Big Ten Board (Beta)

This is indeed a great, objective write-up, Steve.

Awesome write up Steve.

It is always the innocent who are punished in any scandal. USC, OSU, PSU, etc. Impossible to go back and time and punished the uncovered offenses. Sad to see but the only real way it can be done.

Best of luck to PSU. I hope their fan base continues to support the team. The kids supporting their university deserve it. So does BoB.

Great post! Bear would be proud.

Fantastic writeup Steve. Very comprehensive.

They were hit pretty hard. I know last year I was sick, as a Buckeye fan ever day I woke up and waited to hear more crap about our program and even though Penn State deserved what they got the fans lose again and that hurts..As fans most years our last words are wait til next year !!! Now they will be down for awhile!!!

I go back and forth with it but I still cannot get my arms around punishing current and future athletes and students for the actions of those who are no longer a part of a university. At Penn State or elsewhere. To say "Penn State" must be punished is hard to define for me. Penn State is simply a collection of buildings. It's identity is certainly shaped by its traditions, but only to a point. Any organization is ultimately defined by those currently representing it. Everyone associated with this scandal has been removed from the university, so who exactly are you punishing? Sometimes I think the fairer thing to do is simply to fine the hell out of an institution, let's say $200M in this case, and to give those involved a show cause penalty consistent with the crime. That way innocent athletes, students, alumni and fans do not pay for the mistakes of a few.

I have always like Steve's writing. Even-handed, and I don't seem to recall a sharp tongue when I have heard him on FRR.

I agree with Tha RizzO. Give the new coach all the time he needs. He knew he was taking over a train wreck. He didn't know the train wreck was going to kill 50,000 people. PSU should give him a 7-8 year contract. Let him get through this disaster, and give him a huge raise if he can come through this with his brain intact. Pity this poor man. Give him a break. Root for PSU when they are not playing OSU. They need to be strong again the give the B1G some cred again.

Penn State got a raw deal IMO. There were cries that "something must be done," and since you can't do anything to Sandusky and Spanier and Paterno (ie: those actually involved), we'll just go after anybody. Contrary to what a poster above said, the "football program" didn't allow 52 counts of abuse, a few people who were associated in varying degrees with the football program did. There was no misconduct among players, coaches, facutly, boosters etc in relation to the football program. People that agree with this penalty are empowering an already too-powerful NCAA to do anything it pleases, whether they have jurisdiction or not. When the NCAA shows up in Columbus the next time to investigate selling sugared beverages on campus and the harm it does to children in Ohio Stadium, remember your position this day.

Some say that the PSU football program had become too powerful and insulated, and that's what allowed this to happen, and what needs to be and hopefully will be corrected by these actions. Well, if that is the cause of the crime, then there are many other programs among the 120 FBS schools that suffer the same situation, and my beloved Buckeyes certainly are among those. I fear what the NCAA will do going forward.....though we know they aren't interested in doing too much when it comes to free cars and suits and $100,000 payments and paying recruiting services and, well you get the point. They are selective and arbitrary in meting out justice. You don't give that kind of organization this type of boost in it's power.

And notice what a chicken-s*** outfit the NCAA is. They effectively gave Penn State a death sentence for a few years, but rather than having the cajones to actually do it, and accepting the consequences of their actions, they decided it was more important not to put a hole in the schedule of 8 other Big10- teams for the next year or two.

It's all about the dollars and the power, not doing what is right. The NCAA better account for every last friggin penny of that $60million.

I do agree the BOT has to go.

My appearance on 97.1 The Fan talking PSU sanctions and more:

http://permalink.fliqz.com/aspx/permalink.aspx?at=08183d76df79453aad965260962dd3b5&a=9620d48355f3418a861bcdc9ac35f9e2

I agree that the BoT should also be held accountable. But who do they answer to? Probably not the NCAA. It's a state university, so my guess would be the governor of the state. Is the governor the only one who can force them to resign?

What about the AAU? Can they threaten to drop PSU as a member school, unless the BoT is replaced? Would they?

Right with you on every statement except that last one!

However, I am of the feeling that the NCAA should have stayed out of this. For starters, where did PSU realize a "competitive advantage" as a result of the wrong done? Absent a direct violation of NCAA rules, they should have no say in it.

Let the criminal justice system deal with Spanier, Curley, and anybody else (including McQueary) who had knowledge but did not ensure that authorities were notified. The players, students and fans who will suffer the most were not even remotely connected to the crimes. No justice in that.