Insta-reactions came quick Monday morning in the moments after NCAA president Mark Emmert gave word that the Penn State Football program would suffer greatly for its enabling of the crimes committed by once-assistant couch Jerry Sandusky.
The school was fined $60 million, its team is now banned from playing bowl or postseason games for the next four years, and any wins obtained under Joe Paterno since 1998 were wiped clean off the record—stripping the former coach of his 'most winningest' football coach title for good.
Students were furious. Many took to Twitter to ask why the NCAA was attacking them by proxy of its sanctions. For alumni, the situation was slightly more complicated. The general public, however, held no reserves in calling for the program's proverbial head—many said the league did not go far enough in its seemingly unprecedented rulings.
We've gathered a sampling of their tweets below, with some sent in following a call from The Daily Beast's Twitter for #psualumreax.
Tweets from students in State College, PA
Punishing the students won't get you anywhere.
— ChaChaChaChad (@CursedbyCute) July 23, 2012
Why punish the entire school including the students. This is beyond bullshit. #pissedoff
— Kyle Love (@KyleLove71) July 23, 2012
NCAA sucks, talk about overstepping your bounds.
— trama1rn (@trama1rn) July 23, 2012
still proud to be a psu student
— Ben Wilt(@BWilt18) July 23, 2012
As a PSU student I didn't follow football & as an alum I still don't, but I think the sanctions are too harsh. #psualumreax
— C.C. Hunt (@Geohistoria) July 23, 2012
We will always be Penn State proud no matter what! #PennState #psu
— Nassir A. Abalkhail (@Nas_abalkhail) July 23, 2012
Why punish the entire school including the students. This is beyond bullshit. #pissedoff
— Kyle Love (@KyleLove71) July 23, 2012
Joe Paterno is and always will be my idol
— Jimmy Olson (@DON_NERI) July 23, 2012
Kicking someone when they are down does nothing. Why do it to a university?
— Peter Hausman (@PeteHausman26) July 23, 2012
So now the score of the 1999 Alamo Bowl is 0-0, and Victim 4 was still molested. Nothing accomplished.
— Laura Nichols (@LC_Nichols) July 23, 2012
Absolutely absurd sanctions. Cannot even express how awful the #NCAA is at the moment or why #psu agreed with this
— Joe Mahoney (@joemahoneypsu) July 23, 2012
I just had an alumni walk up to me, and say that she was praying for me and the rest of the Penn State students, #mademyday :)
— Nicole Bowmaster (@nicolemarie711) July 23, 2012
Penn state has the most loyal fans student and alumni.. unless you're one of them you wouldn't understand.. quit tellin us to shut up
— Collin Berger (@_BergerKing17) July 23, 2012
Just talked to my cousin @sara_ashleyhdez who goes to Penn State, the students who matter will be the ones to suffer. twitter.com/RicardoMalupin…
— Ricky Maluping (@RicardoMaluping) July 23, 2012
Tweets from PSU alumni
#psualumreax potentially devastating but deserved. Real problem is structure of big-time college sports-commercial complex.
— bklunk (@bklunk) July 23, 2012
#psualumreax Kids come first Period. 2 help supportmission 2 stop abuse & messed up cultures planing on attending game 1st time indecade +
— Mary Ellen Mannix (@maryemannix) July 23, 2012
@thedailybeastI agree with the sanctions. The leaders of psu failed to live up to the character expected of its students #psualumreax
— Alyssa Newman (@alyssanew) July 23, 2012
#psualumreax They got off easy, the price for ruined lives, stolen innocence & loss of trust is much higher. It's a debt that can't be paid.
— Harold (@hoppy212ny) July 23, 2012
As a #PSU alum I'm saddened our beloved football program put itself in position to be punished. But it did. Let's stand up for what's right
— Marci A. Hamilton (@Marci_Hamilton) July 23, 2012
I could care less about the NCAA sanctions. Focus should be solely on the welfare of the kids and the pursuit of justice. #psualumreax
— Matthew Turner (@digiturner) July 23, 2012
There was a time I shared my #PSU alum-status w/pride, yet felt annoyed it only ever inspired football talk. (2000 graduate) #wsjpennstate
— Rory Schuler (@RorySchuler) July 23, 2012
As an alum and football fan since birth, I honestly think the program should be shut down for four years. Start from scratch. #psu
— Barbra Rodichok (@BarbraRodichok) July 23, 2012
We STILL are Penn State. The actions of the few don't speak for the hundreds of thousands of PSU alum and current students. #WeAre #PSU
— Gina the Huntress(@gmg523) July 23, 2012
Just heard sanctions against Penn State. As an alum I feel the sanctions are fitting. Paterno and PSU football ran that school.
— Trish Williams (@ExPoleDancer) July 23, 2012
As a #PSU alum I'm saddened our beloved football program put itself in position to be punished. But it did. Let's stand up for what's right
— Marci A. Hamilton (@Marci_Hamilton) July 23, 2012
My fiance(Dad is PSU alum) thinks the punishment is too harsh for students who had nothing to do with the cover up. It's a delicate subject.
— Dustin Reed (@JaguarPaw84) July 23, 2012
Doesn't matter what I or any PSU alum think. If we publicly support we are seen as insensitive. #wsjpennstate #iwantallthefacts
— Ted Vickey (@tedvickey) July 23, 2012
Tweets from those who feel the sanctions could have been stiffer
PSU sanctions not stiff enough. PSU will utilize the EE clause and sanctions will end up not much stiffer than USC's but deed much worse
— JoeShmoo (@JosephShannonIV) July 23, 2012
Everyone asking me what I would do to PSU: shut down the football program for four years. No media coverage, school rebuilds.
— Chris Plante (@ctplante) July 23, 2012
Penn state needs more for what they did they should shut down that program there is no need for what they did #Psu
— Mitchell Frame (@mitchfst77) July 23, 2012
Penn State deserved every bit of that penalty,but I don't think the NCAA went far enough. The PSU program should've gotten the death penalty
— Ali Chohan (@achohan1992) July 23, 2012
I feel the PSU sanctions didn't go far enough. Once NCAA applied their jurisdiction, If SMU got death penalty, it certainly applies here.
— Bill(@Hokibil) July 23, 2012
If NCAA allows PSU to play football in 2012, they will not have gone far enough. The toy must be taken away.
— John Czahor (@JohnCzahor) July 22, 2012
I’m not afraid to say it:I don’t think the NCAA went far enough with Penn State.Football program shouldn’t be on the field for years.
— Albert Nurick (@HTownChowDown) July 23, 2012
So what do you think? Where do you stand? Tell us in the comments.
