Did I call it?  -- dt :-)
 
NCAA DEBACLE SHOULD TEACH UMAINE VALUABLE LESSONS
appeared in Sat. Feb. 15 Sounding Off Column
 
Now that the University of Maine's saga with the NCAA is over, many will
start to assess blame.  There will be finger-pointing and second-guessing.
It is, after all, the American way.
 
It's easy to understand why the finger-pointing will occur.  UMaine has been
nailed with numerous violation and has been assessed several serious
penalties.  Two of those, a post-season ban for hockey and scholarship
reductions for football, were upheld Thursday by the NCAA Infractions
Appeals Committee.
 
Add to that a cost of $620, 546 to deal with the three-year NCAA ordeal,
then the second-guessing will start to his its peak.
 
There will be questions about the decisions of UMaine President Frederick
Hutchinson and Athletic Director Sue Tyler.  Questions about the performance
of the Kansas law firm of Bond, Schoeneck and King, to which UMaine paid
$468,681 to investigate its NCAA mess.  Questions surrounding embatled
hockey coach Shawn Walsh, the central figure of the NCAA's investigation.
 
Second-guessing at this point, the end of the ordeal, is wrong and without
purpose.  Now that it's over, it's too easy and convenient to say what
should have been.
 
Instead, it's time for the university officials to take a long look at the
past three years.  They should evaluate their efforts, decisions and
priorities.  They should learn from thier mistakes, improve and make sure
the past is never repeated.  Working under the shadow of a four-year NCAA
probation should help ensure these goals.
 
While the officials are going through this overview process, they should
keep in the mind the real loser in the NCAA ordeal:  the University of Maine.
 
A big part of the justification for focusing and spenind money on collegiate
athletics has been the ripple effect it creates for the rest of the
university.  The theory is that the attention and interest athletics bring
will boost interest in the university's main purpose -- education.
 
It's time to refocus and work toward making sure that main purpose is achieved.
 
-- Joe McLaughlin, Bangor Daily News