Mauk draws up a play for his attorney

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, August 15, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Cincinnati Bearcats
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There is a scene in the campus classic movie "Animal House" where the Faber College dean of students tosses the entire dysfunctional Delta fraternity out of school.

"Oh, my God!" cries out one member, flinging himself on the floor. "Seven years of college down the drain!"

It would perhaps be a bit overstated to draw an analogy between that and former (or is it present?) University of Cincinnati quarterback Ben Mauk. After all, Mauk is only suing the NCAA to stay in college for six years.

Basically, Mauk is contesting the NCAA rule that a player can only be redshirted once. Mauk used up that year as a Wake Forest freshman, then lost another season when his arm was broken and shoulder separated in the 2006 opener. He switched allegiance to Cincinnati last season under the NCAA's post-graduate transfer rule, and threw for an amazing 3,121 yards and 31 touchdowns as the surprising Bearcats finished No. 17 in the nation.

Time's up, said the NCAA. Not so fast, said Mauk, who then lost several appeals.

On the heels of the latest thumbs-down from the powers-that-be, Mauk hired a lawyer who convinced Judge William Hart of Hardin County, Mauk's home base, to file an injunction that says the NCAA can't prevent him from practicing with the team.

Yet until Aug. 22, when that is decided, the point has to be moot.

"It's ludicrous to even think that we would put him on the field and put our football team in harm's way," said UC coach Brian Kelly, who worries about possible sanctions if the Bearcats were to even practice with an ineligible player.

Thumbing one's nose at the governing body of your sport is never a good idea, as Kelly knows full well.

"We believe the NCAA has treated Ben differently than it has other athletes with very, very similar circumstances," said Mauk's attorney, Brian Murphy.

The athlete he was thinking of is no doubt LSU defensive end Kirsten Pittman -- who was, indeed, granted a sixth year by the NCAA. The difference is, Pittman lost two consecutive seasons (2005 and 2006) because of injuries, while only one of Mauk's missed years was injury-related.

All kidding aside, though, you have to feel for Mauk. Given his medical history (he admittedly played with pain last season), he would be a poor risk for the NFL. He obviously feels he can replicate his 2007 season on the college level, though, and Kelly would not be averse to having him on his side.

On the other hand, the lawsuit is reminiscent of another "Animal House" scene that came soon after the Deltas were dismissed.

"This calls for a ... futile gesture on someone's part," bellows John Belushi's character, "and we're just the guys to do it!"
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