Thread for Hippos to mock Penn State

[Diomedes]

I think the punishment should be draconian.   Maximum imaginable.   I'm aware this means that people who have no guilt in the matter will be "harmed," but frankly, I don't care.  They aren't harmed that badly.  They can transfer to another school to play football.  Or stick and get the education that is supposed to be the point anyway.  Ticket holders can get refunds.  Scheduled contracts involving games can be broken and aggrieved parties can sue Penn State.    Whatever.

In fact, I like the idea that innocent people will be injured.  The sum of all injuries incurred as a result of the punishment pales in comparison to the harm done by the sicko who was enabled by the football worship mentality that ruled Penn State.

It's a ruthless fact of life that when you associate yourself with an organization, you expose yourself to consequences of the failure of that organizatoin.  It's not fair that people get laid off when a CEO makes bad decision, but tough shtein, that's life.

The crimes are so severe that the punishment should be massive and indiscriminate.  How else will the message be delivered?

Let me put it this way:  sometimes you punish the kid who misbehaves, and that works.  But when the transgressions are more serious, and the culprits more numerous, it doesn't work to try to investigate and punish only those involved.  You've got to punish the whole class.

This is a case for collective punishment.  Shut it down.

[Drunkmasterflex]

I think the punishment should be draconian.   Maximum imaginable.   I'm aware this means that people who have no guilt in the matter will be "harmed," but frankly, I don't care.  They aren't harmed that badly.  They can transfer to another school to play football.  Or stick and get the education that is supposed to be the point anyway.  Ticket holders can get refunds.  Scheduled contracts involving games can be broken and aggrieved parties can sue Penn State.    Whatever.

In fact, I like the idea that innocent people will be injured.  The sum of all injuries incurred as a result of the punishment pales in comparison to the harm done by the sicko who was enabled by the football worship mentality that ruled Penn State.

It's a ruthless fact of life that when you associate yourself with an organization, you expose yourself to consequences of the failure of that organizatoin.  It's not fair that people get laid off when a CEO makes bad decision, but tough shtein, that's life.

The crimes are so severe that the punishment should be massive and indiscriminate.  How else will the message be delivered?

Let me put it this way:  sometimes you punish the kid who misbehaves, and that works.  But when the transgressions are more serious, and the culprits more numerous, it doesn't work to try to investigate and punish only those involved.  You've got to punish the whole class.

This is a case for collective punishment.  Shut it down.

I don't believe you.

And that is complete BS.

I never talk here about my war experiences but that would be like me wasting crowds of innocent people because they lived under Sadaam.

[Sgt PSN]

The difference is that those people were born into a life under Sadaam and had no choice. Players, coaches, etc all have choice where they work or play.  Plus, shutting it down doesn't kill anyone.

An unfortunate fact of life is that there is always collateral damage in situations like this and there will be "innocent victims" getting punished through no fault of their own. Maybe they lose a job or a football scholarship at their prefered school but I suspect that's better than losing your ass cherry to a deranged old man. 

[Drunkmasterflex]

The difference is that those people were born into a life under Sadaam and had no choice. Players, coaches, etc all have choice where they work or play.  Plus, shutting it down doesn't kill anyone.

An unfortunate fact of life is that there is always collateral damage in situations like this and there will be "innocent victims" getting punished through no fault of their own. Maybe they lose a job or a football scholarship at their prefered school but I suspect that's better than losing your ass cherry to a deranged old man.

I agree and I am clearly being dramatic....but I hate seeing any punished.

[Sgt PSN]

I do too which I why I said that the fallout should be limited to the football program and not the entire athletic department.  There's still innocent people getting penalized, but the damage is minimal.

Now I don't know how legal or practical this would be, but perhaps a fair trade off would be that scholarship students are eligible to transfer to another school and PSU is still on the hook for the tuition. So if a kid with a full ride wants to go to Alabama (and if Bama wants the player), then PSU pays the way.

You wanna talk about a kick in the nuts....have them pick up the tab so players they recruited can help rival schools with championships.

[Diomedes]

Today I learned that shutting down a football program is equivalent to killing innocent people.

[Diomedes]

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

LOL at Sarge's increasingly wacky ideas.

Yes, paying for players' scholarships at other schools... That'll learn 'em! At this point those complicit in the cover-up are out, so the punishment should be a deterrent to other schools and has to have teeth.

Start by vacating all team wins since the 2001 incident, as there is proof that holds up in a court of law that proves the coach and athletic director, with cooperation from the university president, knew and did nothing. Bye bye Paterno's record. Bye bye only BCS bowl victory. After that they can and should cripple the future of the team in a variety of ways that will hurt financially more than paying a few tuition bills.

[Rome]

I can't believe I'm saying this but wtf?  The scumbag who committed these atrocities is going to spend the rest of his miserable life in prison.  The head coach who aided and abetted him is dead.  The douchebags in administration who swept it under the rug are all gone, and civil lawsuits will financially, if not emotionally or spiritually, rectify any wrong-doing by the university.

So again I ask, why is it necessary to destroy the future of the program when the principals in the past are at fault?

And I agree that Paterno's record should be left in tatters and the wins should be vacated but in the grand scheme of things those acts mean less than nothing.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Selfishly, I wouldn't want to punish the future of the program. But the deservingly-maligned NCAA needs to do something big here. They go after schools for providing ticky tack benefits like shirts and tutoring sessions, but they conveniently claim lack of jurisdiction on something like this? I can't imagine they can let that happen.

That said the "DEATH PENALTY" stuff is simple reactionary nonsense. It won't happen and would punish far outside the desired radius of stakeholders. However, I believe the PSU board of trustees needs to take strong measures to separate the importance of the football team's past and future from the school's. They are playing it correctly by not removing the statue in a reactionary way, but it will have to come down before another game is played. Other steps can and will be determined down the line.

When it comes down to it, the only wrong answers are to do nothing and to permanently shut down the football program. Lots of options in between the two for both the NCAA and the PSU BOT to take that will accomplish the desired outcome.

[Diomedes]

I view the situation less as a crime committed by one individual and ignored by a few others, and more as the natural result of a large cult.  The Penn State community bought so hard into the cult of personality surrounding Pope Paterno and his Cardinals, that the shysters enjoyed decades of total unquestioned power and influence.  Not even child rape could break through the spell cast upon these people by their own obsession with football and the cult of personality with their leader. 

The entire community needs to feel the brunt of the punishment for the monster they helped to create.  Vacate records and wins, obliterate statues and street signs, shut the football program down for five years.  Send everyone in happy valley to re-education camps.  Something like that.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Oh, I hear that. And frankly, the punishment definitely needs to be severe enough to make sure other schools are scared shteinless of allowing sports to run roughshod over everything else.

But this is why a 5-year ban won't happen: hint... Follow the $

[Rome]

If you're going to shut Penn State down because it's a de facto cult, you're going to have to shut down the programs in Tuscaloosa, Tallahassee, Gainesville (in truth, I'd be fine with this because farg the Gators), Ann Arbor, etc.

Punishing innocents because other innocents were harmed is not the way to prevent such things from happening again.  It's not a rational solution, sorry.

[Diomedes]

Do you disagree that there are times when the most effective method for correcting behavior is to punish everyone for one person's bad behavior?

I know a basketball coach who makes the entire team run suicide sprints if any single player is caught taunting or trash talking after making a basket.  It's not fair of course, but it works.  After scoring, the entire team hustles into defense.

Sometimes you have to raise the stakes for everyone in order to get a change in thinking and behavior.

[Diomedes]

If you're going to shut Penn State down because it's a de facto cult, you're going to have to shut down the programs in Tuscaloosa, Tallahassee, Gainesville (in truth, I'd be fine with this because farg the Gators), Ann Arbor, etc.

Difference being none of these places harbored a child rapist in order to protect the cult.  It will certainly send them a message to see Penn State shut out for an unprecedented term.