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
Well
July 12th, 2012
12:56 pm
“I bet if this happened at UGA, you all would be against the death penalty.”
If this happened ANYWHERE, we should all want that particular football program shut down.
TallaDawg
July 12th, 2012
12:56 pm
Evidently the bar for qualifying as a “rant” has really been lowered on here.
Hi Jeff
July 12th, 2012
12:58 pm
Welcome home Jeff, If they didn’t nab USC, they won’t put it on Penn St. for non-recruiting, legal matters (no matter how dispicable).
The NCAA is afraid to hand out the death penalty after SMU. So the Bamalamas, Auburn’s, USC’s, Oregon’s, Ohio St.’s, Texas’, etc. keep getting away with their abuses. They feel they can recover from whatever slack punishment the NCAA hands down, if the NCAA even decides to punish the likes of them. Takes them 10 years to get through an investigation. By then most culprits are gone.
Want to hit schools hard today?……Take away their TV appearances and money…NCAA used to automatically do that with probations. Why not anymore?
Well
July 12th, 2012
12:58 pm
PSU Alum
There’s really no need to come on here and fight with other bloggers. This is not a UGA vs PSU argument. What happened, happened at PSU not UGA.
Hi Jeff
July 12th, 2012
12:59 pm
?
DaculaJones
July 12th, 2012
1:00 pm
I’m sure “Covering up a Felony” is a crime noted somewhere in the NCAA rules
Billy
July 12th, 2012
1:00 pm
PSU Alum..get a life. I’m A GT fan but I have friends that work at UGA (coaches)whom I also pull for. If that crap happened at UGA the other Coaches would beat the hell out of the guy.
Taylor Wooten
July 12th, 2012
1:01 pm
AMEN!
Nothing else to say or debate
PSU Alum
July 12th, 2012
1:01 pm
Whatever……At least we still have the Steelers…..What do you have? The Falcons? HA!
Billy
July 12th, 2012
1:03 pm
We have a State with Good Schools who like to do it the right way. The Pro’s are another story we have no control over.
dre
July 12th, 2012
1:04 pm
Its a shame the bug-eyed retard Joe Paterno died before spending time in prison for what he did. He enabled a pedophile for decades.
welcome home Jeff
July 12th, 2012
1:04 pm
If they didn’t give USC the death penalty, they’re not giving Penn St. it for non-recruiting, legal issues (no matter how disgusting).
NCAA is afraid to give out death penalty after SMU. The Bamalamas, Auburn’s, USC’s, Ohio St.’s, Oregon’s, Texas’, etc. all know this and aren’t afraid to continue their abuses. They figure they can recover from any slack punishment the NCAA hands out. Although, they hardly ever get punished.
Voice of Reason
July 12th, 2012
1:07 pm
As much as anything, and in reply to Rational Person, the coverup of the actions by a football coach allowed PSU to continue to recruit and to raise enormous amounts of money to support a football program, and other athletic programs for that matter, as if nothing was going on. If JoePa and the school administration had followed through with an investigation and allowed the law to takes it course, they would have had a blip in their way of doing business but by doing the right thing, they would have recovered and become the PSU they wanted everyone to believe they were. As it is, any coverup of violations of the law by coaches or athletes violates the sanctions of the NCAA. Therefore, though no written rule (can you imagine a rule that deals with sexual violation of minors?) is mentioned, it is still a violation of the intent of any collegiate institution to run a clean and morally correct program. Get off your horse and see what the victims of this have gone through and why the coach and administrators had an obligation to do the right thing.
Billy
July 12th, 2012
1:08 pm
If I was a coach are player at PSU in any sport I’d be looking!
Reality
July 12th, 2012
1:10 pm
The Bible tells us that the desire of money is the root of all eveil! Our nation has lost its moral compass and accountability has been abandoned. College football, pro football, even at the Pee wee level are corrupted by adults acting irresponsibly. Break down of the family unit.
If you doubt my comments, just take a look at Congress and the corruption and lack of action against those who commit crimes while “serving us”!
It’s all about POWER and MONEY!
TallaDawg
July 12th, 2012
1:11 pm
Rational person – how about this for starters:
“NCAA By-Law 10.01.1 Honesty and Sportsmanship. Individuals employed by (or associated with) a member institution to administer, conduct or coach intercollegiate athletics and all participating student-athletes shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports.”
DocDawg
July 12th, 2012
1:11 pm
The honesty and sportsmanship rule pretty much covers it (10.01.1). You could also get them on Coaches Compensation and Benefits, and Coaches Reimbursable Expenses. Multiple violations of these bylaws over time and you have lack of institutional control. I rest my case.
Nativebird
July 12th, 2012
1:11 pm
Sadly, you are correct. Monsters and those that enable and protect them must be destroyed. There are no reasons, no excuses, to continue to let child abusers in this society commit their crimes any longer. Yes, i say any longer, because THIS type of situation sadly occurs IN MANY more places of our society than anyone wants to admit: the Church, Boy Scouts, Youth Athletics, many many work places, and MANY non-profit organziations…anywhere that purports to HELP the youth of our country. and sadly….it has been shamefully covered up in ALL of those places for far too long, by those NOT engageing in it, but by those who KNOW and remain quite do to embarrasment, shame and yes monetary and political gain.
It is time: Death Penalty for PSU football.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska
July 12th, 2012
1:11 pm
I don’t think the NCAA wants to venture down what they feel is a slippery slope of punishing schools for matters off the field. Some of you make excellent arguments that the cover up prevented negative publicity, allowing recruiting to continue. The problem is, where to draw the line? I understand how many of you feel and I wish it could be reversed.
As some have pointed out, future litigation will take a heavy toll on the school, more so than the death penalty.
I don’t feel Penn State should is the only school punished. I think the sport as a whole is taking a huge hit. I hope this sends a loud message to other programs that the program is not above the law, morals or the lives of others.
welcome home Jeff
July 12th, 2012
1:11 pm
Want to really put a hurt on schools that break the rules? Take away their TV appearances and money. The NCAA used to automatically do that with probations. Not anymore, apparently. Wonder why?
Schools laugh at punishments today…They’ll publicly scream how bad it is and they didn’t deserve it. So in the future the NCAA doesn’t give out meaningful punishment. All the time laughing behind closed doors knowing they might take an immediate hit, but recover very quickly. Check out USC.
BigGuyinSuwanee
July 12th, 2012
1:12 pm
Sanctions Maybe. Death penalty No not in this case. Sandusky is monster and will spend the rest of his life in prison and Penn St had failure to act to protect those Kids. The President was fired, the VP and AD are facing jail time and Joepa died under tarnished legacy. You don’t take program that’s never done thing wrong and never before been with any violations and turn around and give them the death penality over this. The BOT asked for this report. The NCAA should investigate and apply sanctions they feel are warranted. But, the death penalty should not be applied in this case
UGA Insider
July 12th, 2012
1:12 pm
Death penalty but NCAA will never do it. They would rather focus on the innocent like AJ Green and selling a $50 jersey.
The NCAA is pathetic and college football is going down the drain. Wake up and smell the coffee people…there are more important things in life than who is going to get the #1 class in the nation.
Billy
July 12th, 2012
1:13 pm
Well said @ 1:07
TallaDawg
July 12th, 2012
1:13 pm
PSU Alum – Your need to be associated with a victorious sports franchise demonstrates a lack of true self-esteem and an inferiority complex.
rivercard
July 12th, 2012
1:14 pm
TallaDawg – I have read a couple of opinions from former NCAA officials stating that this is not under their purview (I tend to agree), but I suspect that if they do pursue this it will be via the angle you stated or something similar. Might be a logical/legal stretch , but they might try it.
My question is why doesn’t PSU get proactive and shut football down for a few years? They paid for this report . Use it and show some respect and decency. Take some time to clean house and heal.
I can’t even imagine the mockery of a PSU football team running on the field to the cheers of the crowd. If I were a scheduled opponent I would not participate in this fiasco.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska
July 12th, 2012
1:15 pm
I wonder how many PSU fans the marched and protested when Paterno was fired still feel the same? I remember the game right after(against Nebraska) and what a big deal they made about how it was an injustice……Sick.
dre
July 12th, 2012
1:15 pm
TallaDawg – he’s spent too much time near Philly, where 85% of the world’s a–holes are raised.
tomato
July 12th, 2012
1:15 pm
The JoePa statue at PSU should be torn down and trashed. What a disgrace. All of those kids rioting in favor of JoePa sure look like idiots now, don’t they?
harold
July 12th, 2012
1:17 pm
WELL SAID JEFF. IF THIS WAS AN SEC SCHOOL THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
Dan
July 12th, 2012
1:17 pm
Penn State football deserves to die
Thank goodness the Sandusky jurors did not live down to the expectations of some sports columnists and did not allow any loyalty to a local institution as powerful as Penn State to overcome the performance of their duties by returning a fair and just verdict of guilty against Sandusky. Too bad more privileged and honored members of the Penn State community failed to do the same.
PSU Alum
July 12th, 2012
1:17 pm
At least I have a team to follow that has won several Supberbowls…..More than you can say.
I am no where near Philly….Alpharetta…..For now. Can barely stand the stench here.
David
July 12th, 2012
1:18 pm
If the NCAA has any credibility Schultz is correct. Penn State should have it’s football program banned for good. One it’s own it has merit for the simple right vs. wrong. In the bigger picture; Football (a sport that I love and played for many years) is just a game and a message needs to be sent that no one should but a game over what is right.
wreckbuzz
July 12th, 2012
1:18 pm
Schultz,
I disagree completely. SMU or Ohio State are not accurate analogies. In those instances the university/athletic dept/coaching staffs were complicit in paying players or giving side benefits or lying about them in situations that affected the eligibility of the student athletes. Or in North Carolina where university employees were involved in affecting the academic eligibility of players. Those are areas that the NCAA typically polices and hands out penalties for.
The Penn State situation is a closer analogy of the situations like at UGA when a player gets arrested. In those instances the university separates themselves from the person who committed the crime (suspension or dismissal) while the punishment is ultimately meted out by the police/court system. In Penn State’s situation the offenders were coaches/administration officials. Penn State has since separated themselves from those offenders by firing/administrative leave. Now the police/court system has/will ultimately deal with those people (Sandusky, Spanier, Curley & Schultz, Paterno died).
The NCAA does not hand out punishment to UGA for the crimes committed by an individual, so why would they do so to Penn State when the crimes were not related to the eligibility of the student athletes? I don’t get the connection. The result of NCAA penalties would only punish the current players who had nothing to do with the crimes and gained no on field advantage as a result of those crimes. I know people want to punish this horrific situation, but the NCAA isn’t the forum.
welcome home Jeff
July 12th, 2012
1:20 pm
By the time the NCAA gets through with any of their own investigations, it’s 10 years later and all the culprits are usually gone.
These schools that break rules always do so with some sort of “lack of institutional control”.
Who’s really controlling anything?
Buzz
July 12th, 2012
1:22 pm
Rational person, clearly a label that is false. Must be a Isiah Crowell loving, UGA JD degree holding ambulance chaser
scott
July 12th, 2012
1:24 pm
Frankly, it’s a shame that this is even up for discussion. Outside of a murder cover-up to save the football program, does it get any worse than this?
TallaDawg
July 12th, 2012
1:26 pm
Here are the grounds for action and for the “death penalty”.
NCAA By-Law 10.4 ” …Institutional staff members found in violation of the provisions of this regulation [Reg. 10, including 10.01.1] shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action as set forth in Bylaw 19.5.2.2 of the NCAA enforcement procedures, whether such violations occurred at the certifying institution or during the individual’s previous employment at another member institution.”
NCAA By-Law 19.5.2 – ” Penalties for a major violation shall be significantly more severe than those for a secondary violation and shall be consistent with the penalty structure and guidelines used by other regulatory committees (e.g., Division I Committee on Academic Performance). The Committee on Infractions may impose one or more of the following penalties: … (l) Other penalties as appropriate.” I believe the “death penalty” would qualify as appropriate here.
Why it's a Ruger, thank you
July 12th, 2012
1:27 pm
Let’s see…an “independent investigation” funded by the PSU that only finds faults with the individuals involved. Led by Louis Freeh….who is Louis Freeh and his “Greatest Hits”? well let’s see: Led the FBI during: Ruby Ridge, Waco, the Khobar Towers bombing, TWA Flight 800, Centennial Olympic Park bombing (remember that one?), Vince Foster, Robert Hanssen, Wen Ho Lee and list goes on and on. Make your own conclusions….
shove it
July 12th, 2012
1:27 pm
Wreckbuzz….. or like crimes committed by Tech players (pot rings), or Florida (assaults, stolen computers, etc.)
Nice try trying to spin Penn St. and comparing with UGA…..You’re an a-hole.
There is no comparison here of Penn St. situation with other schools.
If you want to connect it with criminalities of dui’s, etc. you better compare with ALL other schools.
Don’t try to cherrypick UGA in a bad light.
ARdawg
July 12th, 2012
1:27 pm
I feel your pain there Schultzie. But, killing the program I don’t really see as fitting the crime which is what it was, a crime. Not a violation of NCAA rules but a felony crime and all those who partook directly or indirectly should be held accountable in a court of law. The reason they did it is of no consequence. What is of consequence is the crimes they did for whatever the reason.
Jeff, if we don’t like the laws on the books, let’s change them but, let’s not tailor laws to fit crimes. This isn’t football, this is felony
tomato
July 12th, 2012
1:28 pm
The PSU student center changed the channel from CNN to a public access channel right when the Freeh announcement was about to be made. The cover up continues.
rational person
July 12th, 2012
1:29 pm
@talladawg- 10.1.1 is entitled: Sportsmanship. It is intended to keep people from cheating in games. I dont think that is going to fly.
Alan
July 12th, 2012
1:30 pm
The problem is that, vis-a-vis Joe Paterno, Freeh’s conclusions are not supported by his evidence. He provided nothing to show that Paterno concealed anything. He lumps him in with the other three with no support.
5150 UOAD
July 12th, 2012
1:30 pm
Do do find it strange many of the DWAG fans on here don’t think UGa has an institutional control with the 40+ arrest and suspensions.
You DWAGS don’t think Richt should be held accountable for Boys Being Boys but you want to Punish Penn State for the actions of others that are no longer with the school.
The Players and Coaches and others DID NOT DO THIS but you want to Punish them? ADAMS and Richt need to be FIRED because of all the trouble their students and players cause RIGHT?
BRW
July 12th, 2012
1:31 pm
Thick-headed bozos! The crime is not what the NCAA will rule on! Forget about that part.
They will rule on the coverup to protect the sanctity of their coach and the wins. Period.
TWM
July 12th, 2012
1:32 pm
If the NCAA doesn’t have the authority or jurisdiction to shut down the football program, then the state of Pennsylvania should.
ha
July 12th, 2012
1:33 pm
Throw the switch and fry em
TallaDawg
July 12th, 2012
1:33 pm
PSU Alum –
“At least I have a team to follow that has won several Supberbowls…..More than you can say.”
More proof of your personal inadequacies.
tomato
July 12th, 2012
1:34 pm
“They ask me what I’d like written about me when I’m gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach.”
Failed that one, JoePa.
Hillbilly D
July 12th, 2012
1:34 pm
Who’s really controlling anything?
Money is controlling everything.
scott @ 1:24
That’s pretty much hitting the nail on the head.