Mike Leach (HC Mississippi State, a National Treasure, R.I.P.)

[Deety]

The original story reminded me of one from some time back.

Offered for contrast

UF SPRING PRACTICE
Injuries are the pits under Meyer
The Gators' new football coach is determined to toughen up his players.

By Jeff Darlington | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted March 27, 2005

GAINESVILLE -- Wearing heavy steel chains around his neck, Florida offensive lineman Ronnie Wilson walked up and down the steps of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday while his teammates scrimmaged on the wet, gloomy field below.

Wide receiver Michael McIntosh loafed behind him, carrying a large rock with both hands. On another set of bleachers not far away, safety Terrence Holmes lugged a sandbag over his shoulder.

This didn't look like a football practice. It looked like a prison yard.

"He's acting like we messed up," Wilson mumbled to a teammate, his chains clanking against his shoulder pads as he walked past pointing fans. "We're just injured."

Wilson makes a good point -- it did appear as if the players were being punished. But it seems he also doesn't get the real point.

During the first scrimmage of the spring under Florida Coach Urban Meyer, you didn't need to see quarterback Chris Leak's 65-yard touchdown pass to Chad Jackson to appreciate the new regime's tactics. Instead, the sight of injured players lugging odd objects was far more telling.

"That's the pit," Meyer said. "Stay out of the pit. It's an ugly deal. Nothing good comes out of the pit. That's for injured guys. Their goal is to get out of the pit and practice. Practice is easier than the pit."

 

[notfadeaway]

Shouldn't you be rolling around on the ground in obvious (and fake) pain?

 

[jwinslow]

have you guys ever been on a soccer field before? your post does not describe the game i grew up playing.

Ditto. Pre-pubescent sports are basically a 'intro to forming a mob', both on the field and from the parents.

Shouldn't you be rolling around on the ground in obvious (and fake) pain?

Which is why I cannot watch soccer above the high school level. That garbage doesn't fly at the lower levels.

Ooooooh, cheap shot. Let me wave a Post-It in your face. Take THAT, unruly soccer-player!

So that's what basketball theatrics are missing.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

Sorry.. first and foremost... I'm a parent

Sheez tough crowd...

but I gotta say... If my son has a medically diagnosed concussion and you toss his butt into a dark room for 3 hours then throw him into a shed for another two hours... you and me are throwin down cuz I'm coming to find you with ill intent...

No one has posted anything about the liability the university faced if something lethal happened to James... It'd be interesting to see a post from anyone that has had a concussion... and your thoughts/views... of this treatment...

but me... I've had enuf dead football players due to idiotic coaches whose desire to convey toughness exceeds their intelligence about a persons well being and safety... RIP Corey Stringer...

there's a line.. and I'm pretty sure Leach crossed it...

 

[Muck]

Soccer was the beginning of the pussification of America. Parents (fathers) getting involved, brown nosing, giving their son every advantage in every way possible, no that is not more of the pussification of America....it runs counter to what raising a son to become a man is all about.

Dead on - everybody plays the entire game, the boys and the girls play on the same team, don't keep score because the losers will feel inadequate, don't enforce the rules if they lead to unfair results, don't instruct the kids if it hurts their feelings ... soccer is so anti-American in so many ways.

Old people are just so adorable when they start ranting about "these damn kids today!". Well at least until the dementia gets really bad and they start pissing themselves....but I digress.

Now I'm not exactly a soccer fan...but my elementary school didn't have a football team so I did play the game for a number of years.

There was no coed teams, there were separate boys & girls leagues.

No keeping score? No hurt feelings? Changing the rules?! What the hell are you talking about?

Please spare me. I remember our entire team hitting the ground crying one year as time ran out and we lost tournament semifinal game..our first loss of the year.

The coach's reaction? He gave us about 30 seconds and then told us that was enough time to feel sorry for ourselves & to get our asses in the cars so we could start working on next year.

I was 7 years old.

Now granted that was in the mid 70's so it probably was far more pussified than back when you were hunting sabre-tooth tigers with Alley Oop & Ogg but our reality still had nothing in common with the silliness posted above. The sad fact is that YRC baseball was where things were heading down the "every body gets a turn" road....SAY soccer was pretty damn cut throat at the time.

Anyways I'll get off your lawn now boys so you can stop waving your newspapers at me and put your free hands back on your walkers...wouldn't want any hips to get broken.

Oh and we played smear the queer too...so how about them apples?

have you guys ever been on a soccer field before? your post does not describe the game i grew up playing.

...damn beat me to it.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Sheez tough crowd...

but I gotta say... If my son has a medically diagnosed concussion and you toss his butt into a dark room for 3 hours then throw him into a shed for another two hours... you and me are throwin down cuz I'm coming to find you with ill intent...

No one has posted anything about the liability the university faced if something lethal happened to James... It'd be interesting to see a post from anyone that has had a concussion... and your thoughts/views... of this treatment...

but me... I've had enuf dead football players due to idiotic coaches whose desire to convey toughness exceeds their intelligence about a persons well being and safety... RIP Corey Stringer...

there's a line.. and I'm pretty sure Leach crossed it...

His eyes are too close together too. Unnervingly so.

 

[jwinslow]

but I gotta say... If my son has a medically diagnosed concussion and you toss his butt into a dark room for 3 hours then throw him into a shed for another two hours... you and me are throwin down cuz I'm coming to find you with ill intent...

You say that like Craig James doesn't have daily attempts to fight Leach over the most ridiculous complaint.

 

[TheIronColonel]

Sheez tough crowd...

but I gotta say... If my son has a medically diagnosed concussion and you toss his butt into a dark room for 3 hours then throw him into a shed for another two hours... you and me are throwin down cuz I'm coming to find you with ill intent...

No one has posted anything about the liability the university faced if something lethal happened to James... It'd be interesting to see a post from anyone that has had a concussion... and your thoughts/views... of this treatment...

but me... I've had enuf dead football players due to idiotic coaches whose desire to convey toughness exceeds their intelligence about a persons well being and safety... RIP Corey Stringer...

there's a line.. and I'm pretty sure Leach crossed it...

You know, if it didn't appear that these accusations were complete fabrications, I would 100% agree with you. But the only evidence we've seen regarding this "dark closet" is Adam James accusing Mike Leach, and Mike Leach's lawyer showing us a picture of the dark closet (which is, in fact, what appears to be an air conditioned press room). It's not that what he's accused of doing doesn't merit firing his ass, it's that what he's accused of doing appears to be a complete lie sensationalized by ESPN.

I just had a horrible thought: what if Illinois got a crazy hair up their ass and fired the Zooker to bring in Mike Leach? Ugh...bad thoughts...

 

[Gatorubet]

I get the feeling some people are just horribly uncomfortable if they know they're going to be in front of a bunch of people on TV...that, or the guy hasn't seen a courtroom or argued a case in 25 years since making partner.

Lawyer does not equal courtroom. See that whole Barrister/Solicitor thing in the UK. Give you a heads up about the attorney anyway...

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

You know, if it didn't appear that these accusations were complete fabrications, I would 100% agree with you. But the only evidence we've seen regarding this "dark closet" is Adam James accusing Mike Leach, and Mike Leach's lawyer showing us a picture of the dark closet (which is, in fact, what appears to be an air conditioned press room). It's not that what he's accused of doing doesn't merit firing his ass, it's that what he's accused of doing appears to be a complete lie sensationalized by ESPN.

I just had a horrible thought: what if Illinois got a crazy hair up their ass and fired the Zooker to bring in Mike Leach? Ugh...bad thoughts...

Indeed. I can't imagine Illinois without a defense....

wait... yes I can...

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

I filter out all that playing time stuff... and the slacker stuff... I'm just not convinced it's germane to the real issue...

 

[TheIronColonel]

But can you imagine them with an offense? That's the question.

 

[Buckeye513]

Shouldn't you be rolling around on the ground in obvious (and fake) pain?

I'd like to see you say that to Ndamukong Suh's face.

 

[jwinslow]

Old people are just so adorable when they start ranting about "these damn kids today!".

Well it's funny until the parkinson's gets really bad and they start pissing themselves.

Now I'm not exactly a soccer fan...but my elementary school didn't have a football team so I did play the game for a number of years.

Quite simply you have no idea what the hell you're talking about.

There was no coed teams, there were separate boys & girls leagues.

Maybe in kindergarten or 1st/2nd grade. After that you usually have to try out to even make the team.

No keeping score?! Please spare me. I remember our entire team crying one year after losing in a state semifinal tournament...our first loss of the year.

The only thing more sinister than the competitive streak of soccer moms are soccer grandmas. I'm not sure where they get the lovable, tender stereotype, they are viciously bi-polar on average.

Now granted that was in the mid 70's so it probably was far more pussified than back when you were hunting sabre tooth tigers with Alley Oop & Ogg but our reality still had nothing in common with the silly statements uttered above.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

You know, if it didn't appear that these accusations were complete fabrications, I would 100% agree with you. But the only evidence we've seen regarding this "dark closet" is Adam James accusing Mike Leach, and Mike Leach's lawyer showing us a picture of the dark closet (which is, in fact, what appears to be an air conditioned press room)...

Valid