Powe Saga Returns

Well I guess we should go ahead and return to the Powe debacle that we last visited in the fall. But as we approach two a days within the next couple of months, I assume it is time to bring up Jerrell Powe and his annual show to get into Ole Miss. This time it has hit ESPN early as Bruce Feldmen wrote about it today in his column. This time an ultimatum has been put on the Ole Miss administration. Accept Jerrell or else.

I have heard 100 different stories and tales about what is holding Powe back from being admitted to Ole Miss. This time though every story I hear points to the administration as to what is holding him back from being admitted by the university. While we have all heard stories about the administration telling Orgeron he can not recruit certain athletes due to their academic standards, Powe is the poster child for this group in the administration.

Here is my thought. If the kid has passed all the required courses, admit him to the University and let the NCAA decide his eligibility. What does it hurt to admit the kid and then have the NCAA tell him he can not play. All in all, I do not see this turning out to be good for Ole Miss. I have witnessed the administration drop the ball on numerous events and I see this being another example. This time around it does not appear to be those in the athletic building, it is those on the academic end that will drop the ball. For once I plea for the administration to prove me wrong, or there will be even more irate alumni.

(ESPN) Get ready for the next wave of twists and turns in the Jerrell Powe saga.
Powe, the mammoth 6-foot-3, 345-pound blue-chip defensive tackle whose bid to become eligible last fall made headlines all across the nation after he was denied by the NCAA, might actually be playing football this season, but it could be against the Ole Miss Rebels, not for them.
Powe, through his advisor Joe Barnett, is now being represented by Don Jackson, an Alabama attorney who has taken the NCAA to court repeatedly over the last few years, including on the behalf of former Mississippi State hoops star Mario Austin and other high-profile basketball players. Jackson said Wednesday night he wants to work with Ole Miss to help get Powe certified, but cautioned that time is tight since two-a-days for football are only about six weeks away. Jackson wants to give Ole Miss seven to 10 more days to formally commit to supporting Powe.
"This can be a cooperative effort getting him cleared," Jackson said, adding that he's asking Ole Miss to "have faith" that Powe has taken all the proper steps to address the NCAA issues with his academic profile in the year since he was denied.
"The difficulty I have is that I'm trying to work around the fear of retaliation."
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=feldman_bruce&id=2912089