NCAA rules prevent UGA’s Mark Richt from attending Troup High graduation
AJC All-State offensive lineman Chris Burnette will be speaking at Troup High School's graduation ceremony on May 23
It looks like Georgia coach Mark Richt won’t be attending Troup High School’s graduation after all.
Georgia officials had unofficially contacted the NCAA to ask for permission for Richt to attend the graduation if Troup offensive lineman Chris Burnette would be speaking. But Burnette, who has already signed with Georgia, narrowly missed out on being class valedictorian.
When Richt asked to attend the May 23 graduation anyway, NCAA officials said that request was unlikely to approved.
“Mark still wanted to attend the graduation to support Chris,” UGA compliance director Eric Baumgartner said. “However, after speaking with the NCAA, they were comfortable with [Burnette] being valedictorian, but the NCAA couldn’t get there for [Richt] to attend the ceremony without Chris being the valedictorian.”
Richt didn’t know that NCAA rules prohibited him from attending such ceremonies until after he had promised to try to attend Burnette’s graduation if the lineman earned the school’s No. 1 academic honor.
Violating the rule likely would result in a secondary NCAA violation. Georgia athletic spokesperson Claude Felton said, at least for now, Richt will not be present at Burnette’s speech.
“If, for some reason, circumstances change, then I’m sure we’ll reconsider our position,” Felton said.
NCAA spokesperson Stacey Osburn said Tuesday that the sport’s governing body has not denied a waiver for Richt to attend Burnette’s graduation because an official request was never submitted.
“Ultimately, the university decided not to file a waiver,” Osburn said. “If a waiver request was filed, it would have been considered like any other waiver request from a member institution.”
Will Georgia file a request? “No, because we have received verbal indication from the NCAA that if Chris is not valedictorian, then there would probably be no extraordinary circumstances that would be grounds for a waiver,” Felton said.
Burnette said Richt delivered the bad news on Monday. “He was disappointed. [But] I’m still thankful that Coach Richt even tried as hard as he did to attend. The NCAA has rules, and sometimes there’s just no way around them.”
The 6-foot-3, 286-pound Burnette has a 5.12 GPA on a 4.0 scale and has made nothing but straight A’s since kindergarten.
Burnette had initially planned to graduate after his first semester at Troup so he could enroll early at Georgia to get a jumpstart on his college football career. However, Burnette changed his mind and decided to stay in high school this spring to compete for valedictorian honors, with the full support of Georgia’s coaches. Richt said he had never recruited a valedictorian before.
The NCAA’s David Pickle helped bring the story into the spotlight of the college football world when he blogged specifically about Burnette on the NCAA’s official website last week before it was revealed that Burnette barely missed being valedictorian. [Note: Click here to go to the NCAA blog]
“Surely we can stipulate that the appropriate outcome here is for Mark Richt to be able to attend the graduation ceremony if he wants to do so,” Pickle wrote. “One of the hallmarks of Myles Brand’s administration as NCAA president has been to provide flexibility to schools when the circumstances of a situation appear to fall outside of the intended scope of a rule. This case seems to fit exactly with that philosophy …”
“Rules are not always perfect, but neither are they always rigid. The key to fairness often is found in the flexibility of application, and on that count, the NCAA often deserves more credit than it receives.”
Coming up next: The ball is in UGA’s court. They have to decide whether or not to file an official waiver request to get an official response from the NCAA. Will the NCAA approve the waiver? Will they deny it? Burnette’s graduation is May 23, leaving plenty of time for everything to play out in the best interests of all parties involved.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2009 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
141 comments Add your comment
d
April 28th, 2009
4:06 pm
This is absurd. Mark Richt makes an effort to support the academic achievements of a “STUDENT athlete” and is prevented from doing so. I say go anyway.
LeeDawg
April 28th, 2009
4:21 pm
What a shame – and I thought the NCAA supported education. What message are we sending now?
e
April 28th, 2009
4:22 pm
UGA finally gets a STUDENT athlete and they don’t know what to do with themselves. Funny.
fishtales
April 28th, 2009
4:23 pm
No pickle-boy…the NCAA does NOT deserve more credit than it receives.
LeeDawg
April 28th, 2009
4:24 pm
e — you might want to check the graduation record of the UGA football program. Funny comment, but lacks integrity.
steve
April 28th, 2009
4:28 pm
The NCAA rulebook makes our tax codes look simple by comparison. There are so many rules and many of them seem to contradict each other. UGA were smart in checking ahead of time. Often times, the NCAA rules go against logic. This is one of them. Isn’t Chris Burnette already committed to UGA? If so, is not the recruiting process over? There is no reason to keep Coach Richt from attending.
ATL attorney/esq.
April 28th, 2009
4:29 pm
I like Eric Baumgartner’s work. I hope he sends in the official paperwork to the NCAA. Then all the pressure will be on the NCAA. There’s not a chance in heck they will deny it, especially after Mr. Pickle’s public rant. I’ve never been prouder of Richt for wanting to do this for all the right reasons. This is an inspirational story. Congrats Chris from one proud Georgia booster.
jimmy
April 28th, 2009
4:30 pm
Maybe Mr. Pickle can blog again about the flexibility of the NCAA and the other great qualities of Miles Brand – arrogant idiots.
I don’t think the NCAA is in any danger here of setting a precedent. How many elite high school athletes just miss being their school valedictorian? What a terrible message to send to student athletes that their grades are only masquerading as a guise to have another recruiting visit.
e
April 28th, 2009
4:31 pm
LeeDog (I refuse to purposefully misspell words) – a monkey can pass some of the majors that your football players take.
Ozzfest
April 28th, 2009
4:32 pm
The bigger crime that the NCAA should look into is the $100 that Ok State is charging Georgia season ticket holders for the game in Stillwater.
DFARASDFG
April 28th, 2009
4:32 pm
He should dress up in a costume and go.
LeeDawg
April 28th, 2009
4:33 pm
e – dawg is spelled correctly and is in the dictionary. Try using one.
Where did you go to school?
Majurzz
April 28th, 2009
4:34 pm
Richt should get to go. If it were Kiffin, Saban,Miles or somebody like that I could understand the NCAA denying it. Richt is a great guy and a great coach, he cares about his players so he should have been allowed to go. I think the govenor should make a plea to the NCAA. Heck it happens when these senators call and whine about their team not getting a BCS game.This is a crock.
Mark Z
April 28th, 2009
4:36 pm
Ridiculous…..don’t worry we will see this beast on the field soon enough
Rock
April 28th, 2009
4:38 pm
as usual the ncaa is shown to be a joke.
Money is the only thing that matters to them
dap01
April 28th, 2009
4:45 pm
Thanks NCAA, the world is a much better place with that ruling. Perhaps you should take the same approach to Reggie Bush (oh, I didn’t realize that my mother recieved a new house).
I have the same confidence in the NCAA as I do a NBA referee.
John
April 28th, 2009
4:46 pm
e- the graduation suffers greatly with so many going pro…but very seldom is a player kicked off a squad for being ineligible academically. And UGA has a lot of student athletes. Not all come close to Valedictorian, but I’m willing to bet not many D1 football programs, save Duke or Vanderbilt or Stanford, etc can claim that anyways.
The NCAA continues to make a mockery of anything they’re involved with.
Matt
April 28th, 2009
4:46 pm
Well, I guess it just goes to show what side of the student-ATHLETE part of the equation that the NCAA is on.
Ted
April 28th, 2009
4:47 pm
Majurzz-
You are a crock…Go back and look at what type of program Richt runs. More arrest on his team than any in the SEC and the country in the last 12 months. What a guy…he would be the last coach I would allow. I think its funny how you homers are so blind by your issues and like to focus on other schools that basically have cleaner programs.
HAHAHA
Saint Simons
April 28th, 2009
4:52 pm
45-42!!!!!!! hahahahahahaha and wait this year will be a real beating!!!!!!!!!
Mac
April 28th, 2009
4:58 pm
NCAA: ‘Wipes are us
shannon
April 28th, 2009
5:04 pm
Go anyway. This could get good PR and lead to changes in the NCAA rules for the good.
Tyre
April 28th, 2009
5:07 pm
Maybe Michael Adams should go. Certainly that is not an NCAA violation.
coachx
April 28th, 2009
5:10 pm
Tech fans are so classless.
Win one game in nearly a decade by 3 points and your talking about beatings.
Grow up !
Will
April 28th, 2009
5:12 pm
Ted,
You are confused about how long 12 months goes back in time.
Did your parents call you Teddy as a child? Ted, Teddy, Theodore – they all sound like a momma’s boy to me.
angry banker
April 28th, 2009
5:16 pm
John and e – http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=722328 the most recent data I could find was from 10/07. John you’re axactly right, many players leave early to play in the NFL. not becasue they’re not smart or because they’re unmotivated; but because of the money an NFL contract brings. UGA is very similar to Oklahoma and Texas other power house programs with a great education system.
On the other hand, look at schools that aren’t putting kids in the NFL and are low or lower on graduation rates – for example, Hawaii, Arizona, UAB, etc etc.
The trutch is UGA is the big boy on the block – and everyone loves to take shots at the big boy. I’M NOT A DAWG FAN, BUT UGA IS RUNNING A GOOD PROGRAM
Beauregard
April 28th, 2009
5:16 pm
45-42 was almost as funny as 41-30…in Athens…during a blackout (31-0 at halftime).
PaulDawg
April 28th, 2009
5:19 pm
This is absurd- I say Coach Richt goes and deals with the consequences. The message it sends to prospective students will be greater than the penalties, anyway.
Chicagodawg
April 28th, 2009
5:23 pm
Everyone should flood the inbox of the individual that posted David Pickle’s ridiculous blog entry. The link is above. Apparently he doesn’t have enough convictions behind his own words to post his individual email address.
I for one, as an alumni, would fully support Richt in breaking this particular rule and living with the sanctions.
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
April 28th, 2009
5:26 pm
“Richt said he had never recruited a valedictorian before.” I guess that says all one needs to know about UGA football. Even UNLV baketball receruited valedictorians during the Tarkanian era.
Chicagodawg
April 28th, 2009
5:28 pm
Flood David Pickle’s in bin.
NCAA Denies Richt - VolNation
April 28th, 2009
5:29 pm
[...] Denies Richt Says no to waiver request. NCAA rules prevent UGA
Dawg Man
April 28th, 2009
5:38 pm
All Dawg fans should unite, and send emails to Pickle at dpickle@ncaa.org and the other NCAA management. I found all the addresses on this page: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=27178
Woof woof woof!!!!
BS Patrol
April 28th, 2009
5:40 pm
Richt would not use this as a publicity stunt to try to improve GA’s somewhat tarnished academic reputation, would he?
HBTD
April 28th, 2009
5:41 pm
RIDICULOUS!!!!! Just shows what the NCAA really cares about. I think Richt should go anyway, and when the NCAA tries to hand him a rule violation, every DAWG fan, and every other college football fan who supports STUDENT-athletes, should inundate their offices with emails, letters, and phone calls complaining so much that the NCAA would have no choice but to reverse the ruling or risk looking like hypocrites. I guess only one thing matters to the NCAA.
Don - Tech Fan
April 28th, 2009
5:45 pm
Just curious – What if this athlete attended the same high school and the same church at Coach Richt’s children. And, what if he were to want to recruit this athlete or attend the graduation of his child. Would the all powerful NCAA (No Common sense At All) tell Coach he couldn’t attend that church any longer or attend the graduation of his child because this athlete was being recruited or now signed? Just curious. Pickle needs to understand the difference between having a factual basis and reality basis for making decisions. I actually feel sorry for Pickle because he doesn’t have the b-lls to stand up for himself and let common sense prevail. He can’t make a decision for himself in good faith with the NCAA without being worried about “setting a precedent”. He needs to ask himself – how many times has an athlete who is already signed to play for a university asked a coach to attend the graduation. Who cares if he speaks or not – this should be the coaches decision – not the NCAA’s. He is smug and arrogant and that’s just the most positive things I can think to describe him. Everything in this world is not based on Black / White, Right / Wrong, Yes / No. Somewhere in there has to be consideration for the Gray area. Why did the NCAA approve Coach Richt’s attendance and take it away? The difference in their decision was hundreths of a point on a report card. Shame on the NCAA and Pickle for extremely poor example of leadership and Kudos to Coach Richt and UGA for their leadership and support of this yound man and their fine program.
Jeff
April 28th, 2009
5:45 pm
WHY?? It’s is a problem in our country to modivate kids as it is….NCAA is BIG BROTHER!!
Vandy
April 28th, 2009
5:45 pm
Tech fans are the worst fan base in the nation, hands down. They hate UGA more than they love Tech. It’s sad.
angry banker
April 28th, 2009
5:47 pm
Ted – where did you find those arrest records? I’ve searched forever and I can’t ever find arrest records per school or per ncaa athlete or anything of the sort.
It would be interesting to compare one school to another… or are you just guessing and making stuff up?
Otto
April 28th, 2009
5:49 pm
What is Pickles e-mail addy?
Seems the NCAA is still holding the End Zone Dance against CMR. What a load of crap, can’t see a SIGNED player’s graduation ceremony.
CMR does not need to break the rules.
Lord of The Lizards
April 28th, 2009
5:49 pm
If I was Richt, I would send a family member just as a show of protest. Even if he were to go himself, whats a secondary violation?? Lyin’ Lane gets one of those a month! The NCAA has some strange rules that sometimes don’t make sense. What would be the harm say if he DID go but did’t have contact with the young man. It would show that coaches care about the academic as well as the athletic aspect of a recruit…
BS Patrol
April 28th, 2009
5:50 pm
Hey Carvell, Why don’t you email me & tell me why you won’t post my blogs? Too truthful for you?
Otto
April 28th, 2009
5:50 pm
Vandy, very true and I can verify as I was a GT student for a while.
Einstein
April 28th, 2009
5:52 pm
What a crock! What better reason do you need to disolve the NCAA, and rid the universities, colleges, and taxpayers of a financial drain. I may not be the sharpest pencil in the drawer, but isn’t it all about education? Student athlete? Or, maybe it’s all about protecting your territory…exercising your authority…justifying your job. Please tell me what purpose they actually serve. Just like the idiots (I mean brain trust we send to represent us in Washington), throw the bums out! And, replace them (if needed) with good ole common sense. Peace.
Freehawk
April 28th, 2009
5:55 pm
I’m not a UGA or Richt fan. But that is absurd. YOu can always count on the NCAA to do the wrong thing.
59bulldawg
April 28th, 2009
5:57 pm
Screw ‘em! Go anyway.
Chiefbaldeagle
April 28th, 2009
5:59 pm
If the NCAA is allowing Auburn to use a tricked out stretch limo as a recruiting aid, to lure kids to Auburn, by going to their houses and schools in it. Why can’t Richt be allowed to go to a signee’s graduation? the kid has committed, and signed the LOI. Auburn is using this tricked out limo to send the message ( come play for auburn and get a limo, or at least a limo ride } There are some schools that don’t have the money for a stretch limo. And then there is a coach so proud of a kids academics he wants to attend the graduation? Isn’t that contradictory? The NCAA wants kids to make good grades to enter college look at the tough classes the kids have to pass to be cleared by the NCAA. Clearly listed on their website
gtforever
April 28th, 2009
6:05 pm
LeeDawg, the academic record of UGA’s football program…. You are kidding…. Right! There is NO record, it sux, one of the worst in college football. We don’t even have to factor in Vince Dooley’s record, he ran one of the MOST penalized programs in all of college football. Funny, I can’t even believe you brought academics up….. LOL
Crosby
April 28th, 2009
6:06 pm
I’m a Tech fan and I think this is a horrible call by the NCAA. The STUDENT is already committed to the dawgs so there is no unfair advantage here. That is an awesome accomplishment. The problem with the NCAA is that nobody stands up to them until they are ruling against their program. If the schools ever want real change they should just leave the NCAA. If these coach’s really wanted a playoff then one of them would have the balls to refuse to play in the MNC game. All these coach’s and AD’s whine and complain about the playoff system and other things but when it favors them they suddenly shut up.
CJDawg
April 28th, 2009
6:07 pm
Don-Tech Fan @ 5:45 seems to have the most level headed and common sense response to this. If you missed it, scroll back and read it. Thanks Don.
jdawg
April 28th, 2009
6:14 pm
Did you really expect anything different….one of these days…the schools may band together…yes, way outside the line…but it could happen…typical, NCAA….getting letter ready for tomorrow…jdawg
GTA
April 28th, 2009
6:16 pm
How do you get a 5.12 on a 4.0 GPA scale? I understand AP courses account for a 5.0 and a 4.5 for honors…but 5.12?
BS Patrol
April 28th, 2009
6:20 pm
Otto couldn’t cut it at Tech. Bank it.
Moses
April 28th, 2009
6:25 pm
If this kid is really smart, then he makes poor choices, like going to an academic desert – UGA. Most football players at UGA can barely read and are put into Jock Majors to keep them eligible for Football (the real reason UGA exists at all). Maybe he can get a Masters in Recreation and Leisure. The NCAA just kept CMR from being a hypocrite.
Sanford Drive
April 28th, 2009
6:29 pm
Moses,
UGA started in 1785, which precedes our football program. Secondly, there is no Recreation and Leisure major at UGA. The closest thing to Recreation and Leisure would be anything offered at Tech other than Engineering.
AltamahaDawg
April 28th, 2009
6:37 pm
It seems like a silly rule, but recruiting has come to this: silly rules to cover every last contingency because somebody, somewhere, has already figured out to use every situation or loop hole to thier advantage. Personally, I am glad they don’t let any OTHER coach go to our boys graduations, or the UGA staff go see somebody graduate in (fill in blank) who might just be feeeling a little buyers remorse about now.
Should they grant an exception if Burnette Graduated 3rd in the class. He is obviously a very bright student, but what about a kid that really struggled, from a poor backgroung, who really pulled it together to just graduate. Thats a pretty good story too. Is that an exception?
BS Patrol
April 28th, 2009
6:39 pm
Simply a publicity stunt by Richt to improve GA’s tarnished academic reputation.
M
April 28th, 2009
6:43 pm
isn’t being the valedictorian at Troup like winning 2nd place at the Special Olympics?
GTA
April 28th, 2009
6:50 pm
Sanford Drive,
Anything other than engineering at Tech, while it may be Rec and Leisure to you, still beats anything offered at UGA.
David
April 28th, 2009
6:54 pm
Mr. Richt – go to this young man’s graduation. Put the student back in student-athlete. A secondary violation is well worth it.
Sincerely,
Georgia Tech – CE’09
OLD NEWS
April 28th, 2009
7:00 pm
5.12 GPA but yet only an 1180 on his SAT. That wouldn’t even get him ADMITTED to GT. What a joke.
Don - Tech Fan
April 28th, 2009
7:03 pm
Again – I reiterate, AFTER a player is signed, this should strictly be a coaches decision if they want to attend the brightest kids graduation or the guy with the lowest GPA. It shouldn’t matter if the kid is to give speaches or just wants to show up for the paper. What should matter is the support we (the school) shows these kids whether for school or church or extra curricular activities or just show up to say “howdy – hows it hangin”. Somewhere along the line the NCAA needs to understand they don’t have a lock on feelings of accomplishment and pride in workmanship. They don’t get to dictate how we show appreciation and admiration for student athletes who have yet to set foot on campus as a full time student and are still under the care and watchful eyes of parents and high school coaches. This story is more than the University of Georgia, Coach Mark Richt or Chris Burnette. It is now about the inflexability of rules – of folks not willing to change in the face of comon sense and reality and about not being able to cope effectively under pressure to do the right thing. Signed and not attending the university yet – NCAA – hands off. Exactly how will allowing Coach Richt attend this graduation bring unfair advantage to this institution – assuming that’s what this rule is about. If the NCAA can’t answer this question honestly without smoke and mirrors they need to admit their mistake and change the policy.
dgroy
April 28th, 2009
7:04 pm
I am not a UGA nor a Marc Richt fan; however, I would tell the NCAA to stick it where the sun don’t shine.
The Big Bug
April 28th, 2009
7:27 pm
Publicity stunt.
AltamahaDawg
April 28th, 2009
7:31 pm
Should Richt be able to attend a graduation and talk for hours with any tech commitment till he is attending college?
The Big Bug
April 28th, 2009
7:39 pm
Tech only gets ga’s rejects anyway. Remember?
Big Dawg
April 28th, 2009
7:42 pm
Its funny to me that no other SEC school has this problem
AltamahaDawg
April 28th, 2009
7:42 pm
I would be willing to bet that this is not a rule that the coaches disagree with. They can’t attend 25 graduation ceremonies all over the country every year.
KennesawDawg
April 28th, 2009
7:55 pm
The violation would be well worth it! GO ANYWAY! GO ANYWAY! GO ANYWAY! GO ANYWAY! GO ANYWAY! GO ANYWAY! Screw the NCAA!!
The Big Bug
April 28th, 2009
7:58 pm
Probably the first time in GA football history that the issue has ever come up. Milk it for all it’s worth. Any opportunity to polish ga’s tarnished academic image should be taken advantage of.
heeldawg
April 28th, 2009
7:58 pm
To e, GaPnt, Ted, Moses gtforever and all of you other ill-informed, bitter, vindictive troglodytes who miss the entire point here:
Get over it.
We all understand that losing to your archrival 70% of the time over the last four decades will cause angst. We understand the average Tech fan’s obsessive need to validate his bruised and battered ego by using the old, tired “academics” argument repetitively. But you miss the entire point of this.
How often is it that a FBS college-level athlete simultaneously achieves this level of academic excellence?
How often is it that any kid at the high school level drives himself to excel in this fashion in two such disparate arenas?
To denigrate the kid’s accomplishments on the basis of the school he attends is mean-spirited and unfair. He took the cards he was dealt and played them quite well,thank you. Shame on you, M.
To pretend you know what Tech would do with his admissions data is the height of hubris, Old News. You think the Jackets wouldn’t admit a kid of his caliber–a stellar high school athlete with an 1180 SAT who has a 5.12 GPA? And they admitted such noted scholars as Reggie Ball? Uh, yeah. I’m sure you’re right.
The fact is, Tech’s freshman class and Georgia’s freshman class aren’t that far apart statistically. Tech’s SAT average is slightly higher; Georgia’s GPA is slightly higher. And Georgia’s class is over twice the size of Tech’s. You engineers do the math on that one: Georgia enrolls more outstanding students, on the basis of sheer numbers, than Tech does EVERY YEAR. The Georgia Honors Program–one of the largest in the country–has average SATs of over 1400 and GPAs of over 4.00. And U.Ga. produces most of the state’s lawyers, businessmen, doctors, journalists, teachers and pharmacists. The School of Forestry is one of he best in the world. And the Institute of Ecology is a cutting-edge collection of scholars like no other in the U.S.
Georgia’s had plenty of outstanding student-athletes during the Richt era. Look at Richard Samuel, with a 1420 SAT and a 4.2 GPA, who finished high school a year early and enrolled at Georgia as a 16-year-old. Or Aaron Murray, with a 1400 SAT and a 4.55 GPA. These are two high school All-Americans who you’ll see a good bit of in the coming years. And they are outstanding–both on the field and in the classroom.
Tech fans have earned bragging rights for their well-deserved win last fall. But that’s bragging rights for football. It has nothing to do with denigrating a young man’s fine academic performance–or with the fabrication of false “data” about the academic programs at our state’s leading educational institution.
Kendall
April 28th, 2009
8:08 pm
Leave it to the social retards from tech. Hey Nerds, get back to your cubicle and work on some algorithms before I fire your geeky arse.
Troupcounty
April 28th, 2009
8:22 pm
Chris may in fact have the highest GPA and in most schools would be valedictorian but in Troup County it is the student who graduates Magna Cum Laude with the highest SAT. Perhaps the school can announce whether he has the highest GPA and the NCAA would then allow Coach MR to attend. I’ve seen it at the LaGrange High (Troup County) graduation where the Valedictorian was announced and the student with the highest GPA was announced when he received his diploma. Both spoke at the graduation. The NCAA should lighten up.
I’m a Jackets fan but Coach Richt is trying to do the right thing. Isn’t this what Myle Brands and the NCAA wants, recognizing its students-athletes.
Chiefbaldeagle
April 28th, 2009
8:27 pm
I’m sure there are D-2 and D-3 coaches who attend ceremonies of their next year players, but if you are big time the eyes are on you. A coach in Willocoochie Ga. Jr college would not have this problem because who would even care
M
April 28th, 2009
8:34 pm
your a DGD, heeldawg
gtforever
April 28th, 2009
8:49 pm
heeldawg, you almost brought a tear to my eye….
AltamahaDawg
April 28th, 2009
9:01 pm
Chief, I read that the HC of S.W. Willocoochie Technical Institute did turn them in for that. But those cross town rivalries can get pretty bitter.
Ellen
April 28th, 2009
9:04 pm
Hello all – I’ve read through the comments, and here’s what I think: if we’re all concerned about what the federal government is doing to limits our rights (and take our money), perhaps we should also look to the NCAA in concern. To tell a coach that he cannot attend a graduation ceremony for a player he has already signed is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve seen. The NCAA rules need some serious revision (gee, sounds like the US tax code to me). It’s an outrage. The colleges shouldn’t put up with it; the players and their families shouldn’t accept it; the college population, including the supporters shouldn’t put up with it – when is someone going to tell the NCAA that the emperor has no clothes?? Enough already! Cheers!
Diggity Dawg
April 28th, 2009
9:07 pm
The NCAA is freakin’ awesome. Of course, by “freakin’ awesome,” I mean that if it was in charge of the economy, the unemployment rate would be 117 percent. And Carvell, I’m glad you got to write this blog since PR Weasel Boy went out of his way to try to make you look bad. Seriously, they could have let Richt go just to spite you, but they made you look like a prophet. (OK, I’ll back off. Predicting the NCAA will do the dumbest possible thing is more like predicting that Thursday will follow Wednesday than any true measure of prophecy.) I was a newspaper reporter a long time ago in another life, and I never ceased to be amazed at the human body’s ability to speak out of multiple orafices at the same time. I’m glad the NCAA is carrying on that fine tradition.
gatorman770
April 28th, 2009
9:09 pm
If Richt was Pete Carroll at USC the request would be blessed since USC are the “UNtouchables”!
Pish on the NCAA!
Dawgtime
April 28th, 2009
9:19 pm
What exactly is the purpose of the NCAA’s? They create a multitude of rules that make little to no sense. They punish people for trying to help teenagers. They deny people supporting academics. I’m not sure why they exist other than to create constant chaos. I again question why GT fans are posting on UGA sites. Why are you reading UGA blogs that have nothing to do with GT. Get a clue. Your inferiority complex is so obvious.
2N4YEARS
April 28th, 2009
9:19 pm
NCAA is a joke. Power hungry losers in a powerful position– just proves the point why big government is a bad idea.
Get Real
April 28th, 2009
9:23 pm
If it was for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame, they would have paid for his travel while kissing his ass. The NCAA is a joke.
Get Real
April 28th, 2009
9:26 pm
He GTA what was Reggie (go no)Balls degree in? Oh that’s right he became ineligible after the season was over!
kitten
April 28th, 2009
9:42 pm
If it had happened at UF or any other SEC rival, you dawgs would be taking a different opinion….so what else is new.
Tokyo jacket
April 28th, 2009
9:44 pm
Old News, you’re retarded. It most certainly would get him admitted to Tech, even without football. Nowadays, Tech looks for well roundedness and places that on par with academics. Had he been a one-star with not chance of playing football, he would have been admitted.
What kind of pricks knock on a kid who’s got a 5.+ GPA?
Now, onto the real subject, I’m one of the few Tech fans that respects Richt. But, I will lose some of that respect if he doesn’t stand up for what he believes is right, for academics, and for HIS player (already signed LOI). If he doesn’t go, as a mother/father of potential recruits, I wouldn’t want to hear about how he raises boys to be young men and his faith. Faith and belief are meaningless without conviction. Good luck CMR, please make the right decision and take the opportunity to put the NCAA back in their box a little bit.
Sam
April 28th, 2009
9:54 pm
I suppose anarchy would be slightly worse, but to my mind, the old men who get paid to control young peoples’ amateur athletics are pretty high on the doosh-(sic)-bag scale. That includes the world-class d-bs in the Olympics.
When I was at Tech, I was told by an administrator that half the counties in Georgia had never had a public high school graduate in turn, graduate from GT.
Shannon
April 28th, 2009
10:14 pm
NCAA ……….. you got this one wrong!!!!
The Big Bug
April 28th, 2009
10:19 pm
Here you go heeldawg,
Let’s start at the top.
1) No Yellowjacket has a bruised ego. Ask anyone.
2) ga has won 60% overall. Serious angst.
3) what’s a 5.12 GPA?
4)Tech’s SAT requirements are about 100 pts higher. But more importantly, there is no basket weaving at Tech.
There are some fine schools at UGA & no doubt some student athletes. But GA can accept some athletes that Tech cannot. Maybe I should say they can accept them but they’ll be gone soon much like the BB one-and-dones.
historydawg
April 28th, 2009
10:21 pm
The NCAA is the most significant totalitarian state since Stalinism. For you academically-challenged Techies, let me share with you what totalitarianism is… Totalitarianism is a term (unquantified reality) used by historians to describe the methods of dictators in the twentieth century. Communism and fascism were ideologies (misguided by an inflated sense of self–much like your own academic astuteness) that used totalitarian methods. Totalitarians controlled public and private life, manipulating how people think and act in the parliament, streets, and their own living rooms. They and the cults of personality they constructed were far more powerful than previous emperors, kings, and dictators, and they set up bureaucracies of nonsense where blame was distributed across the avenues of litigation and red tape.
NCAA hater
April 28th, 2009
10:24 pm
Well looka what I found on the Internet ……. dpickle@ncaa.org
Wrecker1
April 28th, 2009
10:51 pm
Whether Richt goes or not doesn’t matter one bit now. He’s getting so much free pub from this that the point he wanted to make was he’s a coach that cares about his players and academics. He probably already knew whether he could attend depending upon visitation rules per NCAA. The point is really moot anyway since his original intention was to attend IF the kid was going to be speaking, which he’s not. AltahamaDawg made a good point – this may seem to be a silly rule but you can just bet this exact situation has already been exploited by somebody. Saying Richt should just go is stupid – if Richt is the up right guy he’s supposed to be that’s not even an option. A rule is a rule and you follow it.
Tift Dog
April 28th, 2009
11:14 pm
GTA, as an alumnus of the University of Georgia, I would encourage you to take note of the Pharmacy school, the Veterinarian school and the Law school as well as the Medical College of Georgia. I feel sure that these schools are filled with students of high achievement and are an integral part of the University of Georgia. None of these degrees can be obtained at any other single institution in Georgia. Your post sounds very juvenile.
DDeWitt30
April 28th, 2009
11:23 pm
If Coach Richt goes, he sends the message that players should violate rules they disagree with. NOT THE MESSAGE TO SEND 18 to 22 year olds. Especially, when you’re trying to button down the hatches.
Stephen
April 29th, 2009
12:26 am
The GT/UGA academics debate is pretty yawn-worthy. I’m not really sure why people feel the need to rehash it every week on the message boards.
@The Big Bug and others:
Re #1 & 2: Your fervor on this makes you seem pretty angsty. You can usually tell the depth of a bruised ego by the anger unleashed when it’s touched… kinda like a sunburn.
And keep in mind that you’re fighting this fight with regards to CMR wanting to reward academics… It’s like if there was an article titled “GT to celebrate first attractive coed to attend in 40 years!!!” and the Dawg fans took up arms. (I kid).
Re #3: Answer- pretty flippin’ good.
Re #4: There may not be basket weaving at GT, but a quick skim through the online Fall 2009 course catalog found this gem:
LCC 3661 – Theatre Production III
Description: “In this ‘hands-on’ course, students will create and execute a publicity campaign and operate the box office for DramaTech Theatre productions. ”
And while it may not involve baskets, GT does offer this nugget:
PTFE 3200 – Yarn & Fabric Formation
Description: “Principles of yarn formation, weaving preparation and weaving.”
The point is: Arguments like “Hrrrmmmm Dawgs are so unintelligent, flavin!” = *yawn*
(For the record, the same goes for “Yarp, yarp, Techies are nerds! Yarp!” but I’m a UGA fan and the GT people ticked me off on this one for some reason. PS Nice post heeldawg.)
Frank Lane
April 29th, 2009
12:31 am
I think hundreds of us bulldawg fans should show up at the graduation as Mark Richt representatives.
If several hundred or more of us attend the graduation for Burdette and cheer him for his academic accomplishments before he steps on the football field, think if the message that will send to all involved.
Frank Lane
Tokyo jacket
April 29th, 2009
1:07 am
Stephen, even though you took some of those classes WAY out of context, I have to give it to you for doing your research!
History, you’re VERY VERY WRONG on one important point. Communism was not guided by an over inflated sense of self worth, but an almost non-existent sense of self worth. It’s the collective 100% of the time over the individual’s need and wants. In fact, prior to Gorbachev, Soviet rulers would go on and on about how lavish and self indulgent the citizens of the US are and say that we could never even be soviets because it would be too hard for us and our egos. Maybe before you preach history, you should take Post-WW1 101. I hope you’re a freshmen history major, rather than history graduate.
ro
April 29th, 2009
1:18 am
This is a terrible rule but sadly it does not surprise me with the control freakish NCAA govering self ritous idiots. They make rules that make no sense especially when eliminating academic support. They may have out done even there idiotic selves. They really can not expect to be respected with the crapola that they come up with. JOKES is more like it.
Meatlake
April 29th, 2009
4:55 am
Hey M, bet you didn’t finish high school with a 5.12 gpa there funny guy. Make straight A’s since kindergarten did you??? What? Didn’t hear you…Like I thought. Does the M stand for Moron? Because it should…goodnight and Go Dawgs.
Inthetrenches
April 29th, 2009
7:30 am
Comment number 100! And there has already been numerous blogs on this. Think if the AJC would put some recruiting notes up every day like Carvell used to. There have been several camps including the Nike camp at UGA and nothing. Most high schools are starting spring football this week or next, and we are getting nothing. College coaches and scouts are swarming the schools. New ofers daily. Can we talk some football?