OT - The Mike Leach Saga

[ReasonablySober]

I was gonna post something about this even before the news just broke, that he's been fired.

I'm honestly astounded that this all went down the way it did.

• You've got a lazy, selfish, privileged 'athlete' with an axe to grind
• Treatment for a concussion that doesn't even seem to be all that bad (don't you want to keep someone in a dark place and awake after a concussion?)
• The university not doing their due diligence in getting the facts before suspending Leach
• Boatloads of former players and coaches coming to his defense
• ESPN turning a blind-eye to Leach's story because Craig James is an employee
• The same Craig James who helped destroy a football program over twenty years ago

And now he's fired.

I read through all these letters:

http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/ ... 2/19238949

I'm not a fan of Leach by any means. I just think this whole thing is fascinating.

[LUKE23]

I think him being fired is a joke personally.

[chuckleslove]

They didn't want to pay the 800k bonus.

Pretty amusing to me how this was handled by the media(mostly ESPN).

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

Leach may end up in a better coaching situation. Lubbock isn't all that great of a place and Texas Tech was nothing before he got there. I'll be curious to see where he ends up.

[chuckleslove]

I think a lot of where he ends up is going to be a result of how the investigation into this issue goes.

[ReasonablySober]

Saw this on another site. I LOL'd.

A FEW GOOD PIRATES

Gerald Meyers (Tech AD): *Coach Leach, did you order the Code Shed?*
Kent Hance: You *don’t* have to answer that question!
Coach Leach: I’ll answer the question!
[to Meyers]
Coach Leach: You want answers?
Meyers: I think I’m entitled.
Coach Leach: *You want answers?*
Meyers: *I want the truth!*
Coach Leach: *You can’t handle the truth!*
[pauses]
Coach Leach: Son, we live in a world that has sidelines, and those sidelines have to be guarded by pirates with swords. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Meyers? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for James, and you curse the Pirates. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That James’s small shed, while tragic, probably saved games. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves games. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties with your fat little girlfriends, you want me on those sidelines, you need me on those sidelines. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very bowl games that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a sword, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
Meyers: Did you order the Code Shed?
Coach Leach: I did the job I…
Meyers: *Did you order the Code Shed?*
Coach Leach: *You’re G**damned right I did!*
Texas Tech Coach Leach Suspended….
....

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

Saw this on another site. I LOL'd.

A FEW GOOD PIRATES

Gerald Meyers (Tech AD): *Coach Leach, did you order the Code Shed?*
Kent Hance: You *don’t* have to answer that question!
Coach Leach: I’ll answer the question!
[to Meyers]
Coach Leach: You want answers?
Meyers: I think I’m entitled.
Coach Leach: *You want answers?*
Meyers: *I want the truth!*
Coach Leach: *You can’t handle the truth!*
[pauses]
Coach Leach: Son, we live in a world that has sidelines, and those sidelines have to be guarded by pirates with swords. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Meyers? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for James, and you curse the Pirates. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That James’s small shed, while tragic, probably saved games. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves games. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties with your fat little girlfriends, you want me on those sidelines, you need me on those sidelines. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very bowl games that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a sword, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
Meyers: Did you order the Code Shed?
Coach Leach: I did the job I…
Meyers: *Did you order the Code Shed?*
Coach Leach: *You’re G**damned right I did!*
Texas Tech Coach Leach Suspended….
....

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

SI did a similar thing referring to Michigan Boosters. I thought it was great.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

I was watching ESPN just now, and they had on a co-author of one of his books and thought it was a fair segment. Basically saying the University was using this as an excuse to part ways since he has worn out his welcome at the University. Said players loved him and that he had great GPAs for his team.

[trwi7]

My biggest Craig James memory is calling the 1998 Badgers "The worst team to ever play in the Rose Bowl."

After the win, Barry Alvarez comes up with a classic line in response to that. "Well, I know we're at least the second worst."

[chuckleslove]

My biggest Craig James memory is calling the 1998 Badgers "The worst team to ever play in the Rose Bowl."

After the win, Barry Alvarez comes up with a classic line in response to that. "Well, I know we're at least the second worst."

I remember that, a classic to say the least.

[LarryHarris]

Check out this pro-Leach rap...

http://deadspin.com/5437004/mike-leach- ... diss-track

[humanrefutation]

Leach brought this on himself. He's been turning up his nose to the Tech administration for years; and apparently refused to even sign a letter agreeing to basic tenants in how to treat injured athletes.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls09/n ... id=4781981

The letter set out guidelines for dealing with student-athletes that the school wanted Leach to agree to. He refused to sign the letter.

Among the guidelines were:

• "Decisions regarding whether an injury warrants suspension from practice and/or play will be determined by a physician without pressure from you or your staff."

• "There will be no retaliation against any student who has suffered an injury."

There is no question that athletes often force themselves to fight through injuries in order to play - injuries that they shouldn't be playing through (like concussions) - and why do they do that? Because they're afraid of being punished for being hurt. That, in my opinion, is a really unfair and pathetic part of sports. You should protect your athletes. Look at what's happened to a large number of former NFL players - they're dying young; suffering from mental and physical disabilities - simply because they were not protected by their teams, coaches, unions, and programs.

The fact that Leach wasn't willing to sign a simple letter agreeing to these basic tenants is pretty telling IMO. On a legal front, if Tech didn't fire Leach, THEY could be held accountable if Leach's punishments in the future actually cause further injuries. That's why they wanted him to sign this letter. The fact that he didn't just gave them even more of a reason to fire him.

Now, some sources say that Adam James had an axe to grind with the university; that the punishments were exaggerated, etc. Some would say that this is a very good reason why Leach shouldn't be fired. I have two rebuttals - first, ANY punishment for an injured player is pretty ridiculous IMO (and I think this is obvious that he was punishing James; even if the accusations were exaggerated, any punishment, even if it doesn't really hurt him physically, is wrong IMO). Second, I think that this really shows how stupid Leach is. If he thought the university was looking for a reason to fire him, then why did he give them ammunition? Why did he refuse to sign the letter; why didn't he just apologize for punishing James? Is it that difficult to show some humility?

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/video-shed-electrical-closet-at-texas-tech-27504

Pictures and video of the "shed" and "electrical closet". Kind of entertaining video, haha.

[Thunder Muscle]

Sounds like the Bobby Knight deal where a privileged athlete that was unhappy got a Coach on shaky terms with the University fired.

[Thunder Muscle]

They didn't want to pay the 800k bonus.

Pretty amusing to me how this was handled by the media(mostly ESPN).

And just another reason I HATE ESPN.