Quote:
Originally Posted by JayP
That's very well possible.
I just think that people are a little more rational and at least consider some of the potential consequences before acting. And in this case, going to prison for the cover-up would be far and away the biggest deterrent, IMO.
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You would think so, and yet, it was not in this case.
Cover-ups happen because the people doing it truly believe they won't get caught. I doubt that Paterno or anyone else involved thought this would ever happen. They were too big. They were too important. Penn State Football was too big and too important. Everything else was secondary.
The NCAA said today that they were wrong. So Penn State becomes the poster child for what happens if you cover up the criminal actions of one of your staff to protect your legacy and brand. Not only will you likely see the wrong side of a jail cell, but you will utterly destroy both that legacy and brand anyway.