Long live the Great Pirate. Leach is gone. I have three different areas to discuss on this.
1) public airing of grievances
2) espn coverage
3) the real story, in my opinion
Public airing of grievances: We're now in an age where differences are aired without discretion, without filter. Get your story out to the internet, where everyone can speculate. i love the fact that we can all have a voice, it's what freedom of speech is about. Conversely, not everything should be dealt with in public. People, use some discretion. That's you, Craig James. the new world order of dealing with conflict indirectly and publicly is concerning on many levels.
ESPN Coverage: The WWL coverage of this was abysmal. They were quick to have the scoop on Leach's suspension. Word quickly got out that it was a result of the treatment of Adam James, son of ESPN personality Craig James. Gee, I wonder how they figured that out so quickly? The next day, Craig is talking on camera and issuing a statement to the Associated Press. What a crock. Deal with it in private, people. Your kid appears to have been playing the part of a spoiled punk, and nailing the role. ESPN became the a part of the story, and their coverage did not address the emails supporting Coach Leach until after Leach was fired.
Real story, as far as i know. Here's what we know: a) the TT folks were clearly not happy with the negotiations last year with Coach Leach; b) Leach seemed to unofficially seek jobs every year; c) Adam James wouldn't be playing d-1 football if it weren't for Leach; d) Leach was clearly using humiliation and embarrassment as a tactic to get different behavior from James from what he's displayed previously; e) Leach won more games than anyone at Texas Tech ever and had the best winning percentage of anyone since the Red Raiders departed the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association; f) lawyers are going to make some money on this one.
I don't think Leach was trying to pressure James into getting back on the field. My perception from afar is that he was embarrassing James while protecting him from sunlight. He was not in danger. Had James demonstrated good practice habits over the years a la Danny Amendola, Wes Welker, Eric Morris, do you think this would have been handled in this way? Me either.
The losers in this equation: Texas Tech, Mike Leach and the Big 12. The league just got a little less interesting.
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3 comments:
Good summary HT. I have less respect for Craig James now than ever. He had redeemed himself from his Pony Express / death penalty days at SMU. Yeah, he was a pro, but marginal at best.
But his analysis the last few years has been good. I enjoy his take on the games. This, ruins it for me. And thanks to him we have a new moniker: "helicopter dad."
And here I was, being accused of not seeing the "fairness" of ESPN's coverage. I've several folks tell me it's just because I'm a fan of Leach's.
Thanks, HT. Appreciate ya!!!
Oh, and you are 100% correct. I can't imagine who TT gets in to make the Raiders nearly as successful as Leach had them. The Big XII loses because a) the South just got weaker (meaning the conference got weaker) and b)it is, indeed, far less interesting without the Pirate. Leach loses because, thanks to ESPN, his reputation took a huge hit and for what seems to be no good reason.
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