John Forsyth writes:
>What a surprise, HE decided to wait for someone else to make the decision
>for them...this group of people moves slower than molasses when it comes
>to making decisions..it took what, 3 months for a resolution to the Jeff
>Tory case?
 
John, you answered your own question later:
 
>The latest, as reported in the Portland Press Herald.
...
>Patrice Tardif has been reinstated in a course on collective bargaining
>which he had dropped on January 31, because he already had 6 credit
>hours and believed that was enough to remain eligible.  However, he would
>still be ineligible for the 23 games he played in prior to Jan 17 (when
>UMaine began their second semester).  It would seem to me that if he is
>once again carrying 9 credits, his eligibility should be reinstated.
 
I guess we can now discuss this since it has appeared in the Portland
paper today.  This is what I was referring to yesterday about the
issue not being cut and dried, that it wouldn't be an easy decision for
HE, and that his eligibility may be restored and/or they may not have
to forfeit every game he played in.  I did not want to go any further
unless the press got hold of it and published the details.
 
HE deserves credit for getting together to discuss the issue just days
after it became public knowledge.  But they don't deserve a rap for
putting off a decision.  No way, no how.  Imagine the following
sequence of events:
 
* While knowing the NC$$ decision was due in a few days, HE still
decides today to have Maine forfeit all games and kicks them out of
the HE tourney.  Standings are adjusted accordingly, Maine now with
only 2 wins overall and in HE (this past weekend over Merrimack).
* Two days later, the NC$$ rules that Tardif was ineligible for only
20 (arbitrary number here) of the 30 games he played in, and so Maine
does not have to forfeit wins/ties among the other 10.  Also, he is
eligible for the rest of the season.
* HE scrambles to get another conference call together, and sheepishly
announces that they'll adjust the standings AGAIN to take into account
the latest ruling.  Since it wasn't as bad as originally thought, HE
decides the good outweighs the bad and lets Maine back into the
tourney.
 
How foolish would the league look then?  It makes absolute and
complete sense for them to try to wait as long as possible for the
outcome of the NC$$ ruling, which to be honest, I knew was being
appealed but I did not know it had not been decided yet.  I thought
the ruling may have come back already.
 
I would guess that the call was useful in that they know the ruling
will be one of a very few possibilities.  They likely discussed
whether they should do something that could stand regardless of the
ruling...when that came back no, they then discussed what actions
might be taken in the various possible outcomes (one of which was that
no ruling is forthcoming in the timeframe HE needs to know by).  So
they have basically set up a flowchart...if (NC$$ RULING is A) then
(HE DECISION is X).  And so on.  No, I wasn't in on the call :-)...but
this is what would make sense to me.
 
BTW, if Maine is kept out of the tourney and BU gets a bye, the loss
of revenue to both BU and the league is astounding.  I think quarterfinal
tickets at BU are $10/seat.  Times a capacity of 3,684, that's $36,840
a game plus concessions which are probably about as much as the
ticket revenue.  If the series went three games - very possible if it
were Maine with the Olympians, we are talking about a loss of as much
as $250,000.  Not to mention the hit they've already taken with Maine
not getting to host the first round.  And it is the conference tourney
that the league relies on to cover much of its operating costs.
---                                                                 ---
Mike Machnik                                          [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                  *HMM* 11/13/93
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