Joe Paterno's record reinstated

[Thanas]

SI

he NCAA will restore all of Joe Paterno's vacated wins at Penn State, the organization announced on Friday. ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. first reported the news.

The restoration is part of a proposed settlement in Pa. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman's lawsuit against the NCAA.

The settlement, which is subject to board approval from Penn State and the NCAA, will replace the July 2012 consent decree between the school and the NCAA, which sanctioned Penn State in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The Associated Press reports that the PSU board has approved the deal.

The school was forced to vacate 112 victories from 1998 through 2011, all but one of which came under Paterno, as part of the sanctions following the release of the Freeh Report in 2012. The NCAA penalized the school for the Jerry Sandusky scandal, in which the longtime Penn State assistant football coach was convicted on 45 counts of sex abuse earlier that year.​

The punishment had dropped Paterno's career win total from 409 -- the most in Division I college football history -- to 298. Paterno died in January 2012 at the age of 85.

From a statement issued by the family of Paterno in response to the news:

"Today is a great victory for everyone who has fought for the truth in the Sandusky tragedy.

This case should always have been about the pursuit of the truth, not the unjust vilification of the culture of a great institution and the scapegoating of coaches, players players and administrators who were never given a chance to defend themselves.

For nearly three years, everyone associated with Penn State has had to bear the mark of shame placed upon the institution by the NCAA. It was a grievously wrong action, precipitated by panic, rather than a thoughtful and careful consideration of the facts."

The sanctions had also included the NCAA giving Penn State a four-year postseason ban, restricting the team to 65 scholarships per year through 2017 and a $60 million fine. Under the new settlement, the university has agreed to commit a total of $60 million to activities and programs for the prevention of child sexual abuse and the treatment of victims of child sexual abuse.

Penn State and the NCAA will also "enter into a new Athletics Integrity Agreement that (with concurrence of the Big Ten) includes best practices with which the university is committed to comply" as part of the settlement.

In early September, the NCAA Executive Committee restored Penn State's postseason eligibility and its full allotment of scholarships.

Sandusky is currently serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence after he was convicted in 2012.

I couldn't be more disgusted right now.

[Joun_Lord]

I can kinda understand the want to reinstate the wins for the players. They had nothing to do with Paterno's buddy raping so many kids he should have been given honorary priesthood in the Catholic Church. They were innocent victims in all this. However Joe did know, Joe covered up for his buddy because he was more interested in protecting his football career. If Joe hadn't up and died he should be bunking with his rapey ass friend (and the heads of the college should be in the next cell).

Giving Paterno corpse back his wins does a disservice to the other innocent victims of this tragedy. You know, the children who were raped. It says football is more important then punishing motherfuckers who allowed children to be violated.

And I'm not one for jumping the gun and just attacking every fucking body when there is a tragedy. I think emotional gun control laws after school shootings do nothing to prevent future tragedies and only punish people who had nothing to do with it. Like this, yeah the wins ejection does punish people who had nothing to do with the rapes (the players). Why I'd be more then okay with them keeping the wins but ejecting Paterno's and whomever else was in involved in the cover-ups off them.

The school and its administrators and the institution of football at the damnable place need punished though. The administrators covered up rape, the football culture covered up rape, the school covered up rape and therefore punishment is in order.

Though it seems like other then poor wittle tarnished reps, the now repealed repealed wins, ain't nobody been punished (other then the rapist himself) for this gross misuse of power and uncaring for victims.

[Alferd Packer]

Well, here's the thing: when you rape a child, you have permanently damaged that child. No amount of therapy, accommodation, compensation, or any other act will ever fully heal the damage that has been done to that child. That kid will have serious psychological and emotional problems for his entire life. So, if you have raped a child, or if you spent fifteen years looking the other way so that someone could rape a bunch of children, your punishment should be permanent, as well.

[Flagg]

I knew they would eventually. I mean you can't unbreak an egg so fuck it, right? Cocksuckers.

[Broomstick]

Well, here's the thing: when you rape a child, you have permanently damaged that child. No amount of therapy, accommodation, compensation, or any other act will ever fully heal the damage that has been done to that child. That kid will have serious psychological and emotional problems for his entire life.

Yes, but you know, can we get away from the implication that such victims will be helpless cripples for the rest of their lives?

I have personally known several people who were molested and/or raped as children, in most of those cases by their own parent, who have gone on to live happy, fulfilled lives and enjoy personal success. No, it doesn't unmake the past, but I find it hard to refer to a successful doctor or a happily married person engaged in a wide social circle and enjoying life as impaired in the sense implied by such statements. A quick search on Google reveals many celebrities who have had successful careers, wealth, fame, and even managed to have decent personal and emotional lives despite early sexual abuse. Being the victim of sexual abuse or rape does not doom a person to unhappiness as an emotional cripple and I have concerns that such statements can become self-fulling prophecies.

Yes, the victims DO need care and appropriate therapy, just as someone in a horrific physical accident needs appropriate care and therapy to restore maximum function. Getting that to those who need it should be a top priority. Unfortunately, there can be lasting damage or impairment in an area, but that doesn't mean these folks can't go on to have good lives and accomplishments.

I guess, knowing a number of victims who have overcome such trauma and gone on to good lives, I'd like to hear something a bit more positive in regards to the long term prospects of victims of such crimes.

It's like the days when a woman being raped made her "ruined" for life, or it was a "fate worse than death" (really?), or made her a pariah or marriageable. The social fallout could be worse than than the actual rape. Likewise, survivors of molestation and child rape should not be considered "ruined". They are injured, yes, but we can do something for those injuries and hopefully minimize the long term impact.

[Gandalf]

I just didn't think the wins would be back this soon. So I bet the statue will be back up soon enough.

I can kinda understand the want to reinstate the wins for the players. They had nothing to do with Paterno's buddy raping so many kids he should have been given honorary priesthood in the Catholic Church. They were innocent victims in all this.

In the world of Pedo State, the players with vacated wins aren't exactly victims.

[Alferd Packer]

Yes, but you know, can we get away from the implication that such victims will be helpless cripples for the rest of their lives?

Not being a psychotherapist or, indeed, a victim of sexual trauma, I can only estimate what goes on in a victim's head when he's alone with his thoughts, even after years of therapy, and it is by that measure that I consider the emotional and psychological damage to be permanent. I've no doubt that victims of rape can and do go on to personal and professional happiness and success, but I stand by my statement that they can never be fully healed of the trauma they've endured. Getting them 95% or even 99% there is laudable and, in my estimation, quite reasonably accomplished with effective therapy. But it's not 100%, and I would not unreasonably put forth a given rape victim would be better off having never endured such a horror.

[Flagg]

Yes, but you know, can we get away from the implication that such victims will be helpless cripples for the rest of their lives?

Not being a psychotherapist or, indeed, a victim of sexual trauma, I can only estimate what goes on in a victim's head when he's alone with his thoughts, even after years of therapy, and it is by that measure that I consider the emotional and psychological damage to be permanent. I've no doubt that victims of rape can and do go on to personal and professional happiness and success, but I stand by my statement that they can never be fully healed of the trauma they've endured. Getting them 95% or even 99% there is laudable and, in my estimation, quite reasonably accomplished with effective therapy. But it's not 100%, and I would not unreasonably put forth a given rape victim would be better off having never endured such a horror.

Broomstick is just ignorant on this issue. As someone who is not, you never truly get over it and you stop trusting.

[Broomstick]

Please - I'm not ignorant that there are lasting effects, what I dispute is the notion that a victim's life is horribly wrecked forever. Would it be better not to be a victim? Of course.

If someone loses a leg do we weep that their lives are ruined and they can never, ever achieve happiness again or do we try to rehab them so they can have the best life possible despite long-term problems?

Sure, I could sit here and argue about the mental state of people I know, but I can't give meaningful evidence without violating their privacy. Likewise, YOU can't speak for someone else's mental state, even if you underwent a similar experience.

Sure, some people are completely fucked up, but not all of them spend the rest of their lives sawing at their wrists. You can acknowledge long-term damage without making the person sound like a helpless emotional cripple.

Unless you show me some credible, peer-reviewed research that the vast majority of sexual abuse victims are irredeemably fucked up and spend the rest of their lives miserable and completely unable to trust other human beings, unable to function in normal society, I'm calling bullshit on those who portray such survivors in such a manner.

[Broomstick]

Getting them 95% or even 99% there is laudable and, in my estimation, quite reasonably accomplished with effective therapy. But it's not 100%, and I would not unreasonably put forth a given rape victim would be better off having never endured such a horror.

Yeah, where did I say it was inconsequential? Point that out.

A 95% or 99% recovery is a damn sight better than what you get from some types of physical trauma, we should applaud people who do that well rather than focus on the 1% or 5% they didn't get back.

[Ralin]

Yes, but you know, can we get away from the implication that such victims will be helpless cripples for the rest of their lives?

Not being a psychotherapist or, indeed, a victim of sexual trauma, I can only estimate what goes on in a victim's head when he's alone with his thoughts, even after years of therapy, and it is by that measure that I consider the emotional and psychological damage to be permanent. I've no doubt that victims of rape can and do go on to personal and professional happiness and success, but I stand by my statement that they can never be fully healed of the trauma they've endured. Getting them 95% or even 99% there is laudable and, in my estimation, quite reasonably accomplished with effective therapy. But it's not 100%, and I would not unreasonably put forth a given rape victim would be better off having never endured such a horror.

Broomstick is just ignorant on this issue. As someone who is not, you never truly get over it and you stop trusting.

Not that I want to denigrate your experiences or agree with Broomstick, but I also have people I care about who have been raped and I seriously don't like the vibe I get that they're damaged goods or whatever. Not accusing you, but I definitely see it in these conversations

[Flagg]

Not being a psychotherapist or, indeed, a victim of sexual trauma, I can only estimate what goes on in a victim's head when he's alone with his thoughts, even after years of therapy, and it is by that measure that I consider the emotional and psychological damage to be permanent. I've no doubt that victims of rape can and do go on to personal and professional happiness and success, but I stand by my statement that they can never be fully healed of the trauma they've endured. Getting them 95% or even 99% there is laudable and, in my estimation, quite reasonably accomplished with effective therapy. But it's not 100%, and I would not unreasonably put forth a given rape victim would be better off having never endured such a horror.

Broomstick is just ignorant on this issue. As someone who is not, you never truly get over it and you stop trusting.

Not that I want to denigrate your experiences or agree with Broomstick, but I also have people I care about who have been raped and I seriously don't like the vibe I get that they're damaged goods or whatever. Not accusing you, but I definitely see it in these conversations

I wouldn't say "damaged goods" (a phrase that I consider offensive in this context, though not the way you used it) but in my experience, and this includes almost a dozen other molestation and rape survivors, I've had real trust issues, PTSD with flashbacks, and became very introverted. I'm sure there are survivors who are doing spectacularly and that's great, but the vast majority of the ones I know have issues they deal with, but manage to live perfectly normal lives. So it can break some people, it can do serious lasting psychological damage some never fully recover from, and some can move on with their lives after therapy with some ongoing counseling and all manner of less or more extreme reactions.
I don't really remember my response to Broomstick (likely another blackout) but it was asinine and I owe Broomy a public apology, and I sincerely do apologize.