The following is two parts of an article by Maine Sunday Telegram staff
writer Kevin Thomas which appears in the April 9 edition.
 
"Several questions remain unresolved: AD, NCAA..."
 
Can you hear the canned music, then the recorded voice thanking you for
your patience?  Yes, Maine Black Bear followers, you are still on hold.
No permanent athletic director yet.  No end to the NCAA investigation.
The university's athletic department hit a low point a year ago.  AD
 
Michael Ploszek resigned amid an NCAA investigation of alleged violations
by the athletic department.  Walter Abbott took over the AD's office on
a temporary basis.  A search to replace Ploszek began last year and was
halted in October when university officials said they could not find a
candidate who was "right for the job."  A new search would start in the
spring, officials said.
Its spring, and no search has begun.
"The President (Frederick E. Hutchinson) said he's going to give it some
more thought," said John Diamond, Maine's director of public affairs.
The search process could begin "by mid-month."
 
Meanwhile, the NCAA investigation continues.  It was earlier thought
the investigation might be over by winter.  Then, by spring.  Now, it
appears the earliest the NCAA will rule on Maine is summer.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions, which meets about every two months
to hand out decisions on alleged rule breakers, is gathering April 21-23.
Diamond said Maine is not on the agenda.  Maine is still finishing its
own investigation of its alleged violations.  Diamond said that should
be completed by the end of the month.  The NCAA will use Maine's
investigation, plus its own findings, and eventually make a decision.
Until then, please hold.
 
"Two faced"<--- (bold print)
 
Before beating Maine 6-2 for the NCAA hockey championship, Boston
University players spoke highly of the Black Bears, no doubt avoiding
controversial comments that would fire up the men from Orono.  They
dodged questions about the NCAA investigation of Maine.
But BU captain Jacques Joubery spoke to a Sports Illustrated reporter
privately, knowing the magazine would not be published until after the
game.
 
"In any other sport, (Maine) probably would have had the death penalty
by now," Joubert said in the magazine's latest edition.  "Its almost
a situation where they see how much they can try to get away with."
 
----------------End quoted material----------------------------------
 
Interesting that Mr. Joubert has such insight on the investigation...
does he perhaps know someone in Kansas City and already has seen all the
reports and knows everything the NC$$ knows?  Or is he just...how to put
it politely?...shooting his mouth off? just because its Maine and he
actually knows as much about the situation as anyone who is not a member
of the Committee?  In other words, nada.   I find it odd that Mr. Joubert
can say that if this was another sport, Maine would have the death penalty
by now.  I don't recall all the details because I wasn't exactly big on
SMU football or Tulane basketball, but I am almost positive that the NCAA
didn't come out Monday and say they were investigating the schools and
come back on Tuesday and say, "Well, we found everything out, and we're
giving them the death penalty."  I think the SMU investigation took 2-3
years to unravel.  I just hope that for the sake of Mr. Joubert and his
school that BU's books are in better order than Maine's were because the
NC$$ will be coming soon to a theater near you.  That is NOT an accusation,
just stating the fact that with success comes scrutiny.
 
I'm just thankful the NC$$ doesn't allow BU players to set their policy,
because Maine would have faced the death penalty in 1987 while they were
winning 11 in a row over the Terriers.
 
On a completely different subject, people were mentioning old BU teams
and I was wondering if anyone happens to remember a guy named Gary Fay?
He was our coach at NYA my junior year and he made sure that every one of
us saw him on the Wall of Fame at Walter Brown when we went down to play
Catholic Memorial.  I was wondering if he was really as good as he said
he was or if he was embellishing his career at BU just a tad.
 
John Forsyth
"The only thing we have to fear is Fehr himself."