Near-Death Penalty

Today was the day of reckoning (one of many I’m sure) for Penn State due to its handling of Jerry Sandusky’s abuse of children. The NCAA punished the school with a Near-Death Penalty (which in some ways is worse than Death itself.) Sixty million dollars in fines. A four-year bowl ban. Loss of scholarships. Five years on probation. Wins vacated from 1998-2011 (which means Joe Paterno has been bumped to 12th on the all-time win list.) The NCAA will allow current players to transfer. The punishment was swift and harsh: The whole football-first culture has been effectively ripped from the ground. And now, Penn State’s football program will be hobbled for years to come.

So be it.

It will take the victims years longer to rebuild their lives.  To quote NCAA president Mark Emmert “No matter what we do here today, there is no action we can take that will remove their pain and anguish. But what we can do is impose sanctions that both reflect the magnitude of these terrible acts and that also ensure that Penn State will rebuild an athletic culture that went horribly awry.

I’ve been fascinated by people’s reaction to the penalties on Twitter and Facebook. At the end of the day, I think it’s important to remember the NCAA isn’t to blame for the penalties handed down today. The people who turned their heads while children where being harmed are.

I pray for the victims of Jerry Sandusky. I wish Penn State all the luck in the world rebuilding a healthier athletic culture.  And I hope other colleges and universities learn from the Penn State’s horrible mistakes.  Winning isn’t everything when a child is harmed in the process.