[NU Sports] If you ran Penn State...

Tue Nov 8 11:33:26 CST 2011

>> Another question is what the NCAA will do about this. It's by far the worst scandal in the history of college football. 

I'm not trying to minimize these sad and sickening actions at all ... but worst in the history of college football??? Really?

First off, this isn't really a college football scandal - so the NCAA really doesn't have jurisdiction or any power (as if they have any to begin with) ... it's a legal and moral problem for the school and Joe Paterno, but there won't be any sanctions or NCAA penalty. Since the allegation first came to Paterno after Sandusky was retired from coaching (granted he still had use of team facilities) and did not involve PSU players, there's not really any direct tie to the university.

This is a much larger problem for PSU because it is the breakdown of trust in an institution - much like the pedophilia scandals of the Catholic church a few years back. And PSU and JoePa are institutions that have now had their trustworthiness shattered.

But then again, not many higher-ups in the Catholic church paid a price for that scandal ... and on a more recent front, look at the adoration showered on Michael Jackson in the past year or so despite his charges. So maybe we're caught up in the moment and this will die down. Hopefully not, because in all these cases there are real victims with real pain that won't go away.

So legally? JoePa appears to be in the clear. And NCAA wise? No problem.
The big issue is a moral/trust one for JoePa and this will undoubtedly stain him in the eyes of most.

Personally, I'm reserving judgement until we get more of the story -- from what's out so far, it looks like he reported it and maybe wasn't told of everything (and I can see how even reporting it would be tough for him about a man he probably considered one of his closest friends ... so I can understand why he didn't want to believe it, but I'm sure he talked with Sandusky about the charges after the report) ... but you still would hope that a person like the persona we see of JoePa would make sure this got taken care of by the authorities back in 2002. But we'll see what else comes out. Regardless, the higher-ups at PSU appear to be in much more trouble legally, so I doubt anyone will be forcing JoePa out.

It's a mess any way you look at it and a serious tragedy for these young boys who were abused. But it's also a media storm right now where you need to be careful not to get caught up in the hoopla and feeding frenzy.

And as for the point about the worst scandal in college football ... I don't see it as a college football scandal. I see it as a scandal involving someone who coaches college football. In terms of college football scandals, I see the ones with institutions/coaches/boosters/etc. contributing to the corruption of players as just as serious and worse for "college football" as a whole -- whether it's allowing them to get away with assaults or abuse to others on campus/girlfriends ... or showering them with cash/drugs/cars/strippers/etc. ... or academic dishonesty, etc.

It's not the moral/legal equivalent of what's happening at PSU - but those are worse scandals for college football and the corruption of the game and the teenagers who play it by people in authority is evil and wrong in its own way.

Go Cats!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Super Bowl XLIV Champions! 

________________________________
From: Bill Bender <bbds5951 at yahoo.com>
To: "Beamsley, Jeff" <Jeff.Beamsley at covisint.com>; Jim Leonard <jleonard518 at yahoo.com>; Northwestern Wildcats <nwu-sports at tssi.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 8, 2011 9:18 AM
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] If you ran Penn State...

Hard to argue that you have institutional control of your program when your AD is facing criminal charges for covering up serial child rape.

I think they should get the death penalty.

BB

________________________________
From: "Beamsley, Jeff" <Jeff.Beamsley at covisint.com>
To: Jim Leonard <jleonard518 at yahoo.com>; Northwestern Wildcats <nwu-sports at tssi.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 8, 2011 10:08 AM
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] If you ran Penn State...

Clearly a complex situation because there is the legal question and there is the moral question.

PSU appears to have covered themselves on the legal front.

There is the "he said/she said" discussion around what the Grad Assistant saw and then said to JoePa, the AD, and the VP.  JoePa appears to have followed PSU policy which was to immediately notify the AD.  The AD followed policy to notify the VP.  The AD and VP are now positioned to take the fall for the rest of the institution and the Grand Jury appeared willing to accept that trade.

So if it was my job to protect the institution of Penn State, I would do exactly what they are doing.  Limit the damage, cooperate with the authorities, blame the fall guys for bad judgment, pay for their defense, and hope that some dedicated alum will take care of them once they've served their time.  

I would also have Joe's retirement agreement in my back pocket in case this starts to reach beyond the existing indictments.  If it goes not further than these two, I would allow Joe to gracefully announce his retirement at a time in the not too distant future when it won't resurrect the whole scandal.  

Finally, I would have to ask myself if this job is worth the moral compromises that it has required me to make and might start to plan my own retirement.  But that's just me.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On Behalf Of Jim Leonard
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 10:44 AM
To: Northwestern Wildcats
Subject: [NU Sports] If you ran Penn State...

If you were the top person at Penn State (I assume it's a chancellor or provost), what would you do today? 

Would you let Coach Paterno's staff finish the season?
Would you selectively let Joe Paterno and Mike McQueary go?
Would you clean house between now and Saturday?   

This is not an easy situation. I would imagine that the top brass are hoping beyond hope that Tom Bradley can honestly say he knew nothing and can take over the reigns for at least the rest of this season. Joe Paterno may have a a thin veil of protection left, depending on what he was told. However, if it were up to me Mike McQueary would never represent the university again, starting today. 

Jim

PS - I have come to accept the fact that Ron Vanderlinden would never leave Happy Valley for Evanston but I wonder if that may change during the off season. 
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