Penn State Child Molestation Scandal...continuing discussion

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The NCAA is gonna wait till all the info comes out before taking action, but the death penalty is a possibility considering how serious the offenses are and the fact that its becoming more and more evident that it was basically ignored to maintain the school/team's image.
 
Penn State's football program should be shut down for at least as long as SMU's was back in the 80's, and probably longer. The NCAA will only further prove themselves to be a complete farce if any other decision is made. This is far and away more horrific than point shaving, selling jerseys for tattoos, or whatever other stupid thing that the NCAA has actively dropped a hammer down on teams.

Joe Paterno's legacy is now and forever, and deservedly so, that of an enabler of child rape. Not of the winningest football coach ever... not as some alleged builder of men... not as a man of high character and integrity... rather as a person who, when faced with the biggest, and easiest, decision of his life, failed at an unbelievably epic level... and actively hid and concealed absolutely horrific crimes; the repeated, unending sexual rape and abuse of (at least) dozens of innocent young boys.

Shut them down.
 
I don't see how shutting down the program helps anything. Taking away such a massive revenue stream will ultimately hurt the students, the ones who had nothing to do with all this, in the long run. The conspirators or whatever you want to call them should be purged and prosecuted, and then the program allowed to start fresh again. Perhaps a one-year hiatus would be wise for regrouping, but people rather than institutions need to be held responsible.
 
Agreed with iYup. Life is bigger than football, but that's one reason to leave the program open. I'm not certain how the rest of the university is meant to go on without it. Those kids don't deserve to be shat on for the failings of the faculty.

There's a great deal of renewed furor over something we learned about 8 months ago. Yeah, they covered up. Yeah, they've been purged. Penn State's reputation has received all the kicking it needs. They're the Rape School. We get it. But who caused it? Are they still in a position of authority? Can their replacements be trusted to carry on? If not, what more can be done? Any blanket punishment made for the sake of precedent is "justice" in name only.
 
I don't see how shutting down the program helps anything. Taking away such a massive revenue stream will ultimately hurt the students, the ones who had nothing to do with all this, in the long run. The conspirators or whatever you want to call them should be purged and prosecuted, and then the program allowed to start fresh again. Perhaps a one-year hiatus would be wise for regrouping, but people rather than institutions need to be held responsible.

i could not disagree more.

by that theory, no athletic program anywhere can ever be shut down for violations... and if that's the case, why even have oversight? teams will do whatever they want because they know they'll never get shut down because "it'll hurt the students."

frankly i think the entire campus should be shut down for a few years, but i know that's not realistic.

i'm sorry for those who had nothing to do with this... students and athletes alike. but there is NCAA oversight for a reason... and if this doesn't meet the reasons for the death penalty, then the NCAA only further shows how much of a joke of an organization they really are... and that the almighty dollar rules all.

let's remember... it's the protection of the reputation of the football program that led to the cover-up to begin with. the reputation of the football program = money.

i'm not saying a permanent shut down. i'm talking shutting down the program for a couple of years. it's been done before, and to huge programs. Kentucky basketball was shut down for two years. SMU football was shut down for two years at a time when they were the best team in the land.

i'll also add that i don't think the NCAA will do anything... and it will be because of money. The same reason why the school did nothing.

This isn't about just Joe Paterno, or Spanier or Curley or whoever. This is a culture that exists in that school, and in that town. That culture needs to be expunged. I know it will hurt some students who have nothing to do with this, and who were equally outraged by the idiots who protested JoePa's firing in the first place. The school should help them transfer, or move to another school if that's what they feel they need to do. But a real penalty should be brought down on the culture that allowed this to take place.
 
I agree with Headache. You give them the death penalty. This is much worse than what SMU did years ago. You had a group of individuals (especially ONE) who were the face of this school, and they enabled little children to be hurt for years!!

While it sucks for those that had no involvement, former players, former coaches, former students, an example needs to be set. This would be doing the right thing. Life isn't fair, which I'm sure all of Sandusky's victims understand all too well.

I'm also for kicking PSU out of the big10, even though I love the what they have brought athletic wise to the conference. Till now of course.

And if this were to have happened at Iowa, I would be saying the same thing. In fact, I wouldn't even bother rooting for that school anymore. To allow such a horrible crime, possibly the worst kind imaginable, and then continue on with the way PSU and JoePa has, it just doesn't make any sense.
 
This isn't about just Joe Paterno, or Spanier or Curley or whoever. This is a culture that exists in that school, and in that town. That culture needs to be expunged. I know it will hurt some students who have nothing to do with this, and who were equally outraged by the idiots who protested JoePa's firing in the first place. The school should help them transfer, or move to another school if that's what they feel they need to do. But a real penalty should be brought down on the culture that allowed this to take place.

I don't follow this logic at all. "Culture," which in any case is impossible to define, is predominantly set by those in power. All of those in power at Penn State are dead or removed. Not only is the figurehead, Paterno, gone, but his legacy is sullied to the point that no one will ever want to associate with him again. You seem to be implying that some new child abuse ring is going to arise at Penn State in the near future when there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that.

And we're not talking about "some" students here. We're talking about many thousands who will suffer on account of the transgressions of a few individuals. There is no justice in that.
 
If you give Penn State the death penalty, it would have a massive negative impact on my chances of getting a job after college.
 
I hate the NCAA as much if not more than most. However, in this case, the institution put their beloved Football program ahead of the welfare of innocent children. Because Joe Paterno feared the bad publicity he let children be raped for 14 more years. This is disgusting. And because of the lack of institutional control, I believe the NCAA has no choice but issue a death penalty. Honestly, I believe Penn State should voluntarily shut their program down for a few years.

I get that it will punish students and players who had nothing to do with this, but because the Penn State administration thought Football was so important, children were raped. It's reprehensible.
 
If you give Penn State the death penalty, it would have a massive negative impact on my chances of getting a job after college.

I do have sympathy, I serve on a board that just awarded a high school senior a scholarship last night.
When I asked the young woman, with her mother standing beside her, where she was going to school she said Penn State.
Then they both paused and waited for our reactions.

As sad as this is, you and she are also victims of Joe Pa's terrible transgressions.
 
Anyone who would deny you a opportunity of employment because you went to Penn State is an idiot. While it's embarrassing for you (and your resume) to have listed a school that is tarnished, I'm not sure how you didn't still receive a great education and should be judged on your skills/merits and personality.

The only victims in this case are the kids that were abused. Be thankful the worst thing you may have experienced by attending Penn St is a little shame and embarrassment. I'm sure any of Sandusky's victims would gladly trade those feelings for the ones current/past students feel now.

At least the victims have gotten some justice. And in the end I think the students will be able to move on too.
 
Anyone who would deny you a opportunity of employment because you went to Penn State is an idiot. While it's embarrassing for you (and your resume) to have listed a school that is tarnished, I'm not sure how you didn't still receive a great education and should be judged on your skills/merits and personality.

The only victims in this case are the kids that were abused. Be thankful the worst thing you may have experienced by attending Penn St is a little shame and embarrassment. I'm sure any of Sandusky's victims would gladly trade those feelings for the ones current/past students feel now.

At least the victims have gotten some justice. And in the end I think the students will be able to move on too.
If they kill football, I will be unable to replicate the opportunities I would have gotten there anywhere else. Football is the only sport where we are afforded the ability to travel to cover games. It has by far the most networking opportunities, and it's not even close. Being able to broadcast and write about football games is one of the key parts of building a portfolio for future employers.

I am not talking about the embarrassment. I have not embarrassed myself, as I have consistently criticized Paterno. I never stood near his house or his statue crying, holding hands, wondering why the Big Bad Media killed him. I sat in my apartment, writing about how crazy those people were.

No, I am talking about losing big opportunities, opportunities that cannot be replaced.

Are you on campus, Peef? Just wondering what students feelings are about Paterno now that the report has come out.
I will be returning to State College tonight for the first time in two months. I will post if there is anything notable going on. Lots of students and alumni will be in town this weekend.
 
i could not disagree more.

by that theory, no athletic program anywhere can ever be shut down for violations... and if that's the case, why even have oversight? teams will do whatever they want because they know they'll never get shut down because "it'll hurt the students."

frankly i think the entire campus should be shut down for a few years, but i know that's not realistic.

i'm sorry for those who had nothing to do with this... students and athletes alike. but there is NCAA oversight for a reason... and if this doesn't meet the reasons for the death penalty, then the NCAA only further shows how much of a joke of an organization they really are... and that the almighty dollar rules all.

let's remember... it's the protection of the reputation of the football program that led to the cover-up to begin with. the reputation of the football program = money.

i'm not saying a permanent shut down. i'm talking shutting down the program for a couple of years. it's been done before, and to huge programs. Kentucky basketball was shut down for two years. SMU football was shut down for two years at a time when they were the best team in the land.

i'll also add that i don't think the NCAA will do anything... and it will be because of money. The same reason why the school did nothing.

This isn't about just Joe Paterno, or Spanier or Curley or whoever. This is a culture that exists in that school, and in that town. That culture needs to be expunged. I know it will hurt some students who have nothing to do with this, and who were equally outraged by the idiots who protested JoePa's firing in the first place. The school should help them transfer, or move to another school if that's what they feel they need to do. But a real penalty should be brought down on the culture that allowed this to take place.
Do the people who committed these crimes and created that culture get punished if you perform the death penalty here?

Please don't cop out and accuse me and my classmates of being part of the problem.
 
Any blanket punishment made for the sake of precedent is "justice" in name only.
Bingo. Prosecute the shit out of Spanier, Curley and Schultz. Hell, investigate Jay Paterno and see if he knew anything. But trying to take out Penn State now? It would be pointless.

Do you think a year off of football that kills it for three decades will teach a greater lesson than the shit that we've been through the last eight months? I haven't bitched about this impacting me for one second until the death penalty got brought up. For the last eight months, this was about the victims. But now people are trying to make ME pay for the crimes of others. I feel for those victims. I feel guilt, even when I shouldn't. But trying to punish everyone for the crimes of a few accomplishes nothing.

Give it a little time, and the last few Paterno defenders will melt into the background. This report was much more damning than I thought it would be. I'm happy for the fact that there is some level of closure on the issue of Paterno's role, though I'm certainly greatly saddened by everything that happened.

People are already doing about-faces. They're stunned. The reaction I saw today from people was unbelievable. People are finally learning the lesson here, and that's the most important thing.

The death penalty piles on and distracts. People will turn on the NCAA and go back to the "media pressuring everyone to destroy Penn State" narrative. And I will have a hard time disagreeing with that point, because the idea of this being a death penalty case is just absurd.

The death penalty is a fundamentally flawed concept. It's the same concept that allows a rat bastard like John Calipari to wander around blowing up program after program without any repurcussions. It's time we started looking at the actual people instead of the institutions that they commandeered for their crimes.

Penn State has paid and will most certainly continue to pay. Don't overdo it to make yourself feel better, because you'll just be punishing the bystanders even further.
 
I don't see why every student in that school should be punished for the culture that was created there, or for idolizing Joe Paterno the false idol/fraud. Talk about a hard lesson learned. They believed in things that turned out to be complete bullshit, they're hardly the first people to ever do that. It does make logical sense, because the death penalty has been given for far less offenses than the horrific abuse of children. Sexual abuse is really the killing of your soul in so many ways, because you're never the same and you can never eliminate what it does to you. I understand the anger because I feel it too, and I understand why people want to punish the school and blow it up, so to speak.

It's just so incredibly depressing, what went on according to that report. If that doesn't wake people up to putting children first above anything and everything, then I don't know what will.

And Paterno's son should stop defending his father and making excuses and face reality. I know that can be a very difficult thing to do, but he should really just stop talking to the media. Yesterday of all days.

I can't imagine being one of those victims and reading that report and coming face to face with the fact that those people could have literally prevented you from being sexually abused and they didn't. Painful beyond any words.
 
Penn State's football program should be shut down for at least as long as SMU's was back in the 80's, and probably longer. The NCAA will only further prove themselves to be a complete farce if any other decision is made. This is far and away more horrific than point shaving, selling jerseys for tattoos, or whatever other stupid thing that the NCAA has actively dropped a hammer down on teams.

Joe Paterno's legacy is now and forever, and deservedly so, that of an enabler of child rape. Not of the winningest football coach ever... not as some alleged builder of men... not as a man of high character and integrity... rather as a person who, when faced with the biggest, and easiest, decision of his life, failed at an unbelievably epic level... and actively hid and concealed absolutely horrific crimes; the repeated, unending sexual rape and abuse of (at least) dozens of innocent young boys.

Shut them down.

This. Fucking this.

Eta: and while I sympathize with you Pfan, and understand where you are coming from, I also wholeheartedly agree that any penalty levied by the NCAA on any school in history has always had a fallout effect on innocent bystanders. It's really sad that it happens to guys like you ie the good guys, but it does and will continue to happen, for far less serious "crimes" (I put it in quotes because I think treating trading tattoos for autographs as a "crime" is about the most absurd concept ever, but that's just me..)
 
PhilsFan said:
Do the people who committed these crimes and created that culture get punished if you perform the death penalty here?

Please don't cop out and accuse me and my classmates of being part of the problem.

I feel sorry for you. I really, honestly do.

But Penn State football should be shut down. Period.

By saying that the culture of the entire institution stinks and needs to change isn't fingering out any individual student like yourself.

The entire grand experiment was a giant heaping pile of bullshit. EVERYONE involved needs to go. This cover up didn't stop with 4 people. There are countless more cowards in the administration and athletic department who need to be flushed out before the university can truly expunge the stench that was Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno.
 
I don't want anyone's pity. I just don't want to be punished for the crimes of others.

The death penalty punishes those who were not involved and has no impact on the criminals. Period.
 
The death penalty punishes those who were not involved

Of course it does. No, it's not fair that current players that had nothing to do with this would suffer because of it, but that's what happens anytime the NCAA drops the hammer on a school even when it's not as extreme as the death penalty. It's not fair that John Calipari has left a trail of schools punished for violations that took place while he was head coach and he was not affected at all, but that is how the current rules are written and the current rules are what the NCAA has to go by in this case. It's the school that gets punished because they are supposed to be complying with the rules and that includes monitoring the athletic programs.

Here you had the head football coach and the athletic director and the university president aware of crimes taking place in the football facilities and did not report it or stop it. IN THE FOOTBALL FACILITIES. How can the NCAA possibly not enact a severe punishment on the school for that? And it does not matter at all that those involved are already gone.

I don't see why every student in that school should be punished for the culture that was created there

How is every student 'punished' by shutting down the football team? I don't see how most students would really be affected that much other than they won't get to go to football games on Saturday and they won't get to brag about having a nationally ranked football team. But overall shutting down football isn't going to have much impact on their pursuit of an education. There will inevitably be some students like 'PhilsFan' who are going to be more affected, but, I'm sorry, I just don't think that is enough reason for the NCAA to let Penn State off the hook for this extreme lack of leadership and accountability.

This came out this morning - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/14/s...id-jerry-sandusky-inquiry.html?pagewanted=all

Apparently, when it became clear that the Sandusky investigation was eventually going to go public, Paterno renegotiated his contract so that if 2011 was his last year he would get a big bonus and a lot of sweet extras. So that means his big 'falling on his sword' moment last November when he said he would resign at the end of 2011 was just for show. And, of course, Spanier signed off on this contract without the full board being made aware until after it was done.
 
I don't want anyone's pity. I just don't want to be punished for the crimes of others.

The death penalty punishes those who were not involved and has no impact on the criminals. Period.

I think the counter-argument to that is that these criminals weren't operating in a vacuum separate from the rest of the university, and more importantly, may not have even acted criminally were it not for the overwhelming culture of football worship present at the university. So while you may punish the criminals this time, the culture that allowed something like this to take place still exists. If football is such a cash cow for the school, and takes such a huge priority over everything else that someone directly witnessing child rape is afraid to report it for fear of being fired over what that allegation may do to the football program's reputation, then the issue is larger than just a few individuals who didn't act.

Will there will be many who, through no fault of their own, will face negative repercussions should the NCAA decide to give the program the death penalty? Unfortunately, yes - and yeah, it's unfair to them. But simply punishing 4 individuals isn't going to change the culture. And frankly, the message needs to be crystal clear, and perhaps even a little harshly so, that institutions of higher learning need to get their fucking priorities straight.
 
I think the counter-argument to that is that these criminals weren't operating in a vacuum separate from the rest of the university, and more importantly, may not have even acted criminally were it not for the overwhelming culture of football worship present at the university. So while you may punish the criminals this time, the culture that allowed something like this to take place still exists. If football is such a cash cow for the school, and takes such a huge priority over everything else that someone directly witnessing child rape is afraid to report it for fear of being fired over what that allegation may do to the football program's reputation, then the issue is larger than just a few individuals who didn't act.

What bothers me about a lot of the posts advocating the death penalty is the insinuation that the culture of football worship is somehow unique to Penn State. In my opinion, this very same thing could have happened at any university with a major sports program in the country. The problem is not with Penn State alone but with the entire culture of sports idolatry in this country and the immense corporate involvement with it at every level. It's overly-convenient to single out Penn State as though coming down hard on one university will rectify a problem of sports fanaticism that exists all across the country.

And wouldn't it make sense that the new administration of the university and sports programs at Penn State would now be hyper-vigilant about any potential wrongdoing? I don't think at the first board meeting they are going to say "well, there's a precedent for covert child molestation and rape here, so we better start up a new cycle of abuse." I think the reaction at Penn State to the revelations of just how deep Paterno's culpability was will tell us a lot about the "culture" at the school. If the hero-worship mentality remains, then there is certainly a major problem that needs further attention. My suspicion, though, is that those members of the Penn State community who rallied in his support - which, as PFan has said, was a minority at the school - are going to realize that they need to reexamine their priorities.
 
I don't want anyone's pity. I just don't want to be punished for the crimes of others.

The death penalty punishes those who were not involved and has no impact on the criminals. Period.


I am hearing these arguments and trying to be understanding of different points of view.

I do believe there are a lot of other infractions on many other campuses. that have not come to the surface yet, some approach this seriousness and many are less. All of those parties are watching this and hopefully rethinking their actions or lack thereof. For those reasons this deserves the strongest possible sanctions.

As for how this will affect you and other students. Honestly, why would anyone hold you accountable? If anything you will most likely get sympathy and a slight advantage.

What you should be taking away from your college experience and degree is an outstanding education and skill set that puts you ahead of others that have not had your same opportunities.
 
In my opinion, this very same thing could have happened at any university with a major sports program in the country. The problem is not with Penn State alone but with the entire culture of sports idolatry in this country and the immense corporate involvement with it at every level.



Oh, don't get me wrong - I don't think it's only Penn State that has an unhealthy sports culture. When I was speaking of the culture and sending a clear message - I was talking more about the culture of college sports in general. And I would argue that the death penalty serves as a noticeable warning shot across the bows of programs across the nation.

It's overly-convenient to single out Penn State as though coming down hard on one university will rectify a problem of sports fanaticism that exists all across the country.

Perhaps, but it's a start, and certainly better than not doing anything or just issuing a statement of condemnation. And frankly, given the nature of the crimes (particularly the victims of said crimes) that were known of and not reported, I would favor erring on the harsher side of punishment.

My suspicion, though, is that those members of the Penn State community who rallied in his support - which, as PFan has said, was a minority at the school - are going to realize that they need to reexamine their priorities.

I certainly hope you're right. Though given the cyclical nature of college sports, I could easily see the reexamination tossed on the sidelines once the season starts up again.
 
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What bothers me about a lot of the posts advocating the death penalty is the insinuation that the culture of football worship is somehow unique to Penn State. In my opinion, this very same thing could have happened at any university with a major sports program in the country. The problem is not with Penn State alone but with the entire culture of sports idolatry in this country and the immense corporate involvement with it at every level. It's overly-convenient to single out Penn State as though coming down hard on one university will rectify a problem of sports fanaticism that exists all across the country.

I think that's a very good and important point.

I would guess that one way every student would suffer would be increased fees and tuition in order to compensate for loss of football revenue. It will be bad enough when all the lawsuits will multi-million dollar settlements for each have to be paid out.

I can't even imagine what they make from football. It certainly appears they had plenty of money to pay out Joe Paterno, according to what has come out regarding his exit negotiations that were going on.
 
Sorry if this has been mentioned upthread, but has anyone advocating the death penalty connected the dots for exactly how it would unfold with the NCAA as far as what rules had been broken? We can't just point at A Bad Thing on a University campus and say ergo, death penalty.

On the other end, I see a parallel between this and the 2008 financial industry argument about there being a "culture" and therefore it's not that fair to drop the hammer on any individual actor. Seeing people in jail may not be a magic panacea, but I can't imagine how sitting down and just thinking very sincerely about how to change a national culture would accomplish more, faster.
 
How can the NCAA possibly not enact a severe punishment on the school for that? And it does not matter at all that those involved are already gone.
Of course it matters. It's the entire point.

The NCAA does not need to act because the LEGAL SYSTEM will act. Do people not realize that the legal system is actually a much more serious thing than the NCAA?
I think the counter-argument to that is that these criminals weren't operating in a vacuum separate from the rest of the university, and more importantly, may not have even acted criminally were it not for the overwhelming culture of football worship present at the university. So while you may punish the criminals this time, the culture that allowed something like this to take place still exists. If football is such a cash cow for the school, and takes such a huge priority over everything else that someone directly witnessing child rape is afraid to report it for fear of being fired over what that allegation may do to the football program's reputation, then the issue is larger than just a few individuals who didn't act.

Will there will be many who, through no fault of their own, will face negative repercussions should the NCAA decide to give the program the death penalty? Unfortunately, yes - and yeah, it's unfair to them. But simply punishing 4 individuals isn't going to change the culture. And frankly, the message needs to be crystal clear, and perhaps even a little harshly so, that institutions of higher learning need to get their fucking priorities straight.
You don't think the culture is changing? Then you are clearly missing what is happening here.
What bothers me about a lot of the posts advocating the death penalty is the insinuation that the culture of football worship is somehow unique to Penn State. In my opinion, this very same thing could have happened at any university with a major sports program in the country. The problem is not with Penn State alone but with the entire culture of sports idolatry in this country and the immense corporate involvement with it at every level. It's overly-convenient to single out Penn State as though coming down hard on one university will rectify a problem of sports fanaticism that exists all across the country.

And wouldn't it make sense that the new administration of the university and sports programs at Penn State would now be hyper-vigilant about any potential wrongdoing? I don't think at the first board meeting they are going to say "well, there's a precedent for covert child molestation and rape here, so we better start up a new cycle of abuse." I think the reaction at Penn State to the revelations of just how deep Paterno's culpability was will tell us a lot about the "culture" at the school. If the hero-worship mentality remains, then there is certainly a major problem that needs further attention. My suspicion, though, is that those members of the Penn State community who rallied in his support - which, as PFan has said, was a minority at the school - are going to realize that they need to reexamine their priorities.
:up:
As for how this will affect you and other students. Honestly, why would anyone hold you accountable? If anything you will most likely get sympathy and a slight advantage.

What you should be taking away from your college experience and degree is an outstanding education and skill set that puts you ahead of others that have not had your same opportunities.
You have completely missed my point, then. I am losing those opportunities the minute you start canceling football games this season. My studies are directly tied into Penn State athletics.
The civil law suits Penn State will face will be staggering in scope. They will cripple the school.

And the payments that Paterno agreed to when he knew shit was about to hit the fan? Yea... any good lawyer will go right after them so fast that his family will never see a dime of that money.
So, why the fuck does the NCAA need to get involved? It seems pretty clear that Penn State is going to pay dearly for this, both financially and in reputation.
Sorry if this has been mentioned upthread, but has anyone advocating the death penalty connected the dots for exactly how it would unfold with the NCAA as far as what rules had been broken? We can't just point at A Bad Thing on a University campus and say ergo, death penalty.
It would be for a "lack of institutional control," but that is even a stretch, as the death penalty can only been enacted on repeat offenders. Since this is the first actual case of any wrongdoing, despite the magnitude and the length of time, it will be tough for the NCAA to actually do much unless it wants to enact some sort of Goodellian ruling that's "for the good of the NCAA system" or whatever.
 
Just because the death penalty was used on SMU, and because bowl bans were used on USC and tOSU, does not mean that it is right to do so here. In fact, weren't a lot of the people currently calling for sanctions against the current, new regime at Penn State the same ones who were criticizing the NCAA for doing so at USC with completely different people involved?

I understand that it did not occur in a vacuum, as Diemen said. Well, actually, it did, and that's sort of the point: the Board had allowed a power vacuum to develop. But those Board members handled this situation terribly and are being voted out at every opportunity. The reputation of the school is ruined, the finances are about to go down the drain through civil lawsuits. This school's day of reckoning has already come.

Shutting down the football program simply would take away jobs and kill other sports. Someone asked above how much money Penn State's football team makes. Their profits are somewhere north of $50 million per year, but that money is used mostly to fund the other 31 varsity sports at Penn State. If you kill football, you kill several other pairs of sports at Penn State.

If you call for the death penalty, I don't give a rat's ass about how "sorry" you feel for me or unfortunate you think the situation is. I think it's very easy for you to sit far away, ultimately unaffected, and shout "BAD THING, KILL IT." And simply acknowledging the huge negative impact it would have on all the things I've talked about does not mean you've actually thought the whole thing through. "Yeah, I know there will be people affected, BUT STILL." Why "but still"?

If Penn State does not receive the death penalty, it's not like they are getting off the hook. This university has been wrecked in a whole host of ways.
 
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