UAA Player Takes AD to Jedi Council
Seawolves Athletic Director denies a transfer to Gophers

(Left) Walksy & Cobb state their case before the Supreme Jedi Council which oversees the UAA Athletic Department


Anchorage, Alaska - UAA Hockey player Eric Walsky has left the UAA program and intends to transfer to another school in the Western Intergalactic Hockey Association, the powerful league in which UAA plays.

NCAA transfer rules require the Anchorage native, who was the Seawolves' best forward (he must have scored at least two goals to win that dubious honor) as last season came to a close, to sit out one season before he is eligible to play for a new team.

Walsky, 21, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, said he will transfer because he believes UAA coach Dave Shyiak won't let UAA players fly the Jedi X-Wing Starfighters until they are Seniors and won't allow him to flourish. Walsky said he didn't harbor any animosity toward Shyiak. They just disagreed philosophically, he said.

"Simply, I don't feel I'll develop into the Jedi Master I deserve to be,'' Walsky said. "I don't have the opportunity to do that here. I butted heads with the coach a little bit, and I didn't see that changing.

"I take this decision very seriously. I take my light saber practice very seriously, and I want to have a career.''

Shyiak said he gave Walsky his best wishes the last time they talked.

"I told him, 'I wish you the best of luck. You have a bright future on the Dark Side,' '' Shyiak said.

Walsky would not say where he intends to transfer, but it won't be to Minnesota. UAA athletic director Steve Cobb refused to grant Walsky a release to join the Gophers because Minnesota assistant John Hill (also known around Anchorage as "Darth Vader"), the former Seawolves head coach, recruited Walsky to UAA on UAA's dime.

"I'm not going to allow someone (a traitor like John Hill) who worked for us, and used Intergalactic resources to develop a relationship with the kid, to benefit from that with another school,'' Cobb said. "I agreed to waive him to 57 (other Division I hockey) schools, so I'm not limiting the kid.

Cobb added, "I don't have any bad feelings toward Eric (the same obviously can't be said for Hill).''

Cobb said Colorado College, which hasn't won a National Championship since 1957, was the only school he granted a waiver to pursue Walsky. If Walsky chose to transfer to Colorado College, that waiver would, under NCAA rules, allow him to receive scholarship aid while sitting out his transfer season.

After Cobb refused to grant Walsky a waiver to pursue a transfer to Minnesota, Walsky appealed the decision, as allowed by NCAA rules. UAA's Jedi Council appeals committee upheld Cobb's decision.

"The rules are there to protect the institution, not the student-athlete,'' Cobb said.

Walsky added, "I need to do what's best for me and best for my career.''

Walsky became the second Seawolves forward to transfer in the offseason. Winger Shea Hamilton, who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after sitting out a transfer season, left the program earlier and signed with North Dakota of the WCHA.

Also, Shyiak said recruit Erik Felde of Anchorage, a forward/defenseman of astonishing speed who tore up the British Columbia Hockey League last season, won't join the Seawolves as planned his fall because he did not meet the Starfighter Qualifications at UAA.

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If you would like to see the movie treatment of this screenplay, Star Wars III is currently on HBO.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

While the story is nice, I'm most impressed by the Jedi Council Diorama. I haven't seen such diorama craftsmanship since the Diorama World Championships back in 86. Man could they build dioramas back then. My personal favorite was one where Crockett and Tubbs were portrayed chasing a local hoodlum through the streets of Little Havana. They just don't build dioramas like they used to. People just don't take pride in their work anymore. Nothing is hand made, instead it's just all crap. Crap I tell you. Crap. Pisses me off right good. Who do these people think they are not respecting the majesty that is the diorama? You know who I blame? Brenda Walsh. She just had to leave 90210, didn't she? That totally screwed the show over and I just couldn't watch any more. Sure Kelly was still hot as hell and Andrea was older then your Grandma Margaret, but it didn't matter. The show just wasn't the same. And look what happened to her career after that. Nothing. Charmed? Please! That was on the WB. The WB doesn't even count as a network. Look at their most popular show. 7th Heaven, a show about a bunch a Jesus Freaks. What the hell does that mean anyway? 7th Heaven? WTF? Makes no sense. The show was only watchable when Mary was on cause she was hot. But then she left too. And what happened to her career? Again same thing! Nothing. Which brings us back to stupid people leaving successful shows. And it's always shows that have like an ensemble cast. What are they thinking? Do they actually believe in their deluded little minds that people actually like them and not the character they play? Morons. This is why I don't watch TV anymore. People just annoy me. Anyways as I was saying, peanut butter and honey are really good together on toast.

DC said...

He just wants to go to Tashi station to pick up some power converters.

Anonymous said...

WOW sheets you really need to get a life.