The pivotal moment for college football Hall of Famer Tim Green's high school coaching career came in a court of law. Judge Brian Dejoseph did not allow Green's attorneys to intervene in the case between the Skaneateles School District and Section III, the governing body of high school sports in Central New York. Without standing in the court Green's options diminished. The judge ruled in favor of Section III leaving it to Skaneateles on itsown to decide whether to push the case up the judicial ladder to the Appellate Division in Rochester.
As the afternoon wore on Green decided it was time to step aside with the hope that his resignation would either convince Section III to lessen the punishment against Skaneateles and allow his team to play or the school board to pursue further legal action that might put the undefeated squad on the turf of the Carrier Dome Saturday morning. By night's end the punishment was still in place and the board had not made a decision on the appeal. That could come tomorrow or Thursday. Section III will likely have a conversation about the resignation. It seems unlikely those committee members would now take away the opportunity to play that has been given to Utica Notre Dame in the absence of Skaneateles.
I am beyond predicting how this all ends, but maybe it is time that the air is allowed to leak out of the balloon. The storybook ending is out of the question. Maybe the team leaders, the students themselves should have a conversation and step aside for Herkimer and Notre Dame to fight it out. If the adults can't quite decide how to make this work, maybe it will be the team captains who do.
Story that was first to report on Green's letter of resignation:
Skaneateles Head Football Coach Tim Green has resigned his position. He confirmed to CNYCentral tonight he has submitted a letter of resignation to the school district administration. The decision comes in the hours following a court decision that removed Green's undefeated Skaneateles High team from the Section III championship game at the Carrier Dome this Saturday.
Judge Brian Dejoseph ruled in favor of Section III this afternoon in a Syracuse courtroom. The team defeated Notre Dame of Utica this past Saturday for the right to play Herkimer for the Section III Class C Championship in the Carrier Dome this weekend. Notre Dame has now been notified it will play the game against Herkimer.
This is the content of the two paragraph letter Green presented to the school district:
"I hereby resign my position as Head Coach of Skaneateles High School football team. I offer this resignation knowing that the School Board will vigorously pursue an appeal of the decision rendered by the Court and because my primary concern has and always will be the best interests of my players and fellow coaches."
"It is my hope that Section III will regard my resignation as a resolution of this entire matter and will allow the forty players who, indisputably, had no role in this matter whatsoever, and who have unquestionably earned their right to be on the playing field this Saturday to participate in this weekend's game."
The resignation comes just days after Green gave an empassioned speech for the American justice system and his players just moments after the team's victory over Utica Notre Dame.
Check out this Forbes.com article summarizing the Tim Green story.
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