If thats all you're saying then why did you say that...STOP LIVING IN THE PAST

 

Highlands just graduated one of the greatest classes ever in NKY. My friend, i am afraid you may be living in the past for years to come....:walk:

 

Oh my friend you are in for a rude awakening if you think the dynasty is over in Ft. Thomas. While they probably graduated the best class in a long long time they reload and they have numerous solid athletes coming back. They are a machine.

 

20n10 right Sweeperboy.

[/b]

 

Absolutely hilarious. The only people that will hang onto this and use this as a throwing stone is the Haters. I dont think anybody associated with this in Ft Thomas loses much sleep over this or worries what the rest of the State thinks of Highlands concerning this soap opera. They pretty much do their talking on the field every yr. Wasnt that like 4 State Championships ago? You should know this by now. :lol: 20n10

 

Once again it's Highlands vs Haters !!! :taz:

There have been a few posts alluding to academic problems. Lets be clear here and I say this in defense of Mike and his family. While he wasn't on the honor roll he was a solid student. I don't want someone who is reading from afar to think this is one of those "dumb jock" situations. Like a lot of kids, Mike was an average student and I say that in the literal sense.

 

Truth.

Oh my friend you are in for a rude awakening if you think the dynasty is over in Ft. Thomas. While they probably graduated the best class in a long long time they reload and they have numerous solid athletes coming back. They are a machine.

 

20n10 right Sweeperboy.

 

You are full of yourself if you think they have the ability to produce a class like last years every season. Wait you are an avid Highlands fan so that answers itself. But I forsee many a bluebird fan trying to draw a comparison between last years team and teams to come. Good luck with that. And BTW, I expect the Blue Colonels to close the gap slightly from last season. Good luck in your 20umm10 campaign.

You are full of yourself if you think they have the ability to produce a class like last years every season. Wait you are an avid Highlands fan so that answers itself. But I forsee many a bluebird fan trying to draw a comparison between last years team and teams to come. Good luck with that. And BTW, I expect the Blue Colonels to close the gap slightly from last season. Good luck in your 20umm10 campaign.

 

That's good!!!!:thumb: Can't wait...

Oh gosh dang it....I told myself I wouldn't post in this thread. I honestly think the thread title is a little misleading. Is it really Highlands challenging the ruling or could it be someone else relighting the fire knowing they have a case or nothing else better to do...... I guess they think it is principal that they are in the right here and would rather fight this thing to the end. Good luck!!!!

 

Since Sweep hasn't patented it yet....................20n10!!!

I would definately do it exactly the same way. Highlands did everything they were allowed to do. Played him when he was allowed and sat him when he wasn't. I think it would have been awful if the school had sat him the entire season only to later have the courts rule that he was eligable. That would have been tough for me to live with.

 

I don't consider Highlands resume tainted because of this situation at all. There is way too much history at Highlands that far overshadows this one incident.

 

I am not a Highlands hater by any stretch. I have nothing but admiration for the Bluebirds program and as I stated earlier in the thread, I believe Highlands should get their 12 wins back because of the subsequent change in the KHSAA rules. However, it is a fact that this incident has tainted Highlands history. The record books show it. That is why Ft. Thomas wants the record changed.

 

As to not changing anything, I think I would do it differently if I were Highlands or any other program facing similar circumstances. I would tell the student up front that if the KHSAA rules him ineligible, we will not play him unless FORCED to play him by a higher authority. As long as the KHSAA considers him ineligible, we will not play him and put the efforts of the team, program and 60 other players in jeopardy. That gives the student and his family a clear uinderstanding of what to expect and they can then make a decision on what is best.

Highlands could have refused to play Mitchell and therefore not give him a chance to play while recieveing a free education from Ohio University. They could have also refused to play Mike Mitchell and refused him the opportunity to make Millions of dollars by playing football for the Oakland Raiders.

 

Or they could play him when the courts said they could play him and not play him when the courts said he couldn't play.

 

People forget to ask, What was best for Mike Mitchell?

 

Yeah...that was the thought process at the time. What happened that year was that a group of friends wanted to play together at the best program in the state, where they would have the best opportunity for a scholarship. They played, 2 got scholarships, and they won a state championship. Mission accomplished. Highlands knew that he was ineligible, were granted an injunction, therefore going over the head of the KHSAA. Once the injunction terminated, they had to face the punishment of the KHSAA. Pretty cut and dry. As far as I can tell, Mueller served his suspension and Highlands got to keep its title. Let it die. Highlands rolled the dice and lost, yet still won.

From the above link:

 

Mitchell said he didn’t want to be interviewed about the subject, but did add, “It was a high school situation. It’s over with. I’ve moved past that. Whatever Highlands and anyone else wants to do with it, that’s up to them.”

 

I would conclude after seeing Mitchell's statement that his family did not pursue this lawsuit. So whose lawsuit was it, the Mitchell's or Highlands?:confused:

It was my understanding after an email response to me by the Commissioner that the Appellate Court ruled....on Monday following the Bell game and prior to the weekend championship game....Mitchell ineligible and could not play. The timing was always suspect by the Bobcat faithful....it secured a win at the semi level and putting Highlands in the Championship game....which they could probably...and would win...without Mitchell. I know there are those on here who have said that someone would have stepped up in his place...but he was a special player as his NFL credentials note. His theft from the Bell running back at the end of the game....ran back for a touchdown was an unbelievable play for a high school player. Followed by his last minute score to pull out the victory. Mitchell does not play...Bell wins on the field. Too bad this whole situation happened. I have since watched as several Southeastern Kentucky kids have tried to move in much the same manner....but were denied eligibility.

 

You can't say that. Nobody knows what would have happened if he didn't play. He didn't play the next week, and they didn't have a problem.

Yeah...that was the thought process at the time. What happened that year was that a group of friends wanted to play together at the best program in the state, where they would have the best opportunity for a scholarship. They played, 2 got scholarships, and they won a state championship. Mission accomplished. Highlands knew that he was ineligible, were granted an injunction, therefore going over the head of the KHSAA. Once the injunction terminated, they had to face the punishment of the KHSAA. Pretty cut and dry. As far as I can tell, Mueller served his suspension and Highlands got to keep its title. Let it die. Highlands rolled the dice and lost, yet still won.

 

:thumb:

Not addressing Mitchell's case, but generally when a family offers evidence of a plausible reason for a change in residence, the KHSAA cannot simply ignore it. If it establishes in the record some evidence that rebuts the evidence submitted by the family, it can fairly choose to believe the rebuttal evidence. The KHSAA isn't some country club ran by the schools willy nilly and however the majority of the schools want it to be ran. It is an agency of the State of Kentucky, controlled by the State Board of Education and governed by the General Assembly through the General Assembly's right to approve the KHSAA's rules and regulations. Even if 100% of the schools voted to have a no exception rule that said transfers had to sit out one year and no exceptions were permitted, that rule would not become effective unless the State Board and the General Assembly agreed with it. The State Board and ultimately the General Assembly govern and "own" the KHSAA; not the schools, a point that is often lost on school officials. The KHSAA has to comply with the Ky Constitution, State statutes and its own procedures and laws. It cannot act arbitrarily or capriciously. Which means it has to make its decisions based on the facts and evidence in the record. If there is no e mail disclosing athletic intent; if there is no letter establishing athletic intent; if there is no affidavit or testimony establishing athletic intent; if there is nothing in the record at all supporting the contention that the move was made for athletic reasons, but there is evidence giving a plausible reason for the change of residence and evidence that there was an actual change of residence, then the KHSAA cannot simply disregard such evidence based on the feelings of the KHSAA.

 

I don't know, so I am asking seriously, is the burden on the KHSAA to prove that the move isn't athletically motivated, or is it on the studet-athlete? What you stated above looks very clean cut, however, I'm thinking that the Mitchell case was somewhere in the gray area.

Yeah...that was the thought process at the time. What happened that year was that a group of friends wanted to play together at the best program in the state, where they would have the best opportunity for a scholarship. They played, 2 got scholarships, and they won a state championship. Mission accomplished. Highlands knew that he was ineligible, were granted an injunction, therefore going over the head of the KHSAA. Once the injunction terminated, they had to face the punishment of the KHSAA. Pretty cut and dry. As far as I can tell, Mueller served his suspension and Highlands got to keep its title. Let it die. Highlands rolled the dice and lost, yet still won.

 

 

You forgot the main point of this arguement. The Mitchells won the court case!!! Highlands did not roll the dice. They played Mike when he was eligible and didn't play him when he was ruled ineligible. In the end the Mitchells won the case and he would have been eligible the whole time.

I am not a Highlands hater by any stretch. I have nothing but admiration for the Bluebirds program and as I stated earlier in the thread, I believe Highlands should get their 12 wins back because of the subsequent change in the KHSAA rules. However, it is a fact that this incident has tainted Highlands history. The record books show it. That is why Ft. Thomas wants the record changed.

 

As to not changing anything, I think I would do it differently if I were Highlands or any other program facing similar circumstances. I would tell the student up front that if the KHSAA rules him ineligible, we will not play him unless FORCED to play him by a higher authority. As long as the KHSAA considers him ineligible, we will not play him and put the efforts of the team, program and 60 other players in jeopardy. That gives the student and his family a clear uinderstanding of what to expect and they can then make a decision on what is best.

 

I don't agree w/ that. Just b/c a rule has been changed after an incident, does not mean that you should have your punishment lifted. The rule was broken at the time that the rule was in place. On the other hand, Highlands should feel somewhat vindicated already. Due to the mismangament of the appeals process, the KHSAA had to change its rules regarding penalizing teams for playing players in similar situations. What this seems like is the desire for a formal apology.

playing under an injunction during

You forgot the main point of this arguement. The Mitchells won the court case!!! Highlands did not roll the dice. They played Mike when he was eligible and didn't play him when he was ruled ineligible. In the end the Mitchells won the case and he would have been eligible the whole time.

 

No, they were granted an injunction pending the appeal hearing.