***
I’m going to catch a lot of shit for this one, I’m sure. I can already here the internet going crazy, “You’re a mother. They were children.They deserved everything they got.”
All of these things are true. Let me be quite clear that I agree that the crimes committed at Penn State should have been swiftly and strenuously punished. I’ve spent the last year lamenting about how this points to the danger of powerful football programs. I in no way think anyone should have escaped the wrath of the NCAA and more importantly, the law, for what happened there. I’m sickened by it. In fact, I might argue the NCAA wasn’t harsh enough.
However, (this is where the hate rolls in) with the recent announcement of the NCAA Sanctions, my overwhelming feeling is sadness for everyone involved with this school that had nothing to do with the crimes committed there. The hundreds of thousands of alumni. The athletes on other teams whose programs will suffer. The incoming freshman who are enrolled in an almost unrecognizable school and the seniors who have had to live through it all.
I am a proud alumna of a Football School. There was a whole lot of other incredible stuff going on there, but let’s not pretend football didn’t lead the charge. Even though I know there is dirty at every football school, I’d like to think at my University the dirty was kept to “do no harm” levels and never will get anywhere near this far. I would be crushed if my school were Penn State and I think it would be ok if I felt that way. People need to stop lumping everyone with a Nittany Lion on their windshield in with Jerry Sandusky. If the current students and alumni are upset about the sanctions, that doesn’t mean they are condoning sexual abuse. It just means they love their school and they hate what is happening to it. They are probably sad, and sick and even a little guilty for feeling that way. That’s all ok.
The NCAA had to send a message and man did they ever. They had to ensure that years from now, when someone at Texas or Nebraska or God-Forbid, West Virginia has any inkling of sexual misconduct that the first thing they’ll think when they contemplate cover up is, “remember what happened at Penn State”. The NCAA had to do everything in it’s power to destroy the program that allowed this to happen and in that destruction send the word out to every other program that their fate is bleak if they ever think of going down the same road.
That’s fine. That’s more than fine, that is necessary. Let them destroy the program so that a new one can be rebuilt in an entirely different way. I’m just sorry for the folks who have to watch it happen. I don’t think the school is being unfairly punished. I’m just sorry for its students.
When your school is built on football, football can be glorious. But there is danger in building your school on football because when it comes down, it may take everything with it. And today, for everything else the former Penn State Football and it’s corruption took down, I feel sorry.
They’re not all criminals. They’re not all bad, even if they still love their school.
*** Talky-Talk Tuesday will resume next week. Today didn’t feel like a day for chit-chat.
P.S. Looking for more parenting guidance and tips for self-care? Check out From Chaos to Calm a guided training to help you feel better in this tough season.
I am going to stumble over my thoughts as I am not a very good writer. First let me say I agree with most of what you say. Let me try to clarify the “most” part. The alumni, students and community had a great say in creating the environment where something like this could happen. I don’t mean they created the acts that were committed. They put the football program and the head coach (I will not say his name!) above everything so that when decision time came to end this 14 years ago, the embarrassment to the football team was a higher priority than human decency. The first thought was “oh man” what will this mean to the football program if this comes out. That University has always had this arrogance about them that they could do no wrong. Do it the “PSU” way. The football program was worshipped with great blindness I must say as human beings were running it. The most powerful person at that school was the coach not the president. ALL of this was created by alumni, students and the community! I was at MD when ours happened. Wasn’t my fault but I lived through it. Guess what I’m saying is the system, which we are all a part of, has part blame in this. You have to take the good with the bad and hopefully something good will come from this. Sorry for the run on. By the way, since I have been through this, I do feel for the athletes and staff up there. I have some good friends there and my advice to them has been stay true.
This is an interesting perspective and the first time I’ve ever heard someone from MD even remotely share blame for what happened there. I can’t say I totally disagree that we’re all part of it, but I guess I just think it stinks that the ones who may suffer the most aren’t the ones who should. The people who perpetuated the crimes and the cover up are gone, or dead and the people left to clean up the mess are getting it far worse than the criminals themselves. So, maybe they should share the blame but I’m sorry their punishment is harsh. Mostly though, I wish people would stop slamming students and alumni for loving their school. I’m not talking about the obnoxious ones who are saying they are getting unfairly punished (they aren’t), I’m talking about the witch hunt I’m seeing for everyone that has a PSU sticker on their car. Just like at Maryland, a few person’s actions shouldn’t undo pride for everything else their university represents. I guess this is a long way of saying I mostly agree.;)
I feel sorry for the students, alumnae and academic staff at Penn State. They are innocent and yet, they will feel the financial pinch as the civil law suits start. The football team will likely be at the level of division 3 for up to 8 years. (Remember its seniors who start and we are looking at 4 years of lost football scholarships.) I also feel sorry for the current football players. They choose to play for Penn State. For many, it will be hard to transfer and find football scholarships at another school. The Penn State community will work through this stress and yet, they did nothing to deserve it. Christie, I get your point.
I also agree that the penalties of both jail time and financial penalties in the civil suits must be severe for all involved.
Its sad and nobody wins.
You summed it up well-even though I agree with everything that happened, I just feel sad which, I guess, is exactly what the whole situation is.
As usual… articulate and insightful, written with a clarity I wish I could muster!
Thank you. That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!