First off, sorry I couldn't post yesterday, but the University of Southern
Maine didn't feel like opening its labs yesterday..maybe because therewas
a foot of snow on the ground :->
Today's good news: The NCAA might have a heart! In a decision announced
Thursday, the NCAA restored Patrice Tardif's eligibility status and allowed
him to return to the hockey team, and he will play this weekend. UMaine
will have to forfeit 21 games in which Tardif played, both last semester
and between the time he dropped a course (Jan 31) and the time he was
declared ineligible (Feb 20). The games which were played between Dec.
18 and Jan. 31 will stand in the books as they were played - Maine will
keep the wins (and ties) they earned. UMaine's record now stands at:
5-26-1 (2-19-1 HE).
Patrice's reaction: "I'm very excited Coach (Shawn) Walsh
told me to go to bed early because I'm leaving with the team in the
morning. I was really, really happy."John Diamond, Maine's acting
director of Public Affairs said, "They were all innocent victims of this
administrative error and fortunately the NCAA recognized this is Pat's
case."
Paul Kariya watch (and wait) continues...
UMaine/Team Canada forward PaulKariya still has not reached a decision
about what he will do now. He has refused every offer from the Anaheim
Mighty Ducks, and according to Ducks' GM Jack Ferreira, "I wouldn'tbe
surprised if (Paul) returned (to UMaine) next year too". Neither Paul
nor his advisor were available for comment yesterday. Shawn Walshsaid
he felt sympathy for Paul's roller-coaster ride of emotions, from Olympics
to NHL contract negotiations: "Everyone here respects the bigtime pressure
he just went through. He had the gold medal in his hand, his whole country
watching his every move."Walsh was "90 percent sure" Kariya would not be
playing for UMaine this weekend.
A day without scandal is like a day without sunshine (but we havescandal
even without the sunshine)...
The first bit of news, which I didn't think would make the papers so soon,
if at all, is that the UMaine General Student Senate (GSS) voted 23-3
to ask for AD Mike Plosek's "forced resignation" in a letter to UM
President Fred Hutchinson. Officially, the GSS took a "negative" view
of Plosek's handling of the problems this year, although a friend of
mine in the GSS informs me that the words used in the meeting were
just a bit more harsh.
Today's Big News (article from the Portland Press Herald, Friday March 4
written by Roberta Scruggs and Joshua L. Weinstein):
The University of Maine placed its athletic director on indefinite leave
and called in an outside investigator Thursday after "new information"
surfaced in the school's athletic eligibility controversy.
"I am extremely concernedthat all pertinent information was not provided
to me as it should have been" said Frederick E. Hutchinson, UMaine
president, in a statement released Thursday evening.
Hutchinson, while declining to specify what revelationsprompted his
latest decision, said it concerned the athletic department's "handling of
the events" over the past two weeks.
Stanley R Tupper, former Maine congressman, will lead the investigation
into events that followed the discovery two weeks ago that five UMaine
athletes played while academically ineligible.
Mike Plosek will be on "investigative lead" with pay until further notice
Hutchinson said. Plosek's one-week suspensionfor his role in handling
the eligibility problems ends Saturday.
Joining PLosek on investigative lead will be Linwood Carville, who was
removed last week as UMaine's NCAA compliance officer and was awaiting
reassignment within the university.
According to a UMaine press release, "Investigative leave is the term the
university uses to describe a personnelaction involving a performance-
related investigation. Individuals placed on investigatory leave continue
to receive pay but must remain available to those conducting such an
investigation."
John Diamond said the investigation will proceed "as quickly as possible
and as thoroughly as possible." Hutchinson promised to make Tupper's
findings public.
The eligibility controversy stems from Carville's discovery on Feb 16
that five student athletes at UMaine had competed in violation of the
NCAA's rules governing minimum course loads.
Two of the athletes, Patrice Tardif and Allyson Lowell, played in
competitions during the weekend of Feb 19-20 - after Carville told Plosek
that they were ineligible and should be withdrawn from their teams.
Carville charged last week that Plosek at firstconsidered concealing
the violations rather than report them to the NCAA. Plosek later said
he had forgotten to notify the athletes and coaches of the problem before
they played, an oversight he described as a "bonehead move".
In a related matter, the NCAA announced late Thursday that it had
restored Tardif's athletic eligibility for the hockey team. Tardif should
not be penalized because his insufficient academic load, which has
since been supplemented by another course,resulted from a university
error, the NCAA ruled.
But the NCAA also ordered the forfeiture of 21 games in which Tardif played
while ineligible.
Left unresolved was whether UMaine would be allowed to compete in the
NCAA's playoffs and defend the national championship it won last year.
Dave Berst, NCAA assistant executive director for enforcement and
eligibility appeals, said the NCAA had not been notified of UMaine's
new investigation. As for further NCAA action, he said UMaine's
"resposibility for the violation is still pending and that will be handled
by the NCAA committee on infractions at a later time".
Hutchinson's announcement came four days after he sharply criticized
Carville, a longtime friend, for alleging Plosek had considered not
reporting the violations. At a Sunday pressconference, an angry
Hutchinson said blame for the errors rested solely on Carville, who
was "pointing the finger everywhere but at himself."
Behind-scenes meetings
Subsequent developments this week took place in behind-the-scenes meetings
between Hutchinson, Carville and Robert Whelen, Hutchinson's executive
assistant, and acting compliance officer. In separate interviews with
the three men over the past several days, two of those meetings emerged as
turning points.
On Monday, Carville handed over to Whelen documents that, according to
Carville, dealt with "athletic department activities". Carville also
requested a meeting with Hutchinson.
On Tuesday, Hutchinson met with Carville in the parking lot of the
Airport Mall in Bangor. That location was chosen because Hutchinson was
en route to the Bangor International Airport for a trip to Washington DC.
Hutchinson said he offered Carville a new job in the Deptartment of
Institutional Planning. Carville said he would accept the position
on the condition that he first be reinstated as compliance officer and
then transferred to the new job."I hesitated. And I said, 'Woody,
I am not at all sure I can do that.' And then I thought a minute and
I said, 'If you are asking me to reconsider this, I'm willing to dothat'"
Hutchinson said. Hutchinson said he later called Carville to say he had
decided against reinstatement, but that the job offer remained open.
New Information Develops
The matter appeared settled as late as 2:30 PM Thursday, when Hutchinson
told the Press Herald he thought he had all the information he needed and
was comfortable with his decisions.
Diamond, when asked if Hutchinson had received the new information in the
afternoon said, "I think that's very safe to say - very safe to say."
Reached at his home Thursday evening,Tupper said Diamond contacted him
shortly after 4PM to request that he investigate the matter."I expect
the president will call me tomorrow" Tupper said. "I know just what I
have read in the papers".Tupper said he will visit the campus Monday.
"I would want a full briefing and know what the mission is all about."
Tupper, 73, served as a Republican congressman from Maine from 1961-67.
He also served as a state legislator, commissioner of the former Department
of Sea and Shore Fisheries and assistant attourey general. In 1988,
Tupper headed a three-member panel established by the Maine Legislature
to study the stadards for state lawmakers.
"He's been a fact-finder and what he's been asked to do is talk to
everybody who might have something to contribute." Diamond said. "At
this point that is the intent. The details will be discussed with him
later."
Carville said he welcomed Tupper's appointment. "Mr. Tupper is an
honorable man, a man of integrity and I think its great that that's the
direction that they've gone in. He can come and listen to what has
happened and then judge what he thinks is the best solution." Carville said.
Plosek could not be reached for comment. A woman who answered the phone
at his home Thursday evening said, "He's under suspension. He's not allowed
to comment."
[End quoted material]
What this all means is that its going to be a LONG time before anything
is cleared up. But, at least it appears the proper steps are being taken.
It is still unknown what "new information" was found, and I won't make
any speculations, but from my days in Orono I do have a hunch.
As for the post by "Tex" earlier. The "real" Tex sent me email saying
that his account had been broken into and that it was not he who posted
about me. Whoever it was, I am not going to take up time flaming you,
I am just going to say that I am not speaking for anyone at Orono, I no
longer work for, or have official ties to, the University of Maine
Athletic Department or Hockey Team. However, I did work there for the
past two years, have several friends in the athletic dept. and with
the hockey team, as well as in the GSS at UMaine, so I do know something
about what I am talking about. I get most of my information from the
local media and my sources at UMaine, I am not speaking for anyone, I
am reporting the news and offering my insight into the situation.
I would like to thank all the people who have sent me email supporting
me and my posts and I'll keep posting the news as it happens since I
do believe it is pertinent to the discussion of college hockey, and that
is what hockey-l is about.
John "Zipperhead"? Forsyth
"What exactly is a "Zipperhead" anyway?"
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