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. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + David C. Ketcham + Internet: [log in to unmask] + + Asst. Professor of Finance + + + Bryant College + + + 1150 Douglas Pike + + + Smithfield, RI 02917 + + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++