Strike two for Chi Chi
Troubled Dickinson QB arrested again; questions still abound about cover-up
The news last week that Chinemese "Chi Chi" Nwadike, the talented Dickinson High School quarterback, had been arrested for a second time for criminal marijuana possession has angered a lot of people in the local Hudson County sports circles.
The fact that it’s the second arrest on the same charge in the span of seven weeks has caused people who were once willing to stick their necks out to defend the teenager to now turn their backs to him.
When Nwadike was arrested the first time in February – during the basketball season, right before the HCIAA playoffs were set to begin – there were several people who were sure that the charges were false and that Nwadike would be vindicated, either in court or by the original charges being dropped.
"There’s more to the story than meets the eye," a representative from the Jersey City Board of Education told me at the time. "By the time you try to write something, the charges will be dropped."
But the initial charges against Nwadike – possession of narcotics with intent to distribute and possession within 1,000 feet of a school, namely Dickinson itself – were not dropped. Nwadike had his day in front of a Central Judiciary Process judge and was released on bail, pending information whether there was enough information to indict Nwadike on felony drug charges.
Now, there’s another charge – similar felony possession of marijuana – to add to the first one. According to police reports, these charges stem from an undercover officer asking Nwadike if he knew where he could purchase marijuana. The reports said that Nwadike allegedly told him where he could buy some. Strike two.
The University of Maine, whose letter of intent Nwadike signed to attend on a football scholarship, issued a statement last week that Nwadike’s name had been taken off their scholarship list.
Now the people who were once willing to support Nwadike at all costs have turned their backs. Some people even went as far, the first time around, as to secure him legal representation. Others went as far as to contact the arresting officers to see if there wasn’t something that could be done.
Not anymore.
"I’m done with him, finished," said a prominent Jersey City official who requested anonymity. "I was willing to help the kid at first. But not now. I don’t care if he’s guilty in the courts, but he’s guilty for even being close to the scene. He’s guilty of being stupid and he’s not a stupid kid. How stupid could you be to even be associated with those people? I’m done and I told him that."
What’s still sickening – and still, nothing has been done about it to date – is the way that Nwadike was allowed to play for the Dickinson basketball team during the county and state playoffs, even after his first arrest.
Reliable sources said that basketball coach Bill "Red" Drennan and athletic director Roddy Maffia both were aware of Nwadike’s arrest, yet failed to tell Board of Education authorities about it – until the Board of Education was informed by members of the media.
At the time, Superintendent of Schools Richard DiPatri said that "heads would roll" if there was any evidence of a coverup regarding Nwadike’s initial arrest.
This week, DiPatri’s spokeswoman Joanne Kenny assured me that some sort of disciplinary action had been taken.
"The district has addressed the situation with the coach and the athletic director," Kenny said. "Since it is a personnel matter, I cannot comment on the matter. But action has been taken. It has not been ignored."
Kenny cannot comment, but here’s the news that has been filtered down. Sources say that Maffia, the long-time AD, has been told by administrators to take the remainder of his sick time and allotted vacation time and retire. He has already been replaced by an interim AD, Linda Petrocelli. But there were rumors that Maffia was being asked to retire before the Nwadike incident, so this just helped to grease the skids, so to speak.
Drennan was not fired, just given a former reprimand for his actions. Any further incidents will lead to his dismissal.
Apparently, Nwadike is back in school, trying to earn enough credits to graduate with his class. A member of the National Honor Society and a very bright student, the native of Nigeria has seen his future clouded and his once-shining image tarnished by his horrific bad judgement.
Subsequently, the possible bad judgement of two people, who were willing to stick their necks out for Nwadike, may have cost one his career and nearly cost the other his.
And Nwadike, still defiant that he did anything wrong, wonders in a local daily newspaper how his name is being smeared in print and how the stories of his arrest get out to the newspapers, like someone is out to get him.
He still doesn’t get it. Nwadike’s actions have hurt so many people who were willing to help him and he still wonders what it is that he’s done wrong.
The time has come for Chi Chi Nwadike to look in the mirror. Two arrests. In seven weeks. For felony narcotics. That’s wrong enough. Guilty or not, that’s still wrong.
"Honestly, it is always disappointing when a kid has problems, no matter who the kid is," Kenny said. "We’re all about kids at the Board of Education. We try to bend over backwards to help every kid. But there’s a fine line that we all have to worry about."
Chi Chi Nwadike must not have thought about that line when he allegedly crossed it a second time. When he was a quarterback, he could rely upon his offensive line to lead the blocking. Now, it appears as if the people who were doing the blocking in his defense after his first hint of trouble have all retreated in disgust.