(the following appeared in the "Sounding Off" column of the BDN Saturday
 
UM HOCKEY CLOUDS WON'T CLEAR EASILY
 
Those surprised by a state legislator's call for the firing of University of
Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh last week are either a tad naive or boosters
who bleed Black Bear blue.
 
The resolution submitted to the Legislature by Rep. Art Mayo of Bath is too
late to have any real effectiveness and his timing is poor.  However, it
does serve as an indicator of how some now view Walsh and the UMaine
athletic department.  It also is a sample of the kind of reception and
reaction Walsh may receive outside the friendly confines of Alfond Arena.
 
Walsh's one-year suspension for NCAA violations ends on Dec. 24.  When he
returns, some may feel that the past will be forgotten, that it will be time
for Walsh to start fresh.
 
They are only partially correct.
 
It is his past which will attract the attention of media and hockey fans
outside of Orono to him and his team.  The Black Bears will be scrutinized
and questions will swirl for at least a year on whether Walsh has changed,
what impact his presence is having on the team and the university, and how
well he is following NCAA rules.
 
The UMaine administration, under the direction of President Fred Hutchinson
and Director of Athletics Suzanne Tyler, decided almost a year ago to keep
Walsh as coach despite UMaine's own self-report which showed Walsh flouted
NCAA rules.  They felt he should not become the fall person for a larger
problem -- Umaine's lack of institutional control.
 
They have steadfastly stuck by their decision to keep Walsh, but now are
discovering another consequence of it as evidenced by Mayo's resolution.
The NCAA cloud will remain over the program with Walsh at the helm.
 
For at least a year, there will be more Art Mayo's lurking around the Maine
hockey program -- watching, evaluating, and waiting for the chance to yell
foul if Walsh stumbles.
 
Walsh, given his competitive nature, will be eager to tackle all adversity
and will attempt to overcome it.  One has to wonder, however, how even he
will be able to deal with those who will frequently associate the words
"NCAA violators" instead of "NCAA champions" when they think of the UMaine
hockey program.
 
-- Joe McLaughlin, Bangor Daily News