I'm on record as having said that half of the fun of winning is the other guy losing. On days when I get news like "Spurrier to Retire" or "Tech to Vacate Wins," the emotions that fill me are on par with those I felt as an 8-year old boy running down the stairs on Christmas Day to open presents.
Today, the AJC is reporting that a former GT academic advisor is suing Tech for wrongful termination. He says that GT "deliberately concealed some of the NCAA violations" in an attempt to avoid scandal. The coverup would be another, much larger NCAA violation to go along with Tech's existing probation.
Tech Kemp is my Red Rider BB Gun
For those that don't remember, the entire Jan Kemp case at Georgia came about because Georgia wrongfully terminated Kemp. She blew the whistle to the NCAA about the lack of academic credentials for some Georgia athletes. So, Georgia fired her. Thus her suit.
This case reeks of the same situation. In 2003, Shane "Tech Kemp" Olivett's (Tech's advisor) says that he wanted to tell the NCAA about Tech's academic problems. The same problems that resulted in GT's current probation. Violations for which GT has already been proved guilty.
The advisor says that Braine, Gailey, and New were told in 2003 of the violations and elected to cover them up. However, GT did not report the violations at the time. In Jan. 2004, someone (it looks like it would be this same advisor) blew the whistle to the NCAA on GT's 8 year stint of eligibility driven violations.
From the AJC:
President Wayne Clough, athletics director Dave Braine and another Georgia Tech official deliberately concealed some of the NCAA violations that led to the school being put on NCAA probation, a former Tech academic adviser alleges in a wrongful termination lawsuit.The good news for Tech is that it's Olivett's word against Gailey, Clough, New and Braine. Unless there is documentation that proves he told them about the violations, and they covered it up.
Tech, already stung by the May 2003 announcement it had dismissed 10 football players from school, decided it couldn't afford the public relations hit it would take from further academic bad news, Shane Olivett's suit alleges.
At a July 2003 meeting to discuss the eligibility of five or six football players, football coach Chan Gailey "explained that he could not weather another academic related scandal and try to recruit quality student-athletes to Georgia Tech," the suit says. "[Associate AD] repeatedly warned Defendant Braine that another eligibility scandal, if brought to the public's attention, would ruin Georgia Tech's athletic and academic reputations."
Olivett argued Tech had an obligation to self-report rules violations, but Braine and New rejected his advice, the suit says. Clough, who was not present at the meeting, and Braine "made the decision to conceal these facts from the NCAA and the public," the suit says.
The bad news for Tech. Someone DID know that GT was in violation of NCAA rules. Someone did blow the whistle to the NCAA. Those are facts.
Why wouldn't the person who blew the whistle just tell Braine about the problem? Wouldn't that be the easiest way to handle things? If Olivett can prove that Braine, New, Gailey or Clough knew that Olivett was the whistle blower, he's got a great case.
GT may or may not win this case. Who cares. But this is the type of case that if it goes to trial, all of your dirty laundry gets aired. Either way. It's good times.
Paul "Mein Schadenfreude" Westerdawg
