Penn State and the Freeh Report

I actually read the report. The whole report. All 270+whatever pages of it.

It's a heavy, heavy, heavy read. A very professional report, to be sure, but it's amazing the depth of feeling that Freeh et al managed to convey in it. It's utterly damning without losing focus on a major purpose: to make recommendations for change and implementations of policy.

The four mainly responsible are axed, deceased, or incarcerated.

I think the Death Penalty would punish the wrong people, the very people who would and certainly should now have a passion for ensuring that the recommendations contained in the Freeh report are stringently followed.

While I am 90 minutes away from Happy Valley, it's still hardcore PSU territory here. I am not an alumni, but I am surrounded by many who are, as well as the phenomenon I cannot explain, of people who worship PSU football, but did not go to school there, and often just don't even think higher education is a good idea.

I'm somewhat with Yanti on the idea that the program death would affect people who had nothing to do with it.

HOWEVER - there needs to be a wakeup call somehow. And folks, I am sorry to say, this Freeh report is not enough for many many people around here.

I am holding my tongue on facebook for now. I lost friends in November when this news broke. I am not intending now to gloat or say "I told you so" but the "just make it stop and go away" mentality is strong here. JoePa is still worshipped as a god. I long held that you can't have it both ways: on one hand give him singlehanded credit for making PSU what it is, with the authority and power of a benevolent dictatorial -- then turn around and say "oh he was not responsible, it was out of his hands, he reported to higher ups." The Freeh report is clear: he not only had the power to do something, he influenced the decision to NOT do something. It's great he helped fund a library and set good standards for student-athletes, but the veneer is coming off of some of the ways that organization operated, even aside from the Sandusky horrors. This is evil revealed.

A friend of mine posted this excellent article from a PSU alum with strong ties in the community. I think it's worth a read.

Thankfully, since the PSU community is huge, there are plenty of people with the credibility to do so, who are crying out for the right things to be done. I am an outsider, and have been reminded since I was in high school that I "just don't get it." And no, I don't. And neither does anyone outside a cult system. Too many people I know fail to recognize the cult as just that. I just hope that they can have the scales fall from their eyes as we move forward.

My first reaction, as everyones I think, is just utter disgust.  However, as legit a document as it may seem, it's not official in the sense that they can take legal action against people based on what is in there, is that correct?  I'm not trying to say what is in the report isn't true, beacuse personally I think it is, but regardless of how many emails, files, etc were uncovered, there is a lot of opinion based "fact" and conculstions that are written.  Also, Freeh was hired by PSU to do the investigation, no?  So it's somewhat an internal investigation which is even stranger because there could be, and probably are, loads more evidence that may never be unearthed until more "official" legal action is taken against the school or the individuals involved.  It's only going to keep getting worse.  The connections with his charity work and the power that PSU gave him by associating themselves with him after those accusations were made against him (Twice?) is just insane.  As a father, and what I consider to be a decent human being, things like this are just so disturbing on every level you can think of. 

Someone (PSU Graduate) yesterday called in to the local sports station I listen to and was somewhat defending PSU and everyone and comparing the situation to the ongoing Cathloic church scandals.  I think the mentality that would make someone relate college football to religion is kind of scary.  I didn't go to a big college and buy into the culture so I'm not familiar with the relationship between some students/alumns to their schools, but from an outsider looking in it seems like a cult of sorts.

As a person that lives way too close to the Husker Nation, the cults are everywhere.  I live in Iowa, but the Nebraska fans that live and breathe husker football are everywhere.  It is way past the annoying stage and definitely a cult type of feeling.  If one of the players get a speeding ticket, the people are saying it was probably a setup.  Like a speeding ticket is a huge thing for Nebraska football players.

I'm not sure of the NCAA's actual rules regarding this but I do know they are judge, jury and executioner and can do whatever they want for the most part.

Actions taken by the guilty parties in this were motivated by protecting "the program" - somehow a message needs to be sent either through the NCAA, the school itself or authorities that it is not acceptable to bury criminal activity to protect your sports program... that is a distorted and morally wrong view of the world and a strong message needs to be sent so it does not happen again

would you call it lack of institutional controls???  If this is a criminal act and not a violation of NCAA rules (which I have no idea if there are rules about covering up crimes) then how can they rule???

So, question.  Why was the FBI investigating?  I'm glad they did.  Seemed like the State and Local cops were in some ways complicit, but was there more jurisdiction to this?

I've written and deleted other comments a few times, and now I'm settling on saying "this just disgusts me."

The FBI wasn't investigation. Penn State hired a former FBI director to lead an investigation into the scandal. His report is what was released yesterday.

Oh ok.  Got it.  I knew he was former director, but I didn't know if he was the face for the investigation run by agents. 

Who cares about the football program?

I want the victims to go after the administrators and the college both on civil and criminal charges.  They covered up a crime.  They need to be punished. 

Apparently they took a page out of the Catholic Church's legal playbook.

Catholic Chuch has no higher incidence of abuse than any other.  It's just the most public. 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/04/07/mean-men.html

http://blogs.denverpost.com/hark/2010/05/25/scandal-creates-contempt-for-catholic-clergy/39/ 

eerily, the above article contains a quote by a PSU professor, but it also contains many links to other studies.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/do-the-right-thing/201003/six-important-points-you-dont-hear-about-regarding-clergy-sexual-abus 

If you meant that as a sarcastic remark, you forgot the red and the font. 

The question is: If it happens in all organizations where adults are around children, how many other NCAA Programs have a problem they're hiding too?

Agree completely that those that covered-up should face civil and criminal action.

I didn't forget...

My point was the coverup, not the act itself...

Yesterday in the press conference the Trustees were adamantly defending the idea of oversight vs management (which is true) and in essence saying there is nothing more they could have done.  The question kept coming from reporters about "Do you feel you could have done anything differently?" and several responded with the fact that they asked questions and that there was a concerted effort to cover up the scandal and there is no other way they could have asked the question to get an honest answer.  But there were reports and investigations that they did not fully utilize in making their decisions.  They could have requested further investigations, and who knows if they would have found anything with what was being actively covered up.  Had they conducted further investigations we may be sitting in the exact same place as we are today, and maybe not, we don't know.   But my point is that as long as the trustees are still giving lip service to "we take ownership and responsibility for what happened here." on the one hand, but then emphatically deny that "there is nothing more or different that we could have done" on the other in the same press conference, leads me to believe that the leadership has not really changed or opened it's eyes to anything and this very thing could get by them again.  It just sounded like they are trying to get past it and do damage control and say all the right things until they are pressed with any real introspection.

Edit: An answer that would have probably lead me to believe they will change the value system at PSU would have been "I'm sure there is something more we could have done, however we have jsut received the report a few hours ago and are equally as shocked and disturbed as you by the results of the finding.  We don't know just yet what courses of action may have helped to prevent these events, but you can rest assured that in the next few days that is going to be one of our many focuses as to better checks and balances to have in our educational and athletic systems here."  not the reiteration of "there is no magical question or way of framing the questions we asked that could have made them answer honestly."  That just tells me "If you tell me something, what other options do I have than to believe you?  I can do nothing about it."

I'm not sure how they can say there is nothing more that could be done after you read some of the emails.  They tried to cover it up.

EDIT: and I agree with your point...

I have to agree, I think he came from a time when these things were just "handled", and you dealt with your own problems.  He was from a different era and a completely different way of thinking.  I don't condone what they did in any way, but agree that he should have retired a lot earlier!  

My husband is from Adrian, MI and he and his dad went to the University of Michigan.  They bleed maize and blue to say the least!  I know his dad is a big BO fan, and my husband is a big Llyod Carr fan. His dad can't stand Carr.  Shows the difference in traditions they each had and memories of the school.  

I went to the University of Alabama during the years of our suspension from the NCAA.  I played Division 1-A soccer for them during that time, and it was a rough time for the school, because so much money from the alumni was lacking during that time.  People weren't contributing to the programs because of the suspensions.  The suspensions were warranted, and no one that I knew there thought we shouldn't have received them.  We took booster money, cars, etc.  We deserved what we got from the NCAA.  Eight years we received.  It WAS a death sentence for our program, but it was warranted. Since then we hired Satan Saban and are thriving again! 

I understand the die hard fans who are alumni (AL is playing MI in the first game of the season in Dallas, and my husband and I will be there.  Marriage bragging rights are on the line!) It is the people who "overlook" the indiscretions of the colleges that I don't understand.  

As much as I hate to say it, I don't think the NCAA has any jurisdiction in this matter.  They can maybe stretch it out to be under safety of the players or institutional controls, but in reality the NCAA polices competitive equality, not personal conduct.  If that were the case, then large numbers of school would be on institutions would be on the hook for their players gun run ins and drunken bar fights.  They have historically left that up to the institutions themselves as to how they want to deal with them.

By virtue of it's name, The Pennsylvania State University, I assume that it must receive some funding from the state (however I know this is not necessarily a given since UT's athletics Dept exists completely separate of any state funding) and that is likely the only place that a "death penalty" may come from as far as I can see.  I don't think anyone else has the jurisdiction to impart any punishment. 

However if the Death Penalty were ever more appropriate, I don't know where.  Seriously, if the NCAA were to get involved, what other possible punishment would you be looking at?????  Bowl suspension and scholarship reduction? Really?  I don't think there is any other possibility than the Death Penalty.

Here's my question: Do they take the statue down?

I don't know if I saw that statue if I'd ever think of anything else than the cover-up.

I agree, but don't see it happening. As many have posted before, there are a lot of people living in the state that belong to "the cult". Fans to whom PSU means more than anything. It will be political suicide to attempt something like taking funding away from PSU sports, and we know that most politicians (if not all) put their needs for reelection ahead of their own ideals and the common good.