PSU prez took sanctions to avoid death penalty

[Bortukal]

Penn State president Rodney Erickson revealed that the university accepted the severe NCAA sanctions announced today to avoid the death penalty for the football program.
In an interview with the Centre Daily Times, Erickson said, "We had our backs to the wall on this. We did what we thought was necessary to save the program."

CentreDaily.com

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There was debate on whether the penalties announced today were worse than the death penalty. Erickson doesn't think they are.​

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[Capt. Tuttle]

"We had our backs to the wall on this. We did what we thought was necessary to save the program."

Isn't that what brought this on in the first place"?
Sent from my Vortex using Tapatalk 2

 

[orange79]

So, they did it for the FB program. Just more evidence that they STILL don't get it.

 

[Crusty]

He said that up to 4 years of the death penalty was mentioned. The NCAA obviously held that over their heads if they did not want to agree to the sanctions. Very tough and very smart. That put all the appeals and other BS behind them. Excellent job.

 

[44PRIDE]

So, they did it for the FB program. Just more evidence that they STILL don't get it.

I dunno about that. PSU knew they were getting the hammer one way or another. Just because they took the lesser of two evil's doesn't mean they don't "get it". I mean, they'll eventually need to field a football team again. PSU was looking out for their best interests.

 

[javadoc]

I dunno about that. PSU knew they were getting the hammer one way or another. Just because they took the lesser of two evil's doesn't mean they don't "get it". I mean, they'll eventually need to field a football team again. PSU was looking out for their best interests.

They should have reported Sandusky ages ago, because it is the right thing to do, but also "for the football program." It's OK to value your football program. Their problem is that they didn't understand the rational way to protect the program - they had a "protect the program at all costs" mindset. Get this out in the open right away and it would largely have been forgotten by now. Single bad actor, caught and removed, end of story.

 

[orange79]

I dunno about that. PSU knew they were getting the hammer one way or another. Just because they took the lesser of two evil's doesn't mean they don't "get it". I mean, they'll eventually need to field a football team again. PSU was looking out for their best interests.

I totally get that. It was the words he used that bothered me. You would think by now they would be a bit more careful about they way they word things, that's all.

 

[tipphill]

He said that up to 4 years of the death penalty was mentioned. The NCAA obviously held that over their heads if they did not want to agree to the sanctions. Very tough and very smart. That put all the appeals and other BS behind them. Excellent job.

ncaa should have given the death penalty they chickened out.should have been 3-5 yrs plus a fine.they got off very easy given the magnitude here

 

[ithacat]

They still have a football team and they're still going to be on TV. Of course it's a better deal for PSU. The NCAA slapped their hands. Shameful on the NCAA. The rich can literally get away with murder. Molestation... here's a check.

 

[MadNY3]

In a difficult situation caused by others, for the most part, the current people running Penn State down to O'Brien have been generally very good in responding to all this the past couple months (save some trustees early on).

I applaud how they have publicly handled the past few days, with a nod to Edelman, a great PR firm they hired for crisis communications. Swallowing lots of pride, not invoking legal recource to save face, etc to take an unprecedented slew of penalties is NOT as easy to do even with the horror that happend.

Sandusky, Paterno & Co will pay for their sins...but the current people there seem to be looking at the long haul and I bet rebuild the program no less quickly since our post-McNabb situation (and no...I am not comparing declining facilities, poor recruiting, iffy coaching and terrible execution to what PSU did, just the timeframe.)

PSU will be fine in a few years. Pride, tradition and alumni support will be clutch.

Related...I will be surprised if we land one current PSU player in the next couple months.

 

[PeteCalvin]

They were never shutting the program down for a year, much less 3 or 4. The financial impact on the surrounding community and the complications of B1G scheduling/tv contracts were considerations to that effect. Shutting the program down would have affected far more people than just PSU. The SMU version of the death penalty was never a true option, IMHO, not in this modern era of conference TV contracts. I could be wrong, but that's my gut feel.

 

[rrlbees]

In a difficult situation caused by others, for the most part, the current people running Penn State down to O'Brien have been generally very good in responding to all this the past couple months (save some trustees early on).

I applaud how they have publicly handled the past few days, with a nod to Edelman, a great PR firm they hired for crisis communications. Swallowing lots of pride, not invoking legal recource to save face, etc to take an unprecedented slew of penalties is NOT as easy to do even with the horror that happend.

Sandusky, Paterno & Co will pay for their sins...but the current people there seem to be looking at the long haul and I bet rebuild the program no less quickly since our post-McNabb situation (and no...I am not comparing declining facilities, poor recruiting, iffy coaching and terrible execution to what PSU did, just the timeframe.)

PSU will be fine in a few years. Pride, tradition and alumni support will be clutch.

Related...I will be surprised if we land one current PSU player in the next couple months.

You missed all the quotes by current BOT members. They have not handled it well.

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[MadNY3]

You missed all the quotes by current BOT members. They have not handled it well.

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Probably did.

All things considered though...they've done pretty decent. This is some unprecedented, unbelievable times for them.

 

[tipphill]

They were never shutting the program down for a year, much less 3 or 4. The financial impact on the surrounding community and the complications of B1G scheduling/tv contracts were considerations to that effect. Shutting the program down would have affected far more people than just PSU. The SMU version of the death penalty was never a true option, IMHO, not in this modern era of conference TV contracts. I could be wrong, but that's my gut feel.

you are probably right.none the less the ncaa failed . they are not involved nor should the be with the impact on local economy nor big 10 issues. they are only required to take approriate action. in every crisis there is collateral damage. every person who ever lost a job due to dishonest ceo,companies closing etc. but that said your points are probably right on. stuff always affects more people than just the targets

 

[Jake]

In a difficult situation caused by others, for the most part, the current people running Penn State down to O'Brien have been generally very good in responding to all this the past couple months (save some trustees early on).

I applaud how they have publicly handled the past few days, with a nod to Edelman, a great PR firm they hired for crisis communications. Swallowing lots of pride, not invoking legal recource to save face, etc to take an unprecedented slew of penalties is NOT as easy to do even with the horror that happend.

Sandusky, Paterno & Co will pay for their sins...but the current people there seem to be looking at the long haul and I bet rebuild the program no less quickly since our post-McNabb situation (and no...I am not comparing declining facilities, poor recruiting, iffy coaching and terrible execution to what PSU did, just the timeframe.)

PSU will be fine in a few years. Pride, tradition and alumni support will be clutch.

Related...I will be surprised if we land one current PSU player in the next couple months.

The brand is shot forever. In fact it's connotation is now the polar opposite of where it was a year ago.

As was posted above, the quotes from a few board members have shown a basic lack of understanding of the severity of the issue.

That PR firm needs to reach out to the Paternos and Franco Harris to offer their services for free. They are undoing much of the good will coming from the administration.

 

[orange79]

Penn State trustee: School 'rolled over and played dead' to NCAA

By Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY
Updated 4h 44m ago
Some members of the Penn State Board of Trustees are unhappy that the university's administration agreed to severe NCAA sanctions announced Monday without first consulting the 32-member group.

CAPTION​

By Carolyn Kaster, AP​

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"It's really simple: I am frankly outraged as a member of the board of trustees that the university entered into a consent agreement without discussing it with the Board in advance of signing,'' Anthony Lubrano told USA TODAY Sports.
"If I'm going to be held accountable, I feel like I should've been part of that process," Lubrano added. "I think it's fair to say that a number of board members are upset."
Lubrano, a financial planner, graduated magna cum laude with an accounting degree from Penn State in 1982. He had been one of the harshest critics of the board as a non-member after it fired Joe Paterno last November in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky P e d o p h I l I ascandal that rocked the Big Ten institution. During his campaign to become a trustee last spring, Lubrano purchased television time and included as part of his campaign a "Joe Paterno tribute."
On Monday, the NCAA penalized Penn State with numerous hard-hitting sanctions.
"It really wasn't much of a negotiation (but) everything's negotiable," Lubrano said. "My view is that we rolled over and played dead. They (board members) want to put Paterno behind them."
Meanwhile, a group called Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship issued a statement Monday that, in part, blamed the board for the NCAA's severe punishment.
"To rely upon such a report to issue punishment is beyond reckless, and should not be supported in any way by the leadership of Penn State," said the group. "By agreeing to these sanctions, every single member of the Penn State Board of Trustees has blatantly failed in their fiduciary responsibilities to the university. With each passing hour, we are gaining additional alumni support in our demand to have them resign immediately."
Penn State president Rodney Erickson said the school accepted the NCAA's punishment as a way to avoid the death penalty.
"We had our backs to the wall on this," Erickson told the Centre Daily Times. "We did what we thought was necessary to save the program."
Last week, Steve Garban, the board's chairman at the time of Sandusky's arrest in November, resigned from the board after being criticized in the Freeh Report for his handling of the crisis that has damaged the school's image and reputation.
The Paterno family issued a statement Monday taking the NCAA and Penn State leadership to task, saying in part:

"The sanctions announced today by the NCAA defame the legacy and contributions of a great coach and educator without any input from our family of those who knew him best. That the President, the Athletic Director and the 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 University and the 500,000 alumni. ... This is not a fair or thoughtful action; it is a panicked response to the public's understandable revultion at what Sandusky did."

http://content.usatoday.com/communi...action-rolled-over-played-dead/1#.UA53TaPCuZQ​

 

[Moontan]

PSU was looking out for their best interests.

I'd reword that to "PSU was looking out for their football interests".

 

[orangenirvana]

you are probably right.none the less the ncaa failed . they are not involved nor should the be with the impact on local economy nor big 10 issues. they are only required to take approriate action. in every crisis there is collateral damage. every person who ever lost a job due to dishonest ceo,companies closing etc. but that said your points are probably right on. stuff always affects more people than just the targets

They failed? What would have been a more "appropriate action?" Blow up the school?

 

[tipphill]

They failed? What would have been a more "appropriate action?" Blow up the school?

had you read my previous posts it should have been 3-5 year death penalty with the fine. 60 mil will not be that difficult for psu. in doing what they have done,psu still has the infrastucture in place and a cult fan base that still doesn't get it.if the ncaa wan ted to change the culture, then create a "opportunity" and situation that demanded it. they backed off it for reasons that they should not have even considered

 

[orangenirvana]

had you read my previous posts it should have been 3-5 year death penalty with the fine. 60 mil will not be that difficult for psu. in doing what they have done,psu still has the infrastucture in place and a cult fan base that still doesn't get it.if the ncaa wan ted to change the culture, then create a "opportunity" and situation that demanded it. they backed off it for reasons that they should not have even considered

The NCAA doesn't have the power to "change the culture" completely. And even if they did, why would they want to totally cripple the program because of 5 or 6 dopes (now gone) and one psycho? It was an appropriate punishment.

 

[MadNY3]

The brand is shot forever. In fact it's connotation is now the polar opposite of where it was a year ago.

As was posted above, the quotes from a few board members have shown a basic lack of understanding of the severity of the issue.

That PR firm needs to reach out to the Paternos and Franco Harris to offer their services for free. They are undoing much of the good will coming from the administration.

Ex-players and BOT members aside (and BOTs can be made up of rich donors and over-the-top fans unlike a read publicly traded company board of directors), the newer PSU people have done a lot of tough, good things all things considered.

Try telling Jim Brown what to say. Or hell...Boeheim.

PSU is not dead for the long-term. But those who contributed in any way - Sandusky, Paterno, Curley, MCQUERY - should get punished at all levels on earth and thereafter.