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Dan_ref · #73 (**permalink**) Wed Apr 13, 2005, 02:12am

Quote:

Originally posted by ChuckElias
Just got this in the mail today. It is completely unedited except for removing the name of the tournament assignor.

Quote:

April 9, 2005

MIAA
83 Cedar St.
Milford, MA 01757

Re: St. Joe/Granby D3 Semi-final, March 9, 2005

To MIAA, Mr. Charles Elias and whomever else it may concern,

First off let me apologize for the delay in response to such serious allegations. I was just informed about Mr. Elias' accusations yesterday, Friday, April 8th and given a copy of his letter by my Athletic Director. I am not happy with the delay but I'm also not responsible for it.

Allow me to get to the issues and accusations Mr. Elias cites.

I have been coaching 28 years mostly at the college level, but for the last seven years as varsity coach at St. Joseph. I have never called an official a "two bit f***ing whore".

Unlike many coaches and officials I have interacted with throughout the years, I feel that the game is for the players. Spectators come to see them play not to see me coach or officials do their thing. I feel as a coach I owe it to my players, especially my seniors, to get them every second or fraction of a second they have coming especially in a Western Mass semifinal game. After all, if we lose they end not only their dream but also their HS basketball careers. If we win they attain a goal we began talking about the very first day of practice in November. This was not just any game.

Mr. Elias, cites a casebook rule with regard to the .06 seconds he admitted was left after his whistle for time out, and says the officials concluded they couldn't put less than a second on the clock.

In our previous game versus Ware H.S. at Ware in a very similar situation the officials met and restored .08 seconds (please seek the tape to validate this), with that still fresh in my mind I felt at least a conference or explanation was not an unreasonable expectation on my part, again my seniors worked hard all year for this moment. Mr. Elias says he told me "If you'd like me to explain the rule, coach, I can." And to this I also say he is lying. While running off the court he said to me something like you can't win with less than a second. I chased after the officials for more of an explanation, again feeling my seniors deserved even the .01 seconds if they had it coming. I have seen infractions during the 5 seconds before the ball is inbounded as well as the 5 second call itself. We were behind by 2 points at the time.

I have the radio audio account with the end of the game I will provide which supports my concern with the time clock question.

I also have witnesses available - one who was at my side - as I approached the hallway where the referees had fled and went behind closed doors.

I would sugest that a MIAA official, myself and Mr. Elias take a simple but very reliable lie detector test. I also invite [the tournament assignor] and the Athletic Director of Smith Academy, whom Mr. Elias says heard my "two bit. . ." comment. This is an allegation I take very seriously and plan on getting to the bottom of. These matters along with Mr. Elias' letter are presently in a lawyer's office. If Mr. Elias will agree to the lie detector test it will save time, an appeal process and we will know beyond a reasonable doubt who is lying.

In my seven years as St. Joe coach, we have reached at least the quarter finals of Western Mass all seven years. We have been to the semifinals four times, the finals twice and have won a Western Mass championship, three sectional titles and a state championship. I have been named the County Coach of the Year two times and the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the year in 2001. During all of these seven years I have received a total of four technical fouls only one of which I feel I earned, and again, I swear I have never called any official a "two bit. . .". I site my record at SJ because I take great pride in what we have accomplished and I take my position as coach and role model very seriously.

In closing, I still feel that four seniors who had worked very hard all year, deserved whatever time they had coming and were robbed not only of the .06 seconds, but an on the spot explanation.

Sincerely,

He signed it and CC'd his AD, his lawyer, and the director of his town's Catholic schools.

I figured I'd shared everything to this point, you might as well know what's happened now.

It sounds like he's thought about it & decided you're not a 2 bit f&cking whore afterall.

That's good to know.

BTW, it's not clear to me what his lawyer will be able to do to help him or hurt you, unless maybe he's about to lose his coaching job over this & he plans on fighting to the death to keep it. If I were you I would send a copy of this to my association & insurance carrier for their records, just in case your name ends up on some civil action.

And then I would forget about it.