The NCAA is wrong

The NCAA is wrong. They overstepped on the Penn State scandal.

I think there is and has been a perception in the mainstream media and other areas that those who feel this is not a matter for the NCAA to deeply involve themselves in is somehow also saying that we are defending Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno or the rest of the Penn State hierarchy that was in place at the time of these crimes.

That could not be further from the truth!

 Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts and deserves to be where he is right now. Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, the athletic director and vice president, are awaiting trial and should be convicted. Former school president Graham Spanier has not been charged yet, but could be. Paterno died in January. Per the results of the Freeh report, Curley, Schultz, and Spanier deserve to be punished severely for their actions, or non-actions if you will.

All of the above is being handled in the criminal and eventually the civil courts, as it should be. While Sandusky victims and their families will sadly never be the same in their lives, they deserve some sort of monetary compensation. But the NCAA should have stayed out of this. When Sandusky was arrested last November, Paterno was fired, and since, a new coaching staff with the exception of two assistants who remain was implemented to move the football program forward.

So now, with a four-year postseason ban and loss of numerous scholarships, more people are being punished than need to be. I fully understand when Bill O'Brien agreed to be the new coach that he knew that it was going to be a tough road and the NCAA could act. But did he deserve this?

In terms of the loss of all wins from 1998-2011, it doesn't really matter. The new record books might state that Paterno has 298 victories instead of 409, but will that erase memories from anybody that may have attended or watched the 300th, 400th, or 409th win? No. Everyone still remembers Memphis or Michigan playing for national basketball titles even though the history books don't show that anymore because of NCAA violations. Taking Paterno's name off the top of the college football career wins' list is something I really don't understand.

Players are allowed to freely transfer, and some will, which is indeed their right to do so. But it's not as easy as you might believe, sitting here on July 23. That's just weeks away from preseason camp and the start of the 2012 season. Any transfer now will have a tough time to adjust to a new school and football team for this year.

With future scholarships going ahead, the loss of double-digit ones per year for the next four years is unfair.

People are saying that because Penn State didn't receive the "Death Penalty", that now players have a choice. They can leave, or stay at Penn State and still play football. Yes they do have a choice, but if someone who always wanted to play there still wants to, why should they have to suffer any consequences of not playing in a bowl game or playing on a team that can't be as strong because a major amount of scholarships are taken away from potential players that have nothing to do with any of this?

This isn't the SMU case where the "Death Penalty" was imposed. That was pay for play, and after being caught, the Texas school continued its wrongful practices and was caught again. That was a violation of NCAA bylaws, where what SMU did was with clear intent to change competitive balance.

This isn't the USC case where improper benefits were handed out, notably to Reggie Bush. That changed competitive balance in college football. And there are countless other examples.

Many members of the media are saying these sanctions are just, or didn't go far enough. I heard one say that a multiple-year "Death Penalty" would suffice. I say to them, how do you justify then how people in the State College area that benefit from Penn State football and all athletics live then? Many rely on it for primary or supplemental income. That would include hotels, restaurants, and any stores that receive a huge influx of business on fall weekends. What about people that work at Beaver Stadium? The NCAA didn't impose this, but I feel those that believe this would have been appropriate are short-sighted, especially in these economic times.

While the actions of Penn State's upper administration, including Spanier, Curley, Schultz, and Paterno were appalling, did it change competitive balance on the football field?

Yes, this most definitely goes beyond the confines of the football program, but that is what our judicial system is for. So far, they've done their job.

The NCAA is wrong.

My thoughts and prayers continue to be and always will be with the victims of Sandusky, and all those who have suffered from sexual abuse.