Sports

Penn St. Gutted Over Sandusky Case: $60M Fine; Bowl Ban; Paterno Loses Winningest Coach Title

Joe Paterno Penn State report

Penn State Coach Joe Paterno, who died in January, was among those who "repeatedly concealed critical facts" about Sandusky's abuse, according to an independent investigation. The head of the board of trustees said his legacy "is now marred" as a result of the scandal. (AP)

INDIANAPOLIS (The Blaze/AP) — The NCAA slammed Penn State with an unprecedented series of penalties Monday, including a $60 million fine and the loss of all coach Joe Paterno’s victories from 1998-2011, in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

Other sanctions include a four-year ban on bowl games, the loss of 20 scholarships per year over four years and five years’ probation. The NCAA also said that any current or incoming football players are free to immediately transfer and compete at another school.

With the wins being stripped from the program, Paterno loses his title of the winningest coach in Division I NCAA football history. Until today, he had 409 official wins, bypassing legendary Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson by one win just weeks before the scandal reached full steam last fall.

Not anymore.

It’s a move that was encouraged by the city of Grambling, LA, last week:

City attorney Pamela Breedlove sent a three-page letter to the NCAA on Wednesday explaining its case.

“Even though it was done by outside counsel, the Freeh Report was the university’s report,” Breedlove said, according to the Shreveport paper. “It said what their employees, including coach Paterno, did wrong. We’re hoping the end result of this is coach Robinson will get his record back so everyone will think a great man holds this record.”

The letter, written along with Grambling mayor Edward Jones, claims the cover-up involving the Jerry Sandusky child-abuse case violates NCAA constitutional articles 2.4 and 6.4 as well as operating bylaws articles 2.4, 11.1.1 and 11.2.1.

Paterno is now 12th on the wins list after being stripped of 111 wins. The university also took down the coach’s iconic statue outside the football stadium over the weekend.

NCAA President Mark Emmert announced the staggering sanctions at a news conference in Indianapolis. Though the NCAA stopped short of imposing the “death penalty” – shutting down the Nittany Lions’ program completely – the punishment is still crippling for a team that is trying to start over with a new coach and a new outlook.

Sandusky, a former Penn State defensive coordinator, was found guilty in June of sexually abusing young boys, sometimes on campus. An investigation commissioned by the school and released July 12 found that Paterno, who died in January, and several other top officials at Penn State stayed quiet for years about accusations against Sandusky. He resigned from coaching after the 1998-1999 season.

Emmert fast-tracked penalties rather than go through the usual circuitous series of investigations and hearings. The NCAA said the $60 million is equivalent to the annual gross revenue of the football program. The money must be paid into an endowment for external programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at Penn State.

“Football will never again be placed ahead of educating, nurturing and protecting young people,” Emmert said.

Emmert had earlier said he had “never seen anything as egregious” as the horrific crimes of Sandusky and the cover-up by Paterno and others at the university, including former Penn State President Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley.

The investigation headed by former FBI Director Louis Freeh said that Penn State officials kept what they knew from police and other authorities for years, enabling the abuse to go on.

There had been calls across the nation for Penn State to receive the “death penalty,” and Emmert had not ruled out that possibility as late as last week – though Penn State did not fit the criteria for it. That punishment is for teams that commit a major violation while already being sanctioned.

This story has been updated.

Comments (161)

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  • CK1911
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:37am

    What the hell did the Right Tackle from 2002 have to do with any of this? All of his wins are now “vacated”? Complete BS. This isn’t a pay for play scandal. The players weren’t involved in this. What that POS Sandusky did will earn him a special place in Hell and if there is any justice he’ll get paid back in prison 10 fold. Paterno is dead, his image destroyed, the others involved up on CRIMINAL charges as they should be. WTF is the NCAA doing? This pompous ass Emmert says schools need to eradicate the “sports is king” mindset. OK, hotsh!t, put your money where your mouth is and get rid of ALL the bowls, the BCS, NCAA basketball tournament and all the other cash crops the NCAA has instituted. Why not punish all the schools in the NCAA that have contributed to this culture? Oh, we can’t do that. I don’t live in PA, didn’t go to Penn St, and frankly think the Big 10 is the most overrated conference in sports. But the people of Penn St, 99.9% of them had nothing to do with this tragedy, are being punished for the sins of others. And the hypocritical NCAA is only trying to save face over something it shouldn’t even be involved in. When the real victims of this tragedy sue the school and then have to fall in line behind the NCAA for damages, how is that justice? These are the same tactics the Liberals use to punish the many for the sins of the few.
    Gun Control anyone?

    Report Post »  
    • muffythetuffy
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:43am

      This is what use to be done in the USSR.

      Report Post »  
    • DrIvey
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 11:21am

      You’re wrong. Louis Freeh “proved” Joe was guilty of child rape (just as he proved Richard Jewell was guilty of bombing the Olympic Park stadium). Now that the NCAA has imposed a 60M dollar fine and taken Joe’s wins children will finally be safe!

      Report Post »  
    • Gold Coin & Economic News
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 11:42am

      Agreed, there are a lot of people that will now suffer these penalties that had absolutely nothing to do with the scandal. Kind of ridiculous:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgYpI8jC3II

      Report Post » Gold Coin & Economic News  
    • Detroit paperboy
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 12:50pm

      He will go down in history as “ Joe the enabler Paterno ”……. Right or wrong, it will always be ……

      Report Post »  
    • tjcusick
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 1:41pm

      DrIvey, You are an Idiot. “You’re wrong. Louis Freeh “proved” Joe was guilty of child rape.” Unless you have a different copy of the Louis Freeh report, Joe Paterno never raped a child. Get the report and read again you moron. Sandusky is the one that raped the children.

      Report Post » tjcusick  
    • BonnieC3
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 2:17pm

      Totally agree. This makes NO SENSE. What is going on with the country? This isn’t justice, this is stupid. The players on the field had nothing to do with this. And they are deleting wins from before Sandusky was there? This is insane. Yes send lock up the dirt bag for ever. Yes take the statue down, Yes take away scholarships. But you don’t punish the players who had NOTHING to do with this!

      Report Post »  
    • CK1911
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 2:22pm

      @TJCUSICK,
      As someone who considers sarcasm a second language, I think that was what Drivey was using. Of course, I was wrong before once. Once.

      Report Post »  
    • WithOutGodWePerishAsARepublic
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 2:39pm

      Hey CK… are you serious !? As details come out ..you will find out just how much corruption was involved here !! The trail will be longer than your toilet paper roll. The school deserves the death penalty in mind !!! It was through football that these kids were abused… it is through football that this school became the school that it was… Paterno was the “Mob Boss” …all others were his minions..no one ..on one had the cajones to do anything !!! The players can and some will play elsewhere… who cares of past games …they are done with ???!! Present and future is what matters. $60 millions is peanuts… 4 years of no bowls ..ha ha ha !! Geeze ??? Many victims … of abuse !!!

      Report Post »  
    • circleDwagons
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 6:43pm

      @CK1911, totally agree they are punishing not only past players but future players.

      Report Post » circleDwagons  
    • mlite9
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 7:15pm

      Name a time, any time, since the beginning of recorded history, when people who were not involved in a thing paid a price for the decisions of leadership they didn’t choose. We are all of us in such a situation right now – at least about half are – and this PSU sitch is no exception.

      Players who are there now were the age the victims were when Sandusky did what he did, think about that. The NCAA is right – there is no price that can restore what has been lost, and whining about the cost imposed is blue on black.

      The upshot is that every school, every conference must now come to grips with the fact that that the institution does NOT exist to support the football team. What goes around, comes around.

      Report Post »  
    • Al Gator
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 8:31pm

      One queer, ONE LONE QUEER satisfying his PERVERTED APPETITE, has put an entire STATE in a position of economic disaster.

      Yes, Penn State board of directors, Joe Pa, et al, KNEW this queer. And should have stopped him. Now, every student, every business, every one who works for PS will pay and pay and pay. So will the taxpayers of the state. Layoffs will occur, unemployment checks will flow. Businesses will close.

      Why? Because ONE QUEER COULDN‘T KEEP IT IN HIS PANTS AND HIS FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES WOULDN’T RAT HIM OUT.

      Its POLITICALLY INCORRECT TO POINT FINGERS AT QUEERS and rat them out, doncha know!

      Think I’m wrong? Had this SOB Jerry been addicted to YOUNG GIRLS, he would have been ratted out and jailed back in ‘98.

      But hey, queer is good, right? /s>

      Report Post » Al Gator  
    • loggs14
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:30pm

      For those claiming Paterno knew Sandusky was a molester, surely you read the report? If you did you will know that there was only two incident Paterno could know about. You would know he was the last to know of the of the 1998 incident, of which the state of PA cleared Sandusky… You see that Pennsylvania cleared Sandusky. Sandusky then retired. Not an employee anymore! The 2001 incident the media lied about has since been shown that Paterno was told of horsing around in the shower. Paterno reported up the chain, not even required. PATERNO NEVER WITNESSED ANYTHING. The Freeh report, paid for by the Trustee. Paterno was never questioned…..no defense was asked for by Paterno lawyers or family. McQuery was also never interviewed. State of Prosecuter proves Paterno violated no law, never a topic of prosecution.

      So until the haters out there prove quilt, of which the NCAA did not prove and Freeh report is not valid by law as you are accusing people without standard defense… THIS WHOLE THING IS A LIE AND ********! If I was Paterno family I would sue… NCAA has nothing to stand on…

      Report Post »  
    • teebubba
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:43pm

      @Loggs14…In spiite of what you imply you obviously did not read the Freeh Report which I did. If you had read it you would know that Joe P was up to his eyeballs in the coverup in 1998 from the very beginning.
      While the Paterno family continues to posture that Joe didn‘t know anything it was in fact Joe Paterno’s attorneys who gave Freeh the emails of the three PSU administrators which show his involvement and influence. The emails demonstrate that Joe lied when he said he was unaware of the 1998 incident, a lie which gives comfort to his supporters but is blatantly untrue..

      Report Post » teebubba  
    • Blacksunshine
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 11:04pm

      @loggs14
      What are you smoking? Only two incidents, only playing with little boys in the shower? Sure that’s OK for a Coach right? just sweep in under the rug and just win.

      . You are the most naive person on the planet if you don’t think they all new, his lying ass wife included. Everyone kept quiet to keep the money rolling in. if you would read the report all four of these week excuses for men had emails only trying to cover their backsides, FBI said never once were the kids welfare mentioned in their corispodents including “ loser joe”. Even the Second Mile was informed and nothing happen. His family better pray for forgiveness, not get a lawyer. Go put your head back in the sand. Glad I am not your child.

      Report Post » Blacksunshine  
    • nakedbootleg
      Posted on July 24, 2012 at 10:33am

      If Paterno was alive, he would be charged with a crime now that the evidence is out there that he conspired with those in charge to cover-up Sandusky’s activities. Recruitment of players is where the issue lies. The football programs success took precident over the children. So yes, the football program and University benefited from the cover-up.

      Report Post » nakedbootleg  
  • DimmuBorgir
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:36am

    I think it‘s safe to say that LIBERTYANDRESPONSIBILITY and TEDDRUNK aren’t football fans at all

    Report Post » DimmuBorgir  
    • teddrunk
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 12:22pm

      Not true, because being a football fan, has nothing to do with making up excuses for pedophiles and pedophile supporters.

      Report Post »  
    • FatFreedom
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 3:38pm

      There is a difference in liking sports / football, and worshiping sports.

      I don’t like the fine, as a big part of it will come from tax payer through the form of federal aid.

      They should instead criminally pursue the board members and faculty that knew something and did not do anything. Make them go to jail for being cowards, allowing this to go on. The victims can sue the University, and people involved.

      To through money on this is to sweep it under the rug. I was very happy to hear the statue of Paterno “The Chief Pedophile Protector” was removed. It pleases me the shame that he got to experience while still alive.

      There are too many cowards in this world, and in this case as many, cowardice is a crime and should be punished.

      Report Post »  
  • ginger100
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:36am

    I blame teachers everywhere! They should have saved the children

    Report Post » ginger100  
  • Constructionist
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:35am

    How does one vacate a decade of wins? Rewriting history to make a political point smacks a little of totalitarianism. Penn State should use this penalty as the opportunity to simply disband its football program. For that matter, although I love college football, the American educational system would be better served if football as it is today did not exist altogether.

    Report Post » Constructionist  
    • teddrunk
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 12:39pm

      Er, ah.well without college football,who would pay for Title 9 and support the female sports no one attends.

      Report Post »  
  • tallcharlie
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:34am

    This sets a dangerous precedence: punishing an employer for crimes committed by an individual without either the employee or the employer being found guilty in a court of law.

    It sets another precedence in the fact that the NCAA is a nongovernmental organization (NGO), yet it is acting as if it was somehow endowed with governmental powers.

    Granted, Sandusky has been tried and found guilty. Good. That’s the law.

    He’ll probably appeal. Good. That’s the law.

    He’ll spend a few decades in prison. Good. That’s the law.

    Paterno will never have a day in court. He will never have the opportunity to face his accusers. He will never be able to testify. His side of the story is forever silenced.

    The staff and administration of Penn State have not even been charged, yet the NCAA is punishing them, their families, and their employer. The Nittany Lions’ players have done nothing, nor has anyone implied that they have, yet they are being punished for the unproven crimes of others.

    From the Bill of Rights:”No person shall be…deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law”

    Molesting children is a crime. There are laws defining that crime and the accepted punishments. Rest assured that no law of Pennsylvania provides for the NCAA to fine or otherwise punish anyone for violating a Pennsylvania law.

    The NCAA’s function is enforcing the rules of football, not criminal law. In this case, it has far overstepped the limits of its authority

    Report Post »  
    • DrIvey
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 11:56am

      Well said, and I’ll add this: common sense is out the window. Clearly the NCAA doesn’t have the welfare of children in mind when levying their 60M dollar fine. Here‘s what we’ll end up with-bigger government. More blue-ribbon committees, some NCAA noob living in the PSU athletic department for the next four years “earning” a six figure salary. Do you really think PSU has a culture of promoting child abuse? That’s a laugh. Does anyone realize that PSU ALREADY has the nation’s largest philantropy that benefits…wait for it…THE CHILDREN. Who actually thinks PSU was an elite football team? If it were so concerned with winning it would have fired Joe a long time ago. Every resident of the area or PSU fan knows that the football program chose, time and again, to fund less gifted players who were less likely to get in trouble than other school’s athletes. The national media has spent thirty years praising Joe Paterno for doing this only to REALLY boost sales by implying that he’s a child molester. I’d like to hear one person who knew Joe Paterno personally say that he was the type of man who would enable a child to be raped to preserve a win on a football field. Just one person.

      Report Post »  
  • libertyandresponsibility
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:28am

    Wow. Sad to see people still putting almighty football and a coach ahead of justice for these kids

     
    • DimmuBorgir
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:36am

      you’re a tool

      Report Post » DimmuBorgir  
    • MittensKittens
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:39am

      Pretty sick saying “football will never be the same” What about the kids this sick bast-ard raped?

      Report Post » MittensKittens  
    • Samwise636
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:39am

      If you’re referring to me, then maybe you weren’t listening to Glenn during the past hour. Glenn and the boys were not throwing Paterno under the bus like so many others have been. They were asking where the smoking gun is as well.

      Report Post » Samwise636  
    • tallcharlie
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:44am

      Justice includes due process of law, not just your uninformed opinion.

      Report Post »  
    • grudgywoof
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 1:35pm

      What is justice for these kids? What the hell does that mean? To me justice would be that Sandusky has his nuts slowly cut off with a dull knife now that’s justice. Taking this crap out on people that had no knowlege of it is a marxist tactic that Stalin used to demonize a whole group of people for the so called actions of a few. You can’t change history dumb ass! History has already happened you can‘t travel back in time so just saying somiething didn’t happen is a lie. It’s a LIE. OBAMA OBAMA! This whole country is turning into one big lie.

      Report Post » grudgywoof  
  • Samwise636
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:22am

    This was Freeh’s opportunity to play Don Quixote and knock over a huge windmill that the media had branded as a dragon. They set it up for him, and all he had to do was knock it over with a flick of his finger. If he wanted to maintain any semblance of a career, did he really have any other choice? Besides, this was his chance to bolster his flagging career. By the way, isn’t this the same Louis Freeh who was in charge of the FBI in 1996 when Richard Jewell was falsely accused and publicly humiliated when his name was leaked to the media without any proof? Why would they pick this guy to run an investigation? Was Janet Reno not available?

    Where is the smoking gun? Where is the iron-clad proof that Paterno knew and covered it up?

    Report Post » Samwise636  
    • Samwise636
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:24am

      But here’s what I really want to know: why the HELL isn’t McQueary in jail right now?! He is apparently the only eyewitness in this situation, and yet he was playing golf next to Sandusky only a few weeks later in one of the Second Mile golf events. Now if you’re Joe Paterno, and you see McQueary playing golf with Sandusky, what are you supposed to think?

      I think another contributing factor is that the media decided that it was more important to turn this into a “teachable moment.” Regardless of the actual events, it is more important for the media to create a narrative that they believe serves a greater good, which is ultimately what they see as their true purpose. It is much simpler, and more ratings-worthy to rail against a monstrous mastermind than it is to actually delve into the boring minutia of the case. In their minds, if Joe Paterno’s legacy must be sacrificed in order that this kind of thing will not happen again, then the ends justify the means. It’s a win-win for the new media too, because this is their chance for them to reclaim some of their former glory by beating their chests and claiming the moral high ground. In recent years, the news media‘s approval ratings are about as high as Congress’s. It’s been so long since the media has had the clout to throw their weight around and dictate a narrative like this, probably not since their glory days of Watergate.

      Report Post » Samwise636  
    • Samwise636
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:25am

      It’s been so long since the media has had the clout to throw their weight around and dictate a narrative like this, probably not since their glory days of Watergate. I think that many are willing to go along with that narrative because it makes us feel that we are on the right side when we express righteous indignation toward something that is universally regarded as wrong. I have to admit to being guilty of that in the past. But do we want to really find the truth, or do we want to create convenient narratives because they serve the common good and/or make us feel better about our own morality? If more child molesters end up behind bars for life because of this, then maybe it really is worth it. But that rationale can be a double-edged sword. The media also believe that it’s in the interest of the greater good to portray Obama as some sort of benevolent savior, and look where that’s gotten us!

      Report Post » Samwise636  
    • Samwise636
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:41am

      In my mind, the real narrative of this story should be that we as individuals have an obligation to act and directly intervene when we witness an act of absolute evil. There should be no other alternative but to act when others are in immediate danger, especially children, and especially this kind of danger! If McQueary had only had the stones to actually do the right thing, at the proper moment, then we would be having a much different conversation about this now. And ironically, he would most likely be viewed as a hero. That’s why I view him as the most culpable (aside from Sandusky, obviously) in this whole scandal.

      But our society has bred cowards who would prefer to believe that it’s more convenient to let someone else worry about it. I’d like to believe that, while MCQueary is a product of our current culture, Paterno was made of better stuff. Regardless, like I said before, if Joe did know, and did cover it up, then I have no reason to defend him anymore. I just find it so hard to believe that a man like Joe, whose actions throughout his entire life revealed him to be a man of true character, would go against everything he believed in his core. I just want someone to have the courage to actually find the truth! With all of the inconsistencies and holes that have been revealed in the Freeh investigation, I have a feeling that we still haven’t heard the truth. Sadly, we probably never will.

      Report Post » Samwise636  
    • Attention2Detail
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:47am

      Were is the smoking gun? Did you not read the report? School officials were going to report the abuse until they spoke to Joe Paterno. What do you want, an e-mail from Paterno (who didn’t use e-mail) saying that he knows that boys are being raped but he doesn’t want it reported. Why are you in favor of allowing boys to be molested to keep your football program from getting a little bad press? You are a monster just like your hero JoePa. I would love to think that Paterno was innocent, after all he spoke at my high school sports banquet and my college transcript has the Penn State logo on top. Having said that, I will not accept child abuse to keep the name of Paterno, or Penn State from being affected. If you want to deny the truth, you are just like those at Penn State that you blame for the fall of mighty Joe Paterno. You should be ashamed.

      Report Post » Attention2Detail  
    • Samwise636
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:49am

      http://tominpaine.blogspot.com/2012/07/demolishing-freeh-report-and-people-who.html

      http://www.johnziegler.com/editorials_details.asp?editorial=220

      Report Post » Samwise636  
    • Samwise636
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:59am

      ATTENTION2DETAIL wrote: “Why are you in favor of allowing boys to be molested to keep your football program from getting a little bad press? You are a monster just like your hero JoePa.”

      So because you have been led by the nose to the conclusion that Joe Paterno knew, then that makes me a “monster”? If you actually read the report, then you wouldn’t make such a brazen comment. Did you even read MY entire comment? If you had, then you would have no basis for your assertions. I’m sure that your blinders went up as soon as you saw that I was not on the “Hate JoePa” bandwagon.

      Let me repeat what I wrote before:
      “I think that many are willing to go along with that narrative because it makes us feel that we are on the right side when we express righteous indignation toward something that is universally regarded as wrong. I have to admit to being guilty of that in the past. But do we want to really find the truth, or do we want to create convenient narratives because they serve the common good and/or make us feel better about our own morality?”

      Report Post » Samwise636  
    • DrIvey
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 11:37am

      The hell of it is that this could have been a teachable moment. We could have learned that best data suggests that 1 in 20 men abuses children. That statistically, there are child abusers in every major university or large organization. That they rarely get caught and when they do the organization always tries to handle it in-house. When is the last time you heard of child abuse at Disney? How many children and adults pass through its gates? People don’t realize that the PA State Police already investigated Sandusky and closed the book on him. Local police and the DA already tried to convict him and decided they didn’t have sufficient evidence. Nobody is blaming them. The governor of PA accepted 800K from The Second Mile that he used to fund his campaign. Then he wrote a grant for 5M to The Second Mile…AFTER he knew that Sandusky was being investigated. Nobody is asking about that. Nobody is asking how many more Sandusky’s or Bernie Fines are out there. They all act like the one child molester in America was able to prey on children thanks to Joe Paterno. I GUARANTEE you if anyone else had been the coach this would be a non-story. People don’t care about stopping child abuse. They care about making money, and feeling morally superior.

      Report Post »  
    • DrIvey
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 11:46am

      SameWise, +1 on your assessment of McQuery. He‘s the only eyewitness and if he hadn’t vacillated so badly on what he saw, and when he saw it this this would not have taken on the proportions of a Henrik Ibsen play. According to his own testimony, Mike said that he told Joe that he saw something fishy, but didn’t see sex, didn’t see a crime, etc. His own family’s best friend, said that he asked Mike THREE TIMES if he witnessed a sexual act and three times Mike said no. Yet the Grand Jury Presentment says that Mike saw a ten year old boy being sodomized and told this to Joe Paterno. It bears noting that the jury found Sandusky NOT GUILTY of this crime, the only one that was reported to Joe. It also bears noting that Mike swore under oath that nobody at PSU told him to be quiet about the incident or that he couldn’t report it to police, the media, etc.
      If it weren‘t for MM’s propensity for telling people what they want to hear we wouldn’t be here today. Now he’s suing PSU under a whistleblower act? You’ve got to be kidding me! He blew no whistle, and he’s still getting paid! As you said, next to Jerry, he’s the most guilty of all. Because of Mike, we still don’t know what happened in the shower, or EVEN WHO THE ALLEGED VICTIM IS.

      Report Post »  
    • Samwise636
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 3:00pm

      DRIVEY, you nailed it! How many of the general public even KNOW some of the basic facts that you just laid out?? They can’t put down their torches and pitchforks long enough to examine the facts. They’d rather been spoon-fed self-righteous pabulum from a news media that revels in inciting irrational fears and emotions in the public.

      Frankly, it reminds me of the “debate” over global warming. We’re told that there is no debate anymore, and that if you attempt to even be an conscientious objector, you are immediately branded as an ignorant flat-earther…..an uneducated fool……. an enemy of the planet. In short, you are demonized and ostracized. Sadly, I see a lot of this on the conservative blogs when it comes to the Paterno issue. If you bring up facts that are contrary to what the media reports, then you are suddenly a Paterno apologist, or some kind of monster. It is all too easy to simply give in to our emotions and allow ourselves to be manipulated by selective facts.

      Whether you were a fan of Paterno or not, we need to seek the full truth as it relates to this issue…….and every other issue!

      Report Post » Samwise636  
  • teddrunk
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:18am

    Simple, kick Penn State out of the NCAA. Now that’s real justice.

    Report Post »  
  • JACKTHETOAD
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:14am

    The sports writers were raping Penn State for years. Remember those two UNDEFEATED seasons before the bowl playoff system? They didn’t rank the Lions #1, did they?

    Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
    • libertyandresponsibility
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:25am

      Of poor them. I mean forget about the children victims here, we’vw got bowl games on the line

      Report Post »  
    • 4truth2all
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:43am

      Yo Responsibility:

      HOW ABOUT IF WE DO WHAT YOU NAME INDICATES ,,, and hold those responsible, responsible, and not the entire planet for the rest of eternity. I really do believe the God should be asked where He was when this was going down … we should not allow God to be God for the next four years, and NO salvations either … that’ll teach Him!

      Report Post »  
    • JACKTHETOAD
      Posted on July 24, 2012 at 6:09am

      @4TRUTH – God works in mysterious ways. And yes, He’s a Penn State fan.

      Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
  • ZAP
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:14am

    Wow, the Catholic church got of easy

    Report Post » ZAP  
  • avgconservative
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:13am

    NCAA should apologize to SMU… possibly pay them back financially… Paterno’s stroke continues even through this horrendous event.

    Report Post » avgconservative  
  • jopmur
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:09am

    The Blaze needs to fire whoever came up with their comment section and redo it. It’s pitiful.

    Report Post » jopmur  
  • watashbuddyfriend
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:08am

    Nothing like kicking one when he is done, and out. Now, NCAA, what is this going to prove? NCAA keeps messing around with sports, just like Big Brother!

    Report Post »  
  • jopmur
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:08am

    This is stupidity at it’s finest. Punish everyone for a few sicko’s. Is this social justice? It’s really sick. Beat all of your kids for the sins of other. Businesses suffer, students suffer and the community suffers.

    Report Post » jopmur  
    • teddrunk
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:16am

      Boo Hoo, but let’s keep the statue of Joe Pa the pedophiles friend?

      Report Post »  
    • libertyandresponsibility
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:23am

      Those “kids” failed to act to protect real kids. What a stupid comment

      Report Post »  
    • 4truth2all
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:36am

      Yo Teddrunk:

      You sure you’re not the one with a few to may … how about when your neighbor commits a crime we come and take your house from you … boo hoo…

      What Penn St did on the field was done honestly and included a whole lot of other people and hard work in those achievements, and this will go to those that play on the team in these comming years … this is beyond stupid and I saw this comming a long way off
      PUNISH THE PEOPLE INVOLVED and that is the end of it …

      As far as Joe P. You have NO idea of what was in his heart and mind, so ……….

      Report Post »  
    • dadroc55
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:48am

      What seems to be lost on most folks – the NCAA, the press, and even most of the people posting comments here – most of these penalties are affecting people that had nothing to do with this horrid crime and coverup. Those that are responsible are gone already. This is just penalizing the Penn State fans and students. But not really penalizing the guilty.

      Report Post »  
  • nostromo
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:04am

    Why vacate wins to 98 rather than 2001. The 98 event was investigated by police, reported to the DA up to Corbett, and no criminal charges were brought.

    Report Post »  
  • Re-Founding Sons
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:02am

    Who get’s the $60 million? It better go to the victims, and or a related charity.
    I’m not sure why the bowl ban is fair…I mean what did the players do? Why should they be punished, and therefore the fans be punished?
    I understand stripping future scholarships for sure. But the current team, who had nothing to do with the situation, should not punished.

    Report Post » Re-Founding Sons  
    • KrebsCyclist
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 2:42pm

      “Who get’s the $60 million? It better go to the victims, and or a related charity.”

      Did you read the story?

      Report Post »  
  • Niferno
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:02am

    All this does is punish students and act as a cash cow for the NCAA. I don’t condone a coverup, but Joe Paterno is dead and can’t even defend himself. Nothing will take away those victories. That man‘s enormous contributions to the school are being completely erased by someone else’s actions. Doin all this doesn’t change anything.

    Report Post » Niferno  
    • DimmuBorgir
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:06am

      I agree. Who is getting punished. It‘s not sandusky and it’s not anyone who helped cover anything up. All this does is punish the football players and students. The game of football at penn state didn’t rape any boys. The winning records didn’t rape any boys. The appearances at the Bowl games didn’t rape any boys. So why are those being punished? Why is the NCAA doing anything at all. It’s being handled in the courts. This is just an example of the NCAA throwing it’s weight around for no reason.

      I don’t like Penn state at all, but to punish the game of football at that school is just dumb

      Report Post » DimmuBorgir  
  • Jezreel
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:01am

    There is going to be so much more to be exposed as time goes on, the American people are going to learn the hard way and because they trust in man, the disappointments will be just way too much for them. These football stadiums and other sport arenas where people go all the time to worship their sport of choice and their athletes will be the very cage and jail that will hold them later on when they are hearded like dumb sheep and corralled as slaves because they were not paying attention to what has been going on for so many years. More and more as time goes on, there will be bitter disappointments and expose of other filth that has been covered in other areas of sport and government and education. I don’t think that the United States can avoid severe judgment that will kill millions and millions of people. I hope and pray that God finds mercy on us and that people continue to wake up before it is too late.

    Report Post »  
  • EqualJustice
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:54am

    WOW, that is severe punishment! Not pleased with that. Punish those who kept QUIET individually, since they are accomplices to the crimes. Period.
    ps: Joe Paterno DID turn the guy in, with any knowledge he had, to those in administration, who were the ones who should have investigated and punished. He’s not even here to defend himself and HE NEVER abused those kids. Was it HIS job to go to the police with these “accusations?” That’s all they were at the time he told officials at PS. For all he knew, it could have been just false rumors. He never WITNESSED any abuse. Penn State football was Joe’s life and this is a shame.

    Report Post » EqualJustice  
  • Mandors
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:53am

    Vacate the wins, appropriate. Post season ban, maybe. But to hit the PA taxpayers with a $60 million dollar fine? That money will go to no one but the half-witted, useless NCAA, an organization that should have been disbanded years ago.

    What do you think organized, promoted and profited from the culture that both produced and hid Sandusky? The NCAA

    Report Post » Mandors  
    • DimmuBorgir
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:08am

      Why is vacating the wins appropriate?? Was it the quarterback or running back that got those wins the one raping boys??

      Last time I checked it was someone who never played a single down in a single game of any of those vacated wins.

      So seriously tell me why all these measures is appropriate

      Report Post » DimmuBorgir  
  • Whiskey_Tango
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:52am

    That’s a mere pittance compared to the price those children have paid. I‘m not sure they’ve flushed out all the involved parties yet. Until then, that program should have been summarily dispatched.

    Report Post » Whiskey_Tango  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:52am

    .
    Better Gutted than Raped in the Showers…..

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • sWampy
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:52am

    Will never understand how NCAA a private organization was ever given the right to “fine” tax payer supported organizations, it is tax payer money, they shouldn’t be able to take it period.

    Report Post »  
    • justangry
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:02am

      Yeah they’re like the mafia. They only punish the people not responsible. (the fans and kids on the team not involved) That being said, it ain’t so Happy in Happy Valley. Wow that was harsh. The death penalty would have been easier to swallow.

      Report Post » justangry  
  • Gold Coin & Economic News
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:51am

    You can’t take the wins away from Paterno. Regardless of his stupid judgement and ignoring of what Sandusky was doing Joepa is still the winningest coach in history. Give me a break.

    Report Post » Gold Coin & Economic News  
    • Mandors
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:55am

      The winningest coach who couldn’t take five minutes from his glory to stop brutal pedophile?

      Report Post » Mandors  
    • teddrunk
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:55am

      Just one more quieted child rape & Joe Pa gets the title, right?

      Report Post »  
    • Lloyd Drako
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:59am

      Agreed, Joepa’s victories were his and should not be taken away. All the penalties were entirely justified, and should have been harsher, except this one. It reminds me of “de-Stalinization” in Soviet-bloc countries, or the way Stalin himself had expunged Trotsky and others from the historcal record. There is something creepy about it.

      Report Post » Lloyd Drako  
    • avgconservative
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:19am

      If Paterno were alive today, he would be a co-conspirator and a felon.

      Report Post » avgconservative  
    • Centurian
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:21am

      I enjoy people who respond to these stories without even have looked into the case. Paterno was already well known to all by 1998. He was already a Penn State legend. His job was to continue the football program, which is exactly what he did.

      What happened? He had one of his coaches report to him about Sandusky in the shower with a boy, but used vague terms to describe what he saw. Paterno did what he did was correct. He contacted his superiors and relayed the information given him. He then went back to coaching, believing that he did the right thing. Teachers today are required to do the same thing. They are not to call authorities or Child Protective Services; they are to inform their superiors (in this case, their Principal).

      I truly believe that this whole situation is being twisted to blame the one person who cannot defend himself, namely Joe Paterno. I am not naive. Nor am I stupid. And Freeh’s report on this issue is filled with vague comments, misrepresentations, and assumptions. I would have had all waited until an independent study could be made.

      Go back and look at the story. It changed after Paterno died. Do I feel he is still responsible? Yes, but not nearly as much as people think. To me, the true culprits are the other three men mentioned and Sandusky.

      Report Post » Centurian  
    • justangry
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 1:37pm

      Nope they can take away the wins and they did. Bobby Bowden is the winningest coach in NCAA football. My school voided their wins when the coach new a few kids got free tatoos. Those records are just gone. I mean people in the state know he won them, but in 100 years from now it will just be blip. I always admired the man, myself until this broke. PSU fans are going to have to come to grips with it, sorry.

      Report Post » justangry  
  • teddrunk
    Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:48am

    That’s all? I’m outraged. It should be forced to change it’s name to the Nittany Pedophiles.

    Report Post »  
    • face.chewer
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:59am

      Yes!

      Report Post »  
    • Centurian
      Posted on July 23, 2012 at 10:12am

      That’s right. Blame everyone who ever went to Penn State and who are currently going there– not!

      Blame those responsible, not those who go there.

      Report Post » Centurian  
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