Houston Nutt Finds Soul Mate

He looks like he should be holding shake weights.

I agree that this is a slam dunk in terms of not allowing the waiver.

But the timing??? Surely the NCAA could’ve ruled on this kind of no-brainer case as soon as he started practicing for Ole Miss. To make this kind of call just 4 days before the season opener is improper IMHO.

Wow Sydney. Don’t hold back. Why don’t you tell us how you really feel?

That is a fair point, Orange Chipper, but I tend to personally think of it in these terms:

1.) I’m simply glad that the NCAA is getting in the habit of making the RIGHT decision, for a change, as opposed to making no decision at all save to whistle past the graveyard and stamp Approved on any paper sent their way.
2.) The timing could be better for Ole’ Miss, sure, but maybe this sends a message to major sized programs in regards to rolling the dice on questionable players such as Masoli. Hopefully this forces them to think twice before placing all of their eggs in such a perforated basket.
3.) Any decent coach shouldn’t have been solely putting all their eggs in a damn crappy basket. He should have been yelling months ago, clarifying for a quick decision so he could move forward with his team. Draw attention, Nutt. Force them to rule early. Or prepare the backup with split snaps in case something like this happens. DON’T just sit there with a crooked smile on your face and the assumption that you’re going to get what you want out of this situation.

In my opinion, there’s much more good here than bad.

Ole Miss and Nutt essentially said,

sure we circumvented the meaning of the rule, but, hey we followed the letter of the law — it’s not our fault you guys left a loop hole big enough to drive a truck through.

What? I went out and removed 85% of my original profanity. That’s a big step for me.

Good rebuttal Sydney. I’m with you that the good outweighs the bad.

I still hate the timing, though. Smacks of what happened to Collins and Scott last year. We didn’t find that out until like 2 weeks before the season starts. Those practice snaps could’ve gone to some key backups.

It seems that the NCAA is slower than the government. They make the damn tortoise seem fast.

Basically, if they can make a decision on the appeal in under a week… it shouldn’t of taken them months to make the initial ruling.

I agree that it SHOULDN’T take long at all. You’re right, they’re like the government or a gigantic corporation like AT&T or Hewlett Packard. I’m equally baffled by the timing it takes to get clarity on Clearinghouse issues. But man, if this suspension gets overturned, I’m going to flip tables. Just not in the barking carnival break room. I suspect that Sailor Ripley (wisely) distributed stun batons to the other contributors.

Those practice snaps would have been invaluable for other of our players, there’s no question. But my not inconsiderable rage over that incident is directed internally…at Brian Davis.

1.) I’m simply glad that the NCAA is getting in the habit of making the RIGHT decision, for a change, as opposed to making no decision at all save to whistle past the graveyard and stamp Approved on any paper sent their way.

Thanks Sydney. Now every time I hear “NCAA” I’m gonna think of THIS GUY.

With Collins and Scott (and Beasley) the holdup was waiting on summer school grades and determining if the progress towards degree were on track. These were internal UT issues, not issues that they had to wait for NCAA ruling on, right?

And RE the picture. He’s clearly snapping into a pair of invisible Slim Jims.

Casting… thats not my recollection at all. According to UT records they were all fine. Thats why they were practicing. It was an NCAA clearinghouse issue IIRC because they hadn’t made enough progress towards their degree.

See, I take a slightly different slant on it than both of you guys. In regards of who had the smoking gun on making it official in regards to the eligibility of the players, I have no idea. I do remember some ambiguity in regards to waiting for summer grades that MIGHT fix things, but I don’t have a clear picture. I’m certain someone will eventually clear it up for us in this thread.

However…None of that matters to me. Scott was on campus 3 years and none of our academic staff that is in charge of football said “Uh, listen, I don’t think another 3 PE classes and a 2nd go round of Human Sexuality is going to be good enough, Christian. Maybe we should think about degree progress here.” No matter who pulled the trigger or not, I still view this as an internal issue that was on us.

Masoli enrolled at Ole Miss officially only 5 weeks ago. The last piece of documentation Ole Miss provided the NCAA was received the same day they issued the decision. Sounds like they were timely to me.

Justice! I love it.

They handed out tasers for CTJ years ago at BC. Sailor just told us to keep an eye on you recently.

Interestingly, I caught HenryJames tasing himself last Friday. True story.

Good article. It has a Closetojumpingesque feel to it.

I’m all for the NCAA doing the right thing here. I just hope Ole Miss doesn’t raise enough hell about the timing to have this ruling overturned. I’m predicting a lot of sympathy from the media as well.

“We’re in the people-helping business.”

This was the line that got me in the original news story. It has a kind of Magic Kingdom, Up With People ring to it.

Another nice piece, Sydney.
 
Take solace in the fact that Ole Miss is going 5-7 this year, will finish dead last in the SEC West, and will once again be blown out by Mississippi St in the Egg Bowl.

I don’t really care what mental contortions Nutt had to go through to accept Masoli. (This would be one of the exhibits I would use to explain why Texas has no interest in joining the SEC.)

I’ve been looking through the NCAA manual trying to find the actual bylaw being used here, and I’m not succeeding. Nonetheless, if the rule is as has been explained over the years, I think the NCAA made the wrong decision and is being typically bullheaded.

When you join a private organization, you agree to the live by the rules and the consequences of breaking them. In this case, it appears that Masoli and Ole Miss went by the rules and have been stymied. Sorry, I can’t join the crowd that says they both got what they deserved, even if it didn’t bother me a bit if Masoli can’t play (which it doesn’t).

If the NCAA membership passed this rule, and the kid has graduated and wants to attend grad school for fingerpainting, what business is it of the NCAA’s if the University of Mississippi is willing to damage its academic reputation over him?

It was up to the president of the school to stop this foolishness. But since it didn’t happen, the NCAA should live up to the bargain that its membership approved. If they want to include a requirement that the transferring student-athlete must be in good standing both academically and athletically, they have the means to do that. Until then, they should follow the rules they have established.

Four days may not be much notice, but it’s better than what the NCAA did with Derrick Rose. They reviewed and signed off on his test score before the season, let him play all season for Memphis, then reversed the decision afterward, stripping wins and yanking money. By that standard, Ole Miss came out OK. Imagine having to return the trophy for the Independence Bowl. Oh the humanity.

What was the funniest part of Nutt’s presser … his big ole white plantation hat or vouching for Masoli’s character after having known him for all of a month?

Funny stuff Sydney.

Bob, can’t say I agree with you on this one. The NCAA being inconsistent and hypocritical is par for the course, but at least it appears they are trying to call bullshit on the individuals and teams that are clearly trying to gain a competitive advantage by breaking or flaunting the rules.

Also, keep in mind Masoli was denied a waiver to play immediately at Ole Miss after transferring. The student athlete can still play at Ole Miss, just not this year.

Art – you don’t find it a bit cruel that a carpetbagging felon has to go to spend a WHOLE YEAR learning about parks and recreation before being allowed to play football?

Why, it’s nearly unconscionable.

Art:
I don’t mind being in the minority on this one. If they broke the rule, that’s one thing. But I don’t see where the rule has been broken.

FWIW, Andy Staples agrees with me.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/09/02/masoli/

Excuse me if I am not heartbroken for Rose or Memphis.

Went to college with Nutt’s brother Dennis. Dennis could shoot the damn ball, but was goofy as the day was long. Guess it’s a genetic trait in the Nutt family.

Why has the NCAA suddenly grown teeth? Refer to the title of Denis Leary’s first comedy album.

Sheesh, enough with the William Wayne Justice BS. It’s like the ACLU kooks with candles hunger striking for the constitutional right of prisoners to air conditioning. The dude’s a thug, the coach a sleaze, the program dirty, and the conference corrupt. And I’m supposed to feel sorry for them?

I hope the refs, IRS, and the DirectTV waitress screw ’em over, too.

The big thing you Houston Nutt and Messiah Masoli fans are missing when youre kicking and screaming that the NCAA shouldve let this criminal play for this slimeball is that he actually can. Just after he goes to Ole Miss for a year (working on his Parks & Rec Masters degree!) and sitting out like everyone else who transfers has to.

I would just like the NCAA to apply its rules consistently, which apparently is not possible.

Nutt and Masoli are shitheads, but I’ve got to side with Bob on this.

I too would like to see what the actual rule is and whether it requires a waiver or review by the NCAA. If not, then change the freaking rule, but he should play this year. This does not even appear to be some sneaky technicality- he has graduated and has enrolled in a graduate program not offered by his original school. If that’s all the rule requires then suit him up- our only complaint is with Nutt and the Ole Miss president for selling out.

Remember the uproaor about the rule change which restricted recruiting visits by Muschamp because he was a designated head coach to be? How pissed would we be if, instead of changing the rule in order to address what the NCAA considers a loophole, they had retroactively charged us with recruiting violations for violating the spirit of the one in-home visit by the head coach rule?

Bob, the rule says that a D-1A transfer must sit out one year. It allows him to apply for a waiver, if he has graduated, but does not say that granting the waiver is automatic.

By definition, a waiver is discretionary. Currently, I am appealing my HMO’s decision on out-of-network benfits, asking for a waiver (don’t worry about TTR, BC’ers, we’re talking three figures here). If they deny it, I may have my feelings hurt, but an impartial court will not see an injustice that requires intervention.

Why would they not make this automatic? Perhaps to deter players from shopping for MNCs their final year, and to keep coaches from recruiting players from other schools. In Masoli, you have a guy who was removed from Oregon scholarship, and went shopping for the best situation to showcase his skills. In Ol’ Miss he found a program that needed an experienced QB for competitive reasons and was willing to bring in a one year player. I can absolutely see why the NCAA does not wish to encourage this kind of opportunism. Per the rules, they are allowed discretion. If Masoli went D-1AA, there would be no discretion involved.

“It allows him to apply for a waiver, if he has graduated, but does not say that granting the waiver is automatic.”

Well then, I stand corrected. On a side note, I’ve always wondered what happened with the Marcus Houston transfer from CU to CSU and why the NCAA granted a waiver in that case. I’ve never heard of such a waiver in that situation and neither school nor the NCAA seemed to want to talk about it.

Yeah, TTR, I found the bylaw that says check this other bylaw, and didn’t see anything as clear cut as we’ve been led to believe over the years regarding the ability of graduates to play immediately.

I think Sheriff Joe has accurately summed up the situation, but this is the first denial of immediate eligibility for a graduate transfer of which I am aware. So yeah, they have discretion, but as Andy Staples points out, it appears that the NCAA only decided to use it when the headlines were so big that it looked bad.

My point is that the rules and waivers of them should apply the same way to thugs and slime if there has been no thuggishness or slimy acts in complying. It’s not like Dusty Dvoracek was denied his medical redshirt. This committee might have done that… same theory.

As to the NCAA and “opportunism,” the NCAA doesn’t restrict it in regard to the schools, and coaches flit here and there like hummingbirds when it suits them and that’s OK. But when a player offends them, well, that’s different.

The NCAA addressed this in 2009 in an official statement. It is very simple. They exam the incidents on a case-by-case basis.

NCAA Statement Regarding Graduate Transfer Rules

For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Contact(s)
NCAA Public and Media Relations
317/917-6117

Mr. Paulus has expressed an interest in competing in a second sport at another Division I school after earning an undergraduate degree at Duke University and competing on the men’s basketball team. The NCAA encourages and applauds academic achievement and realizes this is an unique situation and opportunity for Mr. Paulus. Student-athletes seldom have the opportunity to transfer late in their college careers and compete in a second sport after four seasons of competition. The NCAA established a "students first" waiver process to address unique situations and extenuating circumstances such as this that are not outlined in our rules.

If a student-athlete wants to transfer and immediately compete as a graduate student, the college or university they are transferring to would need to seek a waiver, because in most cases they would have to sit out a year before competing under NCAA transfer rules and would not have any remaining eligibility. One of the factors our members have determined is appropriate for a graduate student waiver is if the transfer is academically motivated.

Academically motivated by way of larceny.

One of the factors our members have determined is appropriate for a graduate student waiver is if the transfer is academically motivated.

Yes, in this case, the student-athlete was attending Duke (No. 9 in your US News UG rankings) and continued his education at Syracuse (No. 55).

I know, I know, grad program not available at Duke. Aren’t we back at square one?

It’s easier to say Paulus’ transfer was academically motivated. He, in theory, could have played football at Duke. Masoli did not have that option at Oregon.

I think the NCAA should look at these case-by-case.

Of course it was easier. But this is the first time that I can tell that the NCAA has given a smell test to such a transfer. They’ve made things harder for themselves, not easier, assuming that they want to follow some sort of practice that helps the student-athlete figure out what needs to be done (and that may not be a good assumption).

The same puff release that congratulates Greg Paulus also talks about a “students-first” orientation. Well, what meaning does that have now? (This is somewhat rhetorical, as the actual answer either is “Nothing” or “Whatever we feel like,” and the latter is more likely.)

Just to reiterate, my caring glands have yet to be stimulated in favor of Masoli and Ole Miss. I just think that in terms of his treatment by the NCAA on this issue, based on what has been done in the past, he got a raw deal.

SydneyCarton is not going to be a happy man….

MOTHER FUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I mean, based on what?!?! He asked with sugar on top? Sweet fucking Christ. This is a bigger tragedy than the fact that Brenden Frasier still gets work.

Excuse me, I’m not going to go read and re-read Scipio’s comment about about 50 times, huff some gasoline, and see if Doperbo left any of his lithium in the snack cabinet.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Props to Bob in Houston. He was absolutely correct.
 
HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA!

I didn’t know that Masoli was reinstated until now.

The GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was my first clue.

I’m going to create a new weekly feature tracking Masoli and Favre. I will weave love of the game, playing like a kid, he’s followed every rule, and everyone deserves a second chance into every post.
 
I will call it High Blood Pressure Wednesdays.

I can certainly say that this news has turned today into Facial Tic Friday.

Jacksonville State – 49
Ole Miss – 48
 
OT
 
Karma is a mother.
 
You can smile, Sydney.