Rival coach's email smear on Felicia & teammate

[PalPa]

Does he refuse to shake hands with any team that has black players?

 

[Outside Shot]

Forgot to mention that the example I cited about Nigerian team at FIBA involved players who were likely overage.

 

[vtcwbuff]

It's not like African athletes, and others (remember the Chinese gymnasts) haven't age fudged before.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-07/15/c_133483421.htm

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26174252

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/...or-using-over-age-players-in-fifa-tournament/

Again, I'll wait until all the facts are in.

 

[NewCorn]

It's not like African athletes, and others (remember the Chinese gymnasts) haven't age fudged before.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-07/15/c_133483421.htm

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26174252

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/...or-using-over-age-players-in-fifa-tournament/

Again, I'll wait until all the facts are in.

What facts? They are guilty until proven innocent. And since everyone knows Nigeria doesn't keep reliable records, these girls can never prove their case. Gallagher's damage is done. The way Nurse is playing, and given her physical attributes, it's a good thing she comes from Canada and not Nigeria, or she might suffer this same injustice.

 

[CocoHusky]

What facts? They are guilty until proven innocent. And since everyone knows Nigeria doesn't keep reliable records, these girls can never prove their case. Gallagher's damage is done. The way Nurse is playing, and given her physical attributes, it's a good thing she comes from Canada and not Nigeria.

Vtcwbuff, from the original article:

"Robert Coleman, Chairman of District 12, which is comprised of the Philadelphia Catholic and Public Leagues, questioned Budd about the authenticity of Aborowa and Aiyeotan.
“I spoke with Jason Budd, my counterpart at the Archdiocese, and he has provided me with adequate information to believe that everything is fine at [Neumann-Goretti], but that they were involved in an in-house investigation,” Coleman said. “Based on the correspondence that we received from the Archdiocese, yes, the African girls are here legitimately. I don’t know why anyone would question that."

John Gallagher was not satisfied with this answer and persisted to disparage the girl by sending and email to the University of Texas- which had awarded one of the girls a scholarship. In that same email John Gallaher said the FBI was investigating the matter. Gallagher is a petty liar!

 

[meyers7]

Having read the entire article -- wow, well researched and written --

I don't know the racial make up of the various teams/programs involved,

ummm it was pretty well laid out in the article.

Here's Neumann Goretti

 

[meyers7]

And ArchBishop Wood

 

[NewCorn]

And ArchBishop Wood

A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[Striper69]

Does he refuse to shake hands with any team that has black players?

IMO- they aren't missing anything by not shaking his hand...

 

[DobbsRover2]

Archbishop Wood is a Nike supported school, so N-G might want to drop a note to the corporation about the conduct of one of its sponsored schools. Who knows what effect that might have?

Nigeria is a country highly associated with age-fraud, but for most foreign athletes that are on habitual age cheaters list, the action revolves largely around one sport such as China and North Korea (gymnastics, overstating age), various Caribbean countries (baseball, both understating and overstating), and Nigeria and some other African countries (FIFA football, understating age). Other than gymnastics, girls aren't usually that involved. So for Gallagher to extend his suspicions to Nigerian female students who have been cleared by numerous sports administration and launch into malicious acts of sabotage is reprehensible. Probably best not to focus on the race factor as it strays from the main legal question here and allows Gallagher's apologists to side track the issue, which though it might be a factor, would be the same situation if he had done this to two Lithuanian girls. And these types of actions affect a school's reputation and of their own athletes ability to get into choice colleges.

The Archbishop Wood site does seem a little vanilla, very family oriented, and it does have an email address for the coach. Interesting that the new assistant coach is also named Gallagher. Successful program there, and four Lady Vikings are listed as college coaches. Probably some stress in the future there.

 

[NewCorn]

And ArchBishop Wood

Some of these girls look to be about 22, lol.

 

[CocoHusky]

So for Gallagher to extend his suspicions to Nigerian female students who have been cleared by numerous sports administration and launch into malicious acts of sabotage is reprehensible. Probably best not to focus on the race factor as it strays from the main legal question here and allows Gallagher's apologists to side track the issue, which though it might be a factor, would be the same situation if he had done this to two Lithuanian girls.

Dobbs,
well stated and sound advice.
Thanks

 

[CL82]

And ArchBishop Wood

I know I'll regret wading in here, but the team is white so they must be racist, ipso facto? How about we just write off the coach as an and leave it at that. FWIW, refusing to shake hands with the opposing team is absolutely unacceptable and should cause his school to put him on notice of that. I wouldn't want that guy to coach my kid.

 

[Striper69]

Unbelievable. That guy Gallagher needs to be hauled into court and put on the stand. Would like to know what if anything is going on with the internal investigation at Wood.

Would like to continue to follow this story. Am not a big fan, as you know, of innuendo hurled at successful rival basketball programs or their players (or players' families).

Hmmm...do I smell a possible Defamation of Character lawsuit here?

 

[meyers7]

I know I'll regret wading in here, but the team is white so they must be racist, ipso facto?

Oh I don't know about that. I didn't say anything one way or the other. I was just helping out TJI.

 

[Zorro]

The handshake refusal is the least of it. That was simply rude. The poison pen note to UT (and others) is orders of magnitude more serious. The attempt at anonymity simply adds cowardice to the charges.

 

[CocoHusky]

I know I'll regret wading in here.

I sincerely hope not. This is a fan website, wading in indicates interest. Interest is caring.

but the team is white so they must be racist, ipso facto?

No, No, No. Not sure I have read anything to imply or indicate this regarding this situation. I and my children are alumni of Wood's main rival. I certainly wish Wood well ( except 3 games per year) and would never paint an entire team with that stigma.

How about we just write off the coach as an

Amen! I have already written him off as a human being, but the problem is he still coaching.

and leave it at that.

Sorry but I can't leave it alone, this hits too close to home and the right thing to do seems so obvious.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Sounds like frustration reached the boiling point here and spilled over into something stupid and crazy that no one on the diocese board or Archbishop Wood side wants to talk about. Wood has been a longtime Philly power and won three state championships in a row before getting unseated in 2013. Then last year they seemed like they had everything all set to resume the dynasty when newbie Neumann shows up and beats them by 17 in regular season and 9 in the state championship. This year N-G has gone to tops in the nation and beat Wood by 26 during the season, so the Wood coach sees the dynasty slipping away and lashes out with nasty stuff. The teams play in a league with a lot of lopsided games, as N-G beat Hallahan 103-15 and Wood beat Little Flower Catholic for Girls by 69-15.

We've seen it happen before when a longtime dynasty gets frustrated by a new program and lashes out with ridiculous charges. I seem to vaguely recall a case of that kind of thing a while back. Can anyone help me out here?

 

[Sonny44]

You have some serious basketballs to defend this creep. Just say'n...

Defend?

 

[Sonny44]

It's not like African athletes, and others (remember the Chinese gymnasts) haven't age fudged before.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-07/15/c_133483421.htm

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26174252

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/...or-using-over-age-players-in-fifa-tournament/

Again, I'll wait until all the facts are in.

You are too prudent for this board.

 

[Sonny44]

Actually, it’s not a race issue, no matter how much we might try to make it out to be – it’s an African issue and that’s not the same thing as I suspect, being an inner city school, there a number of other black players at Neuman, none of which Gallagher is attacking. The original question is whether the African players – not the black players – but just the African players – are the ages that they claim to be, and there may be at least some legitimacy to that question (though probably just a little).

I write from personal experience. My siblings have adopted several Asian and African children. We have come to wonder in the last year or so if the Africans are older than what we were told at the time of adoption – they are larger and more athletic than their classmates, for example; though being siblings, an early growth spurt could just run in their biological family. But our African children do seem just generally older, further along in their growth/development – more mature – than their classmates and their American cousins.

In other parts of the world, records aren’t kept as strictly as they are here (our kids came from huts with dirt floors – literally) and it isn’t inconceivable that someone might change a person’s birth date for various reasons, including “adoptability”…or athletic eligibility. While everyone seems to be going gaga over Mo’ne Davis, let’s not forget an earlier Little League World Series hero from a decade earlier, Danny Almonte. It happens.

That doesn’t mean it did happen. But if Gallagher – and this is a very limited and specific defense – is looking at two kids, and just two kids, and they just don’t look like they’re sixteen or seventeen, it may be reasonable to ask that question, without it being a racial issue. How Gallagher handled this is a different matter, and frankly, unacceptable; but from reading the entire article, there’s nothing to indicate that this is a general racial issue, so let’s not make it one.

Too late for reason Andy. A number of posters have already called Sharpton.

 

[DobbsRover2]

It's not like African athletes, and others (remember the Chinese gymnasts) haven't age fudged before.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-07/15/c_133483421.htm

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26174252

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/...or-using-over-age-players-in-fifa-tournament/

Again, I'll wait until all the facts are in.

Um, tell me again how that relates to two Nigerian women's basketball players? Why didn't you include a link to something remotely related? Sounds to me that this is on the road to the same smear tactics used by Gallagher.

And BTW, I'm sure Derek Jeter was the biggest juicer in the game. Can you give me a bunch of links to Bonds and McGwire to help me prove my point.

And for Sonny, nah they're calling for Joe McCarthy's ghost, because those girls came from that cheatin' Nigeria place so . . .

 

[Vowelguy]

It's not like African athletes, and others (remember the Chinese gymnasts) haven't age fudged before.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2014-07/15/c_133483421.htm
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26174252
http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/...or-using-over-age-players-in-fifa-tournament/
Again, I'll wait until all the facts are in.

Here are the facts:
- The kids were investigated. Nothing has suggested they are not eligible.
- Despite this, the accuser has STILL repeated allegations that their ages are wrong and has yet to provide any information to support that.

So what if OTHER Nigerians have lied? Are all 173 million of them guilty?

Until this guy provides any supporting documentation, this is a non-story. Or, more appropriately, it's the story of a sore loser.

 

[meyers7]

We've seen it happen before when a longtime dynasty gets frustrated by a new program and lashes out with ridiculous charges. I seem to vaguely recall a case of that kind of thing a while back. Can anyone help me out here?

 

[CocoHusky]

Sonny,
not sure how we got so far off topic, so far the names of Al Sharpton, Michele Obana, and Joe McCarthy have been invoked.
On the issue of race being a factor in this situation I surmise that you and other disagree with me- fair enough?
What I am confused about is the issue of facts as it relates to this issue- specifically the verification of the age and immigration status of two Nigerian girls on the team.

Multiple organizations 1) Neuman -Goretti 2) District-12, 3) Archdioceses of Philadelphia review documentation (presumably visa status & birth certificates) and determine that the girls were in the US legally and eligible to play HS basketball at NG.

Are you disputing any of these facts?