Regarding the ongoing Penn State criminal investigation, the NCAA is actively monitoring developments and assessing appropriate steps moving forward. The NCAA will defer in the immediate term to law enforcement officials since this situation involved alleged crimes. As the facts are established through the justice system, we will determine whether Association bylaws have been violated and act accordingly. To be clear, civil and criminal law will always take precedence over Association rules.
After legendary coach Joe Paterno was fired Wednesday night, along with university president Graham Spanier, the blame has clearly been placed and efforts to start anew have begun.
With a criminal investigation still ongoing at Penn State, the NCAA's thoughts are completely irrelevant at this point and time.
The prestigious football program has already been harmed beyond possible belief with the expulsion of the 84-year-old Paterno, made clear by the students' response to the decision.
Recruiting will no doubt take a significant hit because of the negative stigma now associated with Penn State, as well as the lack of proven leadership currently at the helm of the program.
Paterno could have either been the fall guy, or the rallying force that helped guide the Nittany Lions through these awful times.
The board of trustees decided to make him the former, which was certainly the right move given the severity of the alleged crimes.
Still, one has to wonder how the NCAA could further damage Penn State or pile on, if you will.
Penn State is in trouble for unlawful reasons that have nothing to do with the NCAA other than the fact that they are unlawful and wrong in and of themselves, thus making them in violation of NCAA rules.
To explain, what more can the NCAA do to punish the school that the law and court of public opinion will not?
The NCAA should stick to screwing over college athletes instead of attempting to get involved somewhere it doesn't belong.
Penn State has and will continue to be front-page news for the wrongest of reasons, that type of stigma will stick around longer than Paterno has and why the NCAA has anything to say about the current and incomplete situation remains a wonder to me.
