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FRIDAY
March 7, 2003
Vol. no, No. 122 | Athens, Georgia
Mostly cloudy.
High 57 | Low 45 | Saturday 69
ONLINE: www.redandblack.com
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 1980
’STACHE FOR
CASH
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>• Vet students grow Burt
Reynolds-style mustaches
for charity. PAGE 3
Rodeo reps
take cause
to Capitol
TAKING SIDES
◄ Gene
Hamilton, left, a
junior from
Grayson, and
Staci Atkins,
right, a sopho
more from
Columbus,
argue Thursday
afternoon dur
ing a “support
our troops”
rally at the
Arch. Hamilton
said he support
ed the College
Republicans,
who organized
the rally, and
President
George W.
Bush’s Iraqi pol
icy. Atkins, a
member of
Doubts About
War, said,
“(College
Republicans)
were trying to
get me to come
to their side.”
dan McLaughlin i the red & black
Three groups face off at protest
By MATT BARNWELL
mbarnwell@randb.com
As a group of College
Republicans bulged outward
from the steps by the Arch
Thursday, a pair of Athens-
Clarke County policemen
stood watch, ready to enforce
Athens’ permit requirement
for demonstrations.
“Well, I hope we don’t have
to manage the crowd,” said
Sgt. W.R. Smith. “But I don’t
see them standing there for
too long.”
He was right.
Twenty minutes later, the
group ballooned to 150 people
representing three organiza
tions of markedly different
ideologies, and stretched
down Broad Street from Herty
Drive to well past the Arch.
Members of College
Republicans, Doubts About
War and Women in Black
crowded rain-covered side
walks to vocalize their respec
tive views to rush hour traffic.
The demonstration —
which was not a cooperative
effort between the groups and
in many cases saw shouting
matches develop between
members — was frequently
drowned out by the horns of
passing cars and trucks.
College Republicans, carry
ing signs reading “Love Hitler?
Then You’ll Love Saddam”
and “Pre-emptive Action is
Decisive Action,” initiated
the demonstration without
obtaining a permit, which
initially prevented them from
moving onto ACC property.
They had the largest
number of people present.
ACC police Maj. Keith
Morris said the College
Republicans had a legal right
to demonstrate, and a new
permit process caused confu
sion for the organization.
Kelly Binion, president of
College Republicans, said she
was frustrated by the obstacle
of securing the permit.
“The anti-war protesters
have their voice, and this is
another voice we need to put
out there,” she said. “This
is non-partisan, this is in
support of our troops.”
Kyle Buffington, a graduate
student and member of
Doubts About War, said he felt
most of the public response
favored his group.
“We support our troops as
well — we support our troops
by bringing them home with
out having to kill or be killed,”
he said.
Staci Atkins, a sophomore
from Columbus and member
of Doubts About War, said her
group came to demonstrate
with Women in Black, who
have a permit to silently
protest every Thursday after
noon against war in Iraq.
“(The College Republicans)
just seem uninformed,” she
said. “They don’t know what’s
going on. They’re accepting
the ‘general threat’ reason.”
By BRAD HARRISON
j bharrison@randb.com
I The tug of war over
j the future of the Great
| Southeastern Stampede
i Rodeo has spilled over from
i the University to the State
i Capitol.
i The University’s Block
; and Bridle Club has taken its
i cause to state and national
I officials with success,
i In an upcoming joint
| session of the state
i Senate and House of
i Representatives Agricultural
i Commission, rodeo chair-
I woman Rachel Postin, a
i senior from Stephens, will
j address the committee,
i Ellis Black (D-Valdosta) is
i on the committee and said
| members of the state House
i of Representatives are aware
i of the situation.
I “A number of us are
| concerned about it to a point
i that it could affect our
j support of certain financial
j means that (University
i officials) are interested in,”
I he said. “If we don’t feel good
i about one area we may not
i support them in another
; area.”
Black said the legisla-
I ture’s influence on the
j University comes through
j the budget.
i “Rodeo is a popular sport
i in the state, and there is a lot
i of interest in it,” Black said,
i “I didn’t know the Block and
; Bridle Club was having to
i pay what they have until just
I recently. It looks like there
i has been an orchestrated
| effort to run them out by
; bringing the price up.”
The office of state
Sen. Renne Unterman
(R-Loganville) said she
has sent a letter to Postin
pledging support.
Unterman stated in the
letter she would “make every
effort to make my opinion
known at the State Capitol.”
Block and Bridle also has
contacted members of the
national legislature.
Postin said Georgia
Rep. Jack Kingston
(R-Savannah) and Georgia
Sen. Saxby Chambliss
(R-Moultrie) have been told
about the plight of the rodeo.
The offices of both said
Thursday they are aware of
the situation.
Kingston and Chambliss
are University graduates.
Stegeman Coliseum was
built while Black, a 1964
University graduate, was on
campus. He recalled the
major political effort for
construction of the facility
was through agricultural and
livestock interests.
“The University is certain
ly denying the roots of that
building,” Black said.
This year’s rodeo will
be held April 18 to 19 at
Stegeman Coliseum.
Tickets are $20 for seats in
the lower bowl and $15 in the
upper bowl, and students are
able to gain admission for
$15 and $10, respectively.
Tickets can either be
purchased at the Block
and Bridle Lounge, located
in Room 128 of the
Rhodes Center of the Animal
Dairy Science Building or
by calling the ticket office at
542-9374.
COLE ACCUSATIONS
NCAA sanctions schools after similar rules violations
NCAA REGULATIONS
Possible regulations the University could be in violation of
if Cole’s allegations are found to be true:
Article 16.11.2.1, titled Unitemized
Expenses, states, “A student-athlete may not
accept money for unspecified or unitemized
expenses from any organization or individual.”
Article 16.12.1.1 states, “Receipt of a
benefit by student-athletes, their relatives or
friends is not in violation of NCAA rules if
it is demonstrated that the same benefit is
generally available to the institution’s students
and their relatives or friends.”
Article 16.12.2.8states, “A member institu
tion is not permitted to administer a fund for a
student-athlete (even if provided by the
student-athlete) in order to assist the student-
athlete in making payments for various person
al expenses (e.g. utility bills, rent, fees and
entertainment expenses) unless the institution
provides such service to all students and
formal accounting procedures are utilized.”
Article 16.12.2.2.2 states, “It is not
permissible to allow a student-athlete to use a
telephone or credit card for personal reasons
without charge or at a reduced cost.”
— Source: www.ncaa.org
Possible penalties
based on precedent
By STEVE SANDERS
ssanders@randb.com
What would happen to the
University’s recently popular
basketball program if any of former
basketball player Tony Cole’s
accusations were found to be true?
In short, it depends.
When compared to college
basketball programs similarly
accused and proven guilty in recent
years, Georgia has a combination
of violations with which it could be
charged.
“Most penalties in this situation
would be based on precedent,” said
Gil Grimes, assistant commissioner
of the SEC. “We would serve in
an advice-type role. All schools,
regardless of what happened, would
speak with us and the NCAA. We
would be there to give whatever
advice they needed.”
Grimes said he’s not involved at
all with the investigation in Athens
and therefore couldn’t speculate on
any possible penalties because each
situation is different.
Cole’s original allegations that
then-assistant coach Jim Harrick Jr.
took care of phone and hotel bills, as
well as some academic assistance,
are bad enough.
Combine that with more recent
allegations that head coach Jim
Harrick Sr. allowed Cole to purchase
a television with his credit card, and
that booster Mike Young gave him
money for a shopping spree only
add to the possibility of sanctions.
If Cole is found to be telling the
truth, a number of NCAA bylaws
will have been broken.
While possible sanctions only can
be speculated upon now, the past
can shed light on the severity of
NCAA sanctions for similar allega
tions that were found to be true.
“Each case is different and
involves a unique set of circum
stances,” said Laronica Conway, an
NCAA representative, via e-mail. “It
would be very difficult to pinpoint
what type of penalties an institution
might incur.”
When the University of Michigan
found out late last year about rules
infractions involving a booster giv
ing players money during the last
decade, the school punished itself
by forfeiting 112 games, including a
Final Four win in 1992.
The basketball program was
placed on a two-year probation and
was forced to take down all banners
from those seasons. In addition, the
team was removed from postseason
play for this season. However, no
scholarships were taken away,
something the NCAA knows hits
home.
“Scholarship reduction can
be applied to any case,” NCAA
infractions committee chair Tom
Yeager told ESPN.com Nov. 8.
“Scholarship reductions is one of
the penalties in a major case.”
Another comparable situation
to Georgia’s is that of the University
of Minnesota.
The Golden Gopher’s basketball
program lost eight scholarships over
four years when it was discovered
that a secretary was doing home
work for players with the knowledge
of an academic counselor and head
coach Clem Haskins.
Harrick Sr says he isn't sure he will return to Georgia
By BRADLEY HANDWERGER
bhandwerg@randb.com
and JONATHAN TONGE
For The Red & Black
Georgia basketball head coach
Jim Harrick Sr. remained largely
silent Thursday about the ongoing
investigation into his basketball
program and the recent release of
his son and former assistant coach
Jim Harrick Jr.
Harrick told reporters before
the team’s third closed practice
session he had said all he needed
to about the investigation earlier in
the week to ESPN.
“I’ll talk about the game. That’s
all I want to talk about,” he said.
In an interview with ESPN’s
Dick Vitale Tuesday, Harrick
denied former player Tony Cole’s
allegations that Harrick Jr. gave
Cole $300 to pay a phone bill,
had someone complete correspon
dence work at an Illinois junior
college before Cole transferred to
Georgia, paid Cole’s hotel bills in
Athens before moving into his
dorm room and gave Cole an “A” in
a basketball coaching class Cole
says he never attended.
The Atlanta Journal-
Constitution reported Wednesday
the $300 came from Charlie
Tapalian, a Rhode Island booster
who said he sent the money for
Cole to another Rhode Island
man who then forwarded it to
Harrick Jr.
The Associated Press reported
Thursday that junior forward Chris
Daniels thought he might have
been in the same basketball
coaching class Cole said he never
attended.
Daniels, who was pulled out of
practice Monday for questioning,
verified the allegation, noting
that if it was the same class, Cole
was never there.
Cole also claimed he bought
a television in Athens using
Harrick Sr.’s credit card and
received as much as $900 from
Georgia booster Mike Young.
Young denies the allegations.
Wednesday, the University
announced that Harrick Jr.’s
contract would not be renewed.
University President Michael
Adams did not comment
Wednesday on the implications
of that decision, saying it was
the decision of Athletics Director
Vince Dooley.
“He made a decision that he
didn’t want (Harrick Jr.) around
next year,” Adams said. “I’m not
saying anything beyond that.”
Adams said he hasn’t talked
to Harrick Sr. since the allegations
came to light Feb. 27.
“I’m not listening to Harrick,”
Adams said Wednesday. “I’m lis
tening to reports coming from the
people doing the investigation.”
At practice Thursday, Harrick
Sr. did not comment on his son’s
dismissal. When asked if he would
be back at Georgia next year,
Harrick Sr. said, “I don’t know how
to answer that. It’s all been too
much too fast.
“I want to be a coach here.
We’ve got a nice program, I don’t
want anything to spoil it.”
Neither Adams nor Dooley
could be reached for comment.
Both are out of town until Monday.
STORY TIME
MEGAN NADOLSKI | The Red & Black
◄ Freeman
Owle, a
Cherokee Indian
storyteller, gave
the opening
presentation to
the Athens
Literary
Festival: Roots
in Georgia II
Thursday after
noon. The festi
val continues
until Sunday
with readings,
luncheons,
films and panel
discussions
throughout the
weekend. For
more about the
festival, see
Page 3.
News: 2 | Opinions: 4 | Variety: 5 | Sports: 7
INSIDE TODAY
Crossword: 5