Comments on: CBB Column: Nicholls State Forfeits a Game?

By: reallybz2003

reallybz2003 — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:56:52 +0000

I am a Nicholls fan too. It seems the ruling supports the Nicholls coaching viewpoint also. So Cliff, Nicholls fans say, “suck it!”

By: annsba1

annsba1 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 01:09:15 +0000

I am a Nicholls State fan and I’m not embarrassed by any of this. The NCAA ruled it a cancelled game. But if it makes you feel better, go on and beat this to death.

By: clifford

clifford — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:26:08 +0000

I think a quick phone call to the head of Sunday’s officiating crew would clear up that “misunderstanding” in a heartbeat. Since when can you walk off the field and decide not to play a game? This is a major college sport, not kickball. Somebody is lying, and I’m willing to bet it’s not an SEC athletic director. He would not put his cajones on the line unless he knew for sure he was correct.

Bedgood is correct, though, Brian. There’s some backstory to this. Apparently Nicholls State’s masonic temple league doesn’t have things called “fans”. And if they do, apparently theirs just sit on their hands and read the paper. Bulldog fans talk. A lot. And most of it isn’t nice. Boo freaking hoo. Coach Durham ran out of adult diapers and got his last one mighty twisted during one inning…awwwww. Why in hades did you schedule an SEC school if you can’t take some friendly diatribes during the game? Cry me a river folks.

If I were a Nicholls State player or fan, I’d be embarrassed. Walking off the field, taking your ball, and going home…what a way to represent your school.

By: Brian Foley

Brian Foley — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:42:38 +0000

The NCAA ruled on this and called it a cancellation after looking over the situation.

Clarion-Ledger writer Kyle Veazey has been following this story in depth and you can check out his thoughts about this situation at the link below.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=eb82825636764f4aa16cbf6162c5177d&plckPersonaPage=PersonaBlog&plckUserId=eb82825636764f4aa16cbf6162c5177d

By: Adam Foster

Adam Foster — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:09:41 +0000

What’s the NCAA rule for this kind of situation?

By: bedgood

bedgood — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:18:54 +0000

I was at the games on Saturday, and there is much more to this game than snow on the infield. Officially Nichols State got to the stadium at 11:00 am and the tarp was still on the filed, and State left it on because ice was still solid. The refs were stationed out of Birmingham and could not get to the stadium as early as they were scheduled due to ice on bridges. Well Nicholls State decided to leave town at 11 am, 2 and half hours before game time. The rules state that a official has to deem the playing surface unplayable, which in the absence of an umpiring crew, falls on the Mississippi State grounds crew head, whatever his title is. He deemed it playable, which I have been to many baseball games at State, and with the underground pumps at the stadium, it probably was playable, I believe a degreed/certified landscape head over a baseball coach any day. But the Nicholls coach is saying that they didn’t want to risk injury. BS. I have seen their stadium also, I know high school fields better than that.

But to the real reason, in Saturdays first game, the Nicholls skipper came out of the dugout between innings and got in the face of State’s first base coach, saying that he was heckling the Nicholl’s batters as they were in the box. Well that went on for a while and it almost got ugly. The look in the other State baseball coach’s, minus Cohen, could have killed. They were not happy. Nicholl’s was on the road at a SEC program where the fans heckle, how could he tell who was heckling?? Has Nicholl’s ever played at LSU? Nicholl’s is a bunch of cry babies. They wanted to leave town. The coaches took photos of the field and forwarded it to the NCAA and somebody else deemed it unplayable based on photos.

By: formerlyanonymous

formerlyanonymous — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:44:38 +0000

I think it’s officially up to the home team on if the game is played. If the visiting Nicholls team decides it doesn’t want to play, it forfeits. That’s my understanding of the rules. Even if that’s not correct, it would be the umpires to call it, right?

By: bignick33

bignick33 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:57:18 +0000

What’s Miss State’s logic behind claim that it should be a forfeit? Are they saying that Nicholls State failed to provide umpires?

By: Brian Foley

Brian Foley — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:07:56 +0000

I believe this game should be considered a cancellation.