Monday, July 23, 2012

The Needs of the Few?


I am confused…..for months now we have been hearing about Sandusky and JoePa and the Freeh report and how we need to protect the children and now it comes down from the NCAA that Penn State wins from 1998 are wiped out and no bowl games for four years….can someone tell me how that is protecting the children?  People and a program that had NOTHING to do with the scandal are being punished, I must be slow because that seriously does not compute. 

I used to be a big Star Trek fan and there was always a line that Spock said that made complete sense to me, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.”  Now we have the NCAA considering the needs of the few and hurting the needs of the many.  This is going to help the victims?  How?  Young men who played their hearts for their school for over 14 years are now the scapegoat for a sick twisted individual and mistakes made by others.  I am not getting this.

I am not excusing JoePa, but what gets me is that he is now dead and can be easily thrown under the bus for the cause.  His statue is now gone and his reputation is tarnished because he did too little.  So I guess he should have beaten Sandusky to a pulp?  Should he have fired him?  Yes, but did anyone stop to think that maybe Joe did not think that a man he had known all those years could do something like that.  How many of you have heard of or had it happen to you where a rumor or an accusation ruined your career or reputation forever or for even a little while on heresy?  Joe went to the people he thought would take care of the situation and THEY did nothing.  Should he have done more, probably, but to vilify him and then say he defrauded the university and the people?  Really?

Now those out for vengeance have drawn first blood.  They have stripped a PROGRAM because an INDIVIDUAL was sick.  That is plain wrong, inappropriate and devastatingly the move of a public with seriously misplaced anger.  Why aren’t you calling for all the monies that Sandusky and his family were given to be given back to the victims?  Why is the outrage not focused on him and the young assistant coach who reported Sandusky to his father and then to JoePa?

Not only does the situation make me sick that people like Sandusky exist, but those who want a school to suffer, a program to suffer, other kids to suffer, for the actions a few people makes me ill to my very core.  Serious evil exists in this world when people like Sandusky walk the earth, but it also exists when others want suffering of people who had no hand in the crime.

8 comments:

  1. It just occured to me this is like sentencing the whole footbal team to time in jail for Michael Vick running a dog ring.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Judging by the number of apologists whose first complaint is about what happened to Joe Pa's wins record and the plight of the current football players, there's a whole lot of "culture adjustment" that still needs to take place among the current Penn State community and alumni.

    Freeh and the NCAA both seem to have hit the nail on the head with their actions.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You apologists just don't get it. The NCAA isn't reacting to Sandusky's actions. They are reacting to the coverup engineered by 4 weak individuals at the top of the penn state heap. The mindset that "penn state football must prevail above all else" is what allowed Sandusky to continue his actions for over a decade, unfettered by his bosses.

    Even now, this "football is all-important" mindset is perpetuated by you apologists here and elsewhere, as you whine about wins and losses, instead of accepting that penn state harbored this evil for so long (in the name of football), and must now be brought back to corrective balance by the NCAA sanctions.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So yes, you ARE slow.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Now hang on just a minute here. First of all I am in no way condoning the actions of those who were actually involved in the deed. What I am angered over is that punishment for those who never had a hand in it, were involved in it and then using the excuse that it is for the children is truly hypocritical and plain wrong. Ok so Phildelphia is a sports mad city.....the next time that one of the Eagles or heaven forbid the all important Phillies committ a crime how about the rest of the team past and present has to pay the price too? I mean it would only be fair that the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many.

    I am so sick of hearing that it's all about the football program. So how many people sit their collective behinds down and watch the Phillies during baseball season and when they win the whole dang city shuts down? Or if the Eagles ever have a winning season I bet that it's not going to be about tiddly winks now is it? There are plenty of other schools where the town and the surrounding areas are based in one of the sports programs and yet......

    I think it's all sour grapes mostly from those who tried and couldn't get into the main campus who use the excuse that the football program needed to be brought down a peg or two. It's actually those of you who think you are above reproach or safe from villification that need to be brought down a peg or two.

    ReplyDelete
  6. God you said it all and made so much sense. Is anybody else getting this? You mean there isn't enough people out there making enough noise to over throw this ruling. I too have been following this whole incident but was confused by how they came to this conclusion. And for who? They didn't do anything to come to a solution for the future so this doesn't happen again. And what about the children who are now adults. What will happen to them and a ending they can live with. Taking the football program down was not a solution!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Imagine how difficult this entire thing is for the Paterno family. Have they had even a minute to grieve in peace? They lose a father, a husband, a grandfather and we all know how devastating and painful it is.

    Now add on top of that the helplessness you'd feel if you had to try and defend their reputation while others try and destroy it.

    My hope is that the Paterno family will prove that Joe Paterno is innocent of any charges and sue all of those responsible for the defamation of his character and have his good name restored as well as his bronze statue reinstated on the Penn State grounds where is belongs forever.

    ReplyDelete