> From: Jim Love <[log in to unmask]>
>      Ever since Bill Riley was canned at UMass-Lowell for waving cash around
> in the locker room, I've been concerned about what activities we (as fans)
> can/cannot legally do in the eyes of the NC$$.
>
>    [As an aside, it's also not clear to me how this interpretation affects
>    what's allowed by individuals who "sponsor" particular players in some
>    way, e.g., as Charlie Shub has mentioned he and his family have done for
>    hockey playing cadets at the Air Force Academy.  Is this allowed only if
>    ALL the players are "sponsored" more/less in the same fashion, i.e., a
>    fixed amount of money is dispersed by the Academy to each sponsoring
>    family ??  I guess they can't serve beer or wine with dinner either :-) ]
 
For jim, and anybody else who might be wondering, let me detail how
the cadet sponsor program works at the Air Force Academy (and
presumably other service academies)
 
The sponsor program takes EVERY cadet and assigns them a sponsor
family.  We have about 10 cadets assigned to us and only about half
are on athletic teams.  We receive no financial consideration for this
volunteer work.  We find the cadets to be reasonably good role models
for our own children, and enjoy the cameraderie of an "extended
family" with many of the cadets.  We understand that about 1/4 of the
assignments are bad matches and nothing comes of them, another 1/4
develop into extremely close long term relationships, and about half
are just so-so.
 
In filling out the paperwork to ask for cadets, one can specify
preferences and ask for cadets by name, by geographic area, by
interests, by hobbies, or the like.  Apparently the "cadet
activities office" that does the assigning of cadets to sponsors
understands the wisdom of assigning hockey players to hockey fans,
lacrosse players to lacrosse fans, and the like.
 
So, OFFICIALLY, the cadets we sponsor are being treated exactly the
same as every cadet at the academy.  We make up survival packs
(cookies and soda) for ALL our cadets at exam time, not just the
athletes.
 
charlie shub  [log in to unmask]      -or-        (719) 593-3492
  or even  cdash@colospgs (BITNET)  if the above address won't work