Season's end and the stands come down. One less heart In one more town - Football by Chumbawamba

Oh where to start? From the beginning of this mess with Tech and Leach I've been reading articles and quotes nonstop about what has been happening. I don't think since "Balloon Boy" has someone been so attached to a news story.

It's amazing at what I am amazed by. Some of these comments! It appears there are two sides to the story....ahem....:


The James' and Texas Tech Administration story:
Poor woozy, bruised and beaten Adam James crawls to the field.

Hero James: "Coach, coach....I....where are you? I can't see....My head hurts. So bad. Boo hooo....."
Mike Leach: "Get up, you *&$^%! I can't believe you would CRAWL on my field!"
Hero James: "But, coach! I really want to practice and work HARD to help the team succeed! Ignore the fact that other coaches and players have documented how lazy I am at practice. Ignore that many people say I had a negative attitude and felt self righteous."
Mike Leach: "I said get up, you piece of #*&$^%."
::Mike Leach grabbs him by his hair and draggs him to the Texas Tech practice dungeon, drops him in the pit::
Mike Leach: "It puts the lotion on itself or else it gets the hose again!"
Mike Leach to trainer: "Cover the hole and leave him in there! I want him to rot away! Every 10 minutes throw rocks at him!"


Team Leach story:
Punk James shows up to practice, wearing cap, sunglasses, casual athletic clothes and lazily walks around the football field.
Punk James: "Naaa na na na naaaa! You can't hurt me because I'll call my daddy and he's facebook buddies with the Tech Board of Regents!"
Mike Leach to trainer: "Put him somewhere. He's in the way of practice and he's buggin me."
Trainer: "He has a concussion"
Mike Leach: "Fine. Put him somewhere dark and cool where he can't get hit and injured more by balls or players."
Trainer walks James over to training shed.
Mike Leach: "Make sure you fan him with palm leaves and feed him grapes. He should be looked after with his injury."
Punk James: "That's right, sucka! I own you, Leach and you're little team too!"



Ahem. So, really, I don't think either happened like that, but it seems that we're seeing those two stark differences are the only pictures being shown.

Really, I think Adam James was a punk. He really was cited by coaches and players to be lazy and have a bad attitude toward the team. I think ya, Leach was annoyed by him, like ALL coaches when they have players that don't work hard and expect a lot and even dance during discipline (as stated by fellow coach Lincoln Riley http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=11755149). I think the day that this all went down, yes he had a concussion. Yes, he was being a punk and no, Mike Leach didn't want to deal with him. I'm sure he pretty much wanted him to get off the field and away from practice because he was never really contributing anyway. He would have been better off just sending the jerk home to his dorm, but Leach has a classic theory of keeping a team a team and wanting everyone at practice, even if they aren't out on the field working. SO, he wanted him to be at practice, but not in the way, not prancing around the field while everyone was working hard and not in danger of getting banged around. So, Leach told him to get away and get somewhere dark. DUH. Dark, so the light wouldn't make him feel worse. He had the training staff check in on him and they quoted to say that he mostly slept during that time. He also went into a closet he was told not to go into and film a 4 second video (when he could have used his cell phone to call the police if he was locked up).

I won't go into the other issues around Craig James (who ruined SMU's team) calling Leach so many times about his son's playing time that Mike Leach told him not to call again and so he started calling the Administration and the Board of Regents. WAAA? What parent does that?? Would Wes Welker's dad do that? Crabtree? Harrell? NO. They were hard working kids who did fight for their playing time...not a spoiled brat who's daddy always bought him playing time.

And the other part of the Tech administration not wanting to pay Leach (feeling pressured last year by fans, they settled on a amount they didn't want to pay and therefore planned on firing him before the bonus was due anyway...).

So, that's where we are at. Now, this video comes out showcasing Leach "Screaming" at James. I think I need a reminder of what it's like when a coach screams.....



::Cries in the fetal position::
I think I have some PTSD after watching all those coaches yelling and cussing! I can't handle it! I cry when coaches yell at meeee.

Okay, this one cheered me up:



"I'm sure people vomited in the stands watching our kicking game" :)

Now, I can't imagine what kind of TIRADE Mike Leach must have done on this video....and I see this:


I'm gonna cry! Wait. Wait, wait, wait. That's it? The kid is putting in poor effort and even laughing during this and Coach Leach doesn't even raise his voice? That's way more calm than most coaches I've had in the past. You can't cuss in football? Really? Huh.....should I replay those videos of some of the great coaches throwing things? Raising voices? Cussing?

This is considered one of the best basketball coaches in the history of NCAA basketball: (very graphic language, so you're pre-warned)


Now, that's a coach!

Wait....they keep calling what Mike Leach did abuse. Abuse?! For putting an injured kid in the shade with some ice and let him sleep during practice while the trainer checked in on him??? Abuse??? Check this Texas Tech coach out:


He wasn't fired. huh. Seems inconsistent. I hope you lose your job Gerald Myers.

My mom sent me this and I enjoyed it: (it might remind you of a pretty good movie scene...)

Gerald Meyers (Tech AD): Coach Leach, did you order the Code Red?
Judge Sowder: You don’t have to answer that question!
Coach Leach: I’ll answer the question!
Coach Leach: [to Meyers] 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 Red?
Coach Leach: I did the job I…
Meyers: Did you order the Code Red?
Coach Leach: You’re G**damned right I did!


ANDDDDD, this funny video because hey, it's the beginning of the week and you need something fun to watch to cheer you up Monday morning:



I think we should let soccer moms who want to baby the football players come coach. I read one post about how sports are supposed to be "Fun" and "kids" "shouldn't be pushed like that" referring to this incident. Kids? Fun? Um, no. "Kids" that want "fun" don't compete to play college football in Texas. You play flag football through the intermural teams. I just don't get what some people think hard work is......