Mike Leach Interview

[San Antonio Mustang]

Leach conveniently changed the subject at the critical juncture of the interview. When asked about his position on playing an injured player who was under the medical care of a doctor Leach instead answered that he had Doctors statement that James was not harmed or injured in any way by sitting in a room-whatever that room was. THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE. Of course, he wasn't harmed or injured. The issue Leach is running from is whether a player should be publicly humiliated and ridiculed for not playing with what could be a serious medical condition. And whether Leach as Head Coach should be able to influence, pressure or override the medical diagnosis and opinions of the medical staff to bully and intimidate an injured player into playing and thereby by example send a message to the entire team that they are expected to play even if injured. In order to dance away from his own disciplinary techniques he has decided to thrash the reputation of a kid as a lazy, slacker, entitled, spoiled brat who he himself put in football games for thousands of plays from scrimmage. Leach's attack on James is reprehensible-and shows he is not fit to be a Head Coach. He obviously realizes that his disciplinary techniques of a players with what could be a serious medical condition can not be justified. Thank God Derrius Bell doesn't play for that punk

Well said Stallion. He did dodge the issue and typical journalist let him get away with it. I would love to take him on cross.

[huskerpony]

What a scumbag. Fired or not, you don't go out and smear a 20 year old kid's reputation on national television like that. I don't care if he is the laziest player you have ever seen. He is your player who you recruited. Your players should have a reasonable expectation that you won't go out to the media and try to damage their reputation for the rest of their life. Leach, you are the classiest pirate ever. I hope they sue your [deleted] off.

[koolherc]

What a scumbag. Fired or not, you don't go out and smear a 20 year old kid's reputation on national television like that. I don't care if he is the laziest player you have ever seen. He is your player who you recruited. Your players should have a reasonable expectation that you won't go out to the media and try to damage their reputation for the rest of their life. Leach, you are the classiest pirate ever. I hope they sue your [deleted] off.

Turnabout is fair play.

I don't think many people on this thread saw the interview the same I saw or have read the NYT article. Craig James comes off very poorly.

[huskerpony]

Craig James comes off poorly so it is ok to defame his child in public? I certainly hope your children aren't held to the same standard. And as for the NYT, I don't read communist propaganda.

[ThadFilms]

The article in question....

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/sport ... ref=sports

[koolherc]

Craig James comes off poorly so it is ok to defame his child in public? I certainly hope your children aren't held to the same standard. And as for the NYT, I don't read communist propaganda.

defame?? He was repeating what former players and coaches wrote in letters to the USA today. The article is a straight news piece, there's no opinion from Maureen Dowd

[SMU21TCU10]

here is the interview http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4788146

[mr. pony]

Leach's interview just made it tougher for him to get hired again.

No one in the media seems to get the point: are players with concussion symptoms likely to report them to a Leach-type a-hole if they know they're going to be humiliated and called a weak sister? That's the safety issue....

It's preposterous that Leach is being defended by anyone in this.
And calling a 20-year-old kid "lazy" on national television is about the lowest a D-I coach can go. What a tool.

[Statler]

I still wish Bennett would have slugged that pirate when he had the chance.

[Topper]

Leach is clearly delusional, but not quite as much as some of the pathetic morons who refer to him as "Captain Leach" and "Captain my Captain" in some of their online postings.

[Big Hoss]

One thing Mike Leach is forgetting is that he is the one that is supposed to be the adult, aka "the bigger man", in all of this. Adam James is a KID. Whatever you want to say about him, remember that Leach should be the expected to take the higher road because he is supposed to be the more mature one here.

Also, James isn't the one responsible for taking this public. It became public after Leach was suspended, and it has become a media circus because he didn't do what he needed to in order to keep his job. He thought he was beyond reproach, and that Tech didn't have the stones to fire him. He guessed wrong.

[CalallenStang]

One thing Mike Leach is forgetting is that he is the one that is supposed to be the adult, aka "the bigger man", in all of this. Adam James is a KID. Whatever you want to say about him, remember that Leach should be the expected to take the higher road because he is supposed to be the more mature one here.

Also, James isn't the one responsible for taking this public. It became public after Leach was suspended, and it has become a media circus because he didn't do what he needed to in order to keep his job. He thought he was beyond reproach, and that Tech didn't have the stones to fire him. He guessed wrong.

"Come after me, I'm a man, I'm 40!"

[Big Hoss]

"Come after me, I'm a man, I'm 40!"

Exactly!

[Water Pony]

Despite the pursuit of revenue and alums gone wild, character counts in a college coach in any sport. He or she is charged with contributing to the development of their athletes.

Leach plays the victim and can not see his role in the situation and subsequent firing. Ultimately he was canned for insubordination, but earned it with his hubris and self-centered arrogance. To be that removed from his own responsibilities is amazing. Listening to his interview was revealing. He trashed everyone. Apparently he is innocent. Just ask his mother, since his players are not taking up his cause.

[CalallenStang]

"Come after me, I'm a man, I'm 40!"

Exactly!

I've always liked OSU more than Tech and I've always liked Gundy more than Leach.