Thing is,Hardnosed, they realistically couldn't do so at this point in time, with the season right around the bend. Could happen for next year, but it's kind of an unusually long delay to allow a season to be played in between the violation coming clearly to light and the assessment of a penalty

I totally agree with that, and I'm anti-death penalty in general, but to say that more kids will be harmed (as if not being able to play football is similar to getting a Rusty Trombone from an old perv) is a bogus reason to not punish the entire institution, which is probably what is necessary.

My idea was let them play this year, but to empty stadiums, no fans. Would make a statement, deprive the University athletic department of money and would possibly re-calibrate Penn State's football/academic balance, which appears to be out of whack.

Be like the old Pittsburgh City League days, where they'd ship both teams up to a secret location (like New Castle) to avoid riots. Thing is though,Hardnosed, you know it'll never happen. Other issue, which I mentioned yesterday,is the sacrificial lambs that are brought into Beaver Stadium yearly and guaranteed a big payday

Matt Barkley did nothing wrong but was harmed by Reggie Bush. The children of murderers did nothing wrong but suffer with their father's incarceration. Tim McVeigh's mother suffered. PSU football players will transfer. By comparison they have it easy. To say you can't punish because a third party will suffer means you never punish.

The fans will suffer because they miss out on six tailgates? Please. You sound like a teenager saying he's suffering because he doesn't get to go to Magic Mountain until he cleans up his room.

If you can't find another way to entertain yourself during fall Saturdays, you have a bigger problem than the PSU scandal. Most of the fans I see could use a little less bratwurst/beer and a lot more P90x.

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I think Paterno might be tried on those charges but the only one that might potentially stick is "child endangerment"... He failed to report and ignorance of the law (and maybe intent) isn't much of a defense.

The rest would be a swearing contest and who remembering who said what at a meeting in which no minutes were taken.

Curley, Schultz, Spanier and possibly others are hosed, but I think Paterno mebbe skates in the strictest legal sense if we're going to speculate. Especially in front of a local jury.

The guy's reputation is ruined anyway... I think of Paterno- and I think of Ronald Reagan, Ed Meese and Ollie North... Paterno making calls, but not really being told the whole truth. Doesn't make it right, doesn't mean his legacy isn't utterly stained. Doesn't mean he didn't deep down know he was doing something wrong.

I'm sure there will be a Federal indictment at some point, that will also be a very interesting document to read. PSU paid Freeh's bill, he is going to roll over individuals as much as he can while recommending changes so that individuals can't wield that kind of power. I'm sure the publicity doesn't hurt his business, and besides, Paterno is dead and can't care if his statue and name come down. You can be "right" and self-serving at the same time.

That said, I don't think Paterno's statue and mural and all that should be taken down, at all. It is just as much a monument to all of the failings of the man as it is the successes. And I'm not sure the victims benefit from that at all... You would have to ask them, if you're willing to intrude on them to that degree in the name of finding the truth. The only people who benefit from erasing Paterno from the record books, as it were, are a bunch of stuffed suits in NCAA and PSU boardrooms who get to pretend this shit never went down 10 years from now. They should be reminded forever.

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If a guy posts on a bulletin board service, and nobody reads it, did he have anything to say?

Death penalty for the football program is the easy way out. The PSU Board of Trustees should be forced to watch the talking heads discuss this series of crimes every Saturday for season after season... Plus, the money is going to fund the University, who is going to pay and pay and pay the victims and their families.

PSU should have the spectre of explaining their institutional changes hang over the entire season.

Maybe I have a curious sense of justice... Auschwitz still stands as a reminder of crimes. Something to consider.

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If a guy posts on a bulletin board service, and nobody reads it, did he have anything to say?

could they all transfer under scholarship? if not, can they pay for it? These kids work toward programs and degrees and work hard to get accepted into them. Not every school is a football factory. Then geography, out of state tuition, room and board, and a lot of other factors involved. Its the first major decisions for a high school grad to make

the guilty and accused are already gone. Now its looking for retribution by association. Its the same motto Hitler abided by that too take over a nation you must first disarm its citizens. Seems to parallel this a bit because both posts you had are aimed at the fans.

There is a hundred teenagers and young twenty somethings showing up and wanting to just play ball. Along with new staff, mostly. What did they do to deserve punishment?

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Colbert on the #Steelers RB situation: "Where we were in running game last year was indicative in the talent at the position.''

Deebo....the tenor you're using here is consistent with my posts on this topic last night. To whom are you responding? If it's me, I said nothing about fans being deprived...of tailgates, of watching games, of anything else. i was referring, clearly, to the expected gate receipts that the smaller schools are expecting when they play at Beaver Stadium

I don't think child endangerment would be viable though, Jones, as he did notify his superiors,regardless of what we all think, or know, about his running the show. And regardless of what he subsequently told Curley about not reporting, they could have,SHOULD have,proceeded with their legal responsibility to report the crime

I'm not so sure people are actually concerned "about the kids" playing at PSU. I think most of them just want their football and are using the kids as an excuse to argue in favor of more football. Not saying IC or Swiss belong to that group, but that's the impression I get reading various forums and news story comment sections.

I've seen many arguing that "the university could not survive without the monies generated by the football program". To that I say that institutions of higher learning did just fine before big money infected college athletics and would be just fine if it went away. They just wouldn't have quite as opulent of facilities as they do now, and it was never a "need" in the first place. Realistic priorities would again take hold and the football programs would no longer wag the dog.