The NCAA has spoken and Penn State football will probably be set back 10-15 years as a result of these sanctions. While the crimes of every person involved are severe, again the NCAA I believe has thrown out the baby with the bath water.
While the chain of command from the University President to Joe Paterno must share in the responsibility of what has occurred, the question has to be asked, what about the players who were exempt from fault here? All the players during the tenure of Sandusky and Paterno ever did was go to school, play football and represent Penn State University! All of their accomplishment and hard work do not deserve to be wiped out as if they never existed.
The fines are deserved, the taking down of the Paterno statue is the right thing to do and whatever becomes of the punishment of the administration and coaches involve are justifiable, but what about the young players that are a part of the Nittany Lion family now. No bowl game, loss of scholarships and the stress that now sits upon the shoulders of new head coach O’brien is unjustifiable!
The mistakes and misgivings of the few should not be applied to those who played no role in this travesty. The NCAA and college coaches preach all day long, no one individual is bigger or more important than the team, where is that reasoning with regards to the missteps of those who are suppose to be the examples to the young men who put their trust and loyalties in these coaches and university administrators?
I feel for the victims of Jerry Sandusky and the pain they will endure for a lifetime, but the NCAA really needs to look in the mirror and evaluate the process for penalizing university administrations, head coaches and assistants, because at the end of the day isn’t it about the kids and the team concept? Many will not agree with my assessment, many Penn State haters obviously are in heaven, but right is right and wrong is wrong and this is wrong in every way, the transgressions and iniquities of the fathers should not be passed on to the kids.
Seth Joyner
