At 8:09 AM -0500 1/24/97, Kevin C. Tompkins wrote:
> D B Doucette wrote:
> > And I'm still
> > convinced that Jackie Parker's tentacles are all over the NC$$
> > investigation of Maine, though he's at least smart enough to leave no trail
> > of evidence of it.
>
> yeah, but part of the fun of being a Maine fan is being able to go
> after the BU faithful - it is part of the Maine tradition to take the
> always arrogant Terriers down a notch! ;-)  I do agree with you that
> Jack Parker is involved with the NCAA to the point where I think he
> does have undue influence - if not the NCAA - Hockey East for sure.
 
This is really silly.  Remember that this is the same Jack Parker who was
once quoted as saying he thought major college hockey should leave the
NCAA.  He may have once had influence over NCAA tourney selection as a
member of the selection committee, but not anymore.  That certainly does
not translate into influence over the NCAA at large, especially when so
many of us bemoan the NCAA's apparent indifference towards hockey.
 
As well, if you really think Parker has "undue influence" over HE, you just
don't know much about how the league operates.  Important league decisions
are made by the nine athletic directors and the nine coaches.  Parker is
only one of those 18 people.  He can voice his opinion like any of the
others can, and the others may agree or not, but think about who those
other 17 people are.  Just as Shawn Walsh and Sue Tyler are not about to
kowtow to Parker's wishes, neither are any of the ADs or coaches from the
other schools.
 
When Merrimack's Bob DeGregorio was commissioner, I can guarantee you that
there was no way that Parker had "undue influence".  The same was true when
Stu Haskell and Lou Lamoriello were in charge.  The current league
leadership structure is somewhat nebulous with the lack of a commissioner,
but I don't see Parker having any more (or less) influence than he had
before.
 
And let's not put the blame for Maine's NCAA investigation upon a party who
does not deserve it.  I know the Maine administrators will say it belongs
with Maine itself.  Did Parker or anyone else furnish the NCAA with any
information that may have led to an investigation?  I have no way of
knowing, but even if he did, he didn't force Maine to commit the violations
and he didn't conduct the investigation.  Maine and the NCAA did.
 
In the grand scheme of things, one college hockey coach does not carry the
kind of influence over a vast organization like the NCAA as you are both
suggesting, no matter who he is.
 
---                                                                   ---
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