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

[localyokel]

One of those great situations where there is nobody to like. Leach knew what the kid's connections were. He could have just quietly benched the boy, and there wouldn't have been much story to tell--bad judgment there. Papa James & Leach's attorney in their statements on ESPN were both rambling, inarticulate doofs. And then there's the kid...I was reminded of something I happily forget about for years at a time. I attended high school in the company of the daughter of our school principal. If you believe kids who live in a position of privilege or influence don't figure that out in a hurry & find ways to exploit the situation, you've probably never met any. I can't find a side I want to be on in this one.

 

[Jake]

ESPN is putting on the full court press on behalf of their boy, under the guise of "journalism". How many times are they going to give Craig James a 2 minute speech to the world presenting his side of the case? Listened to Mark Schlereth practically kill himself to defend James and convict Leach this morning.

James was a star RB on one of the most corrupt teams of all time while he was in college and was accustomed to star treatment. The fact that he has chosen to go after Leach publicly, using his position at ESPN as a forum (with, apparently, little regard for the backlash that will follow his son) speaks to his personality. Instead of going to the school and meeting privately to gets answers he grandstands.

I'm sure Leach can be a real ass, but I'm struggling to see James as a victim. Hopefully, this affair will play into Sparty's hands.

 

[kn1f3party]

Leach knew what the kid's connections were. He could have just quietly benched the boy, and there wouldn't have been much story to tell--bad judgment there.

Sorry, I can't agree with this one. The threat of a spoiled kid having a temper tantrum is no reason to take it easy on them.

 

[localyokel]

Yeah, I caught the Not-Mike&Not-Mike Show this morning, too. It's awfully hard to credit ESPIN with journalistic objectivity on this one. I did like the moment during Mortensen's interview when he discussed it & said if it was him, he'd either have let his kid handle it himself (actually, I think he said his kid would have kicked his @$$ is he'd tried to intervene in a situation) or he'd have done it privately, going to admin behind closed doors, not throwing a whining hissyfit all over SportsCenter.

Go Sparty! Rack up those Big10 bowl wins.

 

[localyokel]

Sorry, I can't agree with this one. The threat of a spoiled kid having a temper tantrum is no reason to take it easy on them.

Oh, I didn't mean to imply Leach should tiptoe around him. I'm not saying live in cowering fear of the kid. If the kid is such a slacker, why is he even on the team? Was that daddy's influence, too? And if he needed discipline, then it prudently should have been done in a manner consistent with the measures taken with every other team member. Then, there wouldn't have been any grounds for reprisals.

My suspicion: between daddy's intrusive "helicoptering" & the kid being such a spoiled, arrogant, obnoxious punk, that he finally pushed Leach's last button & the trip to the tool shed was a kneejerk choice made in exasperation & anger. If you're acting rationally in your own best interest, you don't provide your adversary with ammunition. It's just bad game play.

 

[osugrad21]

Tech coaching staff coming out with guns blazing. Definitely paints a different picture.

First, the shed portion of this story is way overblown...shade vs. Texas sun? The initial report had me thinking of "Cool Hand Luke" Doctors said to keep him out of the sun...done.

Next, every program in America from middle school to college has a procedure for injuries/practice and it is based on the severity of the injury. It is very common for kids with injuries to still 'dress out' but not participate. They still wear the gear and stay in the sun with their teammates. Icing, rehab, etc are all involved but there is never a situation where a kid is just chilling in the players' lounge while everyone else practices.

Finally, the recent trend of coaching news is troubling. For much of America and the increasing single parent homes, Coaches are the last line of instilling discipline and work ethic in kids. I'm not saying all of these cases involve a coach done wrong, but I am saying there is a noticeable pattern developing at all levels where that line of discipline is about to disappear.

 

[Dryden]

Adam James is just bitter he's not getting paid as much to play college ball in the state of Texas as his old man did.

 

[TheIronColonel]

I like that Leach essentially challenged the team to fire him. The guy is crazy, but crazy like a fox: he knows they'll fire him, he's going to make them look like complete fucking assholes when they do it. Lord help them if he wins this injunction, because if he's coaching in the Alamo Bowl it's going to be a goddamn circus, and he'll take every opportunity to remind the university of what they're doing. He'll put up massive points to make it a spectacle and then give an interview for the ages.

It'll be fun to watch. Plus, it might have the side benefit of making Craig James look like an even bigger douchebag than normal.

 

[matt_thatsme]

I like that Leach essentially challenged the team to fire him. The guy is crazy, but crazy like a fox: he knows they'll fire him, he's going to make them look like complete [censored]ing assholes when they do it. Lord help them if he wins this injunction, because if he's coaching in the Alamo Bowl it's going to be a goddamn circus, and he'll take every opportunity to remind the university of what they're doing. He'll put up massive points to make it a spectacle and then give an interview for the ages.

It'll be fun to watch. Plus, it might have the side benefit of making Craig James look like an even bigger douchebag than normal.

Prior to this fiasco I had no desire to watch this game. After reading your post....I wouldn't miss it for the world(assuming the court enforces the injunction). Oh dear God, please let him win this injunction.

 

[Folanator]

It's not like this kid was still bleeding from the ears after trauma. He had a a concussion a while ago and said he was not ready to play yet.

Trying to be objective...

- He sounds like he did not want to play.

- He sounds like he did not want to work hard at practice and this had been a problem over the year.

- He sounds like a spoiled kid with a sense of entitlement because of his father.

- He sounds like he did not understand that as a scolership athlete, you have to try and earn that privelage even if you are not able to play.

If you cannot play, then at least try to do what is asked of you and work hard at practice (conditioning or whatever). Leach my be nuts, but I have not seen or heard a single other story about him abusing players. Normally if this is true, and there is a pattern of abusive behavior, there would be 20 other kids that come out and confirm this kids story.


Until there is confirmation from a few other kids, I am calling this accusation complete BS from a soft kid with a sense of entitlement because of Daddy.

I have been listening for confirmation from other kids that were abused by Leach.

Nothing but crickets.

Calling it BS so far.

You cannot ruin a coach because of a single accusation of a student. There would be no Coach, Teacher or anyone in a postion of authority over kids safe from someone who wants to ruin you.

Happens all the time.

Coaches and teachers HAVE to have power or the inmates will run the prison.

 

[OH10]

Stealing this line from someone else:

At any point during this has Craig James said "I'm Craig James Bitch!"?

 

[localyokel]

I have been listening for confirmation from other kids that were abused by Leach.

Nothing but crickets.

Calling it BS so far.

You cannot ruin a coach because of a single accusation of a student. There would be no Coach, Teacher or anyone in a postion of authority over kids safe from someone who wants to ruin you.

Happens all the time.

Coaches and teachers HAVE to have power or the inmates will run the prison.

It struck me odd that the school jumped so quickly to suspend him. They hardly seem to have had time to really investigate the complaint and validate that it was severe enough to warrant such stern action. They were either looking for an excuse to dump him (odd, since didn't he just sign a new contract?) or they were excessively intimidated by the kid's connections.

In any case, I'd as soon not be in James Jr.'s Nikes walking into the locker room--can't imagine this will get him voted Most Popular Player. (If he thought his coach was punitive, do you want to imagine the kind of reprisals his teammates might devise?)

 

[kn1f3party]

I don't see Tech dumping him. This couldn't have spiraled out of control worse for James. Now he has to be able to back all of this up and it will completely ruin his credibility and as localyokel pointed out: his relationship with his peers.

 

[NFBuck]

Shall we dance?

Source: James hounded Leach to play son more

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Texas Tech continues to investigate a complaint from Adam James and his family, but Mike Leach backers wonder why he was suspended before the investigation was complete. "They never even told him why he was suspended," a source said. "There's nothing more to investigate. The source said Craig James has been "hounding these coaches at Texas Tech - not just Mike - all year" for more playing time for Adam James. "They suspended him because a family is upset about the kid's playing time," the source said. "That's what it is. [Leach] didn't do anything wrong with this kid. "James wanted Mike, No. 1, to promise that his son would be a starter next year, which you can't do." Craig James did not return a telephone call seeking comment.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Craig James is gonna come out of this looking like a world class stage-dad asshole. Couldn't happen to a better douche.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

There is no cookie so flat it doesn't have two sides...

Never had a concussion so I'm not passing judgment... but I try to empathize as a parent.. and I'm sure I wouldn't be happy

From coaches perspective, seems like he went overboard.. regardless of what he felt about the kid... on brink of abusive... heck, if I have a severe headache and I have to stand for 2 hours with a spy to make sure I don't touch anything... come on... is that really necessary or abusive?

Other kids coming forward? no way... they were abused once... they won't volunteer for it again... Did it probably happen? Does a bear.... well, you know...

Will the school terminate the contract? I'd bet vdollars... the school doesn't suspend you unless there's more than just smoke... they know something...

There's a LOT of spin going on... both ways...