Monday, January 16, 2012

NCAA screwing Ifeanyi Momah

Always known for selective enforcement, the NCAA has some explaining to do regarding their denial of Ifeanyi Momah's 6th year of eligibility. Compare his case to two more prominent players who received an extra year of playing time.


Case Keenum redshirted his freshmen year (fall 2006). He played in 13 games as a redshirt freshman (fall 2007). He played in 13 the following year (fall 2008). His redshirt junior year saw him start in 14 games (fall 2009). In his fifth year (fall 2010) he started three games and suffered an ACL injury. The NCAA granted him a sixth year and played in 14 games. In all he was allowed to play in 57 games and his school was not punished for their elective redshirt in 2006.

Robert Marve redshirted his freshman year (fall 2007). In his redshirt freshman year Marve started 11 games. In 2009 he transferred to Purdue and had to sit out a season. This used his third year of NCAA eligibility. In his fourth year of eligibility (fall 2010) he started four games before injuring his knee. After recovering from his knee injury, Marve played in 10 games (2011 season). It should be noted that Marve also admitted to the NCAA that he received illegal benefits as part of the Shapiro scandal at Miami. But was sparred punishment because of his cooperation. He was just granted a 6th year of eligibility. In all Marve has played 25 games, played in multiple games across three seasons and allowed to transfer and escape penalty even though his former Miami teammates had to miss games.


Now a reminder on Ifeanyi Momah's history. He played in seven games as true freshman in 2007. He only played in 11 games as true sophomore due to injury. He redshirted in 2009. In 2010 he played in 13 games. In 2011, he was injured in the first game. That consists of only three full seasons. He has never been in any trouble and has his degree. He missed one full season due to injury and 83% of another season due to injury. Why was he not given the same opportunities as Marve and Keenum?


BC is following the proper channels, but this stinks to high heaven. If the NCAA doesn't reverse its decision on appeal, the school should hit the media hard.

17 comments:

Erik said...

Strong post Bill. Lousy denial by the NCAA. I hope BC stands up for our captain.

JBQ said...

Purdue (#48) 11.2M, BC (#58) 75.4M, Houston (#84) 28.3M----Texas is (#1) 805.1M (Ind@Purd) survey. There is a lot of disdain for BC among other elites. As seen in a recent book by Jodi Kantor in regard to resentment of the Irish Catholic leadership in Chicago. As a Catholic with Irish roots, you have to look at the source of such problems and act accordingly. Sure, it was a lousy decision. On this day of national renown in regard to Civil Rights, what group of people has done more to bring African-Americans into the national fabric with all of the educational background to make them competitive? Are you telling me that the NCAA is not aware of the lack of graduation rates for many top flite football schools in the area of African-Americans. They use 'em and then throw away the key. BC is indeed that "shining light" on the top of the hill.

Ry said...

BC needs to prove that his previous red shirt was for a season ending injury (ie not a redshirt of convenience, but a necessity). Remember, this is the year he went from DE to WR. Did BC hold him out to give him more time to prepare to return as a WR when he was football-ready to return as a DE?

Big Jack Krack said...

Keep fighting for what is right, BC.

Go Eagles - Good luck Ifeanyl.

Knucklehead said...

My brother was roommates with Momah his sophomore year Boston College.

Momah is a good person and a good student. He is a good football player. He is not Calvin Johnson.
If we had him the entire year our win total would not have been more than the four we earned. He probably deserves a 6th year because he injured on a cheap-shot by a Northwestern player on a kick return. I was there.

That being said the NCAA has given Boston College two very important 6th year seniors historically in Alex Albright and Brian Maye.

Boston College should appeal, God knows we have the lawyers to win, but we should not harass the NCAA over the decision. That is a no win proposition.

ATL_eagle said...

Knucklehead:

Albright was a fifth year. I think Maye was the same sort of situation.

mod34b said...

I have no idea what the NCAA rules are, and would welcome an expert view, but it seems from some Googling that to get a sixth year of eligibility, the school must show that the player lost two seasons due to circumstane out of the player's control -- meaning season ending injury twice. That seems to apply to Marve and Keenum.

Issue seems to be whether Momah's 2009 red short year was really medically required (or was the RS part of Spaz's plan to repurpose Momah from WR to DE !).

Spaz himself seems to have made stupid comments in 2009 that show 2009 was not really a medicial situation (from the Boston Herald)

"Head coach Frank Spaziani said today that wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah, who suffered a sprained MCL in training camp, will redshirt.

The junior had played two years ago as a true freshman and, according to Spaziani, the injury allows the team to go back to the original schedule for the 6-foot-6, 228-pound receiver.

“Momah was recruited as a nice project and somehow he escaped and was over there catching balls. He played his first year and caught a few and caught a few last year. But the whole plan was to redshirt him. The plan got sidetracked, so we were looking where Momah was fitting in. Then he got hurt and missed a few weeks and that was a good entree into (redshirting)….He’ll be better off, we’ll be better off,” said Spaziani"

Artless Spaz blows it again!

and ATL, c'mon now, BC was not "screwed" as your headline screams??

Go Google: "denied 6th year of eligibility" and you will see that the NCAA turns down lots of requests. In December 2011, NCAA denied a Miami DL a 6th year. DL had a real injury that ended his 5th year season, but Miami claimed the initial freshman red shirt year was really due to a "groin injury." Miami could not substantiate that claim with medical records and the request for a 6th year was denied.

Tim said...

mod-

"Artless Spaz blows it again!"

You really think Spaz was supposed to foresee this situation two years ago? He may not be the world's best coach, but he's also not a psychic.

mod34b said...

Yes, Tim, Spaz should anticipate the future needs of the team and always speak with purpose and dignity befitting a BC HC.

Being a CEO (or HC) is all about looking down the road and planning for contingencies, such as player injuries, which are very predictable.

Compare -- if can do so without breaking down in hysterical laughter -- Spaz to Saban (What a joke to even mention Spaz in the same sentence as Saban; sorry Saban). Alabama regularly gets medical red shirts. Saban has a whole medical staff that creates reasons for medical red shirts. Why? -- to help control the roster by dealing with predictable injury contingencies.

Spaz just blabbers in public about how he can use this injury to essentially get another year for Momah to re-position him. he should be a) getting good medical documentation to show Momah is serioulsy injured and b) talking up the team's disappointment in losing a rising star WR to injury.

Plus a "sprain" (what Spaz said Momah had) is usually not a season ending injury -- it could be season-ending for a really bad sprain, but not usually.

So, yes, Spaz should be careful with his remarks and should be forward thinking.

But really, I am asking for too much. Spaz is a dyed-in-the-wool-doofus, and there is nothing anyone can do to change that man. Help!

mod34b said...

This is directly from an ESPN blog. Shows that a school needs to show the player suffered from two 'season-ending" events out of his/school control to qualify for sixth year. A regular freshman RS without injury plus a 5th year real serious injury DOES NOT CUT IT. Momah is the later category: regular RS + Injury

----------------------------------

Houston quarterback Case Keenum is done for the year, but is he done for his career? There is a possibility the prolific quarterback could appeal to the NCAA for a medical hardship redshirt and a sixth year of eligibility.

Coach Kevin Sumlin said it was too early to consider such a possibility, which would appear to be a long-shot based on recent decisions the NCAA has made with other players. Under NCAA rules, a student-athlete has five years to complete four years of eligibility. Student-athletes can apply for the sixth year of eligibility should they lose more than a season for reasons beyond their control. Since Keenum took the typical redshirt season as a freshman, Houston could have difficulty making the case.

Here is a look at some of the recent waivers the NCAA has granted, and some it has rejected. Keep in mind each appeal is handled on a case by case basis:

GRANTED

FAU senior running back Jeff Blanchard got a sixth year because he suffered season-ending injuries in 2007 (ankle) and 2009 (knee).

Kent State running back Eugene Jarvis was granted a sixth year after a lacerated kidney forced him to miss nearly all of 2009. He was redshirted as a freshman because an error with his high school grades had him declared academically ineligible.

South Carolina LB Rodney Paulk had his waiver granted after missing most of the past two seasons with knee injuries.

USF running back Moise Plancher was granted a sixth year because he did lose two seasons to injury. He redshirted his freshman year because of a shoulder injury in 2005, then the following season he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener.

Arizona State WR Brandon Smith got his sixth year of eligibility. He missed the 2007 and 2009 seasons because of injuries.

REJECTED

Ball State TE Madaris Grant had his appeal denied. Grant tore an ACL in the first quarter of the season opener last season against North Texas. Coach Stan Parrish said that the appeal was rejected because the NCAA requires two severe injuries for a sixth year. Grant redshirted his freshman year without injury.

Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk had his appeal denied. Mauk was redshirted as a freshman, then missed almost all the 2006 season with a shoulder injury. He argued he did have an injury in his redshirt season, but the NCAA still said no.

Oregon State QB Lyle Moevao had his appeal rejected. Moevao injured his right shoulder during the 2008 season, then suffered a foot injury in October 2009. The school said his appeal was denied, “due to him not demonstrating the loss of two seasons beyond his control."

Florida RB Dorian Munroe had his appeal denied despite tearing his ACL last year for the second time in his career. The NCAA turned down the appeal because he played in a game in 2009

mod34b said...

According to the NCAA Division I Manual, the policy on granting waivers is as follows:

“A waiver of the five-year period of eligibility is designed to provide a student-athlete with the opportunity to participate in four seasons of intercollegiate competition within a five-year period. This waiver may be granted, based upon objective evidence, for reasons that are beyond the control of the student-athlete or the institution that deprive the student-athlete of the opportunity to participate for more than one season in his or her sport within the five-year period.”

mod34b said...

As for Keenum, Houston was able to show that he was injured twice. Specifically, they successfully proved that Keenum's freshman year RS was due to an injury:

per news, Houston, "made the case to the NCAA that a collarbone injury prevented Keenum from playing in 2006"

Now, we can begin to see Spaz the artless doofus at work.

ATL_eagle said...

Keenum's collarbone issue for his redshirt year is dubious. They redshirted him because they had Kevin Kolb.

mod34b said...

ATL -- no use titling at windmills.

Houston presented a case of injury, and the NCAA accepted it "based upon objective evidence"

BC can try to meet the same standard. It does not matter what Keenum or Marve did or said, it matters what BC can prove.

Seems like BC can't prove by "objective evidence" that Momah's ACL "sprain" sidelined him for a season. Ergo, no waiver allowed.

mod34b said...

also, who care what Houston's "real" reason was for redshirting Keenum. Keenum did have an injury, and Houston was smart enough to make a paper trail, and thus was able to meet the stated standard.

An NCAA program pushing the rules to its advantage is not shocking or wrong, it's how the game is played.

Knucklehead said...

ATL,
I post based on memory. I did not do my research.

Thanks you for clarifying.

Kho Health said...

Do ATs get Paid?

How Much Do Athletic Trainers Make