As Alan Miller, a good friend of University of Maine head
coach Shawn Walsh, told the Portland Newspapers last Thursday: The
school's administration didn't have the guts to do it. Maine
President Frederick Hutchinson just couldn't bring himself to fire
Walsh.
     Despite being told by the university not to accept
supplemental income and despite NCAA rules, Walsh accepted more
than $1,000 from boosters during his five-game, without-pay
suspension in December 1993.
     Walsh then lied to investigators four months later, saying he
didn't receive any money. Six months after that he admitted
receiving money, but he lied again, claiming it was for speaking
engagements he had done for a Bangor business's customers.
     Walsh also tampered with witnesses despite being told not to
do so by the university and the NCAA.
     So why was Walsh not fired?
     According to Hutchinson, the decision not to fire Walsh was a
"judgment call."
     Tell that to former Maine NCAA compliance officer Linwood
"Woody" Carville and former university dining commons cashier
Carolyn Cust.
     The university fired Carville in early 1994 after several
Maine athletes were found to be academically ineligible. A
long-time Maine administrator, Carville worked part-time as the
university's NCAA compliance officer. He worked out of a converted
janitors closet. His computer was old and not even connected to the
school's network. He was in charge of reviewing more than 500
student-athletes' eligibility.
     The university fired Cust nearly a year ago when it discovered
she had allowed hockey players to go through the breakfast line at
a dining commons without paying. The players told Cust they didn't
have any money to pay for breakfast, which Walsh required them to
have every other day. Cust had worked for the university since
1975.
     The difference between the firing of Carville and Cust and the
suspension of Walsh is simple: Greed.
     College hockey isn't a big-time sport. But for Maine, having
a consistent, highly-ranked hockey team is a big deal. The
notoriety of a top-ranked team brings the university national
exposure. Fans flock in droves to Alfond Arena to see their beloved
Black Bears win.
     An overworked compliance officer and a sweet cashier who was
too nice don't bring the university notoriety. A winning hockey
team does.
     Carville and Cust were expendable. Walsh was not. Without him,
talented players would be less likely to play at Maine. Less
talented players means less success. Less success means less
exposure, which means less revenue for the athletics department.
     When Walsh became Maine's head coach in 1984, he took a
mediocre team and built it into a formidable power house. In 12
years, Walsh accrued 289 wins against 182 losses and 21 ties. By
the end of his suspension, his record may deflate by more than a
dozen losses if the NCAA rules that Maine must forfeit games former
goalie Mike Dunham and former center Cal Ingraham played in during
the memorable 42-1-2 national championship season of 1992-93.
     One has to question Hutchinson's claim the university takes
its violations seriously. If the university really does take the
violations seriously, it would fire Walsh. But apparently doing the
right thing is no match for receiving financial support from
athletics boosters.
     It's true. Walsh wasn't responsible for Maine's non-existent
compliance system. But he lied to investigators not once but twice
about the money he received during his suspension two years ago. He
then turned around and persuaded some witnesses not to cooperate
with the investigation.
     It's appalling anyone could get away with such things while
others are discarded into the scapegoat heap without a second
thought.
     Maine may have to forfeit its 1993 hockey title, and it's sad
because the school never should have been in such an embarrassing
situation that borders on complete incompetence.
     Carville didn't have an office. He didn't have a way to check
student-athletes' academic progress quickly and accurately by
computer. Cust was gullible. She knew nothing about NCAA rules. She
was just a cafeteria cashier who sympathized with hazy-eyed college
students who had to get up early to eat a mandatory breakfast. She
didn't know off-campus players with scholarships received money for
breakfast.
     Walsh knew the rules and he decided to ignore them. Carville
tried the best he could. Cust was oblivious to everything. And the
players themselves should have known better.
     Then there were the boosters.
     The boosters publish a long list of do's and don'ts under NCAA
rules in their newsletter but choose to ignore them.
     Hutchinson should also have the university disassociate itself
from the hockey boosters temporarily if the boosters don't take
action against members who violate or attempt to violate NCAA
rules.
     If Hutchinson can't bring himself to be a true leader and
accept responsibility for allowing incompetence to eat up Maine's
"Black Bear pride," then he should take some time off himself
without pay, if only to see what it was like for Carville and Cust
when they found themselves thrown out into the cold.
     The players who ate breakfast for free were allowed to repay
the university without losing playing time or acquiring a
disciplinary record. Cust offered to pay for the more than $600 in
food eaten by the players, but the university gave her the boot.
NCAA rules would have prevented Cust from doing so, but it's the
thought that counts, right, President Hutchinson?
     After all, the university keeps saying it didn't fire Walsh
because he has vowed to be more careful next time.
     If Hutchinson doesn't have the guts to fire Walsh, then he
should have the decency to re-hire Carville and Cust. Not that it
would matter to them. Who could blame them if they were to say
thanks, but no thanks?
 
 
 
_____________________________________________________________________
Ryan Robbins               "Nothing in fine print is ever good news."
University of Maine                                  -- Andy Rooney
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