Signal Mountain to appeal

[Rabble Rouser]

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/11/signal-mountain-will-appeal-tssaa-decision/

[barb]

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/11/signal-mountain-will-appeal-tssaa-decision/

and they could be negligible

[Omniscience]

Dont think the way to go is to accuse others in the state of the same thing.

 

If the TSSAA maintains that board approved hardships do not establish "territory" then there are numerous student athletes in Hamilton County and across Tennessee whose eligibility may be questionable.

[likearock]

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/11/signal-mountain-will-appeal-tssaa-decision/

Looks like SM wants to point a lot of fingers and head down a very slippery slope. They may very well incure more investigation into their school and put their past successes under a scrutiny. Expect that would not turn out well for them.

 

They might also consider hiding all the pics of their star middle linebacker

Put some coke bottle glasses on him or something...Work that hardship line.

[tomsignal]

I live on Signal, and if anything out of this entire situation, I feel for these kids. They put in the time, the hard work and did what their coaches asked them to do. I think if anything, people on the Mountain are embarrassed, but mostly sad for the kids if they dont get their chance to make it to the playoffs. I hope the FULL truth comes out, and if there were "misunderstandings" the proper people be held in check.

[likearock]

I live on Signal, and if anything out of this entire situation, I feel for these kids. They put in the time, the hard work and did what their coaches asked them to do. I think if anything, people on the Mountain are embarrassed, but mostly sad for the kids if they dont get their chance to make it to the playoffs. I hope the FULL truth comes out, and if there were "misunderstandings" the proper people be held in check.

Thats just it! There is NO issue with the players that live on the mountain. Every time the coach brings in a ringer, a kid that lives on the mountain sits on the bench.

[barb]

It isn't a matter of whether a hardship transfer puts the child in a schools territory as it does not. It merely gives the child permission to enroll in a school outside the zone in which he resides. Kids enroll in schools outside their zone all the time for various reasons and all abide by the same rules . I can't say whether or not TSSAA would have approved a hardship eligibility transfer or not. I guess it would have depended on the nature of the hardship, It was the failure to disclose the hardship transfer that is at issue. Mistake or not, it does give the appearance of deception and is clearly a violation of protocol. SM fans should stop looking for someone else to blame. It isn't the fault of a disgruntled parent, district adversary, or a vindictive TSSAA that put SM in this position but the inability of the SM staff to be thorough and complete with in it's obligation to this student and the TSSAA.

[Chattcity]

I gotta believe that the decision to appeal means that SM is very confidant that this was indeed an isolated error and there aren't other skeletons in the closet. If SM wasn't satisfied this was a one time mistake, the decision to appeal would be a bigger blunder than the original error, and I just don't believe they would run that risk.

[TheLivingLegend]

This conversation immediately caught the attention of a legend like myself. It is very disappointing to hear of Signal's bad deeds. Signal's living legend coach has gotten the trouble into some very hot water. I have graced you people with my presence on more than one occasion and each time you have told me that all of these young lads were legal and were residents of Signal Mountain. It is very disappointing to find out that these young lads in this program have slipped into the program from the back door. Hopefully these young lads will get everything straight and will be able to move forward in their quest for vindication and justice.

[GvilleDevilsFan]

How does the appeal process work? Is there a completely different board to hear the appeal, or will it just be the same people who made the initial ruling?

[CoachT]

The appeal will be ruled upon by the TSSAA. This is not like the legal system where you appeal and it goes to a higher court with different individuals who might have a different opinion or interpretation of the facts. Unless there are facts that are presented in the appeal that weren't in the original investigation I don't see how the ruling will be any different.

 

I do think that Signal may have had a good argument about the last two games they forfeited being overruled since they would/could have held the player in question out of those games if they had been informed that the TSSAA was investigating.

[barb]

I gotta believe that the decision to appeal means that SM is very confidant that this was indeed an isolated error and there aren't other skeletons in the closet. If SM wasn't satisfied this was a one time mistake, the decision to appeal would be a bigger blunder than the original error, and I just don't believe they would run that risk.

I really don't believe they will win an appeal with the mistake argument anyway. Schools approve ooz enrollment all the time and it is a procedure that is well documented in the by-laws. A hardship transfer is just another way to enroll an ooz student... It does not change the zone that the student resides in. SM should have disclosed the status of this kid and filed a hardship waiver with TSSAA. If there was indeed a legitimate hardship, TSSAA would have likely approved it.