I have to ask this question of Terry and another for you. I mean no offense. Terry, do you think some of your opinion of this matter is colored by the NCAA and the way they handled Bama's cases? Why would Penn State be crazy enough to file lawsuits against sanctions? Do they want to be despised more? This is one of those times that you can beat the crap out of someone who deserves it without fear of retribution.
There's a good question. In terms of public perception some would certainly vilify Penn State to a larger degree than they are already.
As much as I stand against bureaucracy in just about every form, it does have its place. Here, there isn't any due process being allowed to Penn State. That said, a few around the news room said they've heard suggestion that Penn State was told "we have the option of discrediting/disassociating you from the NCAA" or we have these penalties we will put in place.
Does the NCAA's actions in the past with Bama have a bearing on my thought process here? How could it not? We've seen too many instances where their rulings have no consistency at all and this move isn't encouraging. Cam Newton survives his father shopping him to other schools because there's a loophole they fall into. But here? With our history we see Travis Carroll story end up with Bama boosters essentially found guilty of giving him a free car DESPITE having documented evidence that said that wasn't true. The NCAA says he got a car. Yet, later, more instances of the same and they rule completely differently.
If they decide, seemingly on public perception, on how they should act who is to say they won't do the same in the future? No one can because their track record proves otherwise.
This is a situation where they can punish someone without fear of retribution and it's due to a mob mentality saying they deserve punishment. Which, they'll get. But, it's nothing the NCAA is doing other than jumping on a story and beating someone up who's already down for the count.
I know I don't stand with a lot here on how I see this. It doesn't change the way I feel about them. I don't take views that are opposite of mine personally. It's their opinion and they have as much of a right to have and express it as I do.
I don't have "feelings" about the fan base at Penn State one way or another. I do have feelings about how this move by the NCAA is detrimental to A LOT of people who have no involvement in this at all.
Lastly...
I can't escape this mental image. I see a guy sitting at a bar watching another guy get the crap beat out of him for something he deserved. Then, the guy says to those around him, "hold my drink and watch me." I saw another guy state something along the lines of "it's like the guy who has 224 assisted tackles in his senior year of HS but all he's done is jump on the pile after the ball carrier is already down." But, that players says, "look at the number of tackles I had last year."