"This is not the first time Lucia has taken a hard line on academics, and
given his profession as a college coach, I applaud him and his team for all
he has done to classify academics above athletics. At an University riddled
with scholar-athlete problems in the past, his spotlight on academic
integrity may set an example all can follow. Is not Lucia the leading
candidate for the Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year award?"  This is
big time college hockey and Welch was not recruited for his academic prowess
or given a free ride based upon his keen intellect and there are any number
of Minnesotans who would never be admitted to Gopher U with Welch's (or many
of his teammates) his grades and low test scores-so Lucia recruits to win not
to ennoble scholars. The hypocrisy of taking marginal "students" loading them
up with the rigors of a sport like hockey and then taking the athlete to task
is all part of the Faustian bargain that big time college athletics and
universities have made with each other-give me a break.