I know most of you are away from your computers enjoying the holidays, but
my one comment upon reading the article posted by Ryan (some below) is
that, in my opinion,  a lot of time it is the alums who get the university
in trouble (see my prev post on the Illinois slush fund scandal of the
60s).  Their enthusiasm and wanting to see the program win at all cost,
sometimes knows no bounds.  Still, it is the university and coach and
athletic dept job to just say no to outside illegal funds, tempting as
they may be.  IMHO, this kind of stuff has NO PLACE in college sports.
Below I have snipped the pieces of Ryan's post related to the boosters and
alums.  To me, it is a major piece of the report.
 
A lot of us are alums and certainly enjoy seeing our old schools do well,
but there have got to be limits and when those limits are violated, the
whole of college athletics suffers, IMHO.  I am still amazed that Coach
Walsh was not fired.  I believe there is a good chance, based on my
recollection of the debacle at Illinois, that the NCAA will do so ... and
certainly I think the Maine championship of 93 is also in jeopardy.
 
At this point, I must respectfully disagree with Dick Tuthill.  None of
this stuff is small potatoes IMHO.  This is the kind of stuff that drags
down all of intercollegiate athletics.  It is the kind of story that makes
the academic side of the campus totally unsympathetic to the "pampered"
athletic dept.  It may be small potatoes in terms of dollar amounts, but
it is a big problem that needs to be dealt with and I think Maine has, at
least on the surface, done a good job.
 
Wish this came at a different time of year for the Maine supporters.
 
Happy holidays to all,
 
Tony Buffa
RPI '64
 
=============================<snipped in various places>==========
On Sat, 23 Dec 1995, Ryan Robbins wrote:
 
>      ORONO, Maine -- University of Maine ice hockey head coach
> Shawn Walsh will be suspended for one year without pay and the
> hockey team will not compete in this season's NCAA tournament, the
> university announced Thursday.
 
> THE VIOLATIONS
>
>      One of the most damning findings against Walsh by the
> university was that he received $1,200 from boosters during a five-
> game suspension in 1993. Walsh's annual salary is more than
> $70,000. During the suspension he lost about $5,000 in wages.
 
>      When interviewed in April 1994 by investigators, Walsh denied
> receiving money from the boosters. But six months later he admitted
> he had accepted the money from a Bangor business. Walsh claimed the
> money was in return for speeches he had given during 1993 to the
> business's customers.
 
>      Also, Walsh, attorney Joe Ferris, and assistant coach Grant
> Standbrook contacted witnesses whom they knew were going to be
> interviewed by university and NCAA officials. NCAA rules prohibit
> the contact and university officials had told Walsh not to contact
> any potential witnesses.
 
>      While some of the contacted witnesses cooperated with
> investigators, other contacted witnesses refused to cooperate after
> initially expressing an interest to do so or after having
>
>
> OTHER VIOLATIONS
>
>      One of the more serious violations uncovered by the
> university's investigation involved two boosters.
 
>      Butch and Nancy Furrough of Hampden rented an apartment to one
> hockey player and his friend at a discount. The Furroughs also
> provided the player and his friend an automobile occasionally.
 
>      Maine has since revoked Butch's season tickets for life
> because he refused to cooperate with investigators. In addition,
> the university ordered him not to associate with its athletes or
> coaches. Nancy, who also refused to cooperate with investigators
> but then relented, is barred from associating with the school's
> athletes and coaches for two years.
 
>      -- Two sporting goods stores provided hockey players with
> discounts on skates.
 
>      -- A dining commons cashier allowed hockey players to eat
> breakfasts for free.
 
>      -- In 1992, boosters organized a state high school baseball
> all-star game that took place at Maine's Mahaney Diamond. Maine
> baseball coach John Winkin attended the game.
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