I can't speak for the rest of you but I'm starting to get tired of the
comments coming out of the University of Maine - Orono.  I've always
appreciated college hockey because 1) it was purer than the professional
version (at least in terms of its handling of fighting) and 2) it seemed
immune from the scandals that follow other major sports.  I've kept out of
this because I personally regard the Patrice Tardiff incident to be one in
which a school is penalized because their student is TOO good (as opposed
to the last forfeits) and because I PERSONALLY think the Hockey-East
penalty is too strict.  But there are some things I need to get off my chest.
 
1.   When Maine got castigated for their actions at the end of the BU
     game, the response from Orono seemed to be that it was a smart
     move because they didn't get caught.  In the Tardiff case, they got
     caught, but they're supposedly immune from punishment.  This
     doesn't seem to be logically consistent to me unless the conclusion
     we are to draw is "We're Maine; We're special."  (By the way,
     Walsh's comment about having too many men on the ice accidentally
     because he had a wrong-handed center out to take the face-off was
     the only cogent statement in that whole debate.)
 
2.   According to the AD here, it is utterly impossible for anyone
     associated with college athletics to fail to know the NCAA hour
     requirements for student athletes.  As she (yes she) told me "It's
     kind of fundamental to what we do."
 
3.   Six hours is not a lot, even for a Maine MBA.  The Penn State
     DOCTORAL program required those of us on 1/2 time assistantships
     to take 6-8 hours PER QUARTER while working a 20 hour week
     for the school.  For a comparison of the demands of the two, go talk
     to Dr. Strong in the Maine finance dept. - he's had season tickets in
     Alfond since it opened.
 
4.   The NCAA is a voluntary organization that promulgates its own
     rules, VOTED ON BY THE MEMBERS, not some neo-nazi police
     agency.  And, the rules have arisen because programs have not shown
     themselves of promulgating their own rules while being consistent
     with the notion of fair play.  If Maine doesn't like the rules, join the
     NAIA or some other organization.
 
5.   The NCAA can only penalize institutions, not individuals.  And, I do
     not believe that the NCAA can levy fines (sounds like some of you
     think the school should be able to buy their way out of it.)
 
6.   If Maine doesn't like what HE did, join another league; no one is
     holding a gun to your head.
 
7.   The only way the HE decision makes sense is if 1) further sanctions
     coming down the pipe will render Maine ineligible for the NCAAs;
     or 2) this is the result of the cumulative effects of all the
     forfeitures in the past couple of years.
 
8.   I was willing to give Coach Walsh the benefit of the doubt until that
     sob statement at the beginning of the UNH game about how HE was
     penalizing them for something beyond the control of the COACHES
     or players.  He's making the big bucks, maybe he should take a little
     more aggressive stance in insuring the people playing him are in
     compliance.  All he has to do is read the rules (we're not talking
     about an obscure one) and ask his players - we expect that of our
     coaches here.  And we pay them a heck of a lot less.
 
9.   I'm a bit tired of the notion that the coaches or players are being
     unfairly penalized to start with.  I had this dream last night that its
     the 1995 NCAA finals, 0-0 with a minute left and a Maine player
     has a clear breakaway.  A Vermont (okay, fantasy is a more apt
     descriptor than dream) player clearly hooks him and the ref raises
     his arm but fails to call the penalty.  The Maine fans scream why
     not? And his response is :
 
     "TO CALL A PENALTY SHOT WOULD HAVE UNFAIRLY PENALIZED THE OTHER
     PLAYERS WHO WERE NOT INVOLVED."
 
     I'm sure that would sit well with you sportsmen.
 
To play the game means to play by the rules.  You didn't; you got caught;
act like adults.
 
Sorry about the length.  You Maine people can flame me off the list.
 
 
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+ David C. Ketcham           + Internet: [log in to unmask] +
+ Asst. Professor of Finance +                                         +
+ Bryant College             +                                         +
+ 1150 Douglas Pike          +                                         +
+ Smithfield, RI 02917       +                                         +
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