Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach Suspended :: This Won't Be A Distraction At All

All I know about Craig James is that he was a star offensive player at a time when SMU players were “paid” to play, and that is all I need to know.

He might have not gotten the new trans-am like Dickerson, but I’m sure he made off like a bandit.

with little facts. Everybody just needs to calm the hell down and wait until morning before any futher suggestions about who needs to fired or hung for that matter. It’s probably not as bad as it sounds right now and I’m sure Leach and his team will prevail. It’s the top story on ESPN and we all know why so lets just chill for now. Leach and Tech will be fine.

No matter how this comes out for coach Leach, Adam James’ s career is toast. Sadly, he will never play again, not for Tech and not for any other team. Too bad daddy got involved and went public with this matter.

I work for the University of Texas. I have been in on a suspension hearing for a physician who was acting in what was thought to be an insubordinate manner. Believe me, these investigations can happen in less two or three days if everyone is available. At least they can at UT. You’d think there would be a lot forms and such to fill out, but it’s just a one page deal.

I don’t know when the incident in question took place, but if it was anytime in the last two weeks, Tech could have investigated, discussed, and acted very quickly.

I would suggest that if Gerald wasn’t who Hance went to as his point person…. Then why the hell is he in that position?
He either advised to suspend, or was such a non-factor that he was consulted.
An aside…..If you don’t want conjecture and supposition….don’t go to a blog!

not exactlly the same, but very similar. Houston nutt was run out off arkansas because he upset a “little league dad”, so it does happen. Just a shame it came out this week. I hope the fans will remember WE ARE RED RAIDERS FANS, NOT ‘MIKE LEACH’ FANS!
WREK ’EM TECH!

From SI.com

— On Dec. 17, James said Leach told trainers to put him “the darkest place you can find.” James was sent to an equipment shed near the practice field, where a member of the athletic staff checked on James to make sure he did not lean against anything or sit on the floor. James said Leach told him that if he came out he would be kicked off the team.

— When the team returned to practice two days later, on Dec. 19, James said Leach told trainers to “find the tightest, darkest place” for the player. James, in his street clothes, was put in an electrical closet inside the football stadium for hours, again monitored by a member of the athletic staff.

Story

regarding James being in the doghouse in the spring. I can’t find the actual link, in part because I have a hard time searching the archives on DTN and the LAJ, but during the spring practices.

Someone help me out with this. I don’t think I’m wrong, but someone help me find the link.

If Adam James was the son of single black woman who was a deli manager at a grocery store would the university have acted this rashly?

If Jordan Shipley’s dad had brought the same complaint against Mack Brown would UT have acted this way?

If Seth was BeerGut would his post have fewer or more words like mumbo-jumbo?

Has a ram ever brought similar charges against an A&M coach?

Here is a link for you Seth. It’s not a link from spring practice or anything. But note the relatively small numbers for the season and also the lack of accumulated stats in the last 2 games. This is just pretty much saying the same thing as the previous comments… James is overreacting as a Little League dad who’s son wasn’t getting the snaps he wanted.

It’s hard to believe that Leach actually out did Lane Kniffen and his antics.

And to a lesser extent, Leach’s. If a player can’t practice outside due to injury, then there has to be something more productive than standing in a room for 3 hours you could have him doing. Not going to dispute that. I wouldn’t think this was really radical punishment for a football coach to mete out; if you are, in the coach’s eyes, too much of a baby to be outside in the sun, well then we’ll go the other way and make you sit in the dark until you grow up.

This is not anywhere close to something Leach should be suspended/fired for. Football is voluntary, and Leach did not hurt the player or physically abuse him. Football players take a lot of mental abuse over the course of the season. Sitting in a dark room by yourself is not fun, but I think a lot of people would prefer that over a lot of other punishments.

Craig James, in his capacity as The Craig James of The ESPN, probably has the AD scared shitless with a big PR mess. Football coaches aren’t all best buddy friends and super nice with their players. I don’t see how that would be a mental leap for most people, but whatever.

Public opinion….and right now Leach is losing it. ESPN has got the college media machine in full throttle. Analysts are already calling for Leach’s dismissal with only knowing one side of the story.This will be interesting to see how it will play out.

If you read the James’ statement then I ‘m alittle perplexed about taking concussions seriously has anything to do with this. If Leach had said he had to practice or be kicked off the team I get that but even if the James’ claims are close to the truth I don’t see the physical harm here at all. It appears to be a battle between Leach and James. If Adam/Craig didn’t like this then why not just transfer to SMU. And like was mentioned above SMU got the death penalty because it kept paying it’s players after 2 years of probation. The statement was make the Govenor of Texas(an SMU alum) that they kept paying because they had made an agreement with the players and they were going to keep their word. This is just a power play and the overall admin. may have made this but I think Myers had his say in this. Wreck’Em Tech

There are a 1000 messges already on the ESPN site & only 1 person is defending Craig James and his panty waisted son. I suspect that person is Craig James or his panty waisted son.

I will write C. James a strongly worded letter.

The James family released a statement indicating that Adam is the player in question ??? That is insane !!! That action makes it difficult for me to retain objectivity…why would they do that? Why would they take it to a public forum?

It smacks of vindictiveness at this point with that news release…maybe I am wrong.

I am also suspect at the timing…the week of the bowl game this hits the fan ??? That also is insane….

I cannot imagine Adam James being very popular currently, can he go back to TTU and feel comfortable…even if he has 100% support of every person in the football program, his name is Mudd. He could be in harm’s way, the way some of these things effect some folks.

TTU is caught between a rock and a hard spot currently, I hope we find a way to exercise great integrity and correct all the damage.

I also find it weird that Coach Mangino gets booted for saying bad things to players, then this pops up about Coach Leach, who somewhat defended his friend, Mangino…and that both of them were well regarded by Coach Stoops, all three of whom have enjoyed suscess with improving programs in the Big12.

Bizzare !!!

Seth stated that Myers isn’t to blame here but all admin. and I guess I agree with all the admim. but Myers I think does have real blame here. I love Myers as our BB coach back in the 70’s and beyond and I loved him because he was a Red Raider and he brought real fire and passion to a solid, good TTech program but he never got us consistantly to the Tourney. I was ok when he became AD and he has done some good things for TTech but it appears that in his tenure most of the money has been brought in by the top admin. guys and not Myers. He is from the old school and I think it is time me we get some new blood in the AD spot not matter what happens here. I’m alittle perplexed @ Hance here because is this an extension of last year’s contract deal and eventhough he negotiated it is he upset with Leach and we didn’t know it and he just wants to get Leach gone? I just don’t get the quick suspension over no physical harm. Wreck’Em Tech

The humiliation and disciplinary action that Adam experienced is a drop in the bucket compared to what our armed forces have to endure. What do you think my son’s sergeant would say if I complained about him being mistreated. He would laugh in my face. Sounds like this kid needs a little discipline and humiliation. I had a college basketball coach tell me that he did not coach high school because he did not want to deal with parent politics. He had a parent complain to him about playing time, he told the parent they could drive over to the dorm and load their son’s stuff up and his scholarship would be pulled. That was the last he heard from that parent about playing time. This is what college athletics is all about. I can’t believe Tech Administration is giving the James’ this much attention over something this trivial.

Not sure where this comes from, but I like what I read. Sorry I can’t site the info

UPDATE, 10:00 p.m.:

• Mike Leach’s attorney, Ted Liggett, says that he has statements from Graham Harrell, Dana Holgorsen, Eric Morris, Lincoln Riley and others that both support Mike Leach’s track record with respect to injured players and question the motives of Adam James…. See More

UPDATE, 10:15 p.m.:

• Level was told that Harrell wrote a four-page letter to the Texas Tech Administration that defended Leach and suggested that James’ unhappiness stemmed from his lack of playing time. Three other players — Stephen Hamby, Morris and Rylan Reed — off of last year’s 11-2 team also wrote similar letters about Leach and James.

Seems to me, after all the information that has come out, Craig James (and by connection, Adam) stands to lose in this, big time, no matter whether Leach coaches the bowl or not. It is the all-too-familiar story of the meddlesome Dad interfering to the detriment of the entire team.

I couldn’t stop thinking about an episode of HOUSE M.D. (AMAZING show if you haven’t seen it)

it’s in the first season i believe where Foreman is frustrated with House because he thinks that House was wrong in something he did and should show some humility… this is what House said in response…

“And humility is an important quality. Especially if you’re wrong a lot…. Of course, when you’re right, self-doubt doesn’t help anybody, does it?”

I have the feeling that Leach goes with this kind of attitude… i see many comparisons between House and Leach… hmmmmm

Should it come down to the worst scenario, Leach will coach again. It will only hurt this program. These allegations will easily be overlooked by another program looking for a launching pad and Leach would get snatched up in a New York minute. Result – Leach will coach and Texas Tech will be without him.

I know it’s a stretch, but I don’t see the point of firing if another program will see him as hireable. There’s no scenario where the school saves itself from something worse by letting him go.

Show your pirate flags this week, including at the bowl game. I know I’ll have mine in support of the Captain.

Great analogy….I watch House and @ times I just hate his arrogance but he always gets the patient well and @ the end of the day College football is all about what….winning and Leach has done that better than any other TTech coach. I love him 95% of the time and the other 5% is frustrating but remember he also gradutes his players!!!!!!! So much for the “tipping point” Seth!!!!!! Wreck’Em Tech

Your right House does always end well but last I checked a TTech coach has never won a national title in football. So in the TTech football world as we know it now it does make some great analogy. This is not a shot a Leach. I want him as TTech coach. I really want Myers to retire and I still believe he has a hand in this with the James’. After the column in the ALJ last week that indicates that there are 4 red shirt receivers waiting to really challenge next year I think Adam has seen the writing on the wall and for him it isn’t good! Wreck’Em Tech

Is Leach an employee of the university, or of the athletic department?

Is the athletic department a separate entity from the university? If the answer is yes, then Leach could be suspended without any due process as required of public universities because he may just be an employee of a private entity, i.e. the athletic department, that is not required to go through the same steps of due process to suspend an employee.

I like the show a lot, though Greeney and Golic aren’t in this morning… the show is gonna talk about it… one cool point is that they refer to Leach as a “household name coach” so i guess that’s cool… i’ll let you know if anything fun is said…

Pretty rediculous for guys like Ed Cunningham and Mark May to suggest that Leach won’t be coaching at Tech next year, even with the caveats thrown out.

Seemed to me that these guys were too quick to assume the worst had happened. And why did they? Because the Tech administration was maybe too quick to suspend Leach from coaching the bowl game.

I go back to what I said last night. If they wanted to truely resolve the issue, they should have all gotten in the same room and hashed it out. From what I read to this point, it sure looks like Adam James is being a baby and Craig James is being vendictive.

Bottomline is he was free to leave or quit the team at any point if he was not happy with the team or coach. Money wouldn’t appear to be an issue in terms of paying for school. He probably could have gotten Leach to agree to a player release.

When the smoke clears, I think you’ll see a lot of people jumped to conclusions on this all based on Craig James position as a well-known analyst. Only to find out the kid wasn’t in any danger and is crying over some discipline.

Say it stated above regarding if this were to have happened to a different kid. Say a player from a single parent family. Or a player from a little more working class family. IMO, you can bet your ass they parent would defer to the coach outside of physical abuse.

When my brother played at Tech, I can promise you there was some tough discipline. And I know for a fact my parents would have never, ever considered complaining to the AD about any of it. That just would never even seem an option. But I guess times have changed.

I just hope this doesn’t have anything to do with Leach getting his $800,000 bonus at the end of the year for completing his first contract in good standing.

Chris Level was talking about it this morning on the sporting news radio.

Check out this

http://www.zshare.net/audio/70523324b1bb7c6a/

Did “crank that crabtree”……now this! this guy is a genius! Unbelievable how all this smells…..forever Red Raiders/Pirates!!!! Wreck’Em Tech