Hammer and Rails - Sandi Marcius Wants Purdue To Pay For His Last Two ClassesPurdue's Okayest Bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52787/Hammer_And_Rails_favicon..png2013-04-23T21:41:40-04:00http://www.hammerandrails.com/rss/stream/40233992013-04-23T21:41:40-04:002013-04-23T21:41:40-04:00Afternoon Recap: Painter, Burke Speak on SandiGate
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ioKh4NO0bMdp5KCbNxQvnDRGldM=/87x0:3872x2523/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12039315/20130303_jrc_bl1_137.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke and coach Matt Painter spoke about Sandi Marcius requesting Purdue pay for his final two classes this afternoon.</p> <p>We've pretty-well beaten the "<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99925/sandi-marcius">Sandi Marcius</a> Wants His Last Two Classes Paid For" horse to death by now I'd say, as far as writing our opinions go, so I'll try to stick to just recapping Matt Painter and Morgan Burke's comments on the issue that were reported by GBI and Jeff Washburn at the J&C this afternoon.</p>
<p>To read my thoughts on the issue and get a recap on what's happened so far, <a href="http://www.hammerandrails.com/2013/4/22/4253950/report-sandi-marcius-doesnt-realize-how-scholarships-work" target="_blank">here is the first story</a> on the issue and <a href="http://www.hammerandrails.com/2013/4/23/4256812/sandigate-day-2-reports-now-saying-he-was-banned-from-banquet" target="_blank">here is the second</a>, which was published this morning.</p>
<p>Before we get to Painter's comments on Sandi Marcius wanting his last two classes paid for, I'm going to look at the quote I found most surprising from Athletic Director Morgan Burke, as <a href="http://php.jconline.com/blogs/jeff/burke-marcius-has-not-burned-purdue-bridges/" target="_blank">reported in the Journal and Courier</a>: Burke says Sandi would still be welcome to come back and join the Purdue team:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"We don't think Sandi is miserable here, and we're not miserable with Sandi," Burke said. "I am still hopeful. We've said he can get a release to look around. We're not going to be harsh in that regard. If that is the option he selects, then he has to be willing to pick up the (financial) responsibility for the (summer) classes. We're prepared to stand by our part of the bargain. I hope he can have a little space, reflect, look at his options and realize that right here in West Lafayette is the best place for him. Sandi has done nothing wrong here and has burned no bridges. We're not drawing a line in the sand. We want him to finish his degree and his experience here." </p>
</blockquote>
<p>There was one more, less interesting to me, quote from Burke in Washburn's story:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"We're prepared - and still are - to have him graduate here at Purdue," Burke said. "We have stepped up and said we will honor that (scholarship) commitment next year, but we want a reciprocal commitment from him. I can't speak for the folks that are advising Sandi. He and I have had two conversations. Matt and I have had conversations. Matt has had conversations with Sandi. I really think Sandi is trying to sort out what is best."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Painter talked to the media in a teleconference, where he was obviously asked about Sandi requesting Purdue pay for his two summer classes, which will cost approximately $7,000. Here are the quotes he gave the media, <a href="http://purdue.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1498864" target="_blank">as reported</a> by Gold and Black Illustrated.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"Sandi voluntarily withdrew from our team," Painter said. "Now he wants us to pay for his school after the fact and that's just something that we haven't done. As a head coach, and this is something Morgan (Burke) talked to me about when he interviewed me: 'You're in charge of your roster.' Nobody can tell me who's on my roster and who is not on my roster, and Morgan's in charge of the grant-in-aid.</p>
<p>"I wish (Marcius) nothing but the best. I gave him a blanket release so that he can play anywhere else that he wants. We were committed to paying for his school this summer if he was with us, and we were committed to paying for his fifth year of school next year, which would have been grad school, if he was with us. We committed to Sandi from Day 1 and have paid for all of his schooling while he's been with us. Now he's decided to leave our program, and he's not with us and he voluntarily did that. No one told him he had to leave. We wanted him to stay. That was the decision that he made."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A blanket release, for those that are wondering, means Purdue has released him to play at any school that will take him, within Big Ten rules. The Big Ten doesn't allow intra-conference transfers.</p>
<p>Painter then addressed Sandi's people's claims that Purdue should pay for Marcius's last two classes because last year at this time they paid for John Hart's final two summer classes before he transfered to IUPUI for his fifth year.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"John Hart's situation was different. He did not voluntarily leave," Painter said. "We met the spring before with his parents and really sat down and mapped out a couple of different scenarios for him going forward, We had talked about (a fifth-year transfer) being a possible scenario for him. They were very forthcoming and upfront in talking about where he was in our program, where I saw him, and what his options were. We had talked about that before and we had a mutually agreed situation. John did not voluntarily leave our team and he did not quit our team. We came together and talked about it well in advance and communicated it and said, 'If this is the scenario, then we will help you along.' And we paid for it financially because it was mutually agreed (upon)." </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Just to get ahead of this before the IU fans reading this jump on the second sentence of this quote and ignore the rest, when Painter says, "He did not voluntarily leave," he doesn't mean that Hart was cut from the team. He is saying that he met with Hart and his family and explained how little he was likely to play, and talked to them about their expectations for how much he thought he should play. When they clearly weren't on the same page, they discussed other options. Painter and his staff, it can be inferred, helped Hart get on the team at IUPUI when it was decided he would transfer.</p>
<p>Painter's final quote is basically just a repeat of what he's said since news broke that Marcius wanted to transfer.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"(Marcius) was a little frustrated by that and I understand that. I totally understand that as a guy who played once," Painter said. "We really expected those guys to be a tandem for us next year, but he wasn't happy and he expressed that. ... I talked to him two or three times and really expressed that I wanted him to stay, but he didn't, so we gave him his release and wish him nothing but the best. He is a great guy and hopefully he finds a home and is happier at his next school." </p>
</blockquote>
https://www.hammerandrails.com/2013/4/23/4259276/afternoon-recap-painter-burke-speak-on-sandigate-day-2PUBoilingPoints2013-04-23T11:19:16-04:002013-04-23T11:19:16-04:00Report Claims Marcius Was Banned From Team Banquet
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lhTfOyj7XJSMYq968fTO00QzmdY=/0x260:2666x2037/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12004231/20130213_ter_bm2_151.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The same media member that originally reported Purdue was refusing to pay for Sandi Marcius's last two summer school classes is now saying Matt Painter "banned" him from the team banquet.</p> <p><b>(Quick note: I'm writing this before Matt Painter's press conference this afternoon, so don't be surprised if more information comes out on this situation soon.)</b></p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99925/sandi-marcius" class="sbn-auto-link">Sandi Marcius</a> story that came out last night doesn't appear to be going away any time soon.</p>
<p>Last night, Mike Hutton from the Gary Post-Tribune Tweeted that Marcius was unhappy with Purdue because they are refusing to pay for his final two classes he needs to graduate and transfer for his fifth-year of school. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.hammerandrails.com/2013/4/22/4253950/report-sandi-marcius-doesnt-realize-how-scholarships-work">Here is a link to last night's post with my take on that issue.</a></p>
<p>The same reporter is continuing to release information today, this time claiming that Sandi Marcius wasn't at the team banquet because Matt Painter told him he wasn't welcome there.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2519117/SandiBanquet1.JPG"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2519117/SandiBanquet1_medium.JPG" class="photo" alt="Sandibanquet1_medium"></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2519125/SandiBanquet2.JPG" style="background-color: #ffffff;"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2519125/SandiBanquet2_medium.JPG" class="photo" alt="Sandibanquet2_medium"></a></p>
<p>If this is true, I don't like this move from Matt Painter. Yes, Sandi wanted to leave the school and find more playing time somewhere else and Painter wasn't happy about it, but it was an end of the year banquet for the team. It wasn't about the future, and Sandi was a member of the team last season. You have to let him come to the banquet with the rest of that team. (The obvious exception I would make here is if a guy was booted from the team for legal issues or anything of that sort.) Sandi wasn't kicked off the team though, he asked to leave it.</p>
<p>So there, all you commenters that think I'm attacking Sandi and blindly following Matt Painter in these articles. I just took his side on an issue. But those guys also might want to stop reading here.</p>
<p>The biggest problem with all of this situation is not that Purdue is give one more semester of scholarship benefits to a guy that wanted out of his scholarship or allegedly banned him from coming to the team banquet. Nor is that Marcius somehow expected Purdue to pay for these classes.</p>
<p>The problem is how all of this is coming out.</p>
<p>Ever since it was leaked that Sandi Marcius would be asking to be released from his scholarship to play his fifth year elsewhere, it has been clear that Marcius is not acting alone in his decisions. This has been hinted at by Gold and Black Illustrated in print and on the Dan Dakich Show on radio. Clearly there are people that have ulterior intentions out there that would like to see Marcius get paid to play in Europe, and likely see financial benefits themselves for that when it happens.</p>
<p>These guys have clearly gotten in Sandi's ears at some point recently. I've interviewed Sandi before and spent some time around this team during his first two years with the program. He always came off as a kind of easygoing guy that was just happy to be at Purdue. This has been confirmed by other writers that cover Purdue.</p>
<p>Yet something seems to have changed late this season, when Marcius's on-court performance finally started matching his potential.</p>
<p>Suddenly Marcius is coming off as a guy that feels entitled to things. That is almost a guaranteed indicator that someone was in his ear. These are the same people that are leaking this information to Mike Hutton for him to Tweet.</p>
<p>The people handling Marcius are leaking information to Hutton in the hopes that people will get outraged and Purdue caves in to public pressure and pays the bill. Remember, Hutton is the guy that first reported Marcius would be transferring. He's also a guy that has less than 300 Twitter followers, so he stands to benefit from helping Marcius's handlers out and Tweeting this information that thousands of people are interested in.</p>
<p>It's interesting to me that despite all this information from his "source," Hutton and the Post-Tribune haven't written a story on this situation. That would, after all, involve them having a responsibility to try to get someone from Purdue to comment on the situation. It would also benefit them from having a quote from an actual person, not just a person hiding behind being an anonymous "source."</p>
<p>Painter and everyone at Purdue knows who this "source" is. So do GBI, Dakich, and the rest of the traditional media that are around this constantly. They've dealt with these people before.</p>
<p>The only reasons this source is staying anonymous is so that the average fan doesn't see his clear connection to Marcius, and what he stands to benefit from Marcius, and disregard his "information" as biased. Along with that, they don't want to go on the record and burn bridges or upset coaches before Sandi lands at a new school for his fifth-year, something I don't think he can do until he actually graduates.</p>
<p>Even worse than this anonymous source is how Hutton is allowing them to use him as a puppet, without even trying to be a responsible journalist. Maybe Purdue should pay for the classes, maybe it shouldn't. I can see both sides of that. I can't see two sides to Hutton's situation, where he is clearly only trying to relay one side of the story.</p>
https://www.hammerandrails.com/2013/4/23/4256812/sandigate-day-2-reports-now-saying-he-was-banned-from-banquetPUBoilingPoints2013-04-22T17:26:32-04:002013-04-22T17:26:32-04:00Report: Sandi Marcius Doesn't Realize How Scholars
<figure>
<img alt="Sandi Marcius decided to have one more battle before leaving Purdue." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jGZhfhDI_rVb0KkhxcrxtpVMczo=/0x370:2667x2148/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/11967481/20121204_mje_ss1_011.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Sandi Marcius decided to have one more battle before leaving Purdue. | USA Today Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A writer for the Post-Tribune says Sandi Marcius is currently battling with Purdue to have his final two classes paid for this summer, despite being released from his scholarship at his request.</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99925/sandi-marcius">Sandi Marcius's</a> time at Purdue, and the fireworks that have spectacularly ended it, may be around for a little bit longer than we thought. According to Mike Hutton of the Post-Tribune, Marcius is upset with Purdue because he won't be getting his final two classes paid for.</p>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2516129/SandiPay.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="Sandipay_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2516129/SandiPay_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1366665087217"></p>
<p>I can sympathize with Sandi a bit, you see, because nobody at Purdue paid for my last two classes either. Heck, nobody paid for the first however many classes I took before those last two either. You see, it's a crazy thing that happens when you're not on the basketball team, Sandi... the John Purdue Club suddenly is more interested in having you donate than donating too you.</p>
<p>Sandi Marcius apparently didn't think through this problem before requesting to be released from his scholarship - much to Matt Painter's chagrin - at the end of his fourth year (he was a redshirt junior). Marcius wants to see more playing time elsewhere in his fifth and final season of eligibility. That's understandable, I guess.</p>
<p>The problem is, Sandi didn't actually graduate in the four years (plus four summers and who knows about Maymesters) while he was at Purdue and apparently needs to take two classes in Maymester or Summer semester to graduate. I'm not even going to get started on how ridiculous it is for him not to have graduated with all that time, plus the academic support provided to students. Guys at IU are apparently graduating in three years, man!</p>
<p>(<b>UPDATE: </b>Since I originally wrote this, I've found out Sandi started in Engineering and CODO'ed to Building Construction Management after two years. When I wrote this I didn't know this, and this information makes it a little more reasonable for him to have not graduated yet. I still don't think Purdue should foot the bill though.)</p>
<p>If he doesn't take those classes at Purdue and graduate, he doesn't get to transfer and play immediately next season somewhere else.</p>
<p>Apparently Marcius thought that the John Purdue Club would be nice enough to keep footing his bill despite turning his back on Purdue and the coaches that turned him into someone another school would actually want to transfer into their program. Let's not forget, an athlete's scholarship isn't just tuition, there's housing and all that good stuff involved too.</p>
<p>I'm sure there's a crowd out there that thinks Purdue should just fork over the money for the last two classes. It'd probably look a lot better to outsiders and avoid a lot of Tom Crean comparisions. Those are good points, but that's also something that John Purdue Club members would be remembering next time Nancy Cross sends out a letter blaming them and their lack of donations for why the Purdue athletics department can't afford something.</p>
<p>Purdue will probably fold and pay for Marcius's classes, but they shouldn't. If Sandi comes out of college having only $7,000 in loans for a $200,000 education, he should consider himself lucky. Heck, he could even try something as crazy as getting a job to pay for those last few classes.</p>
<p>There's nothing wrong with Marcius wanting to find more playing time elsewhere next season, but there's also nothing wrong with Purdue making him foot the bill in his last semester, the one after his playing days ended.</p>
<p>Remember, he didn't want Purdue anymore.</p>
https://www.hammerandrails.com/2013/4/22/4253950/report-sandi-marcius-doesnt-realize-how-scholarships-workPUBoilingPoints