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Please, Penn State, Decline Your Bowl Game

This season needs to be put out of its misery, Chris Dufresne argues

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 17, 2011 12:20 PM CST

(Newser) – Penn State has been tone deaf throughout the Jerry Sandusky crisis, so it’s no surprise that its interim president recently said the team should play in a bowl game this year. Wrong, says Chris Dufresne of the LA Times. “Penn State’s season can’t end fast enough.” Any Penn State bowl game would be a “carnival sideshow spectacle” with a never-ending barrage of scandal questions. “Bowl games should be celebrations, not interrogations."

Sure, it’s not fair to the players, but it’s not fair that USC players have to miss bowls because of Reggie Bush, either. “Penn State players need less time in the limelight, not more” after what Dufresne calls “perhaps the most disturbing two weeks in the history of collegiate athletics.” It would be especially awful if Penn State earned an automatic Rose Bowl bid. “The Rose Bowl has earned the right to be 60 minutes on ESPN, not 60 Minutes on CBS.” Click for the full column.

Stephfon Green #21 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the game on November 12, 2011 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania.
Stephfon Green #21 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the game on November 12, 2011 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 27 comments
Twiny
Nov 17, 2011 10:35 PM CST
Chris Dufresne just doesn't get it. Football generates millions for Penn State. Football will rule at that school no matter how many kids got raped. It is a disgusting fact of life. Football first and everything else, meh...
marcelasproperty
Nov 17, 2011 7:12 PM CST
Compared to the amount of people that attend and work at penn state about .000001% committed the sickening crime of not reporting the abuse.  Why say Penn State covered it up?  Say, these 5 or 10 jackasses covered it up.  If my parent commits a crime, I don't get punished directly.  It does affect me negatively in many ways but i don't serve time.   To let a staff member from a decade ago affect this season for these boys is ridiculous.  It has affected them enough.  
SidBurgers
Nov 17, 2011 5:49 PM CST
Penn State has cleaned house, the students have learned a life's lesson and are focused on the victims and the crimes committed, the players deserve to play in a bowl game if they earn it, so it's time to find some other sensational case for self righteous blowholes like this writer to bloviate about.  Besides, no one has even gone to trial yet, let alone been convicted, why the rush to deny everyone their right to live their lives?
 

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