Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Grandpa’s Got Game – He Just Can’t Play

At least it was the academic process and not Father Time that ended 73-year old Ken Mink's run as a college basketball player. Mink played for Roane State College in Harriman, Tennessee but failed to pass Spanish resulting in him being ruled academically ineligible.

Mink told the Knoxville News Sentinel that he had discussed his struggles in the Spanish class with his coach and a plan was devised to put Mink in another class so that he would have the proper number of credits needed to play. Regardless of age, coaches are coaches and players are players so the decision to bench Mink is being appealed.


"This is not an academic issue, it's an administrative issue," Mink wrote in an email to the News Sentinel on Friday. "... the NJCAA is ruling me ineligible because the NJCAA contends Roane State did not follow administrative procedures in restoring my eligibility after the NJCAA had questioned whether or not one of my courses was completed within the fall semester.

"Coach Nesbit supplied the NJCAA all the documentation proving my academic eligibility. Coach Nesbit knew I had met the requirements and restored me for play, but the NJCAA has contended the coach (or school) had not checked with the NJCAA a second time before restoring me to play."



When you are 73-years old time is of the essence and unfortunately for Mink the appeals process is most likely going to take longer than the basketball season has left.