"Gary Patterson berated doctor over hurt player @ SMU Game"

[ponydawg]

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com ... -hurt.html

TCU football coach Gary Patterson berated team physician Dr. Sam Haraldson on the sideline during the Horned Frogs' Sept. 24 game at SMU for concluding that running back Ed Wesley had a concussion and could not return to the game, a story in the American Medical News online reported Monday.

According to several sources at TCU, Wesley was knocked unconscious for a few seconds. By the time Patterson made it out on the field to check on Wesley he told the coach he felt fine.

Patterson said Wednesday he knew of the story but hadn't read it.

"They didn't talk to me about it," Patterson said. "They didn't even try to get a hold of me. The bottom line is Wesley didn't play. And he played the next week."

Patterson said he was waiting for the TCU administration to clear him to respond to the story. He later issued a statement that because of privacy laws, "we can't divulge information about a specific player's health." He said TCU's policy is to ensure athletes have the "best medical attention possible."

"They didn't get my side of the story," Patterson said of amednews.com. "They didn't get the full story. They didn't gather any information."

[RGV Pony]

that was a fumble too

[Nacho]

fatterson just wanted some diet pills.

[stc9]

TCU's administration knows two things about Patterson. 1) He is a quality football coach - I don't even like to think it, but objectively he is. 2) He is a walking PR nightmare for the school. Unless Mac Engel, GP's fat frankaphone player, is writing the story GP should never, ever speak to a journalist. As a matter of fact he should promote a staff member to Co-Head Coach and that person's only job is to speak with the media.

On a serious note, I'm rather disappointed to hear that he wanted to put Wesley back in a game after the team doc told him about the concussion. That is just irresponsible. GP has to be the adult and worry about the welfare of his players. For the players' safety I hope this story isn't true. As an SMU fan, I would like to fax/e-mail a copy of the article to every football coach in the State.

[ALEX LIFESON]

I have a friend that worked the sideline, and witnessed the whole incident. I was not going to bring this up, but, since someone else did, Fatterson f-bombed the doctor pretty hard, and the doctor responded with,"I'm a professional, you can't talk to me that way", Fatterson said "I'll fire your f-bomb blanking blank tomorrow". He said Fatteron pretty much sweated, pulled his pants over that massive gut, and dog cussed players and coaches the whole game.

[RGV Pony]

classy guy that Patterson if that's how he talked to the doc. Chicken sh*t. The doc is in the business of saving lives, which the finances of college athletics notwithstanding is head and shoulders above what Patterson has or ever will accomplish in his life.

I want to say the doc on the receiving end of Patterson's diatribe is a young-ish doc..like 37. Maybe that affected Patterson's feeling of entitlement...although it probably didnt make a whole lot of difference. I like to think that if Patterson tried that with SMU's team doc, Dr Baker would bend Patterson over his knee and pull out his belt.

[smuuth]

The decisions need to be taken completly away from the coaches and in some cases the trainers. Hats-off to the doctor who protected the player. If it is your son would you take and chance a put him back in....even if it was 1 in 100. No! I just shake my head when the coaches afterward say "I asked the player and he said he felt good enough to go back in". Never leave it up to the player and coach to make a medical decision, especially in the heat of battle. The money from a bcs bowl won't cover the future medical expenses much less the pain and suffering of a serious injury or death.

[sbsmith]

Typical Fatterson behavior.

[cutter]

what an embarrassment.
kinda makes me wonder why the doc back-tracked on his statements and why he hasn't walked away from the job.

[peruna81]

what an embarrassment.
kinda makes me wonder why the doc back-tracked on his statements and why he hasn't walked away from the job.

it may have to do with job security...even in medical professions, jobs can be tight.

Patterson wins football games. He is an excellent coach. You saw in the story above why some folks may have not pursued him further at an AQ school. He is currently king of a moderate-sized kingdom, and seems happy to be such.

[cutter]

Patterson wins football games. He is an excellent coach. You saw in the story above why some folks may have not pursued him further at an AQ school. He is currently king of a moderate-sized kingdom, and seems happy to be such.

kinda makes me think I hear leach hoofbeats in the distance.

[cutter]

wow...now posted on espn college front page.

[EastStang]

Copy of the letter sent anonymously to every parent of every player recruited by Patterson this year. HS Coaches probably don't care, but parents....

[peruna81]

cutter-

Maybe, but Leach is eccentric as all get out-a REAL liability in dealing with the stiff shirts who usually bank-roll college programs and occupy trustee/AD/president offices.

Patterson produces a quality product, drawn much from the same recruiting base we have. He has refined the process, and sits in a great position to sustain what he already has developed, if he chooses to do so.

Leach never sustained the same levels of success TCU has reached (albeit against AQ opponents) while at Tech. He was able to raise them to a new level of interest in the community, and garner fans that are not just Tech alumni, though. Patterson hasn't yet had the buy in from all of FW it seems...

I think Patterson will eventually go to a bigger and better gig at some point, but for now he is the visible representation of a thorn in our side. I was kind of surprised Baylor did not angle to get him when that HC position was made available.

He enjoys playing with local musicians, selectively choosing media moments, and turning good athletes into the players he needs to keep the ball rolling. Not a bad way to make a living, even if it is in FW.

[NickSMU17]

I still think the last 5 years Texas Tech has been a better team than TCU...

Just a difference in scheduling