MIAA rules on Mansfield

Maybe Everett football and Newburyport girls soccer will be next....

The MIAA has far too much power in this state. With all the rules and restrictions they have its surprising more incidents like this don't happen. Other states get by without this type of Nazi operation, and don't have major problems why can't Massachusetts? I also think the MIAA is money hungry.

Where are all the pom pom wavers who were in here blasting the MIAA for being unfair? Are you happy your team got to the Super Bowl because you dragged it out with an appeal? Why exactly did you appeal when the coach admitted the error? He reported that he used an ineligible 5th year student in two games. By rule, those games must be forfeited. That is exactly what happened today. There was zero grounds for appeal.

Nice example you set for the kids of your school. Thanks for denying another school that earned a SB bid the chance to go and actually play in it.

Oh please... it's high school football for God's sake! Just let the kids play and end this ridiculous bureaucratic nonsense. From what I heard the coach was just trying to get the kid a few minutes on the field in blow-out win games... for which he should be commended not punished!

wow, the MIAA is really comprised of a bunch of tools that have nothing better to do with their lives than treat high school football as if it were the NFL. Have fun reliving your high school glory days board members

Can't help but think the MIAA missed the boat with this ruling...

what a joke...This ruling is a day late and a dollar short. as a Mansfield resident, I think it is unfair.
It is also unfair the North Attleboro as well. They are the Hock champs but had no chance to play in the Superbowl;

Hey, MIAA, How do you think those Seniors feel?

Shame on the MIAA for being too beauracratic...
Someone should suspen them 5 games...

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I agree with this ruling. MHS broke the rules no if and or buts about it. Why did they even dress the player for those two games anyway? I am in now way criticizing Sharon High or Oliver Ames, but they both struggled this year, while MHs had a great year. There was no need for this, if anything MHs's younger players should have played in these two games as practice for next year.

MIAA is a BIG joke!!!!! Typical of a bunch of wannabe doogooders who know a little about something and think they can bully their beliefs upon others. SHOULD BE ABOLISHED!!!!!!

Suddenly Redding doesn't seem like such an evil coach, does he?

A fifth year player that played in ONLY 2 games must have made a huge diferrence in the outcome of the 2 blow out wins.
Let the kids play a game, and not bring sports into the courtrooms.

Maybe bring in Phil Spectrum in on the findings....

Maybe they can look into Al Frankens taxes and Charlie Rangles living arrangement too. And maybe why Hillary clinton can get away with steering big government contracts to people who donate to her husbands foundation, but Bill Richardson cant get away with it.

Overkill by MIAA, again. Why should all other MHS sports suffer because of football coach/admin missteps. Mansfield's mistakes seem saintly compared to what was going on at the other school during the same time period.....MIAA needs a sense of reality, or at least perspective.

Oh well.. to late now... feel bad for N. Attleboro.. they should've replaced Mansfield... Justice is blind..

I'll take the Mansfield coach over the Walpole coach any day!

THEY STILL PLAYED THE GAMES. WHY DON'T THEY HAVE THEM FORFEIT THE OLIVER EAMES AND SHARONS GAMES FOR NEXT YEAR !!!

This is absolute bogus! Coach Redding is one of the finest coaches in the state of massachusetts. They have not clearly defined what his "continued disreguard for the miaa rules" have been. One instance is not continued. Sharon and Oliver Ames should not even be considered football teams because they are massacured and do not know how to run and pass. They are a joke to the hockomock and should not be declared the winner and these games. Mansfield is one of the best teams in the state. What the Miaa needs to focus on is that child raping AD from Walpole. Shouldnt that be a concern of theirs. How could you let that slip. Go ahead screw the hornets because they always win!

On probation for one year. So does this mean none of Mansfield's teams can win a championship next year? If so, a little over the top, especially if published reports are true that the coach just wanted to give a good kid some mop up time appearance in a couple of games as he was in his senior year. Rules are rules, yes, but they should be applied with a dose of reasonableness as well. But, I don't know all the facts, and the letter from the MIAA doesn't really specify exactly what the Coach did to justify their position of his "continued disregard for MIAA rules..."

Hey Northman - your suggestion doesn't surprise me, that's the only way North would have a chance to "win" the Hock two years in a row. Enjoy your win by default - in Mansfield's hearts we know that 2008 was the 6th (or is it 7th ?) year in a row that Manfield won the league title! Way to go boys!

Good for the MIAA. Rules are actually rules to be followed. Maybe there is a larger message to all of those that feel they need to get around the rules.

MIAA had no problem taking the money out of the mansfield fans' hands at both the playoff game and super bowl. funny how that works. am i entitled to a refund? the MIAA should pay for its legal fees with the money they now "stole" from the mansfield community

Looks like the MIAA did not like the spanking that the Judge gave them. I think the Mansfield Schools should take them back before the same Judge so he can remind them that he is the decision maker not them. Real sour grapes by the MIAA--typical MIAA reaction--its my ball and I am going home.

Hey as the coach said he was just happy his boys got to play the playoff games - forget the fact that due to his negligence they werent supposed to be there, due to the timing of his admission a replacement could not be found, and due to his rejection of a punishment that was literally written in black and white for the violation he comitted, he forced two bogus games to be played. Ironically his own team becomes the ultimate victim - both for the humiliation of having their trophies walked out of the building - and for being taught about the utter subjectivity of right and wrong out there in Hornet Land. Way to go "educators". I just hope Lynchie, Burton et al give tthe verdict as much pub as they gave the appeal

The MIAA is comprised of a bunch of non-athletic dweebs with nothing better to do than ruin lives over nitpicky "rules."

All teams/all schools need to rise up and fight these Nazi tactics!

So funny. Townies...haha

If I was on the Mansfield school board it would be a cold day in hell before the MIAA got paid for there legal fees.

Its HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

am i the only one who thinks this is far too dramatic for high school sports? coaches who violate rules...miaa officials who make ridiculous rules to begin with...parents...teachers whatever...i just feel like people get too worked up about something that should be fun and never taken too seriously

We had a play off semi final game in hockey 2 years ago. MIAA had the game played 10 min from 1 team and the other team had to drive 90 miles for the sake of convenience. The explanation was not because of rules, but because of finances and availability, They broke our hearts and we will never forgive them. MIAA = Must Instill Absolute Arrogance.

CHARLESTOWN HIGH SCHOOL DID THE SAME THING LAST YEAR (2007 SEASON) BUT IT WAS WORST THERE RUNNING BACK WAS INELIGIBLE TO PLAY ALL SEASON BUT HE PLAYED AGAINST EAST BOSTON HIGH AND HELPED CHARLESTOWN WIN. BUT CHARLESTOWN DIDNT THROUGH ALL OF THIS AQLL THEY DID WAS FORFEIT ONE GAME. THE MIAA SUCKS IM SORRY TO SAY. ITS NO FAIR. THE KIDS WAS A BENCH WARMER (NO DISRESPECT TO THE KID). BUT I WOULD TOTALLY UNDERSTAND IF THE KID WAS A STAR BUT HE WASNT. THIS IS OUTRAGES

don't the miaa ratzis have better things to do...like run a few homeowner associations in florida to keep them occupied. Bad, bad decision here.

I feel for the players of Mansfield High, especially the seniors. Being a parent of a player that has went to the post season the last two years (one Superbowl), it would upset me for something like this to happen. But my anger would be on the coach not the MIAA. Let the hammer fall where it is deserved.

By all accounts, the coach knew about the violation and did not report it when it became known so that the team could advance to the playoffs although the application of the MIAA rule that was violated would have prevented it. This goes beyond the breaking of the rule; it shows willful negligence on the side of the coach. He may be a successful coach, very talented in his ability to manage a successful football program, and very well liked; but he put ambition in front of fair play. That is completely unacceptable.

As a High School Basketball Coach, I will admit I don't agree with all the MIAA policies and rules but if a rule was broken, and was not addressed immediately by the coach (having full knowledge of a rules violation), then the fault falls on the coach. As I am held to certain standards and take the responsiblities seriously, I would expect this coach to be held to the same standards. Mansfield would not be returning trophies if the coach, for the benefit of allowing his team to play in a Superbowl game, purposely withheld material information and then had the gall to get a court injunction so his team could play a game they were not authorized to play based on the violation. The coach created this mess and as parents, we should be holding him responsible.

I understand that in the emotion of such a decision, it is only natural to obfuscate the situation by stating what this school did, or what that school may have done, or what the MIAA should be doing. With many of the comments posted here it does not leave much to the imagination why our kids today have such an attitude of entitlement. Many of the comments made here are perfect examples of teaching our children to blame anyone else except those who are in the wrong.

Mansfield won it (the Hockomock League Championship) on the field. Real NA fans get no joy in this type of "win". Mansfield should have reported it when they knew it so that it did not seem like they were playing the system and leaving the MIAA with few choices. I fell bad for the Mansfield players and the poor kid (and they are kids) that got dragged through all of this. There is the rule and there is the spirit of the rule, both sides seem to have violated the spirit of the rule.

It is my understanding that the oversight was unintentional. If that is the case then this is a bad decision. How is a coach supposed to monitor the prior schooling of all the players? Intent needs to be considered. In this case all the players are penaliuzed too. What did they do? Apparnetly the athlete had no impact on the games either. The MIAA needs to put things in perspective.Their judgement is worse than the infraction.

Intent is not the issue. The principal and the coach have an obligation to follow the rules set forth by the MIAA. it is their job to insure they don't have players who are ineligible, be it grades, rules violations, as well fifth year students. While it is unfortunate so many players have to suffer, they need only look to their principal and coach and ask, "why did you let us down?" People should not loose sight of the fact the rule was broken. It doesn't matter when the player was used, it doesn't matter what the score was, what matters is an ineligible player was in two games. End of story.

My question is what was the letter from paragraph 6 in the letter and comments about DISREGARD for MIAA ..It sounds like there was other issues from the past. There could be a conflict between the coach and MIAA officals.

Hey will no but if the person who started the investigation knew about the so-called-allegations at gametime and decided to wait, SHAME ON HER,,,,,, HER team should be penalized!!

The people who say rules are rules, are the same people who would of had "Radio" (played by Cuba Goodin Jr) kicked out of the school.
They are also related to the MIAA officials.

There are circumstances in every situation, they must not be overlooked.
For god sake the kid was a bench warmer, now he has to have this hanging over his head for the rest of his life, how he took away his schools title because he played 8 mins of football. Way to go MIAA you really showed them.

wonder why my posting never appeared, bet i know!!

Central MA Football fan.... I think the lion share of "entitlement" lies squarely on the shoulders of the MIAA. It's easy to defend their actions in a black and white world, but I prefer one that considers intent and logic.

You guys don't get it. Let's all blame the MIAA for sanctioning Mansfield. North Attleboro did not get to play because Redding kept information until the last minute. Let's face it. He put winning a HS football game first over the credibility of Mansfield High School. It's easy to win games at the Walpoles and Mansfields of the world that have a strong tradition. This coach has forgotten about the values that students should get from the game itself.

Note to coach...this is your fault and you know it!

boston.com .....noticed you deleted mr wils comment so that # 37 makes absolutely no sense to anybody!!! Slick job!! You must have a coverup on your payroll!! UNBELIEVABLE, KEEP IT GOING!! keeps getting better

mountain... the kid was not a difference maker in either of those blowouts and you know it...

You all are absolutely correct! Mike Redding skirted the rules so he could advance his team to the Massachusetts School Boy Super Bowl. He did it by having a player who never played a sport in his life and he secretly kept that from everyone including his players, coaches and the administration. It was a terrible agony that he went thru this entire season, (covering up this 5th year marginal player) but you have to take your hat off to Coach Mike (Bernie Maddoff) Redding in this major conspiracy! he almost pulled it off! Thank Allah that someone figured it all out before any more dasterdly deeds were accomplished by this coach who consistently thumbs his nose at all that is good or allah

Let's say the score is Mansfield 40-0 third quarter against Sharon...in come the Sharon JV and Freshman..oh sweep right..let's watch the fifth year senior run the little freshman over. Good job Mike and zippy!

Note to Steve..read the MIAA report. This was not the first time Allah, I mean Coach Redding, has decided to play by his own rules.

Anyone think it's funny that there are no Sharon and Oliver Ames (Easton) townies in here complaining, as well as the schools not making a comment one way or the other. Oh well I guess there too busy getting good psat scores and good grades.

Not for nothing but Bishop Feehan got screwed too; they would have gotten the chance to play in the Super Bowl against Walpole, who they defeated in the Super Bowl last year. Also, can anyone elaborate on the 'continued disregard for MIAA rules by Coach Redding' that they refer to? That's an important part of the rationale behind their judgement and no one is shining any light on that. What was the unsportsmanlike conduct he was charged with in last years championship playoff game?