Penn State’s Death Sentence

By: BUCKEYES for LIFE

 

On Monday, July 23, Penn State University learned its fate in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case. The Nittany Lions will suffer a $60 Million sanction (fine), a four-year bowl ban, and all games since the 1998 season will be vacated. That means Joe Paterno’s last win came in 1997, when Mike Mcqueary was quarterback. Throughout that four-year ban, Penn State will also lose 20 scholarships. The worst loss out of all this is the death of beloved Penn State head coach Jo Pa. Even though he had already been gone a while, his firing is what ultimately killed the great coach. If the firing hadn’t caused his death, the consequences handed down the other day would have. The Lions did not, however, get the “death penalty”. Truth be told, this might be the worse than the death penalty, though. The loss of all 13 seasons eliminates Paterno’s title as the winningest coach of all time.

On Sunday, at Beaver Stadium, construction workers removed the statue of Joe Paterno. As of right now there is no word if or when the statue will be put up again. That statue is a tribute to the great Jo Pa leading out the great players in Penn State history. The statue is great for both Penn State and non-Penn State fans to see what Jo Pa has accomplish throughout his coaching career. The locker rooms and the showers will also be torn down at the stadium as well.

As for the current players (veterans and incoming freshman), they can leave the football program and transfer immediately to another school with out penalty. That being said, they have to make sure they are eligible and have a good-standing GPA (grade point average). This includes their eligibility being shorter than or equal to the length of the ban.  The fine of $60 million is going to be put in a new fund for people who are victims of sexual assault. This will be a national fund. The athletic program will also be on a five-year probation, and must work with an athletic integrity monitor the NCAA will choose. With the bowl ban, Penn State will also be ineligible to play in the Big Ten title game.

The past 13-14 (good and bad) seasons are gone in the blink of an eye, due to one sick individual. A coach and father figure who people looked up to as a role model has changed the Penn State football program from powerhouse to dust in the wind. Jerry Sandusky has destroyed one of most storied programs, and, worst of all, killed his friend Joe Paterno. Penn State will most likely have the hardest time in recruiting, explaining why Penn State is still a place to be. Not only will the football program take a hit, but the entire student body (non-student athletes) will as well. It is going to be a very long four years for the Nittany Lions. The team has to try to fit in, look to the future, and never look back. It’s up to new leadership (both on and off the field), and a new way of life for Penn State, to get back what they lost.