Everyone from Maine regrets the three eligibility problems this year and
hopes and expects them to be eliminated in the future.  The process is
underway at the University to recognize how the problems occurred and put
in place the people and procedures accomplish the correction.
 
A number of "facts" as stated by the previous poster are inaccurate.
Perhaps if he had read HOCKEY-L over the past few months, rather than
listen to a few Boston media jocks trying to further their careers, the
facts might be a little better known...
 
>There is not even a remote chance that maine will play this year. ...
 
   There is exactly "a remote chance" for Maine to be included, as
   stated by at least two of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee
   members.  No one really expects a Maine berth, but the major measure
   of teams, RPIch, has Maine ranked high enough to get in.
 
> ... Every
>body in his right mind knows that walsh was in the loop for each and
>every one of the violations. ...
 
   Walsh brought the Tory case on himself, put too much trust in the
   Maine NCAA Compliance Office in the Ingraham case (2.5 years ago),
   and had absolutely no knowledge of the Tardif case.
 
   I'm tempted to suggest that anyone that believes what they read in
   the Boston Herald is not "in his right mind".
 
>                         ... It is very nice to find some anonymous guy
>in the office and put all the blame on him.
 
   The "anonymous guy" that made the (2 of 3) mistakes was a Maine
   student-athlete and is a graduate.  He has worked a lifetime in the
   athletic department taking on numerous important duties.  He is
   widely known and respected for his honesty.  Just because your frame
   of reference doesn't include any more of Maine athletics than Shawn
   Walsh does not make the person "some anonymous guy".
 
   His name is Woody Carville.  He has been personally devastated by
   each of these problems.  You can say he shouldn't have made those
   mistakes.  But to know the man is to know that there was no evil or
   dishonest intention involved.  Blame rests with him and the systems
   put in place by the administration.
 
   You can say Shawn Walsh is too aggressive for your taste (many Maine
   fans would say the same of Jack Parker).  But to say he did more than
   talk himself into Jeff Tory's "eligibility" or defer responsibility
   for NCAA compliance has no basis in any published fact I have seen.
 
>                                                             ...   What
>also bothers me is the fact maine officials think they are above the
>rest of the league because they bring so many fans and revenue to the
>boston garden. Why is it that the league can't ban maine from post
>season after so many violations? there are rules and they were clearly
>violated.
 
   Some have suggested that it was a gutsy move by Hockey East to ban
   Maine from the HE tournament because of the revenues lost;  that's
   significantly different from suggesting "Maine officials are above
   the rest of the league".  What Maine official said what and when?  It
   wasn't reported here.  Comments on revenues on HOCKEY-L were made by
   non-Mainers, as I recall.
 
   I've spoken with several "Maine officials", and to a person, they
   believe HE did NOT follow the rules.  IMHO, if HE followed due
   process, and if there is a HE appeal process in place, they've
   kept it well hidden.
 
   Off on a story for a bit ...
      Last night I participated in a discussion of "What if" with Maine
      Astronomer Neil Comins, author of "What if there was no Moon?".
      Trust me, it's good that the moon is around.  :-)
 
   It got me to thinking, "What if HE bans Maine from the HE
   tournament?" How is Maine affected?  IMHO, the athletes would have
   been substantially affected ...  their careers in college are too
   short not to be affected.  Yet the eligibility violations were
   administrative problems, not player induced, so a player penalty is
   unfair.  Sometimes a penalty is necessary for someone and unfair
   effect is just a side-effect that can't be avoided.
 
   But if this is true, how is the University affected?  Again, IMHO,
   not much ...  very little.  Does the ban cause Maine to fix the
   problems?  No.  The University is already ashamed of the problems,
   angry that they could occur and demanding that people and processes
   be put in place so such problems not happen again.  But this doesn't
   make headlines.
 
   "What if" the media suggests the muck up there in Maine, WRONGLY,
   starts rubbing off on the league and maybe even other league schools?
   Is such a PR move in any way right?
 
   "What if" Hockey East takes swift actions against Maine, the owner of
   3 NCAA eligibility violations?  Hockey East and it's member schools
   have distanced themselves from the Maine problems, but at the further
   expense of Maine athletes.
 
   Perhaps someone can explain what Hockey East rules have been broken,
   what Hockey East process was invoked, how Hockey East process meets
   the legal requirements (that I perceive) of due process and right of
   appeal, and how the punishment is appropriate for the violation(s)?
 
>Coach walsh can only take an example from BU's jack
> parker, who suspended himself for being abusive to a referee (an away game
>last season). Parker also kicked out talented players (lilley) from the
>team for academic reasons.
 
   Both Jack Parker and Shawn Walsh have on numerous occasions taken to
   jack-ass antics on their benches.
 
   Before Shawn Walsh came to Maine, Division II Maine hockey fans would
   hold their breath at the end of every semester wondering who would
   become academically ineligible next.  Academic progress was something
   between the student and his professors.  Shawn Walsh came on the
   scene and the difference has been incredible.  I don't remember the
   last Maine player to become academically ineligible.  I'll leave it
   to folks closer to the program than I to detail just what is expected
   of Maine student-athletes.  Not everyone is as academically gifted as
   a Patrice Tardif or a Scott King, but I'm impressed with what Shawn
   Walsh expects of his players.
 
   I don't suppose it was reported outside of Maine when Coach Walsh sat
   out the Maine leading scorer for an unexcused absence from a class, a
   violation of a team rule that always results in that penalty.
 
>This situation is not very fair for the maine players and I hope for
>them and for their university that walsh will be fired (even easier for
 
   Despite your opinion from afar, Shawn Walsh is a great coach.  He
   believes in college hockey, his players and the University of Maine.
   He cares for his program and his players, while they play "for him"
   and after.  He doesn't just coach on the ice, but tries to be great
   in every facet of the program.  IMO, he'll learn from the problems
   this year and will put the checking in place, to complement the
   Compliance Office duties and keep such problems from recurring.
 
   IMO, 7 or 8 years ago Walsh was frequently "out-coached" on the bench
   when it came time to play BC or BU or MSU ...  that didn't last for
   long.
 
   Time and again, we see young players come to Maine and leave a few
   years later better men, better hockey players, confident speakers and
   people we're proud of.  Many of those that have occasion to leave
   early may be seen back on campus each May and July working to
   complete their degree.  It's an atmosphere that doesn't just happen;
   it's fostered, maybe created, by Shawn Walsh.
 
Yours in college hockey,
 
Wayne (Your OK, I'm OK) Smith, speaking for himself, not ...
The College Hockey Discussion List administrator
Systems Group - CAPS              BITNET/CREN:  wts@maine
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