Penn State deserves death penalty for Sandusky cover-up
Joe Paterno and other Penn State officials enabled the actions of Jerry Sandusky. (AP photo)
(Updated: 12:45 p.m.)
If we make a big deal about a college football program playing dumb when a recruit takes free shoes or tattoos, or his family lives in a house rent free, how can we look the other way when evidence screams that one of the nation’s most powerful universities enabled a pedophile?
How can we sit through something so sick and vile as the testimony in the Jerry Sandusky trial and conclude that this was a one-source scandal worthy of only one individual or entity suffering consequences?
Penn State should not be allowed to play another football game. It put sport, image and fundraising above everything else. That is what every cheater in college athletics does, and because of that it deserves the NCAA’s “death penalty.”
Southern Methodist University, one of the nation’s top academic schools, saw its football program given the death penalty in 1987 because it put athletic success above what so obviously was considered morally acceptable. Isn’t it now clear that Penn State did the exact same thing?
In fact, what the powers Penn State did was worse. Their actions involved not materialistic goods but defenseless victims who will suffer for the rest of their lives.
According to a 267-page report by former FBI director Louis Freeh, the four most powerful men overseeing the university and the football program – president Graham Spanier (since fired), athletic director Tim Curley (on “administrative leave,” under indictment for perjury), vice president Gary Schultz (suddenly retired, also under indictment) and the late coach, Joe Paterno (fired in what would be two months before his death) — knew far more about Sandusky’s sick perversions and abuse than they let on. They knew it far longer than they let on.
And here’s the punctuation, your honor: They “concealed critical facts,” according to Freeh.
There’s a term for that: cover-up.
“Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State,” Freeh stated.
We don’t need to know anything else.
When this story first broke, Paterno said, “This is not a football scandal and should not be treated as one.”
Many agreed. Many still do, including some misguided alumni and football All-Americans and probably surely those numbskull students who marched on campus, embraced Paterno’s statue on campus and protested his firing without any regard for the victims.
The problem is concluding that because Sandusky’s reprehensible acts did not lead to a competitive advantage, the football program shouldn’t pay. But the cover-up changes that. What the powers at Penn State did was beyond anything any college athletic program has ever done, beyond free clothes or free rent and academic fraud.
To hell with a free Camaro. We’re talking about sweeping allegations of a child sex offender under the rug in order to protect a school’s image, fundraising and recruiting. There is no more extreme example of a lack of institutional control.
Penn State deserves to be hit hard. That may seem unfair to the student-athletes, officials and fans who knew nothing of Sandusky’s acts or the cover-up. But that’s the case with all NCAA sanctions.
This investigation was commissioned by Penn State at a cost of $500,000 per month. So much for Freeh having some anti-Penn State agenda. The report numbers 267 pages, resulting from 430 interviews and 3.5 million emails and documents. Freeh’s staff included former prosecutors, FBI agents, police officers, attorneys and a Navy SEAL.
Freeh said he found “more red flags than you could count, over a long period of time.” He said the leaders at Penn State had a “callous and shocking disregard for child victims.”
He said an “inference could be drawn” that the school was trying to protect the football program, noting, “bad publicity affects a panorama of different events, including the brand of Penn State, the reputation of coaches [and] the ability to do fundraising.”
He said Paterno was not being singled out, but at one point declared: “The facts are the facts. He was an integral part of the act to conceal.”
Emails reveal Paterno was clearly following the school’s internal investigation into allegations of a 1998 assault of a young boy by Sandusky in the Penn State locker room showers, something Paterno publicly denied. The same school leaders “proposed a plan of action” after learning of a 2001 incident reported by an assistant coach, but then decided against informing authorities.
“The most powerful leaders at Penn State … repeatedly concealed critical facts,” Freeh concluded.
The “Tone at the Top” of the school, he said, dissuaded school janitors from coming forward after witnessing incidents: “The janitors were afraid of being fired for reporting a powerful football coach.”
Sandusky will spend the rest of his life in prison. He could’ve been stopped sooner. But Paterno and the powers at Penn State were too concerned about the ramifications, off and on the field. That makes it a football scandal, as well.
By Jeff Schultz
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810 comments Add your comment
kimmer
July 12th, 2012
4:18 pm
I cannot believe the ridiculous notions on this board fueled by Jeff’s ridiculous blog. What happened at PSU was horrible, reprehensible, purely evil, and those involved should be punished to the greatest extent possible but the NCAA has no authority here. Lack of institutional control is specific to following NCAA regulations not state law. If people want the PSU football program shut down then pressure the Pennsylvania college board or legislature to do it. Let pubic ostracism do it. You better believe that recruiters are going to use this situation with deadly effectiveness. Bottom line is PSU is going to pay dearly for this regardless of the NCAA.
Don’t hand even more power to a capricious and corrupt NCAA who might ‘get’ PSU but will then surely use their expanded powers to ensure that CFB is even more a domain of the haves and have nots.
Charlie Pell Grant
July 12th, 2012
4:18 pm
Would never happen under Vince Dooley.
DunwoodyDawg
July 12th, 2012
4:19 pm
I doubt it will happen. The cover up is so far reaching that the entire university might need to be shut down. Regardless, I expect that the punitive damages in the law suite they are about to face will be in the billions. Penn State this is only going to get worse.
matt
July 12th, 2012
4:21 pm
make everyone suffer, the business who counts on the traffic and games to stay a float, the people that work at the stadium on the weekend to feed their own kids, trying to earn an extra dollar, the current players. This effects alot more people then just the program! The community around penn state in general, think about it people, should they suffer, everyone is so quick to slam the hammer here. Maybe in the future some of you can loose ur job or earnings because a few people at ur place of work committed a crime and wel……l they just close the doors. Not right is it.
blazerdawg
July 12th, 2012
4:21 pm
JS- Morehouse soccer?
Carl
July 12th, 2012
4:21 pm
If you disagree with Jeff’s take, please post your address and the ages of your children – I’ll have some people over post-haste to rape them – then we will mock you and act all sactimoniously snarky when you try and call for every form of justice to be applied. BTW – anyone ever rapes my son – they won’t ever go on trial – i will for aggrevated assault and first degree murder…just saying
Elaine Dim
July 12th, 2012
4:21 pm
Horrible situation but I agree with the death penality-NO FOOTBALL! These kids are now men and have to live with this. It’s a shame for the kids who are there to play football but it is our duty not to let this go with no ramifications.
5150 UOAD
July 12th, 2012
4:21 pm
Since all the Coaches and most of the Administrators are Catholic maybe we can tie it to the Catholic Church and go for some real deep pockets.
Delbert D.
July 12th, 2012
4:22 pm
The Associated Press via the NY Times just published ” a list of some of the scandals that drew massive attention prior to Penn State.” The scandal involving Harrick and academics is one of of the few that were highlighted in that article.
Delbert D.
July 12th, 2012
4:24 pm
That was a quote from the article, not my own words.
5150 UOAD
July 12th, 2012
4:24 pm
CARL……put the Swing Blade down and get some biscuits, fried taters and mustard.
The Truth
July 12th, 2012
4:26 pm
Joey – are you not allowed within 500 ft of a school or school bus stop? Should I have been more descriptive in my reference to Uncle Jerry? Your comment was useless. You should no longer be legally allowed to share your thoughts, as they insult the intelligence of those reading and/or listening.
Delbert D.
July 12th, 2012
4:27 pm
@4:21p.m. “the business who counts on the traffic and games to stay a float, the people that work at the stadium on the weekend to feed their own kids, trying to earn an extra dollar, the current players. This effects alot more people then just the program! The community around penn state in general”
That is why the coverup was done.
HORRIC
July 12th, 2012
4:28 pm
TO: 5150 UOAD Thanks for sharing about that instance. However, there are many sitting in prison today that did not fare that well and were considered to be an “accomplice.” Regardless, my point I believe you understood – these people did know and yes it is just horrible for these individual human beings – thanks…
GTBob
July 12th, 2012
4:29 pm
If you disagree with Jeff’s take, please post your address and the ages of your children – I’ll have some people over post-haste to rape them
lol. Wow. Im pretty sure everyone on here wants everyone involved with the crime and the cover up to have the harshest punishment possible. There is a very valid argument though about whether the NCAA can or should give their own punishments in this situation though. People are acting like if the NCAA doesn’t give Penn State the death penalty then they got off scott free. That isn’t the case at all.
sting_em
July 12th, 2012
4:30 pm
They will at least have sanctions from the NCAA and the Big 10. This is just too big to let them slide. Wouldn’t be surprised one bit to see them kicked out of the Big 10. Hate to see any program shut down, but it could happen. PSU will be too toxic even for the BE or the ACC for a while. They say it will hurt the players, the students, or the alumni. If they felt this will hurt them, they can transfer to another school with a football program. The University will loose hundreds of millions in lawsuits. Should be paid by the athletic budget or donors to the program. Pretty serious stuff.
matt
July 12th, 2012
4:35 pm
the community was the last thing on paternos mind im sure. But would any of u like to lose ur job because ur boss committed a crime. Well sorry little johnny, can’t eat tonight my boss committed a crime and so daddy can’t make money either. Come on people this is way to big and way over some little NCAA ruling let the the real law, like judges, cops and people with authority do their jobs. S**T runs down hill and im sure none of u so quick to throw the ax would not want to be at the bottom of the hill, so do make others stand their.
ExplodingPeaches
July 12th, 2012
4:35 pm
Penn State and especially Paterno had the chance to get this guy out of their locker rooms and off campus back in 1998. He was a liability and the best way to handle that is to hand them over to the cops, ask them to resign their job, and explain that they have behaved in a scandalous way and are not to step foot on campus ever again. It doesn’t matter if he gets convicted. His behavior on school grounds in 1998 was not OK. And what’s worse? He admitted he’d done it before. Mind you, he said it was only naked hugging. But that alone is a giant RED FLAG on the field. Better to be safe than sorry. But now, no one is more sorry than the victims.
TRS
July 12th, 2012
4:36 pm
Heck the PSU board of trustees is even better than some of you enablers and hacks trying to protect PSU. They admitted in the just finished press conference that there were “severe problems with institutional control”. The cover up was to protect the football program…
Kenneth Frazier PSU board of trustee is a shining light at the university…he seems to have the right approach. He admits problems…he understands there are going to be severe ramifications.
jeff 14
July 12th, 2012
4:38 pm
Need death penalty for 1 reason: SEND THE MESSAGE TO EVERY COLLEGE– YOU SHALL NEVER, EVER LET ANYTHING REMOTELY THIS STUPID EVER HAPPEN AGAIN. COME CLEAN OR LIES = DEATH.
TRS
July 12th, 2012
4:39 pm
@matt – buy a clue millions lose their jobs annually because of poor decisions by management. The justice system will get their pound of flesh as will the NCAA…plenty of room for both to enact justice.
If you make you living off of PSU football you would be wise to be looking for alternatives.
dhutch113
July 12th, 2012
4:42 pm
Agree with Schultz…Death Penalty. And it’s not about punishing the athletes, it’s about punishing the school and the administration. They must be held accountable. They gave Paterno absolute power, and as the saying goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely. But will the NCAA make a stand? not likely.
It would be classsy of Penn State if current administrators shut down the football program for a time on its own. Again, not likely.
God bless the victims and their families. Hope you packed your sunscreen Jo Pa, I hear there’s a heatwave in hell.
SSI
July 12th, 2012
4:44 pm
You are absolutley correct. College athletics has gotten completely out-of-hand, and it’s refreshing UGA’s Mark Richt is an example of someone trying to turn the ship.
Michael Alexander
July 12th, 2012
4:46 pm
Those who think that ordinary citizens are powerless to penalize PSU are mistaken. The Governor is the where the buck stops with a public university. He appoints the board. If PSU and it’s board fails to take the necessary steps with the football program and / or to police itself, then the citizens of Pennsylvania can lean on the governor to make the necessary actions happen at PSU’s board level. If they believe the governor is weak or not doing enough, then they can vote out the governor.
This is not really an NCAA issue, but a State of Pennsylvania issue.
matt
July 12th, 2012
4:46 pm
@TRS – I 100% agree, but its because of a bad product, if its sales, a factory or a car maker that just makes bad cars. Not a football program that has record earnings every year. If a company is loosing money they fire their current management and hire a new one or ones, in the attempt to turn around the company and produce a better product in hole.
anonymous
July 12th, 2012
4:46 pm
Shutting down the program is not punishing innocent players. They can be given complete free rein to transfer to other schools, and they could and SHOULD still have their scholarships honored while doing so.
The entire football program needs to be totally CLEANSED, for a long period of time. I say for at least 2 years.
Penn State will just have to re-grow itself from the loss of football revenue. It can and it will. If not, maybe that result is meant to be.
But the nation and the world will stive live on.
Braves #17 Fan
July 12th, 2012
4:47 pm
How can anyone with the knowledge of what Sandusky was doing, sleep at night? How can so many people be wrong by continuing to allow this to happen. I coach youth baseball and am good friends with the other coaches, but if one of them were to shoot off in the wrong direction, I’d intervene in a second. I think anyone would. I just don’t get it.
doc
July 12th, 2012
4:49 pm
you underestimate norhern universities and their power. Why is that the new rules in the so called playoffs never referred(sp?) to each conference having its own playoff game like the SEC does??————–Why is college football so wacked out??——Because the NCAA allows it to be. Why dont they just let the NFL have a clear shot at high school graduates and leave college out of it all? Money. So now that we all know its all about money——it is doomed—it is only going to get worse. Cam Newton stealing things and failing courses is kicked out of Florida and pops up playing for Auburn.
It is a media event——–not football. Its about selling hotdogs and drinks—not football.
Delbert D.
July 12th, 2012
4:50 pm
Maybe the trustees will boil it down to this decision. A – Put bronze plaques in the shower and the offices of the coach, AD, VP and president, and the rest of the facilities that read “Terrible things happened here, and the world knows it” , or, B – Tear down the places where the evil was done or abetted.
GTVegas
July 12th, 2012
4:52 pm
If the NCAA decides that it should use this opportunity to send a message, it will find a way to hand down the appropriate punishment (Death Penalty, in my opinion). If it decides that it can weather the storm of criticism and keep PSU in business, it will fall back on the position that allows it to do so. It will be interesting to see just what message the NCAA is going to promote.
As for the arguement that innocent people will suffer, primarily the athletes that had no part in this, isn’t it usually the case that the current crop of athletes end up paying the price for previous coach’s/administration’s indiscretions?
I just don’t think that there is really any just punishment other than shutting down the program that will have any meaningful impact on other such programs that find themselves in the similar position.
The program need to be shut down for at least a recruiting cycle (5 years). Everyone involved, either directly or had knowledge of such, should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Alex
July 12th, 2012
4:52 pm
This is a criminal matter, it has nothing to do with the NCAA and the student athletes that give their life day-in/day-out to the sport they love. Those 3 administrators and the football coach covered this up to save themselves and in no way shape or form was it going to make the football program better?!?! The four of them should all rot in prison for not coming forward with the horrible things that Sandusky did to those kids. When speaking about the death penalty or fines that are handed out to programs, every time it has to do with programs supplementing athletes or their families in order to make the program better completely disregarding NCAA rules.
This situation, again, has nothing to do with the student athletes that step on that field. Those student athletes had nothing to do with Sandusky, Curley, Spanier, Schultz or Paterno’s actions and had no idea this was happening. This should be dealt with legally, not through the NCAA. The University and its administrators should be held at fault: fined, imprisoned (really nothing will bring them to justice for the things that happened over the past decade). But the last people that should be punished are those players that the administrators and coach paterno took advantage of, because they had no role/idea any of this was happening.
reebok
July 12th, 2012
4:53 pm
Absolutely zero chance of the death penalty. None. Welcome back, Schultzie!
Awful
July 12th, 2012
4:54 pm
“At the request of the Pennsylvania Attorney General, the Special Investigative Counsel did not interview former Pennsylvania State University Director of Public Safety Thomas Harmon or former Coach Michael McQueary, among others.” – per the report on PAGE 12 online here with the AJC. WHY????? That is very interesting….any comments regarding this Jeff?
Shark Punch!
July 12th, 2012
4:55 pm
I guess we should also tear down the Paterno Library (built with millions of dollars raised by the guy some of you call an “arrogant POS”) as well, in order to satisfy some people’s desire for vengeance. This PSU alumnus (who couldn’t care less about the fate of their football program) wonder if those of you showing such indignant moral outrage have done a single thing to fight against sexual abuse in our society. Because if you haven’t, go puff your chests elsewhere.
Those who are saying that academic sanctions aren’t appropriate in this case should know that Spanier’s administration supported academic sanctions, including expulsion in some cases, against students for their actions in the OFF-CAMPUS riots during 1998 ArtsFest, even with ongoing criminal proceedings against those students. Maybe ol’ GrahamCracker should have been spending less time on his crusade against underage drinking.
Delbert D.
July 12th, 2012
4:56 pm
@4:46p.m. “The Governor is the where the buck stops with a public university.”
The situation with SMU had the added problem that the governor was actively involved in the funneling of money to the football players. Also, SMU is a private school which complicated the State of Texas doing anything.
bulldog steve
July 12th, 2012
4:56 pm
What I don’t understand is how McQueary is not being thrown under the bus, or his father for that matter? McQueary gets to use the whistle blower clause to keep his job and also sue the university, but why were they able to fire Paterno since he did the very same thing, report to his superiors? From my understanding McQueary’s father was a Dr., did he not have a legal obligation to report the crime? Nobody will know what Paterno knew, didn’t know, did or didn’t do because he cannot defend himself. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the courts, but I am sure the remaining people involved will use this to try to save their butt.
Concerned
July 12th, 2012
4:58 pm
2000 – 2004
The record shows Joe Pa knew. His worst strech of any during his 40+ years of caoching.
2000 5 – 7
2001 5 – 6
2002 9 – 4
2003 3 – 9
2004 4 – 7
This is 5.2 victories per year at Penn State right after all the guilt was there. Their very worst records during Joe Pa’ years after the cover-up.
The signs were there, and the school kept him, and he also had huge leverage over the AD as it was covered up. Hence Joe’s was too long tenure.
Amazing!
dawg-gone
July 12th, 2012
4:58 pm
Right on the money. Penn State should have shut down the football prgram on their own months ago. I guess they will wait for the NCAA to do it for them. ……. In a couple of years.
F**K Paterno
July 12th, 2012
4:59 pm
Shut down the football program at Penn State for 100 years. Start putting people in jail. Give out life sentences like you’re giving out candy at kids birthday party.
Larry
July 12th, 2012
4:59 pm
You are 100% right Jeff. This is more serious than any game. Let the existing players transfer to other schools without penalty. What those coaches and school administrators condoned was a crime against nature, and pure evil.
rivercard
July 12th, 2012
5:00 pm
Bulldog Steve- Agree. There is no acceptable explanation for McQueary leaving that child with Sandusky.
PSU73
July 12th, 2012
5:00 pm
There is nothing I would rather see than the PSU football program dismantled because of this. Tear down the stadium and sow salt in the ground so nothing grows there. And I am an alum.
Glenn
July 12th, 2012
5:01 pm
Yeah . Even if I was a Penn ST alum I would want to have removed football removed for a couple of years . Just take some time soak in bleach and remove some of the filth .
BTW , I have a cousin in SMU . She’s a total idiot . Definitely not an academic powerhouse if they took her in . Yes her father is silly rich . I think maybe more of a place of wealth .
CDA
July 12th, 2012
5:01 pm
The loss institutional control occured when they found out in 1998 that he was pedophile, after which they put him into retirement in 1999, yet they continued to allow him to have an office and use the football program to lure young boys to campus perpetuating his disgusting conduct of which they all had knowledge. All of them placed the continuuation of the football program above the safety of the boys, providing Sandusky with a facility, the team showers, to commit his multiple rapes.
Delbert D.
July 12th, 2012
5:01 pm
Director of Public Safety Thomas Harmon or former Coach Michael McQueary, among others may have been excluded because of rules of evidence and testimony complicating any future legal action by the attorney general involving those people.
Voithe of Reathon
July 12th, 2012
5:02 pm
Thome people are tho jealouth of Jethuth.
Altho, infinate congressional benifets doeth thound pretty good.
DEATH PENALTY
July 12th, 2012
5:02 pm
And today Nike founder Phil Knight has decided to change the name of the
“Joe Paterno Child Development Center”
on the Nike Corporate Campus.
F**K Paterno
July 12th, 2012
5:04 pm
@SharkPunch. Yes, we should tear down the Paterno Library. He may have done some good but the evil he committed far outweighs the good. I’m sure Hitler did some good as well, but we all know the evil he committed. Paterno was definitely a great coach, but a horrible human being. We don’t need ‘great” football coaches in this country or this world. We need good people who will do the right thing. – Remove Paterno’s name from anything and everything. Punish Penn State University. Suspend their football program for 100 years (minimum). THe rest of the coaches and staff who knew. sentence them to death.
Tear It Down
July 12th, 2012
5:04 pm
Tear down the locker room and the offices that JoePa and Sandusky used.
Convert Happy Valley to a soccer stadium.
Let no one forget how incredibly exciting it is to remember but never forget.
Amen.
Delbert D.
July 12th, 2012
5:05 pm
@4:55p.m. “I guess we should also tear down the Paterno Library”
Renaming it appropriately would be sufficient.