Who is being hurt the most--I wonder!!! And wonder how many of other schools will even step in and help the average student who had nothing to do with this mess.. And did all the so call big shots really get punished. Just my opinion.

"the average student who had nothing to do with this mess" is totally unaffected by this... except that they cannot attend a bowl game for a few years.

I would never call a D1 football player an "average student" - not by a long shot.

Penn State had one of the highest graduation rates (football players) in the NCAA at 80%. I guess to me, that doesn't sound all that great. 20% didn't bother to finish or couldn't.

Those athletes are give monumental amounts of help and special privileges. There is NOTHING average about them. Most feel like they are above any repercussions. I hope that changes dramatically!

I cannot believe that there are people who would continue to stand and defend the need for Penn State football.

It is a shame that the actions of one disgusting human being had an impact on hundreds and hundreds of innocent people. However, what happened REALLY happened, and sometimes there are unfortunate consequences for other people's horrible life choices. What other choice was there? This sends a message to the world that the "majority" of people will. not. tolerate. sexual abuse and will not sacrifice the need for innocence in the name of The Almighty Football.

I think the players had to know what was going on, but the game was to important to them personally to report it. I don't understand "not getting involved" in any crime. I guess I would die trying to stop a woman from getting mugged or raped if I saw it happening. I could not walk away.

Love the sanctions. My only regret is Joe isn't alive to see the his title stripped of most of his wins. They wanted him gone years ago, but he was too powerful. Instead he blackmailed them by requesting a huge retirement package and pension so he could continue to win the game that would make him the winningest coach. He did that and was fired two weeks later last fall. I only wish he lived to see this today. His silence to protect his friend Jerry and the Penn State football brand is shattered and his legacy is dirt forever. His life was a sham. .

"I would never call a D1 football player an "average student" - not by a long shot. "

I don't see where anyone did!

The average student at Penn State is NOT a D1 football player.
Football players make up a very small percentage of the student population.

I agree with Amyfiddler. Also, there HAD to be many, many others who knew all about what was happening, but said nothing. I would love to see them all go to prison

I was heartened by the fairness of the NCAA when I read this statement. i.e. punish the guilty [of which there are many] but not the students.

The NCAA also said that any current or incoming football players are free to immediately transfer and compete at another school.

Anne

Maybe now Penn State can get back to what the college should be all about, EDUCATION! I could never, ever understand how most schools put such an importance on football, starting way back in jr. high...We have important studies cut, in order to have enough money in the budget for football....

But don't get me wrong, I'm not anti football, I raised 4 boys and we have a house full of grandsons that are into sports but they've also gotten an education, most of them Penn State grads....

I honestly don't think the punishment will mean too much to the higher ups...They'll keep getting their huge salaries and pensions and probably raise tuitions......I think the whole bunch of them should be fired...

IMO, this says it all.

From the NCAA statement this morning:

"This case involves tragic and tragically unnecessary circumstances. One of the grave dangers stemming from our love of sports is that the sports themselves become too big to fail, indeed, too big to even challenge," Emmert said. "The result can be an erosion of academic values that are replaced by the value of hero worship and winning at all costs. All involved in intercollegiate athletics must be watchful that programs and individuals do not overwhelm the values of higher education. In the Penn State case, the results were perverse and unconscionable."

AMEN!

I think they did the right thing. I do feel sorry for athletes who took the offer of playing at Penn and now are without a scholarship or perhaps a chance to play. However, I am pleased to see that they did what they could for these young people by offering them the freedom to accept another offer from another university.

I think the nation and the world is fed up with institutions that protect their reputation at the cost of accepting the sexual abuse of their children. The abuse of kids by the clergy of the Catholic church has left such a bad taste that strong, harsh response is the only reaction expected of institutions who find predators in their midst.

I'm impressed. I didn't think they'd have the guts to do what needed to be done.

I'm sure that there were many, many more people who knew what was going on. How about the Dean of the school? Is the football program so far removed that the Dean wouldn't have known? No idea - just wondering.

I'm still wondering about Sandusky's wife and think she should be charged. I wonder if Paterno's wife or family knew from him talking about it at home. Was it simply a known thing to most everybody? Awful.

if you think this is going to be a deterrant, think you're all sadly mistaken...we all still pay to see pro stars (who are 98% college picks) from ALL sports who have beat their wives, mis-treated animals, ducked out on child support, or been accused of rape and gotten off scott free...oops! forgot all the drugs, both prescribed or illeagal...

I don't know where anyone said they think it'll be a deterrent. Nice if it would be, but unfortunately probably not. But there is punishment for the crime. That's good. A deterrent would be best, because it might help the innocent from being victimized. Maybe here and there it will be.

Did I hear right? Are they going to use the 60 million dollar fine to establish an "awareness" program???

Give me a break! What a waste of money! Someone with insider ties is gonna get rich on this! That money could be spent on something far more useful than an "AWARENESS" program .

You better believe its a deterrent. I guarantee you that these consequences send effective messages to people, reminding and teaching them to not enable sex offenders. Immediately after the sandusky paterno story broke, it affected cps phone calls nd police calls regarding sexual abuse cases in my county and thusly i wiuld assume all over the U.S.....
Here is the deal. 1 in 4 girls are sexually assaulted. Not sure the number on boys but its too high. When a persons life is affected by s.a., the shame most often creates a situation where if it happens to their kid, its shoved into this denial place. so on it goes. awarenness is crucial. im glad for the plan.

You better believe its a deterrent. I guarantee you that these consequences send effective messages to people, reminding and teaching them to not enable sex offenders. Immediately after the sandusky paterno story broke, it affected cps phone calls nd police calls regarding sexual abuse cases in my county and thusly i wiuld assume all over the U.S.....
Here is the deal. 1 in 4 girls are sexually assaulted. Not sure the number on boys but its too high. When a persons life is affected by s.a., the shame most often creates a situation where if it happens to their kid, its shoved into this denial place. so on it goes. awarenness is crucial. im glad for the plan.

When we send our young men & women off to college we are trusting that the college will provide a safe environment for them to live and study in.

It would be bad enough if those activities were perpetrated on campus from someone from the neighboring community, but to have it done by members who are officials of the school is beyond contempt, and when it first came to light, those very same ppl who we are entrusting to protect our children were more interested in protecting their precious football program and their public image is an outrage. If it were left up to me I would root out every member of the Penn state faculty and management who had any knowledge of the activity and didn't report it and immediately and very publicly fire them and seek all avenues to insure those ppl are never in a position to interact with children again under any circumstances.

Never mind worryinhg about their football program, I wouldn't care if it required shutting down the entire university if that is what it takes to protect our students.

Remember: The "activities" were not perpetrated on college students. I think the oldest was 14.

The cause of the severe NCAA penalties is not about the abuse itself, but about the coverup.
People are mixing the two up.
Sandusky committed crimes - the legal system has dealt with it.
Paterno and others in authority at Penn State committed severe breaches of ethics. And the NCAA penalties are directed at those ethical breaches.

Penn State is an educational facility, that seems to have (or had) a total disregard for ethical conduct when it comes to the Football program - and disregard for ethics is like a cancer,...it spreads.

Hopefully, Penn State, from Administration on down, will demonstrate more ethical conduct to students.