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     I'm baffled by the NCAA's treatment of forfeits but I have an
     explanation that makes sense....I think.
 
     Maine (or any other school with a lot of forfeits) should NOT be
     selected for the tournament.  I don't believe there's a snowball's
     chance in hell that they will be picked in 12 days.  However, why
     penalize the teams that played them?  If a TEAM A beats TEAM B and
     TEAM B subsequently forfeits all its' games, should TEAM A's strength
     of schedule suffer?  I think not....other teams should not suffer, but
     the offending team should.
 
     Note that I'm only talking about the NCAA tournament here.....not the
     Hockey East tournament which ordinarily takes all teams.
 
     As for the "why should the players on the offending team suffer"
     theory - I don't buy it.  What penalty would be OK?  Fines?  No, that
     would adversely affect students not even associated with the program.
     Reduced scholarships?  No, that penalizes players in future years.
 
     Bottom line: when you are a member of an organization that breaks the
     rules, you participate in the sacrifice.  If my company is thrown out
     of a critical government bid because of violations that I had nothing
     to do with, I will suffer.  Not fair, perhaps, but it is reality.  It
     also might make me think about finding another company (assuming that
     choice isn't made for me).
 
     Q? Did the Maine team benefit from having an ineligible player.  Are
     the players members of the team?  Did they benefit?
 
     Jon
 
     P.S. HE certainly doesn't smell like a rose in all of this.  While I
     believe that it is OK to bar a team which has committed a sequence of
     violations, that rule should be written and enforceable from this day
     forward.  "Winging it" is not a good way to run any organization.  It
     sure appears to be motivated by the spectre of the Ferraros and Kariya
     returning to blue uniforms..........
 
     P.S.S. I also don't subscribe to the NC$$ nomenclature.  I don't like
     the organization but if pursuit of the dollar and self-preservation
     are the criteria, how about $T&T, $FL/CIO, xxx$xx$ church (won't
     insult anyone's beliefs by naming a specific one), H$rv$rd (couldn't
     resist), US Sen$te, xx$xx$xx (fill in name of many "charities"), etc.?
     It could get tired quickly......