Editorial: PG and the NJSIAA (10/02/10)

Penns Grove's elimination from the playoffs is a sad thing. No one wants a good team sitting out. You want to beat the good teams. No team should have "what-ifs" attached to a championship.

But, the rules are the rules, like it or not.

You can talk all you like about self-control and how the coaches should have stopped it or if they could have stopped it and lack of discipline and all of that, but my focus is on the NJSIAA.

"No appeal"!!!! In America????????

I understand the reason for the "no appeal" rule because if an incident happens just before the playoffs, it is a mess waiting for a verdict, but this happened in game #3 and all of the disqualifications happened in one incident. This is not a "series of incidents".

Now the NJSIAA id under fire and may itself be disqualified. Will they appeal? It seems that there were at least 3 incidents of improper behavior on the list of infractions: excessive reimbursement for mileage, extravagant gifts, excessive salaries, etc. (I saw no mention of the frequent accusation by refs that certain refs get favoritism for the playoffs.) They are easily comparable to the DRPA. Why is the Governor not making a big deal here?

I have always objected to the $6.00 playoff tickets, not because of the price, but because the participating schools get none of it. Yet they incur expenses to participate. The NJSIAA is nothing but greed and they dare to make rules for others.

Now the NJSIAA has done a lot of good, but they show incompetence in many areas also. "Northing" in a state where geographic regional lines are not drawn in straight lines. Florence belongs in South Jersey and Ocean County teams belong in Central Jersey. The North should be Northeast and Northwest. True, this created some inequality in size of schools in groups and some regional adjustments were need to create more equality, but there has to be a better way!

I do not think that they should be dissolved, but given some strong oversight and that brings me pack to Penns Grove. Perhaps the games where the incident occurred should be forfeited, but not an entire season. Had PG had to forfeit their 62-0 win, then a strong message would have been sent. Forfeiting the future is a little extreme. In fact it is a childish way of enacting discipline. Discipline should be conducted in a manner that seeks improvement in behavior. I am not sure what to do for teams with violations in a losing game.

I do think it is strange that a team which wins with an ineligible player gets punished, but what of the team which uses an ineligible player in a loss? Are they punished equally as a team that wins. A violation is a violation regardless of outcome.

Teams with problems (disqualifications, ineligible players, etc.) should be put on a probationary status while a review of the program is conducted. Recommendations should be made for correcting problems. If the recommendations are not followed, then enact some kind of punishment. "Oversight" means more than just a hard hand. Now the NJSIAA gets the hard hand instead of "oversight". As you sow, so shall you reap.

The NJSIAA's misbehavior is conducted by adults who are placed in well paid poaitons of responsibilty. I would be fired for such recklessness. PG's misbehavior was conducted by high school kids who still have a lot to learn and lack emotional control. The players are in an educational setting and should be taught things. The NJSIAA staff is supposed to already be educated and should be held to a higher standard. The players are playing a game and thier behavior should not be treated as a crime. Misuse of public funds is a crime!