in reaction to calls from people in the last few days, based on the email chain news, to look into the football program at the NCAA level.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:44 PM
I disagree completely. Hopefully the United Nations will get involved sooner than later.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:45 PM
Me thinks it is, or else it wouldn’t be on this site. I think the word you were looking for is “matter”.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:46 PM
Did he announce?
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:47 PM
yeah, i get that. my point was it’s a well thought out a level headed reaction to the penn state scandal, which is rare for this site.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:48 PM
Still sobbing in the corner
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:53 PM
I realize that, however those reactions have been voiced since the scandal began.
July 2nd, 2012 at 4:56 PM
Jesus Christ….
July 2nd, 2012 at 5:10 PM
Reading about this topic in SI as well.
July 2nd, 2012 at 5:37 PM
Agree with this. There’s no right penalty, so don’t force one just because you feel like you have to.
And its tricky because at the time of the crimes, the guy wasn’t a coach or a player. He was basically some guy who had an office in the building. There was no attempt to gain competitive advantage, it was a couple gutless bitches looking to keep their jobs.
July 2nd, 2012 at 7:10 PM
Looks like someone read Spencer Hall today.
July 2nd, 2012 at 8:12 PM
This argument holds no weight. All big NCAA sanctions never affect the people who committed the infractions. How many USC student-athletes in 2010 (when the sanctions happened) were on the team with Bush in 2005?
Just because the Sandusky mess transcends sports doesn’t mean Penn State shouldn’t have to worry about an NCAA investigation. At least 20 of the incidents occurred while Sandusky was still employed at Penn State. This doesn’t even touch on the fact that there now appears to be evidence that members of the Penn State athletic department attempted to cover up the whole thing.
If the NCAA is going to impart sanctions on USC and Ohio State for improper benefits, there has to be a punishment for a current/former coach committing sex crimes against children (and the cover-up that followed).
You might view this as piling on, but you can’t have the NCAA just sit on their hands because Penn State will be severely punished by other agencies.
July 2nd, 2012 at 8:50 PM
God, all we need is OSU and USC fans bitching about how they gave goodies to their athletes and what’s the big deal, Penn State should get the hammer for something that didn’t even involve student athletes.
Tell me, if JoePa’s wife ran a cat house, should PSU get sanctions? I mean, it’s the coach’s wife, and he knew, and Spanier knew, and maybe she even made some deals during halftime of a game. Maybe some johns got off to doing it at the 50 yard line – perhaps they could “mount Britney.” Obviously, PSU should get a bowl ban because of that, right?
The idea of the NCAA, as big a joke as it is, is to preserve amateur athletics, which is why goodies to athletes is bad, not to manage everything involving athletic departments.
July 2nd, 2012 at 9:47 PM
yeaaah the ncaa should stick to busting up free tattoos, not child rapes
priorities people, priorities.
July 2nd, 2012 at 10:40 PM
football being placed above stopping a pedophile
moving along ncaa .. nothing to see here … haven’t heard that before
July 2nd, 2012 at 10:48 PM
what is the regulation or bylaw is the NCAA failing to enforce against Penn State?
July 2nd, 2012 at 11:04 PM
IT IS NOT THE NCAA’S JOB!
July 3rd, 2012 at 12:28 AM
i’ve waited long enough….can we just all call it Peen State now?
July 3rd, 2012 at 2:25 AM
It’s not the NCAA’s job to crack down on amoral behavior? Their rules seem to indicate otherwise
Here’s the truncated list of NCAA Bylaws apparently violated by PSU:
1.2 “purposes of this Association are…to promote and develop educational leadership, physical fitness, athletics excellence and athletics participation as a recreational pursuit;”
2.1.1 Responsibility for Control…. [of] its intercollegiate athletics program in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Association, [which, under 2.1.2 Scope] …includes responsibility for the actions of its staff members and for the actions of any other individual or organization engaged in activities promoting the athletics interests of the institution.”
6.01.1 Institutional Control. Administrative control or faculty control, or a combination of the two, shall constitute institutional control
6.4.1 Independent Agencies or organizations….“responsibility” for the conduct of its intercollegiate athletics program shall include responsibility for the acts of an independent agency, corporate entity or other organization when a member of the institution’s executive or athletics administration, or an athletics department staff member, has knowledge that such agency, corporate entity or other organization is promoting the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program. This includes [under 6.4.2 Representatives of Athletics interests] responsibility for the acts of individuals, a corporate entity or other organization when a member of the institution’s executive or athletics administration or an athletics department staff member has knowledge or should have knowledge that such an individual, corporate entity or other organization: (e) is otherwise involved in promoting the institution’s athletics program.”]
10.01.1 Honesty and Sportsmanship: Individuals employed by (or associated with) a member institution to administer, conduct or coach athletics … shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at all times… and they, as individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports. 11.1.1 Honesty and sportsmanship. Individuals employed by or associated with a member institution to administer, conduct or coach intercollegiate athletics shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports. (See Bylaw 10 for more specific ethical-conduct standards.)
19.01.2 Exemplary Conduct. Individuals employed by or associated with member institutions for the administration, the conduct or the coaching of intercollegiate athletics are, in the final analysis, teachers of young people. Their responsibility is an affirmative one, and they must do more than avoid improper conduct or questionable acts. Their own moral values must be so certain and positive that those younger and more pliable will be influenced by a fine example. Much more is expected of them than of the less critically placed citizen.
http://brewonsouthu.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/everyone-at-psu-covered-upthats-real-lack-of-institutional-control/
July 3rd, 2012 at 2:27 AM
Or you can pretend that everything was okay at Penn State just paint over the moral, pay some kids a couple million of dollars, and pretend that it never happened.
WE ARE PENN STATE. WE ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE.
July 3rd, 2012 at 9:30 AM
eh. Nothing you listed addresses the NCAA addressing criminal conduct, and there is a very good reason for that. ITS NOT THEIR JOB!
July 3rd, 2012 at 9:41 AM
Being mad at the NCAA is like being mad at Sandusky’s Homeowners Association for not kicking him out of his subdivision because some of the crimes took place in his home.
July 3rd, 2012 at 9:56 AM
BFR -
1) everything Sandusky/Penn State did violates the above listed rules, regardless of whether the conduct was criminal or not
2) im not mad at the ncaa; i just don’t think penn state should walk away from this without sanctions. the bottom line is they placed their pride in their football program above the welfare of children
The deserve no respect. And the deserve sanctions.
July 3rd, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Everything here is related to the participating in and administering of athletic programs.
July 3rd, 2012 at 10:35 AM
BFR – You are demonstrating an excellent ability to turn a blind eye to a shockingly corrupt/amoral system. You would fit in well at Penn State.
Just don’t let it hurt the football team, amirite? Thats what matters most
July 3rd, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Don’t mistake me not agreeing with your attempt to fit a square peg into a round hole for turning a blind eye. Your asking an organization to operate outside of its realm.
July 3rd, 2012 at 10:53 AM
If Penn State wouldn’t have covered up boy raping in 2001, the scandal would have been a recruiting death penalty and they would not have enjoyed the great success they have had over the last decade.
The university must be held to account. JoePa was a boy lover facilitator.
July 3rd, 2012 at 1:27 PM
BFR – How is this situation “outside of its realm”
Just because it is unprecedented; doesn’t mean that the NCAA shouldn’t be involved.
Penn State decided to act illegally and amorally out of concern over their football team and reputation.
As a result, more young boys were raped.
They choose football pride over justice and the safety of children.
Their football coach, athletic director, and president are all at fault.
How is that not a lack of institutional control?
Why can’t the NCAA punish of a school for essentially the worst thing a school could do?
Why should the lamest offenses be punishable, but the worst of the worst not?
Just because criminal charges are involved means you should get NCAA immunity?
Penn State choose to protect their football program. Well they choose very badly. And that football program that they hold so dearly (WE ARE PENN STATE) should be taken from them in so form or another.