Should Penn State Get the Death Penalty?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

I completely disagree. Shutting down the football department sends a message to other schools that the penalty for covering things like this up is much more severe than 4-5 people losing, or potentially losing, their jobs. Hell, isn't the VP still on administrative leave? They haven't even fired him yet. Even when the board learned of the allegations they didn't make a full inquiry. They were hoping it would fall to the wayside.

Once again, you think the public scorn that Penn State is facing won't do that trick?

Moreover, you've assigned a motive to the board that even Freeh didn't try to assign. They did discuss it with Spanier and Spanier said there was nothing to it. He then proceeded to manipulate board statements, etc... We don't know why the Board didn't launch a full scale investigation. I'm not willing to say that it was because they were waiting for a federal grand jury investigation to 'fall to the wayside'. Those are intelligent people on that board and they almost certainly know better than that.

The board at Penn State cares a hell of a lot more about the overall reputation of the University than they care about the football program. That reputation has been forever tarnished. I've known a few people on college boards, only 1 on a major University, and those folks are almost purely academicians. They couldn't really care less about football beyond it's PR value. Well their PR couldn't be any lower right now.

I just do not believe for a moment that closing up the football program is going to get someone to do anything that the prison time, civil penalties and massive public scorn isn't already going to accomplish.