A JERSEY GUY: Is Shutdown A Good Thing For BC?
In an ironic twist, the nation-wide suspension of almost all athletic activity in the United States might have a positive affect on Boston College.
Here's why.
Let's start with college football and new BC coach Jeff Hafley's dilemma of finding a starting QB.
Last year's part time starter Antonio Brown, who went down in mid-season with a knee injury, put himself in the transfer portal and has moved to the University of Oregon.
Hafley's prime recruit was former Notre Dame QB Phil Jurkovec, w ho transferred from South Bend and asked for an NCAA waiver to play immediately.
BC officials have been adamant about keeping quiet about that process, maintaining that they will make an announcement when there is some news to be announced.
Normally, the decision process takes about a month after filing, which BC did in early March.
But the CoVid-19 pandemic has changed that time scale. With almost all schools shutting down business the past several weeks, the NCAA let it be known that it would be June before they made any more decisions about transfers.
But we are saying it doesn't matter. Jurkovec's request meets the NCAA requirements--he was basically shuffled do deep in the QB depth charts at ND that he had almost no chance of winning the QB job for the Irish.
BC is a chance for the once highly touted QB to regain his status. Considering the hardships caused by the cancellation of athletic activities, it is inconceivable that the NCAA will make Jurkovec wait anther season to resume his college football career.
You can write it in granite.
When college football resumes, Phil Jurkovec will the No. 1 QB on the BC depth chart.
Part two of the consequences of Covid-19 benefited Boston College basketball coach Jim Christian.
A month ago, Christian and his staff were basically dead man walking at The Heights. Another losing season had just come to an end in the ACC basketball tournament and there were no indicators anywhere that BC athletic director Martin Jarmond would give Christian, finishing his six season at BC (5 of them losing) would be given another chance.
Jarmond had created a wave of fresh air on campus by sweeping away football coach Steve Addazio and bringing in Hafley a few months earlier.
Now it was time to air out the basketball program.
Then the athletic world stopped. College basketball became a fleck of sand in the vast expanse of what was important in the world.
And firing someone in the middle of a pandemic? Not a "Christian'' thing to do.
First there was a week of silence about Christian's status. Then a breife announcement; No change in coaches in men's basketball.
There was no vote of confidence given, no contract extensio offered.
When BC basketball resumes, Christian will be coaching for his job. He knows it, everyone else knows it.
But he will still have HIS job, which is what matters right now.
So there you have it. CoVid-19 and two stories which had a happier outcome BECAUSE of it.