goathead, (11/1/2009 7:38:55 AM)

Society at its best. Blame others for your mistakes. The grass is greener on the other side. The Alberts have been at BK for generations but it wasn't at good fit for JA?

Say I work for a certain school district in Arkansas. I could tell any athlete out there that they are accepted into our district. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY HAVE BEEN!

I agree that Jimmerson and Johnson are at fault....they know the rules. However, come on here. Mr. A is trying to say they didn't know it would be a violation for their son to practice at BTW while still enrolled at BK. Until you officially withdrawal from a school, you are enrolled there. Isn't that basically common sense?

Blame game at its best!

I feel bad for the kid, I wonder if Jimmerson or Johnson have apologized to him or the family?

zzx375, BA (11/1/2009 8:07:04 AM)

How does one deal with athletic eligibility and compliance? To whom should one talk?

How about calling your local NCAA D1 institution's Chief Compliance officer to get some handle on how things in that venue are handled?

Very stringent rules there, including the athlete doesn't get near a field or a team bus unless the institution can produce every single legitimate piece of documentation showing eligibility.

BTW, the Chief Compliace officer typically has no connection with the Athletic Department. The separation of duties and influence is quite thorough.

Steff M, Claremore (11/1/2009 8:07:39 AM)

That pretty much covers it. Hard to believe Jimmerson didn't know he had to be enrolled to participate in the spring, and the principal was involved in the situation by using the "principal's discretion" thing, but he didn't know either? Seems like a pretty basic thing to know about.

Quality, Tulsa (11/1/2009 8:11:29 AM)

Mr. Albert in response to your interview to the TulsaWorld. On September 14, 2009 when the JV played East Central YOUR WIFE, The MOTHER of JORDY walked up an introduced herself to myself and another JV Parent the following is the exact conversation: Hi I'm Jordy's mother you know the parent of Jordy the one that everyone thinks Coach Jimmerson recruited however he wasn't. Now why would you introducd yourself this way? Is my question I really found that odd. Additionally your WIFE had this same conversation while working the concession stand at a VARSITY home game with the same parent that was standing with me at the EC game.And even in the report released by TPS states the issue about the Hardship acceptance. Thata states being unhappy was not grounds for a Hardship transfer. You were not only told this once but twice. Yes the coaches may have made a error HOWEVER so DID YOU as a PARENT!!! Accept responsibility for your actions. Stop passing blame you say we need to move forward however how can you move forward when you feel that a person is lying. Not only has this situation affected Jordy but all of the HORNET football team!


And Goathead thinks the coaches need to apologize to Jordy and his parents! I can tell you as a parent of a football player the coaches have apologized to the whole team not just Jordy. Mistakes have been made and WE all should learn a lesson not as a parent but society: Sports are important but we all need to play by the rules and place the weight of this mistake at the foot of the football coach but as a parent accept your responsibility for this mess..
Jordy hang in there!! And to the other football players and student body remember the adult lesson that is being taught: if not sure investigate fully and don't think your the acception to the rules. HORNET PRIDE runs deep.

SC, (11/1/2009 8:33:53 AM)

Arrogance, dishonesty, ignorance, and stupidity, what a great leadership team. I'd like to see the grade transcripts of the next principal and athletic directors-I don't see how these guys can keep their jobs when they have been caught lying so publicly and so badly.

billsmith, (11/1/2009 8:39:04 AM)

Not everyone is being held accountable here. It seems to me that Stphanie Spring is like the stool piegon copping a plea deal here. She needs to be held accountable also. To say she doesn't want it to seem like she questions the honesty of the principals on every situation is in the very least a weak attempt at a cop out. Stephanie, stand up and be a man, er, a woman and admit where you screwed up and beg for forgiveness and quit putting every thing on the people at the lower level.

goathead, (11/1/2009 8:39:43 AM)

That is good that they apologized, if they did indeed.

SC brings up a good point...arrogance. However, I don't believe the coaches and the prinicpal were the only arrogant ones here...I believe the Alberts were part of the arrogance. They don't believe they did anything wrong. Should have taught a lesson about "hanging in there" when you aren't in the best situation. The other 3 Albert kids went to BK, but it wasn't a good fit for Jordy. Sounds to me like Jordy had the problem, not BK.

LASTLY, WHY IN THE WORLD ARE THE PARENTS SO UPSET ABOUT THIS....YOU WANTED YOUR KID TO GO TO btw FOR THE IB PROGRAM, NOT TO PLAY FOOTBALL, REMEMBER?

Ordinary Joe, (11/1/2009 8:39:59 AM)

Let's end all of this now. OSSAA needs a rule change. Just like the NCAA if you transfer from one school to another you lose a year of eligibilty. Physically moving from one school district to another just because one has a better team than where you currently reside is ridciulous. Living in one school district and renting an apartment in another just so you kid can meet residency requirements should be a clear violation. I don't want my son, who has lived in the distict and played sports in that district all of his life, to be punished because someone else decided to disregard the rules. I don't feel the least bit sorry for any of the people in this story. Because nobody is that dumb and uninformed.

Eastside Rules, (11/1/2009 8:58:56 AM)

Agee O Joe, the solution is so simple, you transfer you sit for 1 year. Except I would limit it to transfers within 30 miles.

40something, (11/1/2009 9:00:42 AM)

What I want to know is how Principal Johnson can possibly be carrying on with the duties of his job with clouds of dumbness and dishonesty floating over his head. How can he look students and faculty in the face? When my child was in school there, BTW had an excellent principal who was an organized and effective leader. She was sensitive to the history and cultural diversity of BTW. One of her many accomplishments was orchestrating the move from the old building to the new building, a formidable task. She faced constant disapproval from many parents because she happened to be white. I now shudder when I think of the chaos that would have ensued if Johnson had been in charge of a task of this magnitude. He's got to go. Now.

KansasSooner, Prefer the country (11/1/2009 9:13:28 AM)

I'm not implying schools and their admins aren't to blame but it certainly appears to me that the OSSAA is partially at fault in all of these recent issues too. Is nobody standing up to challenge the OSSAA in any way? I would think the Albert's have some grounds for such a challenge.

Since the Danny Rennel's problems occurred, the OSSAA seems to have morphed into that asinine "National Communists Against Athletes" organization in a lot of ways.

bjorn2run, (11/1/2009 9:43:24 AM)

Administrators suspended for the 'rest of the year'? Who gets to decide if they ever get to continue at BTW? What if they aren't wanted back? Who gets to decide that? What if they are wanted out before the end of the year?

Popeye, T-Town (11/1/2009 9:43:27 AM)

I think things have been a little loosey goosey in more districts than the Tulsa Public Schools. Having said that, 40something is right on target. Booker T's claim to fame has been in being the exceptional school.

Once Johnson got involved with the athletic department, deeply involved apparently, he more than any other should have had a firm grasp on the rules. There's no excuse for this having happened, particularly at Booker T. Washington.

bruinsooner, (11/1/2009 9:50:10 AM)

I don't understand all the fuss about this article. The child and his parents are getting exactly what they wanted from Booker T. Washington High School: studyying in the renowned International Baccalaureate Program.

Average Consumer, Jenks (11/1/2009 9:53:50 AM)

Those in authority at the OSSAA should be snatched baldheaded. Oklahoma high school athletics is pleading for more ACTIVE structure, ACTIVE organization and ACTIVE oversight. The dreams of Oklahoma kids who want to play sports at the college level are at risk because those with the authority to squash those dreams are REACTIVE rather than PROACTIVE. In all these violation cases the OSSAA is shutting the gate after the horses are long gone. Woop-ti-frickin-do!!!!
In this article, every single adult (except the agenda-riddled principal) from the parent to the coach to the head of the OSSAA, essentially said “I’ll take your word for it.” Sounds honorable, but it’s worth nothing.
High school sports in Oklahoma IS important and we should be treating it with importance. We need to stop saying “It’s just high school (fill in the sport).” As much as we’d like to, we can’t place the burden of compliance on the high schools and then “take their word for it.” IT’S NOT WORKING.
OSSAA, you are the common thread. Get off your passive butts and take some ownership to protect our Oklahoma high school athletes!!!!!!!

ftbllmom, (11/1/2009 10:36:48 AM)

Mr Albert you are not a victim, sir. You were just as capable of looking into the transfer guidelines for your student athlete as anyone else. It is unfortunate for your son & mine that you did not take the time. You should take responsilblity for your part in this & quit trying to place the blame on others. Mistakes were made & we are all paying the price. You could use a lesson on Hornet Pride.

Pirate Brad, Sperry (11/1/2009 10:53:08 AM)

A.C. nice post.
The OSSAA is by no means helping this situation of late. Their approach to fix problems years after they exist is an outrage.

It amazes me that to this day we still have people that believe you cannot be a good student and a good athlete at the same time and Players/Students must be made to make a choice between the two. Geez people if a player can play let them do what they need to do to get the most out of it. If a student is good at academics no one wants to hold them back as they shouldn't, but heaven help us if he is a good athlete.

funuche, (11/1/2009 10:53:46 AM)

What about this it is obvious BTW Cheated no doubt about it. The facts are there whether you want to believe them or not. The new question is did BTW also cheat on their adm and screw Bixby and Shawnee and put them in 6a or did TPS do the same? DR Spring was involved in this whole thing she knew about it and if she did not she needs to fired for not doing her job when they told her "it would be taken care of" SHOULD BTW BE IN 6a NEXT AND WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF TPS DID THEY CHEAT ON NUMBERS?

SoonerRob, (11/1/2009 11:44:43 AM)

The Albert's are spinning this one, but lets look at some of the facts:

1. Jordy applied to BTW in May even though the deadline was in January. Surely everyone can see that preferential treatment was given to an athlete, which equates to recruiting under the OSSAA rules.

2. Mr. Albert claims that it was known to everyone that Jordy was not returning to BK even though they did not withdraw until August. However, I heard Jordy himself say that if he did not get the hardship to be able to play at BTW that he may return to BK.

3. The Albert's were denied a hardship transfer and had to change the reason for the request before the OSSAA approved a "hardship". Read between the lines on this one people ...... The Alberts threatened the OSSAA and the OSSAA helped them come up with a basis for the hardship!

4. As many have said, the reason Jordy transferred was for the IB program. If so, why is the family so unhappy. They got exactly what they wanted and the transfer wasn't for athletics, so why all the fussing?

It does not take a genius to figure out that what BTW and the Alberts did was try to flaunt/bend the rules to benefit the team and Jordy. I know that Jordy is a great kid as I am sure the BTW football players are as well. While the adults are the problem here, the kids were intended to benefit from the recruiting of a kid that could help the team and help highlight a talented player for college recruiters. The kids should suffer for playing an ineligble player, but the adults should suffer the most. I believe that Mr. Johnson should be fired!

GoFigure, (11/1/2009 2:11:13 PM)

Here we go again, another group of kids will suffer and not get to defend their state title from last year that had nothing to do with this fiasco. All the hard work they have put into the season along with their hopes and dreams are gone and no one seems to care about that! If this OSSAA, would have been doing their jobs properly down through the years and policing this thing yearly, we wouldn't have these violations. Overhaul this OSSAA and move forward for the kids!!!.

d van, Tulsa (11/1/2009 2:13:05 PM)

The reason Johnson & Jimmerson are protected from full repercussions is simple:

They can pull the "race card".

They'll threaten to get North Tulsans all riled up and threatening NAACP lawsuits.

Remember the years of John Thompson & his minion, Laverne Wimberly? They set the community back several years, and the school board became MORE hesitant to hire black candidates as a result.

Bad leaders are bad for the community and especially the kids.

TPS is doing a disservice to North Tulsans by tolerating these guys!

The most subtle form of racism is "low expectations".

There are plenty of great principals & coaches of any ethnic heritage, who can lead this institution better than what these guys have demonstrated.

GoFigure, (11/1/2009 2:15:30 PM)

Who appoints these OSSAA people and who in heaven's name do THEY report to?????? NOBODY???

Fire The Politicians, (11/1/2009 3:50:42 PM)

d van: Can, will and have played the "race card" already. What some don't seem to understand is that it was not "the man" who caused BTW to forfeit the games, it was Johnson. If Johnson had followed simple rules, then BTW would be in the playoffs and defending their crown. Instead, he cheated, lied and bullied and now he has cost the Hornets the chance to repeat. Wait til the report comes out about how many students played although they were academically ineligible.

The irony of all this is that Johnson is in D.C. to receive the "Blue Ribbon" School Award for BTW. Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement to high levels.

If he had a shred of decency, he would ask to be reassigned and ask Ballard to appoint someone to take his place.

Fire The Politicians, (11/1/2009 3:54:25 PM)

Oh, and now Johnson is on Facebook "friending" hundreds of kids at Booker T. Why all of a sudden is he doing this? How transparently phony can you be?

d van, Tulsa (11/1/2009 4:29:40 PM)

I think that Booker T parents hold the cards right NOW. If they do and say nothing, then he'll likely stay. If they call, and write the school board members, there will be some accountability.