Lehigh Valley Congressman Charlie Dent has asked the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to restore forty athletic scholarships taken from Penn State as a result of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
Commenting about the letter, Congressman Dent stated: “I want to make it clear to the NCAA who they are really hurting with this scholarship reduction. It’s not Jerry Sandusky and it’s not the University. They are hurting young people who are completely innocent of anything relating to the Sandusky situation and who through no fault of their own are being denied a chance to get a great education.”
Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, who represents the State College area, co-signed the letter with Congressman Dent. The text of this letter is below.
34 comments:
It's about TIME, our elected LEADERS on the FEDERAL and STATE level stand up to this OUT of CONTROL un-regulated Agency.
Remember one of our Country' FOUNDING PRINCIPALS is DUE PROCESS!!!!!
I'd prefer Charlie and others in Washington spend all their time dealing with our out-of-control federal administration.
So Corbett is suing the NCAA to overturn sanctions, and Dent is writing letters to overturn sanctions.
Last I heard, an entire university - not just the football program - had provided safe harbor for a monster for decades. And Corbett and Dent want there to be no punishment?
Unbelievable.
The Banker
"an entire university"
Surely you see the absurd hyperbole here? The punishment is Sandusky and the President and VP going to prison. Who else are you indicting, Banker?
(Ironic that a BANKER of all people would cry for justice.)
NCAA to Dent:
1. Who the hell are you?
2. If we don't, what are you going to do, issue a strongly worded statement?
-Clem
LVR to Clem,
1) Who the hell are you?
2) Strongly worded condemnations of decent people appear to be all you're good for. But Dent is a Congressman and one who now has some power. If you think his opinion does not matter, you are living in a fantasy world.
Anon 1003am,
I am indicting the board of trustees, the janitor who knew and kept quiet, and everyone else who was in a position that knew or in a position of authority.
This was university-wide. It wasn't the actions of a few.
Do I think punishing kids today is unfair? Sure I do. But it's the only punishment I can think of that will provide a deterrent. If you have another idea, let's hear it.
The Banker
We shall see. I'm betting his letter is ignored.
Mr. Powerful would do better, as stated by someone else above, to focus on representation and results at the Federal level, regarding the numerous and serious problems facing this nation.
You may think that efforts of this type, and what I think he should do, are not mutually exclusive. To this point in his tenure, I believe they have been.
Who am I? A constituent who sent him to DC to do more than this kind of stuff. I've written to his office in my own name, expressing the same sentiment.
-Clem
For someone who voted to send him to DC, you have a strange way of expressing your support for him. Extremely negative.
The Banker - And what do you think the proper punishment is for your industry destroying the world economy?
When you mutter such absurdities as "university-wide", you are indicting nearly 20,000 full time employees, 95,000 students, and 500,000 alumni.
You really think destroying the football program of a university is a deterrent to child predators? It's absurd just like your post. A proper "punishment" should take place in the courts.
Anon you are aware that Penn State negotiated this settlement with the NCAA, aren't you? Same effect as going to court, so you got what you wanted there.
I agree, it's not fair to punish those who didn't commit the crime. But I don't have a better solution - and having no punishment at all (which is what Corbett, Dent and you want) is not a solution that I find acceptable.
I'm not trying to deter child molesters, I'm trying to deter those who protect them. which is what Penn State did. I think this punishment does that.
I'm also on record numerous times that many on Wall St. and our Federal Government should be doing jail time for what they did to our economy.
I believe in holding people and institutions accountable for their actions. I wish you felt the same.
The Banker
PSU is not the Commonwealth, or the taxpayers whose money will now be going to fund programs in Ohio. I think this is a legitimate objection, and question whether PSU has the authority to negotiate away state taxpayer money to other states.
Bernie, in my opinion, Charlie is now grandstanding on this matter. Much like other politicians are doing over the gun issue.
Charlie now accepts, as do I, the sanctions on Penn State were far too harsh. He recognizes it's finally popular to come out against whatever penalty was assessed. He's putting in his 2 cents, NOW, to cover himself for not speaking out earlier, when it might have actually mattered.
As a conservative who voted for Charlie, I have decided NOT to vote for him again. He's another politician who spends his/her time, going along to go along, primarily to ensure his continued employment, nothing more.
Does anyone have a spine . . at the time it's actually needed?
Bernie the question on whether Penn State exceeded its authority is a legitimate one.
Whether they cut a bad deal is not in my opinion - the bad deal, if it was done legally, is done.
If political pressure gets the NCAA to reconsider where the money goes, then it will have accomplished something. If the NCAA is pressured into eliminating the punishments, then another tragedy would have occurred.
The Banker
which is what Penn State did
No, it's what a half dozen individuals did. You keep illustrating the point of how ridiculous the sanctions were.
Whether they cut a bad deal is not in my opinion - the bad deal, if it was done legally, is done.
The bad deal was cut under enormous pressure from hysterical citizens like you. It was out of line then but no one bothered to listen because they were too busy trying to outdo one another at who displayed the most righteous indignation. Meanwhile, kids get molested everyday and no one cares.
It's not what a half dozen people did. Penn State's board of trustees alone is 46 people. Add to that the coaching staff and employees that we know covered it up and you're up to a hell of a lot of people.
Do kids continue to get molested? Yes they do, and that is horrible. Do I hope that by this action someone else who finds out kids are getting molested steps up instead of covers it up? Yes I do.
And again, a bad deal is not an illegal deal. You should be aware as well that the Governor appoints 5 trustees and has 5 of 6 ex-officio seats. He not only knew what was going on, he participated in it.
Charlie Dent is way, way off base here. PSU and its ilks are a pathetic in trying to pull the we were harshly treated by the NCAA. Little Boys were RAPED on their property by their employee. There. They should pay, each and every one of them. Charlie is also delusional if he thinks he can sway the NCAA to change what it did. How about this, PSU should quit the NCAA and then it would not need to worry about sanctions. PSU people are simply nauseating and lack any credibility. It's time they crawl under rock somewhere and ponder over what they created up there in Pedophile Valley.
To the banker you hit the nail square on the head!
What about little Tommy Corbett this entire matter came to his desk when he was AG.
"PSU people are simply nauseating and lack any credibility"
That's what this is about for some people. They hate PSU and use Sandusky as an excuse to deprive innocent students of scholarships.
Makes sense to me.
Go Ohio State!
It's not Penn State people who are nauseating. It's Penn State fotball people who are nauseating. Their propgram harbored a monster who anally raped young boys. The reason Sandusky got away with it, and the reason it was covered up (including JoePa lying to a grand jury - the old guy would be under undictment if he'd lived) was because of the institution that was Penn State football program. The Penn State football program is being punished (including a ridiculous fine that is the equivalent of cushion change for Penn State football). The twisted defense that kids who had nothing to do with it is disingenuous. As the adults responsible lawyer-up and run for the bunkers to avoid responsibility, the football program that enabled the sicko is being justifiably laid low. Maybe next time, whomever is shepherding the football program will think twice before pulling what JoePa and his lot did to protect a stupid game's image. Dent and Corbett are sick. They just don't get it. They're as bad as JoePa and Spanier and Curley and Schultz.
My goodness, 8:13 -
What are YOU trying to hide?
Do you honestly believe the "greater" Penn State presence had anything to do with this sordid incident?
This whole, sick, circumstance directly involved maybe 10 people. Yet, you believe 60,000 others should be penalized. What are you, a Notre Dame fan?
Bullshit. Football was Penn State and Paterno was football. 10 people were enabled by 100 years of sacred tradition.
And ND sucks, too. Happy? You just want to win games and don't care if you have to do it by shielding rapists. Sicko.
Bernie your point on scholarships is a good one.
Hindsight but perhaps a solution would have been to require Penn State to replace the 60 athletic scholarships with 60 academic scholarships?
For those who keep bringing up that only 6 or 10 people were involved in this, I'd ask that you look up the phrase "institutional control" in the NCAA regulations. Schools have suffered greater penalties for crimes far less horrific than protecting a child molester.
The Banker
It's not what a half dozen people did. Penn State's board of trustees alone is 46 people. Add to that the coaching staff and employees that we know covered it up and you're up to a hell of a lot of people.
Can you please point me to documentation which corroborates your claims that these people knowingly covered up this child sex abuse? You're making some bold accusations.
They should pay, each and every one of them.
Who is "they"? Aren't the courts actively seeking justice to those that knew? You are insinuating that somehow the students, staff, and fans were complicit.
You just want to win games and don't care if you have to do it by shielding rapists. Sicko.
You are the one who needs help if you harbor such disgusting views.
For those who keep bringing up that only 6 or 10 people were involved in this, I'd ask that you look up the phrase "institutional control" in the NCAA regulations.
Again, please provide a reference to the individuals who knew about this. I'm open to waiting for you to provide them, When you make outlandish accusations, you need to back them up. You can't just spout off nonsense you hear on Dr. Phil or some ESPN talking head. Facts please.
I didn't say they knew, I said they were responsible. When you're a trustee or on a Board, ultimate responsibility for the conduct of the organization rests with you.
This then leads to the institutional control question - here it is, straight from the NCAA rulebook.
http://www.athletics.illinois.edu/compliance/pdfs/institutional/Principles-of-Institutional-Control.pdf
You'll see that being cited for lack of institutional control does not require knowledge of the incident.
I didn't say they knew, I said they were responsible. When you're a trustee or on a Board, ultimate responsibility for the conduct of the organization rests with you.
No, you inferred they were in on the coverup. Please corroborate or sign your name to these accusations.
Here's what I said:
"I am indicting the board of trustees, the janitor who knew and kept quiet, and everyone else who was in a position that knew or in a position of authority."
Rather than inferring what you think I mean, how about you read what I said and stick with that?
The Board of Trustees is the ultimate authority at Penn State. Institutional Control falls under their purview. That something like this could happen under their watch is an indictment of their lack of leadership and oversight.
Again, they did not need to know to be held responsible for what happened.
So we are talking about a few dozen people which a handful with direct knowledge but yet the entire community needs to be punished and given the scarlet letter? OK. If it makes you feel better.
What I also said:
"
Do I think punishing kids today is unfair? Sure I do. But it's the only punishment I can think of that will provide a deterrent. If you have another idea, let's hear it."
Post a Comment