Huntington HS in trouble!

[Mountaineer]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

I don't mind him watching Mayo the whole time. Obviously, there was good reason to keep an eye on him. The problem is that, even though he is watching Mayo the whole time, he allows Mayo to get back to the pack of players at midcourt. If you keep him out of that, there's no second T to worry about.

According to one of my buddies that was in the locker room immediately after the game, Mike DID tell him 2 times not to go back into the group. THAT's why he stuck him the 2nd time. That's also in Mike's report. I haven't read everything past this one yet but Mike's report to the WVSSAC is on www.wsaz.com

A lot of people are talking about the assignor here. Huntington plays in the Mountain State Athletic Conference - 16 of the larger schools in the southern and central part of the state. The commissioner of the league schedules all the home games for football and basketball (conference and non-conference). Our games are usually assigned in March or April for a large part of the next season. We are sent contracts and we sign them and mail them back to the commissioner. Of course since we are assigned as individuals, we have to wait to find out who our partners are. We have a website that we can log onto in May to find that out. The commissioner would, though, find someone to fill the games. He's paid a salary - not a fee, and probably not enough to really be worth the crap he goes through: 32 teams (16 boys/16 girls) for 20 games . . . 300+ officials and he does another conference for the smaller schools in the area.

In a funny twist of fate, one of the other officials has Huntington's game on Monday night. At least it won't be AT Huntington . . . I have the Hutington girls game on Tuesday - thankfully, OJ doesn't play for the girls team!

[HawkeyeCubP]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

According to one of my buddies that was in the locker room immediately after the game, Mike DID tell him 2 times not to go back into the group. THAT's why he stuck him the 2nd time. That's also in Mike's report. I haven't read everything past this one yet but Mike's report to the WVSSAC is on www.wsaz.com

Wow. So hard not to comment when I wasn't there and didn't hear anything. I'll just throw two more things out here, though:

1. What Mayo reports Lazo said to him in the lane before free throws really sounds like something an official would say to a player. ........or it sounds like a 12-year-old's poorly contrived attempt at falsifying a material pattern of persecution. I'm surprised his attorney didn't have him change that statement around a bit to make it sound (somehow) more believable.

2. Someone should buy Coach a typewriter.

[tomegun]

I spoke to Lazo today and he has been going through some stuff the last couple of days. He sounded like he was beat. He told me that the only time he can get this situation off his mind is when he is officiating. I just told him to keep his head up. This bothers me because this is basically a situation where an official's judgement has been questioned to the point of going to court. What is next? Here are some parts of the ESPN article. Lazo did tell me that the New York Times called his cell phone.

Under state athletics rules, the penalty for receiving two technical fouls in a game or being ejected from a game is a two-game suspension. A student who "in protest lays hands or attempts to lay hands upon an official" can be declared ineligible for up to a year.
Mayo's five teammates were suspended for leaving the bench area. Upon his ejection, Mayo was escorted off the court by a police officer.
"We feel O.J. certainly didn't do anything intentional," his attorney, Mike Woelfel, who also is an assistant coach at Huntington, told The Herald-Dispatch on Monday. "If there was contact, it was inadvertent or may have been accidentally initiated by the referee himself."
Huntington (15-0) is ranked second and Artesia (21-1) No. 11 in the most recent USA Today Super 25 boys basketball rankings. Huntington also is scheduled to play Friday against Scott County (Ky.) in Lexington, Ky.
Under SSAC rules, if a student plays under a restraining order that is later reversed, the team could be forced to forfeit any victories in which the student played. Mike Hayden, executive director of the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission, didn't immediately return a telephone message Tuesday.
Mayo signed a letter of intent in November to play next season at USC.
The New York Times, in a story reported in Tuesday's editions, detailed the events that led to Mayo's ejection:
• Mayo was called for his first technical foul for taunting after a dunk late in the second half against Capital. Following that whistle, he walked to midcourt, where players from both teams had gathered and were jawing. Mayo then walked away.
• The second technical was called after Mayo walked back toward the players gathered at midcourt. From the video, which has been available on the Internet via the Web site of WSAZ in West Virginia, Mayo does not appear to say or do anything, The Times reported.
• But when Lazo, the official, walked to the scorer's table to report the technical, Mayo followed and appeared to make subtle, if any, contact with Lazo. The official then dropped suddenly to the ground. On the video, The Times said, it appeared Lazo's fall was exaggerated.
Lazo could not be reached for comment Monday, according to The Times.
"This official wanted to be the star of the show," William Bands, a lawyer in Charleston who watched from the stands, said, according to The Times. "That resulted in a situation that could have cost Huntington High School and the state of West Virginia a once-in-a-lifetime honor, to win a mythical national championship."

[ChrisSportsFan]

1. HHS's head coach does not have much integrity after his statements.
2. HHS's asst coach has less integrity than the head coach. Why would he want to represent this player who clearly did wrong? Oh yea, he also wants to win the "national title".
3. He was not ejected for the bump so let's forget about that for a minute. He received 2 T's and was ejected. IMO, both were warrented although it would have been way way better if one of the other officials had participated.
4. Seems like a teammate or 2 would have gotten ahold of OJ and kept him away from the second.
5. OJ is now officially bigger than the game.
6. As Dan said earlier...of course a WV judge would allow him to play. Let another state judge make this decision and I bet it wouldn't turn out the same.
7. This Judge is now officially bigger than the game.
8. The fall didn't seem to match the bump. I'd probably no-call that contact.
9. IMO, the officials should not give up the game. If that's going to happen, the entire association needs to stand united on that decision.
10. What's up with the news reporter carrying on about a WWF match? Sounds like he's one of the HHS homers from that blog site.
11. Those folks on the blog are obviously fans who watch with their hearts and not their eyes/minds.
12. It's funny how when interviewed, OJ almost became the victum for not getting to represent WV. That's all he ever wanted to do.
13. What about any other player or coach that gets 2 T's in the future? Are they going to have to add another play in the casebook to help us understand how to handle this in the future? I would hate to eject a kid for 2 T's and he's really supposed to keep playing..!!??

That's all I've got to say for now. If I have more later, I'll report back. Stay tuned.

[Back In The Saddle]

I think it's truly sad that the courts chose to issue the TROs instead of simply dismissing the case. There are some places where the courts simply don't belong, and they need to have the wisdom to stay out of those areas.

As for the asst. coach, why are we piling on him? He's doing what any lawyer does, representing his client. He shouldn't be disinterested. If I retained a lawyer and found him to be disinterested, I would find a new one. If I'm going to court, I want somebody who truly is on my side.

That's not to say I think the coaching staff has any integrity at all. But I think piling on about his role as a lawyer is baseless.

[Ignats75]

HHS's asst coach has less integrity than the head coach

He's an attorney. You want him to have integrity?

[cmathews]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

I think it's truly sad that the courts chose to issue the TROs instead of simply dismissing the case. There are some places where the courts simply don't belong, and they need to have the wisdom to stay out of those areas.

As for the asst. coach, why are we piling on him? He's doing what any lawyer does, representing his client. He shouldn't be disinterested. If I retained a lawyer and found him to be disinterested, I would find a new one. If I'm going to court, I want somebody who truly is on my side.

That's not to say I think the coaching staff has any integrity at all. But I think piling on about his role as a lawyer is baseless.

BITS,
While I don't condone "piling" on...I don't think this guy should represent Mayo in this situation. He clearly has a conflict of interest as the outcome of the case directly affects him, with that in mind he can't present clearly all the options and advise which may be the best option.

[SmokeEater]

Originally Posted by cmathews

BITS,
While I don't condone "piling" on...I don't think this guy should represent Mayo in this situation. He clearly has a conflict of interest as the outcome of the case directly affects him, with that in mind he can't present clearly all the options and advise which may be the best option.

I also don't condone the "piling on". This guy has a job to do and it is not to represent the best option overall, its to represent the best option for his client. Therefore BITS has it nailed.

[FrankHtown]

Ok, not being an attorney, but having to live through the hell of a daughter just graduating law school, the assistant coach should know better. He has an inherent conflict of interest. He, as a coach, has two clients: the school and now the player. The best interests of one do not necessarily match the best interests of the other. He should either resign as coach, or advise JO to get his own attorney.

[jmaellis]

Originally Posted by FrankHtown

Ok, not being an attorney, but having to live through the hell of a daughter just graduating law school, the assistant coach should know better. He has an inherent conflict of interest. He, as a coach, has two clients: the school and now the player. The best interests of one do not necessarily match the best interests of the other. He should either resign as coach, or advise JO to get his own attorney.

The interests of the coach/lawyer, school and player/client are the same; they all are seeking the same resolution .. that Mayo play, there is no "conflict".

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by jmaellis

The interests of the coach/lawyer, school and player/client are the same; they all are seeking the same resolution .. that Mayo play, there is no "conflict".

This is only true if you assume the school administration is as ethically challenged as the coach appears to be.

[jmaellis]

Originally Posted by Dakota

This is only true if you assume the school administration is as ethically challenged as the coach appears to be.

Is there any doubt.

[craiglaw]

The interests of the coach/lawyer, school and player/client are the same; they all are seeking the same resolution .. that Mayo play, there is no "conflict".

Not true. If an attorney has an interest in the matter then there is a conflict. Being on the same side as the client is does not mean there is no conflict. The only way the attorney can proceed to represent a party in this situation is for all client/parties (player/coach/school) to waive the conflict. As soon as there is a conflict between any two of the client/parties, the coach/attorney will need to withdraw.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

So, anyone see the game LAST night, against the team from California?

[Dakota]

I didn't see it, but read news reports on the game. Mayo fouled out with the result still in doubt, but HHS won anyway.