Damage for Georgia Tech’s future should be limited
NCAA sanctions can't change this picture (or reality).
A few random thoughts while Georgia Tech fans try to wrap themselves around the fact the Yellow Jackets officially never won the 2009 ACC championship. (Yeah, whatever.)
1. Damage for the future should be limited.
It’s going to be painful when Tech returns the ACC championship trophy to the conference. But really, what does it mean? The problem with the NCAA forcing a team to vacate victories as a penalty is it’s just a symbolic gesture. The games have been played. The revenue has been generated (and spent). Tech beat Clemson 39-34 for the title and moved on to the Orange Bowl. Done. The NCAA put Tech on four years probation but is not stripping the football program of any scholarships, limiting recruiting or banning bowl appearances. Coach Paul Johnson can’t advertise his conference championship but it doesn’t lessen him as a coach to recruits.
2. More fallout isn’t likely
A few readers have asked if I believe athletic director Dan Radakovich is in trouble because of this and whether he may lose his job. I don’t think so. Radakovich fell on the sword on a little Thursday but he also denied that he or anybody at the school intentionally tried to obstruct the NCAA’s investigation, which is what led to most of the penalties. There was a strange mix of remorse and anger in the room at Thursday’s news conference. But I never got a sense that there was a division between Radakovich and Tech president G.P “Bud” Peterson, who ultimately signed off on wide receiver Demaryius Thomas playing the last three games of 2009. Tech’s general counsel (retired) and compliance officer (left) at the time of the infractions and investigation are gone. Peterson also alluded to a changes in the athletic department’s structure. I sense that will be the extent of the fallout.
3. Did the punishment fit the crime?
Repeating: It’s an oversimplification to say Tech lost the ACC title because one player allegedly received $312 worth of clothing. Dennis Thomas, who chairs the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions, conceded it might’ve been a secondary infraction if school representatives had acted more professional during the investigation. That said, there obviously are MUCH worse things going on in college athletics right now, and if the NCAA doesn’t slam programs Ohio State, Oregon and North Carolina for infractions far more blatant than what Tech did, something is wrong.
4. Something we’ll never know …
Radakovich is a competitive guy. Johnson is a competitive guy. The 2009 season was shaping up as one of Tech’s biggest in years. The Jackets maintain that they would’ve declared Thomas ineligible if they believed he might’ve committed an infraction but were convinced otherwise. Here’s the issue: At the time of the interviews with the NCAA, Tech had its three biggest games coming up: Georgia, the ACC championship and potentially a BCS bowl game. It’s reasonable to speculate they might’ve been more cautious if the stakes weren’t so high. Peterson only admitted that, in hindsight, Tech should’ve declared Thomas ineligible and immediately sought reinstatement from the NCAA, hoping for a quick resolution.
5. What next for basketball?
Could things possibly get worse for the basketball program? New coach Brian Gregory inherits a program that not only slipped under Paul Hewitt, it’s on probation. Again, the violation was minor: A grad assistant helped run an AAU tournament on campus. The sanctions: Two fewer recruiting days during the summer period; a limit of 10 official visits for two seasons; no complimentary tickets for high school coaches and individuals associated with recruits for the first home game of next season (self-imposed). The penalties are minor. But it’s not exactly the morale boost the program was hoping for.
By Jeff Schultz
♦
In case you missed . . .
– Punishment severe but Georgia Tech made its own mess
– Chipper Jones doesn’t want to let another October pass without him
– Is it good news that Tereshinski prompted Georgia player to quit?
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178 comments Add your comment
GIVE ME A BREAK
July 15th, 2011
3:03 pm
Keep the trophy. At least it wasn’t a DOUBLE DAWG PENALTY. ” GO JACKETS “
AU
July 15th, 2011
3:07 pm
when will auburn’s crooked program be exposed and stripped of the title for all their payoffs and coverups?
gdawginkalamazoo
July 15th, 2011
3:10 pm
Well I guess I am glad that we went 6-7 last year and had AJ sit out 4 games.
Tough one Tech. I hate to see what they do to Ohio State now. And UNC. Can’t ignore the door when the NCAA comes knocking.
Buckeye
July 15th, 2011
3:29 pm
Kalamzoo,
The players are already delt with at Ohio State. The violations unresolved involve ony Tressel. Tressel is the only name in the complaint. He’s tostado, we’ve vacated ( whopdy do) 2011. Ohio State is on national/prime time tv at least three time already. We shall see.
Tech is not on the national stage. No one gives a rats. It only shows the stupdity (again) of the NCAA and the rules.
juvenal
July 15th, 2011
3:47 pm
any body know where nordin went to school?
Friedrich Nietzsche
July 15th, 2011
4:02 pm
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger”
We will be fine. Just a bump in the road. We’ve learned from it now it is time to put it behind us and move forward into the 2011 season.
Go Jackets!
Hoopster
July 15th, 2011
4:26 pm
Charlie Hayes, there was no reason to sit them. The NCAA found no reason to declare them ineligible. The NCAA admitted there was no eligibility issues!!!!!
George P. Burdell
July 15th, 2011
4:57 pm
Jeff:
Cannot really disagree with much of what you said and I think Number 3 is the real key. If I am one of the major violators, this ruling would make me very worried. If the NCAA see to it to give a weak punishment compared to what Tech got, it will destroy any remaining credibility they have. They have probably numbered their days anyway but that would hasten the process.
dagnabit
July 15th, 2011
5:37 pm
Big Macon dawg is totally correct.
tell me again
July 15th, 2011
5:48 pm
I despise the Techies, but they got totally hosed on this one………….a few hundred bucks and some hanky panky deserves some kind of punishment but what they are handing out for this infraction is hysterically overboard. The NCAA proves once again they have no clue as to what they are doing.
Seth Bagwell
July 15th, 2011
5:51 pm
I dont see where all the dumb UGA fans get off that tech cheated in some way. Because look at the facts. If you all could actually read the article you would see that the reason Tech is getting punished is because one of our players received clothes. Clothes for gods sake. and the only reason we have to vacate the wins is because we thought we would be able to play these players in the games because we didnt think receiving clothes from a cousin was a bad thing. and we didnt make it easy for the the high and mighty NCAA to do their “investigation.” Why are all UGA fans idiots? If you all took time to read the article and really see whats going on then you can see we didnt really cheat. and lets not forget all the problems UGA football has had these past couple of years. How many players did you guys have that got arrested? And how about Aj violating rules he was actually making money not just receiving clothes. So please before you comment on an article or a post, please read it so you dont look so stupid in the future.
@seth
July 15th, 2011
7:03 pm
UGA was smart enough to allow AJ to play until issue was resolved .AJ repaid the money from selling his own property. Yes Tech did break the rules(read the Ncaa finding) all they had to do was be intelligent instead of arrogant.
@seth
July 15th, 2011
7:07 pm
not to allow AJ to play
@seth
July 15th, 2011
7:09 pm
Perhaps you should read the article.
Repeating: It’s an oversimplification to say Tech lost the ACC title because one player allegedly received $312 worth of clothing.
DAWG
July 15th, 2011
7:10 pm
Seth, sweetie. Let’s hope Tech has learned a lesson in being humble. The NCAA is kind of like the IRS. When they knock on your door, you would be wise to become very humble and cooperative. Not saying Tech cheated, just wasn’t handled very well. Maybe we could loan you some folks from our law school.
@Buckeye
July 15th, 2011
7:52 pm
For someone who professes to be annoyed by us southerners, you sure do spend a lot of time on our blogs, reading our opinions. Methinks someone else has a bit of an inferiority complex, albeit one that has nothing to do with their school/team.
Seth Bagwell
July 15th, 2011
8:24 pm
Dawg im not talking about people like you im talking about the idiots that are all about UGA and when tech has something bad happen to them they think its the greatest thing in the world and they have to comment on it like they were the ones that caused it. And @seth i understand thats an oversimplification im not stupid and i did read the article. I know we didnt cooperate to the thieves that make up the NCAA. To be honest this whole system is screwed up. I mean how are we going to be able to tell kids dont take money from a guy when they are 19 and 20 years old and dont have any money! ITs just ridiculous. And now because of this when other people look back on the history books Tech wont be the winners of the ACC champions when they down right earned it. They either need to band agents all together or they need to look at these messed up rules. Something needs to happen. How are you going to tell a team they didnt win a championship after all their hard work? honestly the NCAA disgust me.
Bull Meacham
July 15th, 2011
8:52 pm
Jeff. Wrong on lumping Carolina in with Ohio St and Oregon. UNC has cooperated fully and suspended or dismissed involved players. Remember last season when they could barely fill out the roster for the opener vs. LSU?
mrb
July 15th, 2011
9:27 pm
I only have one question for all of you Dawg fans….if the whole AJ Green thing had come down three weeks before the SEC Championship, how would you feel if your AD had sat AJ for possibly “benefiting”, but not for sure mind you, to the tune of a couple hundred dollars and perhaps, but not for sure, mind you, making himself ineligible? Thought so.
Dirty Harry
July 15th, 2011
10:42 pm
How can you damage something that’s as mediocre as Tech’s football program?
DAWG
July 15th, 2011
11:07 pm
mrb, maybe you don’t understand what a true Dawg is about…..in that situation we would NOT have wanted AJ to play. See, we understand integrity and the consequences of not having integrity.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 15th, 2011
11:15 pm
Mrb,
Your AD and coach took a gamble and lost. They played the player not knowing if he was eligible or not, but knowing he was being investigated. A. J. was held out of four games, but he was not allowed to play by UGA until the penalty was known. It doesn’t matter if it was $312.00 or a thousand. They took the chance and it cost you the ACC championship. You still have the money from that game, so it really only cost you a game. Your school still knows that they beat Clemson that day. Would have sitting that player until you had the go ahead from the NCAA have cost you that game? I don’t think so.
BS Patrol
July 15th, 2011
11:54 pm
Yeah,right, Dawg.Give us a break, will you?
Tech Man
July 16th, 2011
12:35 am
They didn’t put uga on probation after the Jersey selling accident!!!!!
Tech Man
July 16th, 2011
12:39 am
This should be appealed and resolved in Techs favor. I have heard a lot worse than this over the years!!!
Tech Man
July 16th, 2011
12:42 am
Dawg…..How do you know what happen in the AJ situation, were you on the field hearing all the inside stories?
Coach Grohbo
July 16th, 2011
12:44 am
You’re right Jeff. $312 and no real sanctions going forward. Non-story.
So we can’t advertise one of our wins over Clemson in 2009? Ooooh. That’s a killer.
Time to dig deeper on the T H U G A players whining and quitting over finally having to do a little off-season work.
Looks like T H U G A’s coaching staff will have to go back to playing in the pool and dancing on the mats before they lose what few players they have left.
Score Check
July 16th, 2011
5:38 am
I see a pattern developing here. gt is caught lying and cheating (again) and their response is to deny any wrong doing.
This case provides a cautionary tale of conduct that member institutions should avoid while under investigation for violations of NCAA rules.” It said Tech’s previous history of violations factored into its punishment decisions. After receiving penalties for the 2005 and ‘06 seasons for infractions that occurred in the 1990s, the NCAA said that if Tech committed another major infraction before Nov. 17, 2010, it would be subject to added penalties as a repeat violator.
SMITTYSTHEMAN
July 16th, 2011
6:31 am
Keep your head up DRad. Still not as bad as getting caught with red panties in you lap.
juvenal
July 16th, 2011
6:59 am
Jeff, osu was not penalized for the games dez played before he was suspended…do you even read your own blog, or am i wasting my time?
Buzz 2011
July 16th, 2011
7:49 am
We will be ready to kick some Dawg in Atlanta this year.. Feel it coming Dogs?/////////
Buzz 2011
July 16th, 2011
7:53 am
Dawg says” We understand integrity”" ..What a joke… 12 players working out of Clarke county jail and an AD ( Adams) using red panties for a crying towel…Biggest bums in the SEC..That is the essence of integrity.. 5 wins for the Dawgs and GT won’t be one of your five terds.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 16th, 2011
8:08 am
Tech Man,
UGA self reported the violation and did not allow A. J. Green to play in any games until the matter was resolved. It was resolved by the second game by the NCAA, which gave A. J. Green a 4 game suspension which he served. The problem is tect. Didn’t do that, and the NCAA thinks that Tech. tried to hinder the investigation. Your AD was caught between a rock and a hard spot, so he gambled on the results and they did not come out in his favor. They might be able to appeal and get some reduction in the monetary fund, but I will bet they will not get the ACC title back.
Just the facts, ma'am
July 16th, 2011
8:15 am
A few facts that the dawgtard homers might consider:
1. UGA is the nation’s #1 party school. That means that UGA has the highest number of drunks on campus of all the colleges and universities in the U.S. These drunks keep the Athens-Clarke County jail full, and provide full employment to law enforcement personnel, bail bondsmen, and attorneys. Really something to be proud of, isn’t it.
2. UGA athletes are some of the most illiterate morons in the country. Most of them take remedial studies, which is the stuff that most kids learn by the seventh grade. But not your dummies, who you laughingly call student-athletes. The very few who actually graduate have worthless diplomas in worthless studies that no employer is looking for.
3. Even your fans are trashy, stupid drunks. Take a look at what your campus looks like after a home game, and check the number of DUIs the police issue between Athens and Atlanta after a game.
4. Your athletes must think that ankle monitoring bracelets are bling, they see so many of them in the locker room.
A really miserable, sorry place, and a huge embarrassment to all Georgians.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 16th, 2011
8:22 am
It is childish behavior to point to other schools and make negative comments about them to deflect the blame where it really belongs. Your AD made some mistakes, it appears his Lawyers weren’t up to the task and he took a calculated risk. Guess his calculations were a little off, and you have to pay the piper. UGA, Auburn, THE OSU or any other school is not responsible for what happened. To compare other schools awaiting their penalties with tech. is a waste of time and a useless exercise in futility. Just move on and get ready for the next season.
Paul N Destin
July 16th, 2011
8:27 am
The NCAA doesn’t request the school to not play the player!!! They dicuss the issue and the school has to make the call to play or pull the player!!! AU did this same thing with Cam when they told the NCAA and the SEC to feckoff last fall. Where did your compliance guy go that was apart of this decision? Too Funny to believe.
Footballrules
July 16th, 2011
9:02 am
I just hope that Tech isn’t being made the Chirst figure, and OSU & UN-Cheat walk free. (Oregon? Auburn?). The NCAA is acting like Nazi Party bureaucrats in Munich in 1933….they have to LOOK LIKE THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING in order to please Der Furher.
Jason
July 16th, 2011
9:13 am
If Dem Thomas returned the stupid clothes, then how can you get on probation. This sounds all too much like our inept gov’t. A fine is all that is necessary. You don’t get probation if you didn’t break the rules. tech didn’t. Appeal this bs and you will be successful.
bradley
July 16th, 2011
9:14 am
yeah because there’s such a huge black market for clothes. lol right. what’s he gonna do. give them to goodwill and get a tax writeoff. that’s besides the point. gt has the clothes and they still have the tags on them .
Jones
July 16th, 2011
9:20 am
Losing the 2009 trophy- isn’t that kind of like doing a great looking blonde who you thought was the homecoming queen only to find out she lied and was the runner up. It was still good.
Mike
July 16th, 2011
9:52 am
uga didn’t self report anything w regards to aj. news got out that the ncaa was investigsating a party in miami. they looked into it and into aj. at that time the season was about to start. uga had a choice. play him and risk the game being forfitted or sit him out until the investigation is over. the chose the latter. the ? is when did tech become aware of these stupid clothes to dt. i still don’t know how someone finds out about some freaking clothes. i get it if it’s a pair of $500 shoes. but from what i’ve read, this wasn’t the case.
GT
July 16th, 2011
10:06 am
Tech’s real crime is tying up NCAA investigators that need to be somewhere else. They probably pick on Tech because it is one of the few places they feel safe doing their work. Just make sure you are off Tech’s campus by dark. Second thought why don’t we have a night meeting down at Tech with the NCAA and a little mugging afterwards.
Mark My Abs
July 16th, 2011
10:14 am
We’d like to go up to the NCAA offices and “vacate” the occupants’ dentures. But being genteel Tech fans, we won’t do that.
GT/GS
July 16th, 2011
10:21 am
DANG DAWGS Done it again, couldn’t keep it quite about Thomas buying Greens jersey.
Freddy
July 16th, 2011
11:25 am
Thomas never got the clothes..they’re in GT office and NCAA knows that. Thomas turn them in. One persons opinion against anothers only ncaa rules in there own interest.
NCAA is self rule Mafia..give me the power and money.
Real American
July 16th, 2011
11:31 am
Nazis and liberals everywhere. This country is really starting to $uck.
P. Bull Terrier
July 16th, 2011
12:15 pm
Jones @ 9:20 am
“Losing the 2009 trophy- isn’t that kind of like doing a great looking blonde who you thought was the homecoming queen only to find out she lied and was the runner up. It was still good.”
No. It’s more like doing a great looking blonde who you thought was the homecoming queen only to wake up and find out it never happened.
GT Fan ...
July 16th, 2011
12:32 pm
P.Bull Terrier,
What you are describing is called, in a word, a DREAM. What Jones is describing is a scenario based on a FACT that actually happened…GT beat Clemson in the 2009 ACC Championship game.
So wake up PBT, apparently you are still dreaming.
Confused
July 16th, 2011
12:51 pm
I read the comments. PJ says he played the players b/c the people involved in the interviews/investigation told him the player(s) were “eligible” to play.
So I’m confused as to how so many folks in this, and many other blogs, have determined PJ’s actions to be lying & cheating?
Did DRAD & Peterson say “we THINK they are eligible” … don’t think so.
I guess the mudslingers are just bitter fans. Or are they actually bitter human beings…seeing it makes them feel better about themselves/situations is something bad/negative happens to someone else?
Well the facts moving forward are GT doesn’t lose anything in the present and future. If they win 6+ in 2011, and seasons beyoned, they will be headed to bowl games. Not sure how many scholarships they have open for 2012 & beyond, but they still have ALL of them.
It’s obvious, to the logical/intelligent thinkers, that what the NCAA has done here is either absurd or way overboard.
It’ll be interesting to see what the NCAA deems as punishment for the other programs under their current watch…
ztm
July 16th, 2011
1:24 pm
I am not sure where to post this but its addressed to ajc ….when you get a chance would you mind removing the thrashers from your sports news options….theres no more thrashers,there gone, I saw the moving trucks,Iam pretty sure there not coming back,,but kudos on not having a flames option…sorry still a little bitter….Tech fans look on the bright side,,the john koncak of coaching is no longer banking in atlanta