Shame on Craig James.
Shame on ESPN.
Shame on Texas Tech.
If what Mike Leach said was true in the New York Times on Friday, then what we all thought two days ago is a mirage. Leach and other sources claim that the coach did not, in fact, mistreat Adam James. Leach said only that he did not know where the player was taken and that he ordered only that James be taken "out of the light." Leach is supported by head trainer Steve Pincock and a team doctor.
Leach hasn’t spoken this candidly because he was busy suing the school. But now that it has fired him, the gloves are off. Most telling is the accusation by Leach that James leveraged his position as an ESPN analyst to get more playing time for his son. Through a spokesman, James said the accusations were "absurd."
I received two calls this week from people I trust saying James had bothered coaches and that he had tried to leverage his influence at the network to get his son playing time. Big Daddy James had become a royal pain in the you-know-what. None of that should dismiss the assertion that Leach allegedly mistreated James' son. But if a court ultimately rules in favor of Leach in what is sure to be an unlawful termination suit brought by Leach, James' job could be in danger.
I thought from the beginning it was borderline unethical that friends and co-workers of James were reporting this story. It had that "railroad" smell to it from the beginning with James being portrayed as the protective parent.
There is definitely another side to this, a side that ESPN hasn’t reported until after the Times ran its story. An ESPN employee said that it did report the e-mails written by assistant coach Lincoln Riley as well as a memo written by Texas Tech doctor Michael Phy before the Times story. Just throwing this out there but where was the Worldwide Leader’s info coming from – James, his son, maybe both? That’s OK if Craig James worked for Fox. It’s not OK if he drives a story in his favor with his employer.
With Leach firing back, Texas Tech better check its bank account and ESPN should consider firing their guy. First, he is now as radioactive as Leach in his own profession. The rumor that James is considering a Senate run might have to be addressed. Free publicity, it would seem, for a future politician?
Also, what coach will want to talk to James in the future? Even if his son was mistreated by Leach, the allegation that has been badgering the Texas Tech staff will not go over well in the coaching profession.
As is usually the case, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle but let's look at this a different way. The fact that Leach would not "apologize" to the James family didn’t make sense from the beginning. If Adam’s treatment was so heinous, why would a simple apology make Big Daddy go away?
There are three sides of this story: Texas Tech's, Leach's and James'. I don’t know quite who to believe but I do know who has lost. The Phony Express, Big Daddy James.
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There are many people out there telling Tech fans to grow up and accept that Leach is gone. I don't see Tech and Leach kissing and making up, but telling Tech fans to get over it is like telling you to get over loosing something that is important to you, even if if is as simple as your childhood baseball card collection. Many express that Leach is a loser, never accomplished anything and has a lot of faults.
So sad when a man cannot recognize the good in another. I think that is one sign of immaturity
Leach had a winning season every year during his tenure at Tech. Wishbone formation creator Emory Bellard has stated that Leach does the best job of any offensive coordinator in the nation. Ten years, ten bowl games. He brought Tech football player graduation rate up to number one in the country.
Urban Meyer is giving it up due to exhaustion. Being a head coach is a demanding job. I have read that Leach spent more hours working than anyone else in the Tech athletic department. He has also accomplished great deal in his life and positively affected the lives of many people. Do you have a comparable record?
Leach believed in the pirate culture that eveyone was equal and important, every team member had a job to do. Everyone contributed. There is so much evidence out there that Adam James never bought into that. It will be interesting to see what James is doing 10 years from now. I really hope he comes to understand that living an honest, productive life, bringing joy and happiness to others will make his dad more proud than his being a football star.
Leach may not have a lot of charm and charisma, and you may criticize his defending himself, but how do you feel when you are acused of doing something like trying to cause harm to someone else, and you honestly feel things have been misrepresented? If this were you, would you just quietly go away? I believe that if he brings a law suit against Tech, it will be more about his reputation than about money. And I’d bet the cost of season football tickets that if this were a Hollywood star with charm and charisma, you would overlook any of his transgressions. Case in point…Charlie Sheen was arrested and accused by his wife of threatening her life with a knife on Christmas Day. But today Sheen is back in Hollywood on the set of 2 1/2 men and his fans will tune in to watch and let it go. And his wife wants him back!