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Bitter Reactions To NCAA's Punitive Penn State Sanctions
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 23, 2012
Modified Jul 23, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 23, 2012
Modified Jul 23, 2012
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After the NCAA handed down very severe—though not quite devastating—sanctions for Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal and the school's subsequent cover-up, people have been giving their two cents. The family of once-beloved, now-controversial football coach Joe Paterno issued a statement, "The sanctions announced by the NCAA defame the legacy and contributions of a great coach and educator without any input from our family or those who knew him best."
Paterno, who died earlier this year, shortly after being asked to resign, was told of his former assistant coach Sandusky's apparent rape of a young boy in a Penn State locker room. Paterno told university officials, and no one contacted the authorities. Penn State's board of trustees commissioned an independent investigation, resulting in the Freeh Report, which said Paterno and others concealed critical information.
Paterno's family blasted that report and also faulted the NCAA's decision to vacate Paterno's wins between 1998 and 2011—which means he falls from being the #1 winningest NCAA football coach to #8—as well as the $60 million fine and other punishments. The family said (via), "That the President, the Athletic Director and Board of Trustees accepted this unprecedented action by the NCAA without requiring a full due process hearing before the Committee on Infractions is an abdication of their responsibilities and a breach of their fiduciary duties to the Univeristy and the 500,000 alumni. Punishing past, present, and future students of the University because of Sandusky's crimes does not serve justice. This is not a fair or thoughtful action; it is a panicked response to the public's understandable revulsion at what Sandusky did."
Penn State fans were also upset and took to Twitter to express their outrage at the NCAA:
Centre County Commissioner Chris Exarchos said, "I think we just created another set of victims. All the young people that came to Penn State to play football have now had the program basically gutted." Well, at least the entire football season wasn't suspended. Then again, some think college football is an exploitative waste of money and should be banned.
Tagged
college football
jerry sandusky
joe paterno
NCAA
penn state
scandal
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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