(08-19-2013 07:22 PM)mistabinks Wrote:  Being a first responder in a city with an army base, I am not always on the "blindly support our troops" bandwagon. That is not a popular thing to say. That being said, active military should at the very least get the same courtesy that Utah and BYU receive when their Mormon student athletes go on their missions. Then again, maybe I am looking at the broad picture and not the specifics of the rule.

Active services does get a reprieve, the same way that religious missions do. The issue was that he didn't begin active service within one year, and every year past the one year mark starts chipping away at your eligibility. Because he was active military his clock was tolled the minute he became active, but he'd already lost a year at that point because it was greater than one year. With that said, the NCAA will often grant waivers where strict application of a rule would result in undue hardship, like they did in this case.

Congratulations MT. This is a just reversal of an idiotic ruling. I have no doubt that this reversal would not have been made except for the huge PR black eye that the NCAA brought upon itself. This in no way exonerates them in my book. Again, congrats!

It is heartening seeing common sense prevail.

Glad they reversed it, good luck to this young man.

(08-19-2013 06:55 PM)EarthBoundMisfit Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 05:53 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 05:08 PM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  and this "non-story" will likely be the impetus to get that idiotic rule revised/rewritten to prevent others from being unjustly punished for serving their country.

Has nothing to do with serving your country. He should be held to the same idiotic rules as everyone else.

Looks like he was and everyone got their panties in a wad.

As a former service member (US Air Force)
on you

Lighten up Francis.

Nothing like good journalism to quickly correct a stupid decision like this. I'm happy for the young man.

How nice of you to say that.


I'm not saying the rule is stupid or not...I'm saying that nothing was "REVERSED" or "CORRECTED". It was appealed and the process was followed like any other appeal would have...and the NCAA gave him an exclusion.

Former service members shouldn't be treated any differently than any other person by the NCAA. This was an unnecessary sh*tstorm in the press and the outcome was the same as it would have been if nobody had heard about it.

(08-19-2013 07:22 PM)mistabinks Wrote:  That being said, active military should at the very least get the same courtesy that Utah and BYU receive when their Mormon student athletes go on their missions. Then again, maybe I am looking at the broad picture and not the specifics of the rule.

They are...

(08-19-2013 07:27 PM)TribeNiner Wrote:  Active services does get a reprieve, the same way that religious missions do. The issue was that he didn't begin active service within one year, and every year past the one year mark starts chipping away at your eligibility. Because he was active military his clock was tolled the minute he became active, but he'd already lost a year at that point because it was greater than one year. With that said, the NCAA will often grant waivers where strict application of a rule would result in undue hardship, like they did in this case.

(08-19-2013 09:07 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  They are...

Understood, and correct me if I am wrong, but the point I was making is that (in my opinion only) the ticking clock should stop while they are active military.

For example, and again correct if I am wrong, Mormons were allowed to take their mission in between their sophomore and junior seasons. I don't see why the eligibility ticking clock can't be stopped while being active military.

Again, I am just throwing out a soft opinion and not 100% specific to this ncaa rule or issue.

(08-19-2013 09:17 PM)mistabinks Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 07:27 PM)TribeNiner Wrote:  Active services does get a reprieve, the same way that religious missions do. The issue was that he didn't begin active service within one year, and every year past the one year mark starts chipping away at your eligibility. Because he was active military his clock was tolled the minute he became active, but he'd already lost a year at that point because it was greater than one year. With that said, the NCAA will often grant waivers where strict application of a rule would result in undue hardship, like they did in this case.

(08-19-2013 09:07 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  They are...

Understood, and correct me if I am wrong, but the point I was making is that (in my opinion only) the ticking clock should stop while they are active military.

For example, and again correct if I am wrong, Mormons were allowed to take their mission in between their sophomore and junior seasons. I don't see why the eligibility ticking clock can't be stopped while being active military.

Again, I am just throwing out a soft opinion and not 100% specific to this ncaa rule or issue.

MB, I think you are missing the point. The eligibility clock DID stop while he was in the active military. Where he was going to lose a year was that he didn't enroll in college OR start active military within a year of high school. If he becomes active military within 12 months instead of 13, there is no issue here at all.

was easily a common sense decision to allow him immediate eligibility.....kudos to the man and the ncaa for realizing how irrelevant they are becoming...this one was a no brainer....

(08-19-2013 09:03 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 06:55 PM)EarthBoundMisfit Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 05:53 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 05:08 PM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  and this "non-story" will likely be the impetus to get that idiotic rule revised/rewritten to prevent others from being unjustly punished for serving their country.

Has nothing to do with serving your country. He should be held to the same idiotic rules as everyone else.

Looks like he was and everyone got their panties in a wad.

As a former service member (US Air Force)
on you

Lighten up Francis.

Nothing like good journalism to quickly correct a stupid decision like this. I'm happy for the young man.

How nice of you to say that.


I'm not saying the rule is stupid or not...I'm saying that nothing was "REVERSED" or "CORRECTED". It was appealed and the process was followed like any other appeal would have...and the NCAA gave him an exclusion.

Former service members shouldn't be treated any differently than any other person by the NCAA. This was an unnecessary sh*tstorm in the press and the outcome was the same as it would have been if nobody had heard about it.

You are flat wrong, sir. Men and women who volunteer to serve in armed forces should have a special exception as it pertains to college eligibility. If it's about student athletes, educating young men and women and all the things the NCAA allegedly stands for, then pausing the clock for people to fight for our country is the right thing to do and it shouldn't have been an issue.
This whole thing became an issue because the NCAA kept jerking the Marine and MT around. Massaro got tired of it and he made the NCAA look like morons, again.
Bottom line, doing great things that transcend sport, ie mission work/military should not EVER require any type of appeals process for anything. If the Marines have rec league football games in the desert to pass the time and help morale, it should never have any type of effect on initial eligibility or years of eligibility, period. The NCAA was supposed to simplify the book, yet crap like is STILL GOING ON.

(08-20-2013 09:43 AM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 09:03 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 06:55 PM)EarthBoundMisfit Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 05:53 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 05:08 PM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  and this "non-story" will likely be the impetus to get that idiotic rule revised/rewritten to prevent others from being unjustly punished for serving their country.

Has nothing to do with serving your country. He should be held to the same idiotic rules as everyone else.

Looks like he was and everyone got their panties in a wad.

As a former service member (US Air Force)
on you

Lighten up Francis.

Nothing like good journalism to quickly correct a stupid decision like this. I'm happy for the young man.

How nice of you to say that.


I'm not saying the rule is stupid or not...I'm saying that nothing was "REVERSED" or "CORRECTED". It was appealed and the process was followed like any other appeal would have...and the NCAA gave him an exclusion.

Former service members shouldn't be treated any differently than any other person by the NCAA. This was an unnecessary sh*tstorm in the press and the outcome was the same as it would have been if nobody had heard about it.

You are flat wrong, sir. Men and women who volunteer to serve in armed forces should have a special exception as it pertains to college eligibility. If it's about student athletes, educating young men and women and all the things the NCAA allegedly stands for, then pausing the clock for people to fight for our country is the right thing to do and it shouldn't have been an issue.
This whole thing became an issue because the NCAA kept jerking the Marine and MT around. Massaro got tired of it and he made the NCAA look like morons, again.
Bottom line, doing great things that transcend sport, ie mission work/military should not EVER require any type of appeals process for anything. If the Marines have rec league football games in the desert to pass the time and help morale, it should never have any type of effect on initial eligibility or years of eligibility, period. The NCAA was supposed to simplify the book, yet crap like is STILL GOING ON.

If he had gone into the military right out of high school, or even within 12 months of graduating...the clock WOULD HAVE STOPPED.

He waited..and like anybody else that goes and does something else for longer than a year before going to school...his clock began ticking after that year hit.

He should get treated no differently than any other person in the same situation.