David writes:
>Quoting from the Wisconsin State Journal article:
>
>    ... former UW hockey players Duane Derksen and Doug Macdonald lived
>    with a UW hockey booster last season but the two did not pay the
>    booster what is considered market value for room and board.
...
>    The players, who both recently signed professional contracts have
>    been asked to repay the money thney made through the living
>    arrangement with the booster. Hoyt would not say what the amount
>    was, but did say it was less than the $3500 in scholarship money
>    the hockey team will lose.
 
Looking at this objectively, I would be surprised if some sort of penalty
was not leveled against Wisconsin for this.  (Unless I was mistaken and
the loss of the $3500 IS the penalty.)  A very dangerous precedent would be
set if players could do what Derksen and MacDonald did and just pay the
money back once they signed, at which point it would be almost insignificant
to them.  This was one of the violations that Lowell was placed on probation
for, that several players lived free in off-campus housing which was, I
believe, likewise owned or provided by a booster.  Of course, it was actually
minor compared to some of the other violations Lowell was listed as having
committed.
 
I think this is a record year for violations by DivI hockey teams.  I hope
it's not an indication of what's to come.
---
Mike Machnik    [log in to unmask]   mikem@{beanpot,bubba}.ma30.bull.com
(Any opinions expressed above are strictly those of the poster.)