The Lions' Pride

The point I was making is that the IRS, like most organizations, don't get involved unless the rules of the organization are broken (like you said - not paying taxes). Unlike the NCAA.

Just because something is egregious doesn't mean any and every penalty is deserved.

Gotcha.

Well, in regards to Penn State, I'd say there was a slight institutional control issue, and I think that warranted the NCAA getting involved. Like others have said, it wasn't the crimes Sandusky committed that got the NCAA into this, it was the massive cover up that allowed for it to continue to happen. You obviously disagree, but I don't think the NCAA had much of a choice.

Obviously I do disagree. If someone like yourself (who seems relatively reasonable) wants to have a discussion as to why, I'd welcome PM's. At this point I'm sick of talking about it on here. Bottom line, I don't think the Freeh report gives even close to enough evidence for any NCAA action.

Thanks for the words! +1

BUMP

Edit: Forget it

Just to give you an opinion coming from a slightly different perspective: I'm an AU graduate and fan. I think we obviously were treated well when the NCAA investigated so I am not an NCAA hater like some others. I also went to the CapOne game we played against y'all and we were treated terribly by some PSU fans (I know we all have them). I say this just to let you know I have every reason to be happy about what happened, but THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS and while the criminals certainly deserved their punishment for the unspeakable things that happened and were enabled, PSU football and it's fans DO NOT deserve this. I will be pulling for y'all to get through and hopefully the true fans will show up in the worst times just as they do in the best times. War Eagle and go Lions.

Auburn fan here. Feels like a lot of grandstanding and hypocrisy on the part of the new PSU administration and the NCAA (Emmert in particular). I hope the students, fans, athletes, and coaches still enjoy their time at PSU and Penn State comes out strong on the other side of this. Obviously as a human being, you have to feel for Sandusky's victims as well. But, it feels like this is college administrators doing what college administrators typically do: trying to make themselves look good and punishing innocent people in the process. I'm too cynical to buy everything that's in the Freeh report hook, line, and sinker. All seems too convenient. I wish Sandusky's victims peace in the years to come. I will also be pulling for Penn State in general to come through this and remain a strong university. This is not about athletics vs. academics or even vs. law and order, but that's the broad brush that the media is painting this situation with and the current PSU administration and Emmert are only interested in saving their own skin and / or making themselves look good.

The juvenile trolling by that MSU fan certainly doesn't speak for our entire fan base, even though there certainly are some delusional loonies over there. I haven't even taken place in the discourse about this event on our board, because I can't stand some of the stuff being said. I certainly support Penn State through this as a Spartan/Big Ten alum, and it's not just because I love my fiance who went to PSU. It's a great school with a great campus filled with great people. None of that changes because of bad decisions by 5 people, or the constant overzealous coverage by a bloodthirsty media. I feel for PSU people. Like I've said in the past, I don't know what I'd do if Michigan State was in this position and I hope to never find out, either. I won't sit in an ivory tower and pretend bad things never happened at my school. Heck, in 1976, MSU had a 3 year bowl ban for improper benefits. Maybe it wasn't for as shocking or serious reasons, but it happened nonetheless and was still a painful period in the school's athletic history.

On these sanctions, I think they are completely BS as a largely impartial observer. None of the actions done from 1998-2011 by Penn State and Paterno were a direct attempt to gain a competitive advantage on the football field. If that had been the case, then punish them to the full extent of the law. Instead, you have a place like Ohio State embroiled in a scandal where there was an obvious attempt to gain a competitive advantage (which the student athletes, in many cases, were complicit in) and the punishment is a venerable slap on the wrist? Where is the justice in that? In the meantime, OSU was able to reload and wait around for Meyer and their recruiting has merely taken a tiny hit. We all knew the NCAA plays favorites, but now it's even more obvious. Tressel looked the other way just as much (maybe not for as long or in as much of a "serious matter") as did Gene Smith the AD. Gordon Gee even said he hoped Tressel "didn't fire him." Where was the "severe, scorch the earth" punishment there? I would have liked to see at least a three year bowl ban for that program and deep cuts to scholarships. The NCAA once again missed the mark, but that's nothing new. They've only gotten worse as the years have gone on.

Not trying to hijack anything under another topic I sent well wishes. But PSU being comforted by the biggest cheats in the business seems odd. PSU did not cheat. Their administration made a grave error in ethics. So the comparison does not compute. I guess any port in a storm applies. Love you internet tough guys.