<p>Interesting link Byerly, but midatlmom has a point. It doesn't seem relevant based on Cheek's aspirations.</p>
<p>**EDIT</p>
<p>Oh, and midatlmom, thanks for clearing it all up with your link. It makes sense now. It also serves to bolster my belief in his generous character all along.</p>
<p>Byerly, can we say "cynicism" now?</p>
<p>You haven't a clue as to what his "aspirations" are, with all due respect ... nor does Mom.</p>
<p>Do you, Byerly? Do you know what it is Cheek intended to do with his money and the long-term results he had foreseen? If you reply yes, I wouldn't be surprised :D, but if you reply no, then you will be posting sensibly. You can't be any more sure than we can be. You're only inferring based on irrelevant rules.</p>
<p>Byerly--it would be nice occasionally if you would acknowledge that you were wrong. So far, you have made two misstatements about Joey Cheek on CC--the first, that Harvard deferred him ("Harvard had an opportunity to admit him from the deferred list after he won a gold and launched his campaign to save the world, but apparently passed a second time") and the second, that he "HAD" to donate his bonus to retain his eligibility. Neither of us knows Joey Cheek personally, but I see no reason to assume he is anything but genuine and that his stated altruistic motives are truthful. I think that he will make a great addition to any college he goes to and I'm glad its going to be Princeton.</p>
<p>I have made no "misstatements." Harvard had multiple opportunities to admit Cheek, and declined to do so. Whether this was advisable or not, I express no opinion.</p>
<p>Further, Joey, as did virtually EVERY Olympic medalist intending to retain college eligibility, or wishing to preserve the option, declined the prize money and had it redirected to charity. I have posted the relevant regulations. If you or anyone else wishes to deem them "irrelevant" then be my guest. I can see that religeous faith is overtaking common sense here, with some people.</p>
<p>Joey Cheek may well turn out to be another "water burden" for Pton</p>
<p>Byerly--what you posted was not, I believe the relevant regulation. According to NCAA bylaw 12.1.1.1.4.1.2. "An individual . . . may accept funds that are administered by the United States Olympic Committee pursuant to its Operation Gold Program". Operation Gold is the program whereby the USOC gives prize money to Olympic medalists.</p>
<p>My absolutely last post on this topic: Joey Cheek declined to accept the proffered prize money - AS DID OTHERS, SIMILARLY SITUATED - ALTHOUGH NOT AS FAMOUS - to preserve options for future competition.</p>
<p>Sorry--I got the text of the regulation right, but the number is 12.1.1.1.4.3.2.<br>
See this link, if you can read it <a href="http://www.ncaa.org/library/membership/division_i_manual/2004-05/2004-05_d1_manual.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.ncaa.org/library/membership/division_i_manual/2004-05/2004-05_d1_manual.pdf</a></p>
<p>Byerly--I posted my link to the regulation before I read your response, but I'm sure if you read it, you will see that Cheek was allowed to retain his bonus and not jeopardize any potential collegiate eligibility.</p>
<p>i'm sorry, i just don't see it, byerly. why would cheek want or need to retain his amateur status? none of these schools has a speedskating team, and he's not going to get good enough at some new sport in just four years to be able to compete at the division I level. he could have pocketed the money and still done a club sport like skiing or figure skating in college, and he still could compete nationally and internationally in his natural sport in his free time. i think you're being incredibly cynical, even unfair about cheek's motives, especially in the absence of any evidence to justify your cynicism.</p>
<p>I dont think Harvard looks foolish in this, but I also dont think it came out looking as well as Princeton does. I think most people simply think Harvard</a> made a mistake. The outcry was so intense toward this view, especially when it was voiced worldwide via Bob Costas, that some people from Harvard felt it necessary to try justifying the schools behavior. While many people are apparently [flabbergasted[/url</a>] about the mistake, I understood it, at least initially.</p>
<p>Cheek is an amazing guy. Even before he won gold and did his charity thing, I dont think anyone thought otherwise. But lets be fair. Harvard was right to question whether the guy could handle the rigors of college life at age 26 and after being out of intense academic study for nearly a decade. I remember reading somewhere where Harvard told Cheek he would be a perfect transfer student. This suggests to me that Harvard really was concerned about the guys academic ability. Im not sure, but I think after this Cheek proved his academic abilities by retaking the SATs and scoring handsomely yet again. By this time, however, he had already been rejected EA. Harvard may have wished to pick him up after this, but by this time Cheek was running toward gold and fame. It put Harvard in a really tough spot.</p>
<p>I think, contrary to some posts here, Harvard did NOT have multiple opportunities to accept Joey Cheek. It had only ONE opportunity and that happened when Cheek applied EA. Once the rejection came, Harvards hands were tied whether it wanted Cheek or not. By the time Harvards legitimate concerns about Cheeks academics were addressed, Cheek was on the Olympic team, pushing toward Italy. I think the RD round was just getting underway, if I recall correctly. By the time it had heated up, Cheek was pulling down gold and silver medals in the Olympics and handing out cash to poor kids. When all this came together, Id bet there was not a single person in the entire world, not even in Harvards admissions, who doubted that Cheek could do the school work and that he was a top prize worthy of any school.</p>
<p>No way was anyone, except maybe for a few seemingly [url=<a href="http://www.thecrimson.harvard.edu/article.aspx?ref=511743%5Darrogant">http://www.thecrimson.harvard.edu/article.aspx?ref=511743]arrogant</a> and self-deluded Harvard kids](<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/torino2006/speed_skating/news?slug=dw-cheekwins021306&prov=yhoo&type=lgns%5Dflabbergasted%5B/url">http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/torino2006/speed_skating/news?slug=dw-cheekwins021306&prov=yhoo&type=lgns), sitting around thinking Cheek is just not good enough to be a Harvard man because he has nothing to offer us. And the idea that he has nothing to offer because Harvard doesnt have a speedskating team probably struck many people, me included, as purely dishonest. Cmon. Plenty of guys, some with no experience at all, try their hands, as walk-ons, at sports like crew and these folks arent nearly as conditioned as Joey Cheek. A guy like Cheek, with obviously superior core strength, and with endurance and leg strength that can only be described as frighteningly superior, probably could easily adapt and become a world class competitor at these sports. Also, the guy obviously has the magnetism, smarts and leadership qualities that make it very likely that he will continue to greater heights beyond college. He will bring plenty of press and goodwill to any organization fortunate enough to be associated with him. Harvard had to know this. They aint idiots.</p>
<p>As I said, I think Harvard was a victim of timing. I believe for Harvard, Joey Cheek is the big one who got away. Harvard had legitimate concerns about Cheek that were unfortunately dealt with too late. Imagine how Harvard would have looked had it said Okay Joey. We rejected you earlier, but whoa! Youve won gold now, and your charity work has made you the darling of the world. So, why not we forget that rejection and you come on with us? Harvard would have really looked like a bunch of bumbling idiots. The admissions people would have looked truly petty and ridiculous. Harvards one chance to have Cheek was over when they rejected the guy EA - and I think Harvard knew it.</p>
<p>I think by the time Harvard saw the big picture, Cheek was a well proven academic and a world-famous star who Harvard could not possibly touch without doing serious damage to its image. As it is, I think Harvard came out looking only at the very worst, pompous, stilted, perhaps inept in its ability to recognize greatness when the whole world could. But this is only at the very worst. I think most people think Harvard made a mistake, but that Harvard must be a pretty hard nut to crack if it can easily ignore a guy like Cheek. So, all in all, I think Harvard played its hand as best as it could, and it came out looking alright.</p>
<p>I think the folks at Princeton saw the whole thing unfolding pretty much as I have described here. I suspect Princeton was not even in the early running for Cheek. But you Princetonians should really take your hats off to Rapeleye and her folks there. It seems they very deftly slipped in behind the scenes, took advantage of this opportunity and snapped up the world acknowledged prize. Cmon, accepting Cheek is just this BIG WHOPPIN NO BRAINER. Every time Joey Cheek is mentioned, so is Princeton. And this will continue for a long time. I think Princeton looks best of all the colleges involved because it looks like the one school that had enough brains to believe in Joey Cheek. I dont think Yale or Stanford look any worse for the wear here. I think in most peoples minds, these schools were able to see what Harvard couldnt, and they just went for it, though unsuccessfully. Their attempts simply proved the value of the prize.</p>
<p>Because of all of Cheeks extraordinary abilities and personal traits, it looks to me that the one school, above all the others, that cannot possibly lose in this deal, is Princeton.</p>
<p>"*t looks to me that the one school, above all the others, that cannot possibly lose in this deal, is Princeton."</p>
<p>What happens to Princeton if Joey transfers to Harvard? He is, after all, a "perfect transfer student" as you wrote.</p>
<p>Thats a lot of fatuous speculation. </p>
<p>Harvard - and other Ivies - have no trouble admitting they "made a mistake" when not admitting certain people at first, and then finding a place for them later on when it suits their fancy. Primarily, this happens with athletes, but it is not totally unheard-of outside the jockocracy.</p>
<p>
[quote]
What happens to Princeton if Joey transfers to Harvard? He is, after all, a "perfect transfer student" as you wrote.
[/quote]
Then Cheek will look shallow and petty. The difference between he and an ordinary generic transfer is that for a time there, he wondered aloud, to the world, if anyone would accept him. Princeton did. If he turns around and dumps Princeton, he had better play it well, else I suspect he will lose a surprising degree of luster.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Thats a lot of fatuous speculation.
[/quote]
Nothing fatuous about it, though it is speculation.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Harvard - and other Ivies - have no trouble admitting they "made a mistake" when not admitting certain people at first, and then finding a place for them later on when it suits their fancy. Primarily, this happens with athletes, but it is not totally unheard-of outside the jockocracy.
[/quote]
The problem with this is that typically, these sorts of people arent second rate 26 year-old Olympians at apps time, only to become (shortly after being outright rejected by a school) world famous Olympic champion philanthropists. Harvard would have looked very shallow rejecting this guy on reasons of academics and then turning right around and accepting him because he won a gold medal and is now world-famous. I think Harvard sensed this and could not move from its position as a result of it. This is, as you say, speculative. But I think it is also pretty obvious and that there is absolutely nothing fatuous about it.</p>
<p>Having a what 26 year old athlete ( no matter how rich/famous/successful he is or how many medals he's wearing around his neck) as a classmate is not such a positive expereince for regular fresh-minded 18 year young students! do you think not??</p>
<p>
[quote]
Having a what 26 year old athlete ( no matter how rich/famous/successful he is or how many medals he's wearing around his neck) as a classmate is not such a positive expereince for regular fresh-minded 18 year young students! do you think not??
[/quote]
Well, you can't see perfectly into the future. But I think having Cheek around will be quite a bonus to Princeton, due to this guys experience in the real world. If he gets involved with athletics, I just can't see failure anywhere around the guy, since he knows what it takes to reach the highest levels of competition and stand there looking down, humbly :), on everybody else.</p>
<p>Maybe he will bring diversity of a different and useful sort. While we might not typically see it in places like Harvard and Princeton (or maybe we do? I dont know), we do see it in state schools quite a lot and few people are complaining. I think they dont complain because having older people in the classroom only adds to the depth of the learning experience. Cheek has actually seen and done stuff that most 18 year-olds can only talk about in the abstract. And a lot of his experiences are experiences that most of these people aspire to themselves.</p>
<p>If housing is what concerns you, the guy could just get an apartment off campus or live in grad housing. But as for his participation in sports, classroom and general campus life, I don't at this point see a problem.</p>
<p>he's probably going to be placed in graduate housing, according to the usatoday interview. and his age is in many ways a positive. just now, the administration is trying to enrich the undergraduate experience through the inclusion of select graduate students in the new four-year residential colleges. joey cheek is well within the average age of princeton graduate students, and brings even wider life experiences than most grad students to bear in his in-class and out-of-class relations with other undergraduates.</p>