Thursday, July 26, 2012
Penn State and the NCAA
By Tom Kando
The Penn State child sex abuse scandal has been the top of the news for a year or so. Because I have some painful memories about Penn State myself, I haven’t written about this. But I have changed my mind. After all, I taught at Penn State. Not only was I a professor there, I was in the VERY SAME SHOP as Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky. My tenure-track position was in the College of Health, Physical Education and Recreation - the same unit which houses the athletic program, including varsity football. I regularly bumped into people like Paterno and Sandusky in Rec Hall’s hallways, offices and locker rooms.
To add to the coincidences, my wife was a graduate student in family studies under Graham Spanier, who was then a professor of Sociology.
The July 25 Sacramento Bee reports the results of a poll: Respondents were asked “What do you think of the Penn State punishment?” 23% found it too lenient, 40% just about right, and 37% found it too harsh.I agree.
You may ask: what do you mean, you agree? What do you agree with? Let me explain:
1. Sandusky himself and those who covered it up: Too lenient. I hope Sandusky suffers a lot, once he is behind bars.
2. Regarding the administrators involved, justice seems to be following the right course, so far: President Graham Spanier was fired, the lying Vice-President Gary Schultz and Athletic Director Tim Curley have been criminally indicted. Joe Paterno is no longer regarded as a deity.
3. And then, there are the sanctions against Penn State. A $60 million penalty; a 4-year post-season ban; loss of 10 scholarships per year; “vacating” all of Penn State’s victories from 1998 to 2011.
I suppose I should rejoice. Penn State treated me badly when I was there. I was privy to some academic shenanigans myself. Back then, football was already a religion, interfering with education and everything else. The JoePa cult was alive and well. Some people wanted the legendary coach to run for President of the US!
But I don’t rejoice. I ask myself: From which part of the University budget does the $60 million penalty come? What happens to the dozens of student-athletes already playing football for Penn State? How about ex-Penn State players? Former running back Evan Royster made a good point on Twitter: “So, I lost every college football game I ever played in?” And how is the fall-out going to affect the University as a whole, its status, its finances, its endowments, its alumni contributions, its research and educational programs, the general student body and the faculty? Thousands upon thousands of people who had nothing to do with the scandal.
You see, I am not generally impressed by the dispensation of justice by one bureaucracy against another. For some reason, I can’t see the NCAA as a beacon of justice and morality. Call me prejudiced.
I see the NCAA more as a money machine. The problem is systemic. As Pete Thamel (Sacramento Bee, July 24) notes, college sports are booming and “the money involved in (it) is staggering and growing exponentially.” Nowadays, many offensive and defensive coordinators (not just head coaches!) make over $1 million a year, i.e. more than the university president!
The increase in financial incentives goes hand in hand with more and more high-profile scandals at prominent programs (Miami, Ohio State, USC, Oregon, Tennessee, etc.).
Granted, the Penn State scandal is a unique “perfect storm” - pedophilia combined with cover-up. But without the $$$$$$$$$$$-nexus, the cover-up is much less likely to have happened. And that part ain’t gonna change. leave comment here
12 comments:
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It seems like a problem to penalize institutions for the problems of individuals. I generally recommend following the money. Who will the 60 million fine go to? Will it help the students and teachers left at Penn State, or is it an opportunity for someone's cash grab at the expense of a school?
Thanks for your comments, Abdul Malek and Gordon,
There is,indeed, a bit of shark frenzy going on around Penn State, with other college coaches calling Penn State athletes in an attempt at luring them away. Ugly.
You're not the kind of guy who would rejoice, Tom. BTW, if Evan Royster says: “So, I lost every college football game I ever played in?” he needs education (which he may not have received at Penn state). An organization like the NCAA can indeed set aside victories, and that's getting off easy.
Consider Pete Rose, who's on the permanent ineligibility list for the baseball Hall of Fame. Consider steroids: "Italy passed a law in 2000 where penalties range up to three years in prison if an athlete has tested positive for banned substances."
Warning to promising athletes, even at schools where football is king: Check the coaching staff of signs of pederasty.
It's good to see your comments, Barry.
You are right that others have been punished more severely for their transgressions.
But my point was not that the culprits at Penn State were punished too harshly. It was the same as Gordon's, above: that punishing an institution for the crimes of some individuals is problematic, because it can also hurt innocent people.
There are three kinds of responsibility here. The legal - where both civil and criminal penalties will be meted out - and I think that part will work. The University - where there was a clear lack of accountability and I am not sure what the right sanction was but the harshness is a reflection of the severity of the miss on accountability. And the athletic - where for whatever reason JoPa and his staff failed to do what should have been done. While I admired JoPa I think the action was about right.
The Fresno Bee in yesterday's paper said that the last part was too tough. I think the NCAA was trying to establish that, just as one of the founding people in college athletics said (Amos Alonzo Stagg) and indeed what Paterno said - athletics is more than just on the field conduct.
I agree with everything Jonathan Brown says. I saw the Fresno Bee's editorial (it said something fairly similar to what I wrote).
By the way, I have a couple more random thoughts about the Penn State issue:
1. One additional cost to Penn State which I forgot to mention will be the mega-lawsuits by the victims. Insurance will only go so far to mitigate this...
2. Penn State is in an analogous situation to the Catholic Church: Some members have committed heinous crimes, and the hierarchy has covered it up. The difference is that there is no equivalent of an NCAA to look over the Church’s shoulder and mete out punishment.
My comments may not be as bright as those already posted. Interesting, Graham Spanier gave the speech at the commencement ceremonies for my PhD at Iowa State in 2006-When all of this happened at Penn State I was shocked. My mom called and said is that the man who spoke at your PhD ceremony. I was hurt because I thought he was a very empowering and humanitarian sort of person (Maybe he really is..?). Anyway, I try to see the best and so in the process I was left with some emotional pain because I thought to myself, what are the odds of the selected speaker at my PhD commencement being the target of this huge scandel. I guess the odds are 1 and 1 million, perhaps. I guess in the end, we are all humans and sinners at best. Unfortunately, many of us were hurt and disappointed. I am saddended to hear about what happened to you as well Tom, they treated you badly. I sad to hear about this as well. I guess all of us need to do the right thing and try to not let greed and money blind us from hurting others. What a hellish nightmare that Penn State has created. However, my mom started asking me questions about my profession, Sociology, and I was relieved. She had been telling people that I was a social worker and then a pharmacist and at one point a medical doctor. Because she got wrapped up in the news about Graham Spanier and the affairs at Penn State, she learned about what Sociologists do and study. What an awkward way for a parent to become interested in your professional life.
I dont understand life anymore it is just too complicated. sometimes sugar is derived from cow manure.
Gail
Gail, your are funny and good.
What a great example that even tragedy can lead to something good!
So now, after discussing the Penn State incident, your mother knows the difference between a sociologist and a social worker/pharmacist. Excellent.
Most , if not all, liability coverage does not cover violations of the law. So a good part of the civil lawsuits will be on Penn State's nickel.
Struck a familiar note. My first (post-doctorate) post was at Michigan for a year, and I hated it so much there I still passionately root against their teams. Among other things, I was astonished at my math dept colleagues that they all held season football tickets. Buncha creeps.
Dwight's experience is similar to mine.
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