I am beginning to wonder if the bad news is ever going to stop coming
from the University of Maine...
 
 
Today's News:
In a press conference yesterday in Orono, UMaine president Fred Hutchinson
supported Mike Plosek, Maine's AD, who has been suspended without pay for
the upcoming week.  As Steve T reported earlier, Woody Carville accused
Plosek of trying to coverup the latest fiasco in Orono in a story in the
Maine Sunday Telegram.  Today's Portland Press Herald prints a copy of
both memos Carville sent to Plosek, and a chronology of the events in
the case since Wednesday, February 16, the date on which one of Carville's
assistants found the error.  I am not going to take up a lot of space by
posting the memos in their entirety, I'll just summarize, if anyone wants
to read the memos, I'll be glad to email them to you.
 
 
First, the chronology of events:
On 2/16 one of Woody Carville's assistants discovered the infraction and
reported it to Carville.  The following day Carville informed Plosek of
the incident.  Plosek immediately informed Hutchinson, who told Plosek
"to investigate the extent of the problem and look into possible remedies".
On Friday the 18th (while the UMaine hockey team is in Boston, preparing
to play BU) Carville claims that Plosek told him that the matter was
being handled "in-house", and that "there was no need to get anyone else
involved"  Carville says that he informed Plosek that two of the five
athletes in question (including Pat Tardif) were about to play during
the weekend, and claims that he tolf Plosek that not informing the NCAA
of the violations immediately would be "professional suicide".  Later in
the day, Plosek and Hutchinson met with George Jacobsen, UMaine's  NCAA
faculty representative.  According to Hutchinson, it was still unclear as
to whether or not NCAA rules had been broken and Plosek was told to
continue persuing the issue and report back to Hutchinson on Tuesday.
 
This is the date on which Carville's first memo is dated (again, this is
not the entire memo, only portions of it):This violation occured because
I utilized the the number of hours of registration to be a University
minimum full-time load, rather than the NCAA requirement.  Each week (we)
check the printout listing hours of registration for each student, but
because the first week was inaccurately checked, the mistake perpetuated
each week.  I realize the ramifications of this violation, especially
in light of our other violations and will accept complete responsibility
for the mistake.  Do you want me to draft a letter to the NCAA?
 
end of memo
 
On Saturday, February 19 Hutchinson told a group of business and opinion
leaders from throughout the state that "yet another serious issue" was
facing the UMaine athletic department, but he said he could not disclose
details pending resolution of the matter.
[Ed. note:  This is what Hutchinson considers to be a key part of Plosek's
and Hutchinson's defense against the "cover-up" charge by Carville.
"This is not a statement that anyone would ever make if they were
contemplating a coverup"     I would agree with that.]
 
 
Also, Carville's second memo is dated Saturday the 19th, this is where
Carville claims "Mike, you immediately gave me the impression that you
were hesitating about a self-report" to the NCAA.  He also says that he
"reminded you [Plosek] that Patrice [Tardif] and Allison [Lowell], both
competing this weekend, were both under registered and should not
compete".
 
On Monday the 21st, Carville presented Plosek with the two memos.
 
Then, on Tuesday the 22nd, Plosek admitted to Hutchinson and Jacobsen
that he had failed to prevent the two ineligible players from competing
over the weekend.  [Plosek himself described this as a "bonehead" move]
 
On the 23rd, Carville met with Robert Whelen, Hutchinson's executive
assistant, to discuss the violations.  Whelen told Carville that Hutchinson
had been briefed on the problem.
 
On February 24th, Hutchinson and Plosek met with Carville, who was told
the violations would be reported to the NCAA, and that he was being
removed as the compliance officer.  Later, Plosek announced his own
one-week suspension without pay at a newsconference.
 
And on Saturday the 26th, Carville accused Plosek of contemplating a
coverup and knowingly playing ineligible athletes.
 
 
Everyone follow that?  I think I need a flow chart or something.
 
It looks like it is going to take some time to piece together who is
telling the truth and who is trying to protect his hide.
I feel bad for my friends who are still working in the UMaine athletic
department (including the assistant who uncovered the mistake) because
this reflects badly on all of them, when only a few people are at fault.
I am not going to pass judgement on Plosek or Carville yet, because I
am sure there will be another headline tomorrow with even more disturbing
information from Orono.  I still believe that President Hutchinson is
going to do whatever it takes to clean up the program, but it may take
longer than we had been hoping.
 
For the record, the chronology posted was printed in the Portland Press
Herald today, and was compiled from both the chronology which Hutchinson
gave the media at a press conference last night, and from the interview
conducted with Carville on Saturday.
 
I have to leave on a positive note, it is now almost 99% guaranteed that
the Wonder Twins (aka Chris and Peter Ferraro) will be back this week
for UMaine.  According to the AP report in the PPH, both are enrolled
in classes and plan to attend.
 
And thats the news from Black Bear Country.
 
John Forsyth
The Scandals in Orono: They keep coming and coming and coming and coming
(Enter the Energizer Bunny)