Bad weather, bad news at UM hard to take

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If there are three things Eastern Mainers are well-qualified to speak of, it is “their” weather, “their” basketball and “their” University of Maine.

It was a rather subdued crowd that filed into the Bangor Auditorium for Friday’s games.

After enduring a rare postponement of Thursday tournament action due to a winter storm, and learning of even more horror stories about NCAA compliance mistakes at their beloved state university, there wasn’t much to cheer about.

Up North, they were snowed under by it all.

Downeast, they were iced over.

In between, it was the proverbial mix that had everybody walking on eggshells.

Put it all together, and that is about what the weather, basketball and things at UMaine have been like this week, reflected in tournament action: teams snowed under, iced out, and beaten by a mix of just about everything.

Folks in Jonesport-Beals arose Friday to that inch-thick ice around 4 a.m. and found traveling tedious on their way to the Auditorium. It affected the girls game, Sandi Carver said, because they arrived late and were rushed getting ready for the 8:35 a.m. start.

Joanna Hamilton, who hasn’t been to a tournament in years, took time off from her work at Georgia Pacific in Woodland and drove down the Airline (Route 9) to catch some action. She almost didn’t make it. Traveling was so sloppy, she was nearly driven off the road by an 18-wheeler.

The two had plenty to think about this particular morning.

They tried not to let the weather get in the way of their plans for the day. Hamilton wanted to watch some good basketball, and Carver wanted to play some good ball. Both did.

And they both had some thoughts about the current situation at the University of Maine where too many mistakes in the athletic department are making the Black Bear look like a circus performer.

Hamilton, who played for the women’s basketball team a few years back reminds us all that that, first and foremost, “you go to the university to get an education.” She can’t quite understand why things in the athletic department are such a mess.

The most recent news that five graduate students in five different sports were, or are, ineligible, perhaps leading to forfeiture of their teams’ seasons, set her head a’shaking.

“You know, where I work, we’re going through an evaluation process where we’re weeding out non-value tasks,” she sid. “The university is big business, and it has an excellent business department.

“Maybe that department should take a good look at the athletic department operation and the value of the tasks being performend. You can eliminate a lot of non-value tasks.”

Problems within the athletic deartment, of which Sandi Carver of Jonesport-Beals will become a part next fall, have not dampened her enthusiasm for what is to come when she joins UMaine coach Joanne Palombo’s beleaguered basketball team.

But Carver, a top instate recruit, admits she is disappointed with what has been happening – especially with women’s basketball appearing to be out of league competition because of a scheduling error – and hopes such problems will be straightened out by the time she arrives on campus.

However, she sees herself as being in charge of her own fate.

“You have to know that you are eligible,” she said, “that you are taking the courses and doing the work. You should know, for sure, if you are taking enough credits.”

Surprisingly, the attitude of most tournament-watchers who are also Maine-watchers is one of understanding and forgiveness.

One close observer, whose indirect association with the university makes anonymity best, wonders if the fact Maine has, for so long, been above reproach – always in compliance and proud of it – that those responsible became complacent.

With NCAA infractions snowballing and seemingly gathering steam with each and every revelation, he was hesitant to place the blame at any one person’s feet.

If nothing else, most agree if Maine is going to compete in the world of big-time athletics, it must do what other big-time institutions do: have a full-time compliance officer. Reading and understanding those regulations, being able to quote chapter and verse, is a must.

Sandi Carver is right.

The kids are responsible for their own fate. The problem comes when they ask the right questions and get the wrong answers.

Perhaps, as Hamilton indicated, the business of the athletic department should become more business-like.

If there are three things Eastern Mainers are well-qualified to speak of, it is “their” weather, “their” basketball and “their” University of Maine.

It was a rather subdued crowd that filed into the Bangor Auditorium for Friday’s games.

After enduring a rare postponement of Thursday tournament action due to a winter storm, and learning of even more horror stories about NCAA compliance mistakes at their beloved state university, there wasn’t much to cheer about.

Up North, they were snowed under by it all.

Downeast, they were iced over.

In between, it was the proverbial mix that had everybody walking on eggshells.

Put it all together, and that is about what the weather, basketball and things at UMaine have been like this week, reflected in tournament action: teams snowed under, iced out, and beaten by a mix of just about everything.

Folks in Jonesport-Beals arose Friday to that inch-thick ice around 4 a.m. and found traveling tedious on their way to the Auditorium. It affected the girls game, Sandi Carver said, because they arrived late and were rushed getting ready for the 8:35 a.m. start.

Joanna Hamilton, who hasn’t been to a tournament in years, took time off from her work at Georgia Pacific in Woodland and drove down the Airline (Route 9) to catch some action. She almost didn’t make it. Traveling was so sloppy, she was nearly driven off the road by an 18-wheeler.

The two had plenty to think about this particular morning.

They tried not to let the weather get in the way of their plans for the day. Hamilton wanted to watch some good basketball, and Carver wanted to play some good ball. Both did.

And they both had some thoughts about the current situation at the Universtiy of Maine where too many mistakes in the athletic department are making the Black Bear look like a circus performer.

Hamilton, who played for the women’s basketball team a few years back reminds us all that that, first and foremost, “you go to the university to get an education.” She can’t quite understand why things in the athletic department are such a mess.

The most recent news that five graduate students in five different sports were, or are, ineligible, perhaps leading to forfeiture of their teams’ seasons, set her head a’shaking.

“You know, where I work, we’re going through an evaluation process where we’re weeding out non-value tasks,” she sid. “The university is big business, and it has an excellent business department.

“Maybe that department should take a good look at the athletic department operation and the value of the tasks being performend. You can eliminate a lot of non-value tasks.”

Problems within the athletic deartment, of which Sandi Carver of Jonesport-Beals will become a part next fall, have not dampened her enthusiasm for what is to come and she joins UMaine coach Joanne Palombo’s beleaguered basketball team.

But Carver, a top instate recruit, admits she is disappointed with what has been happening – especially with women’s basketball appearing to be out of league competition because of a scheduling error – and hopes such problems will be straightened out by the time she arrives on campus.

However, she sees herself as being in charge of her own fate.

“You have to know that you are eligible,” she said, “that you are taking the courses and doing the work. You should know, for sure, if you are taking enough credits.”

Surprisingly, the attiture also Maine-watchers is one of understanding and forgiveness.

One close observer, whose indirect association with the university makes anonymity best, wonders if the fact Maine has, for so long, been above reproach – always in compliance and proud of it – that those responsible became complacent.

With NCAA infractions snowballing and seemingly gathering steam with each and every revelation, he was hesitant to place the blame at any one person’s feet.

If nothing else, most agree if Maine is going to compete in the world of big-time athletics, it must do what other big-time institutions do: have a full-time compliance officer. Reading and understanding those regulations, being able to quote chapter and verse, is a must.

Sandi Carver is right.

The kids are responsible for their own fate. The problem comes when they ask the right questions and get the wrong answers.

Perhaps, as Hamilton indicated, the business of the athletic department should become more business-like.