Penn State Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Respond to Sanctions
By: Brian Thompson
Updated: July 23, 2012
Penn State Acting Athletic Director David Joyner and Head Football Coach Bill O'Brien reacted to the sanctions against the university Monday.
Statement by Acting Athletic Director David Joyner
The Freeh Report concluded that individuals at Penn State University entrusted to positions of authority, shunned their basic responsibility to protect children, and innocent children suffered as a result. Our hearts go out to the victims of this abuse and their families.
Today Penn State takes another step forward in changing the culture at the institution as we accept the penalties of the NCAA for the failure of leadership that occurred on our campus. We are deeply disappointed that some of our leaders could have turned a blind eye to such abuse, and agree that the culture at Penn State must change. As we move forward, today's student athletes have a challenging road ahead. But they will do the right thing, as they have always done. I am confident all of our head coaches will come together to make the change necessary to drive our university forward. Penn State will continue to fully support its established athletic programs, which provide opportunities for over 800 student athletes.
Working together, the path ahead will not be easy. But it is necessary, just, and will bring a better future. Our faculty, staff, students, athletes, and parents will work together as Penn State begins this new chapter. Though this cooperation and collaboration, Penn State will become a national model for compliance, ethics, and embodiment of the student athlete credo.
Statement by Coach Bill O'Brien
Today we receive a very harsh penalty from the NCAA and as Head Coach of the Nittany Lions football program, I will do everything in my power to not only comply, but help guide the University forward to become a national leader in ethics, compliance and operational excellence. I knew when I accepted the position that there would be tough times ahead. But I am committed for the long term to Penn State and our student athletes.
I was then and I remain convinced that our student athletes are the best in the country. I could not be more proud to lead this team and these courageous and humble young men into the upcoming 2012 season. Together we are committed to building a better athletic program and university.
Statement by Acting Athletic Director David Joyner
The Freeh Report concluded that individuals at Penn State University entrusted to positions of authority, shunned their basic responsibility to protect children, and innocent children suffered as a result. Our hearts go out to the victims of this abuse and their families.
Today Penn State takes another step forward in changing the culture at the institution as we accept the penalties of the NCAA for the failure of leadership that occurred on our campus. We are deeply disappointed that some of our leaders could have turned a blind eye to such abuse, and agree that the culture at Penn State must change. As we move forward, today's student athletes have a challenging road ahead. But they will do the right thing, as they have always done. I am confident all of our head coaches will come together to make the change necessary to drive our university forward. Penn State will continue to fully support its established athletic programs, which provide opportunities for over 800 student athletes.
Working together, the path ahead will not be easy. But it is necessary, just, and will bring a better future. Our faculty, staff, students, athletes, and parents will work together as Penn State begins this new chapter. Though this cooperation and collaboration, Penn State will become a national model for compliance, ethics, and embodiment of the student athlete credo.
Statement by Coach Bill O'Brien
Today we receive a very harsh penalty from the NCAA and as Head Coach of the Nittany Lions football program, I will do everything in my power to not only comply, but help guide the University forward to become a national leader in ethics, compliance and operational excellence. I knew when I accepted the position that there would be tough times ahead. But I am committed for the long term to Penn State and our student athletes.
I was then and I remain convinced that our student athletes are the best in the country. I could not be more proud to lead this team and these courageous and humble young men into the upcoming 2012 season. Together we are committed to building a better athletic program and university.
Comments
The NCAA sanctions supposedly were imposed on the football program because the "culture of football" at Penn State had failed to protect kids. It wasn't the "culture of football", but 4 individuals in positions of leadership and administration that failed to protect kids. A "culture of secrecy" in high places at PSU led to abuse of power to "protect" legacy to in turn raise big bucks. The NCAA sanctions do not address or punish the real institutional abuses- it punishes all other innocent parties associated with PSU.
Gary S.
July 27, 2012 at 5:06 pm
The NCAA sanctions supposedly were imposed on the football program because the "culture of football" at Penn State had failed to protect kids. It wasn't the "culture of football", but 4 individuals in positions of leadership and administration that failed to protect kids. A "culture of secrecy" in high places at PSU led to abuse of power to "protect" legacy to in turn raise big bucks. The NCAA sanctions do not address or punish the real institutional abuses- it punishes all other innocent parties associated with PSU.
Gary S.
July 27, 2012 at 5:05 pm
FREEH HAS BEEN DISCREDITED!!!REPORT COULD BE ANNULLED!!!!!!ARE BEYOND REPROACH Reply
Ex-FIFA Presidential Candidate Has Ban Annulled and How It Connects to Penn St.
By
Frank Wagner (Featured Columnist) on July 19, 2012
2,339reads
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It's not often that the worlds of football and futbol (or soccer, if you would) collide, but today's news may be one of those times.
Last year, FIFA (the international governing body of soccer) was preparing for its presidential elections when controversy struck.
Just a few weeks away from the election, Qatari Mohammed Bin Hammam, the former president of the Asian Football Confederation and challenger to the widely disliked incumbent FIFA president Sepp Blatter, was accused of corruption.
After a quick investigation, Bin Hammam was found to have bribed FIFA's ethics committee with gifts to the tune of $1 million.
Bin Hammam was subsequently banned from FIFA for life, leaving the door open for Blatter to win the election unopposed.
Does that sound slightly fishy?
Well today, the Court of Arbitration of Sport (the highest power in international sporting matters) overturned the ban FIFA had imposed on Bin Hammam and nullified the findings of the investigation into the Qatari (per ESPN).
In fact, the court said of the investigation (from Business Week):
It is a situation of "case not proven", coupled with concern on the part of the panel that the FIFA investigation was not complete or comprehensive enough to fill the gaps in the record.
So what does this have to do with American football, you ask?
The connection lies in the investigation into Mohammed Bin Hammam and, moreover, who ran it: former FBI director Louis Freeh.
If that name sounds familiar, Freeh is the same man who ran the investigation into Joe Paterno and the Penn State football scandal.
In fact, it is Freeh's report that is being treated as the most damning evidence in the case against Paterno's legacy. In it, Freeh says of the case:
Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State. The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized.
Other than Paterno's family, Freeh's report has been treated as unquestionable fact?an understandable reaction. After all, the author's former position in the FBI makes his findings and thoughts fairly reliable.
But what about his findings in the Bin Hammam case? What about the fact that the Swiss Court of Arbitration found his investigation of the case to provide "insufficient evidence" to support that same investigation's conclusion?
One thing is clear: Whether or not Freeh's findings in the Bin Hammam case were misguided or not does not affect the facts and quality of his report on the Penn State scandal and Joe Paterno's legacy.
However, it should probably make the "Freeh Report" at least a little less than unassailable
Sir M.
July 23, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Okay, can someone answer a question for me? It has been burning my brain for the last month or so.
When did a Collegiate organization (NCAA) become judge, jury, and executioner of athletes that had nothing to do with the haneous act of a sick man?
I DO NOT AGREE!!!! That the NCAA should have that sort of power. All the are going to do with it is grab it and run. They are supposed to support the athletes of schools not penalyze them. They could have made the university pay that 60 million, instead of taking it from the athletes. The should have take a few season away from the school so that this whole event was removed from viewing during other school's games.
ALL THEY DID WAS USE PENN STATE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER SCHOOLS ANDTHE ABILITY TO USE THIS POWE AGAIN!!!
Everyone, including myself, wanted the attention to go to the victims, All the NCAA did was create more victims of this egregiou event. Sure, athletes have the choice to transfer to other schools, but just think how that will impact the athletes. They prepare for college, only to have to move. Then, they have to learn all new plays,
since practicing for the up coming season with their prior school. Now, scholarsips are taken away. Again, 10 more victims that will have a hard time getting an excellent education.
I am a surviving victim of child sex abuse, all this did for me is make my event come to light more. Every time I watch a college football game, I am going to be reminded of the pain and anguish I felt.
THANK YOU NCAA FOR THE RECURRING NIGHTMARES THAT I MYSELF AND THE VICTIMS OF THIS TRAGIC EVENT WILL ENDURE. YOU HAVE NOW MADE US (VICTIMS) THE GUILTY PEOPLE IN THIS EVENT!!!!!!!!
Teresa L.
July 23, 2012 at 11:16 am
It's a crying shame that it seems like they are focusing on only punishing " Joe Paterno ' so far in this whole scandal, while this other ones involved haven't even really been focused on yet. An to think that Jerry's lawyer is going to get him off on all charges is a joke! ALSO, to punish the football team the way they did when they handed down the sanctions was wrong, why punish them for what someone else did. Lock the one who did this to those poor boys and throw away the key forever!!!
susan s.
July 23, 2012 at 9:21 am
