Around the Big Ten

[iam416]

Ya know, even after PSU fans were the most self-righteous, sanctimonious pricks about Coach Tressel, I still feel a bit bad for them. This is a total cratering of the program. That said, the timing is nice for Urbie's ascension to Leaders (or is it Legends?) Division dominance! WooooOOOOOOT!

[iam416]

So now the two guys leading in all time wins have had a bunch of wins vacated. Is Bear Bryant the all time winningest I-A coach again yet?

And, perhaps, ironically, Bear surely benefitted from blatant and outright cheating far more than either Boooby or JoePa.

[Hannibal]

I'm not shedding a tear for Penn State right now, but I'm somewhat in agreement with the folks who are being made a little nervous by this sudden increase in NCAA authority. Some people have tried to argue that Penn State gained a competitive advantage by doing this, but boy o boy, that is a stretch. Certainly not more than what numerous other programs have gained with much lighter punishment.

[Hannibal]

Ya know, even after PSU fans were the most self-righteous, sanctimonious pricks about Coach Tressel, I still feel a bit bad for them. This is a total cratering of the program. That said, the timing is nice for Urbie's ascension to Leaders (or is it Legends?) Division dominance! WooooOOOOOOT!

Boy I sure am glad that we didn't split the program East-West. /s

Prepare for a bunch of OSU-UM rematches in the conference championship game starting in about 2015.

As I write this, it occurs to me that this would be a wonderful opportunity for the NCAA to get rid of the idiotic "Leaders" and "Legends" bullshit.

[Ghengis Jon]

Rob:

There's no way a TV ban works these days. It was ok back in the day of the NCAA's monopolistic, assinine limits on TV appearances. You could ban a team from TV without cutting into anyone else's appearances. But now, every B10 game is televised and the penalty would necessarily injure so-called innocent bystanders.

Maybe I'm being overly cynical, but leaving TV revenue in place is simply a way for PSU to fund their $60M fine.

Don't know if I agree that this is a "morality" precedent for the NCAA. We're talking about the cover-up of serious criminal activity, not the arranging of 'coincidental' meetings between players and hookers.

[iam416]

This is the general article on the sanctions and basically sums up exactly what some of us have been saying:

"This is unique and this kind of power has never been tested or tried," the former chair said. "It's unprecedented to have this extensive power. This has nothing to do with the purpose of the infractions process. Nevertheless, somehow (the NCAA president and executive board) have taken it on themselves to be a commissioner and to penalize a school for improper conduct."


The chair said that the NCAA was dealing with a case that is outside the traditional rules or violations. He said this case does not fall within the basic fundamental purpose of NCAA regulations. "The purpose of the NCAA is to keep a level playing field among schools and to make sure they use proper methods through scholarships and etcetera," the chair said.

"This is not a case that would normally go through the process. It has nothing to do with a level playing field. It has nothing to do with whether Penn State gets advantages over other schools in recruiting or in the number of coaches or things that we normally deal with."


The NCAA, the chair said, had never gotten involved in punishing schools for criminal behavior.


"The criminal courts are perfectly capable of handling these situations," the former chair said. "This is a new phase and a new thing. They are getting into bad behavior that are somehow connected to those who work in the athletic department.
"This is an important precedent. And it should be taken with extreme care."

[Mike]

I'd like to see these types of penalties applied in improper benefits cases. If sanctions are supposed to influence future behavior than slap the offenders hard enough that it leaves a mark. The penalties imposed on PSU today should have a serious negative impact on Penn State's football program. I only wish rogue programs like Auburn and ohio were subject to the same level of punishment.

[entropy]

Rob:

There's no way a TV ban works these days. It was ok back in the day of the NCAA's monopolistic, assinine limits on TV appearances. You could ban a team from TV without cutting into anyone else's appearances. But now, every B10 game is televised and the penalty would necessarily injure so-called innocent bystanders.

agree. TV bans only hurt other schools. The BIG should reduce their share and put the difference in some charities to help abused children.

You can cripple a program financially too, which is like a death penalty.

[iam416]

Prepare for a bunch of OSU-UM rematches in the conference championship game starting in about 2015.

Yeah. You boys will have a tough road to hoe, but are on your way. UFM should win the division next year (and, frankly, will be in the hunt this year) and pretty much every year after that, barring the occasional loss in Madison.

Leaders/Legends instead of E/W. What a bunch of shittards.

[Rob F]

Rob:

There's no way a TV ban works these days. It was ok back in the day of the NCAA's monopolistic, assinine limits on TV appearances. You could ban a team from TV without cutting into anyone else's appearances. But now, every B10 game is televised and the penalty would necessarily injure so-called innocent bystanders.

Sorry, but I disagree (but not directly with your explanation) on the grounds that a TV Ban would drive home the sanctions in a way nothing else can---first and foremost, no TV would mean that the victims and their families (and yes, also those who wish to offer their moral support of the victims) would not be subjected to seeing PSU football being broadcast as if nothing ever happened. I think it would also take away the single biggest engine of visibility for the program---TV---and therefore further penalize Penn State.

[entropy]

the NCAA didn't create the leaders and legends, that was the BIG

[Ghengis Jon]

The criminal courts are perfectly capable of handling these situations," the former chair said. "This is a new phase and a new thing. They are getting into bad behavior that are somehow connected to those who work in the athletic department.


I think the counter argument is that a criminal court can deal with the personnel aspect of the whole sordid affair, but lets the university off scot-free even though the institution arguably sanctioned the criminal activity by its non-action and subsequent cover-up. Not saying that the NCAA is/should be empowered to do anything, yet some mechanism needs to be in place to keep a sword of Damocles over those who would rule over institutional riches of the athletic department.

[Rob F]

One important thing not yet mentioned here (unless I missed it):

The Big Ten Council of Presidents is holding a press conference at 11 am, as reported on the Big Ten Network several minutes ago. Will it be the B1G's turn to extract their pound of flesh?

[Mike]

I could live with a little piling on.

[Rob F]

I still feel like we're not done. This can't be limited to just four individuals. Even Mike McQueary, for example, after reporting that he saw a child getting raped in the showers, still continued to coach in that shithole once they did nothing about it. How could anyone still get out of bed and go to work at a place like that? There was so much smoke here that I'll bet that some media memberrs had some evidence of this long before it became public and sat on it. We might never find proof of that, but I'd bet just about anything that it happened.

Oh, I don't doubt that, either. Everybody in happy Valley was so blinded by JoePa AND in such fear of JoePa that it is highly likely that the story got sat on for a long time.

Good point, Hannibal.