Leach fired by Texas Tech

[BaltimoreTerp]

Ok, I'm beginning to hear the other side of this....here's a few excerpts from the NYT interview with Leach..via Twitter

http://twitter.com/PeteThamelNYT

That's some damning stuff. Deadspin's going to have a field day with this, and Craig James may have just started down the road to losing his job.

I'm going to predict right now that Texas Tech does it's best to keep the story on the kid, even to the point of throwing him completely to the wolves.

[geschinger]

I'm going to predict right now that Texas Tech does it's best to keep the story on the kid, even to the point of throwing him completely to the wolves.

That'll be difficult with the e-mails that have been released. It looks like the powers to be at Texas Tech wanted Leach gone and Adam James was just the vehicle to make it happen.

[RShack]

Ok, I'm beginning to hear the other side of this....

See?

The sad fact is that the media has zero standards re: either accuracy or decency, all they care about is blabbing something before the next guy does... so, they knee-jerk all over the place and they don't even care if it's true or not... which makes good people like yourself knee-jerk too about something that happened 1500 miles away that you know nothing about. Just because these guys earn a fat paycheck and look clean-cut, that doesn't mean they're not snakes. Their BS excuse is that sorting out the truth is somebody else's job, as if they're somehow not responsible to what they say. So, right now, a football coach has millions of people thinking he did something terrible when, in fact, we don't know exactly what's what. He's guilty until proven innocent, and he will stay guilty in the mind of many even if he is proven innocent...

[beaner]

See?

The sad fact is that the media has zero standards re: either accuracy or decency, all they care about is blabbing something before the next guy does... so, they knee-jerk all over the place and they don't even care if it's true or not... which makes good people like yourself knee-jerk too about something that happened 1500 miles away that you know nothing about. Just because these guys earn a fat paycheck and look clean-cut, that doesn't mean they're not snakes. Their BS excuse is that sorting out the truth is somebody else's job, as if they're somehow not responsible to what they say. So, right now, a football coach has millions of people thinking he did something terrible when, in fact, we don't know exactly what's what. He's guilty until proven innocent, and he will stay guilty in the mind of many even if he is proven innocent...

Yep, you're right. This doesn't absolve Leach completely or anything, but yes, there are two sides, and people (me included) clearly only saw one side of the story.

[BaltimoreTerp]

That'll be difficult with the e-mails that have been released. It looks like the powers to be at Texas Tech wanted Leach gone and Adam James was just the vehicle to make it happen.

Well that's why. It's obvious Tech was looking for an excuse.

Really what I mean, though, is that they are going to keep bringing it back to protecting this kid no matter how much ends up going against that story. They are going to throw the kid under the bus in order to keep the wrath of a student and alumni base that is ROYALLY pissed off right now off of themselves.

[geschinger]

Well that's why. It's obvious Tech was looking for an excuse.

Really what I mean, though, is that they are going to keep bringing it back to protecting this kid no matter how much ends up going against that story. They are going to throw the kid under the bus in order to keep the wrath of a student and alumni base that is ROYALLY pissed off right now off of themselves.

I think they have to change strategy and focus on insubordination / filing the lawsuit against the team. I don't see how they can stick with the protecting the kid meme unless they are planning to fire or at least throw the trainers and doctor under the bus. It's hard to claim it was about protecting the kid with what is now on the record from the doctors and trainers.

[Sports Guy]

If TT didn't owe Leach a lot of "bonus" money and Craig James wasn't this kids father, is LEach coaching TT tomorrow in their bowl game?

[beaner]

If TT didn't owe Leach a lot of "bonus" money and Craig James wasn't this kids father, is LEach coaching TT tomorrow in their bowl game?

They wouldn't have suddenly fired him otherwise or they would have earlier you'd think, so the James thing certainly was the reason for the sudden decision, but it does seem like they (Texas Tech) had this "gift" fall into their lap so to speak.

[RShack]

If TT didn't owe Leach a lot of "bonus" money and Craig James wasn't this kids father, is LEach coaching TT tomorrow in their bowl game?

Yep .

[mweb]

I hear ya, but the thing is, no one is denying the kid was in a shed, closet, whatever. There has been no denial on each or his spokesman/lawyer's part at all. That tells me he did something "not kosher" involving his handling of Adam James.

It's a shed according to many, and a pretty nice one at that, there is a big difference, so I don't think whatever is in order. Now I'm not saying that's right, but it's better than a typical closet.

[beaner]

But wait, there's more...My whole thing from the beginning is that the treatment was "inappropriate". This trainer saying "Leach wanted James to suffer" is what is the most telling here.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4790586

[BaltimoreTerp]

But wait, there's more...My whole thing from the beginning is that the treatment was "inappropriate". This trainer saying "Leach wanted James to suffer" is what is the most telling here.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4790586

That sounds bad on the surface, and fits with what I've said about the truth being in the middle. But it's still one trainer, and others have said different.

I wonder, even if this is accurate, how much it might be due to the attitude of James. All accounts point to him being a prima donna, and I think there a chance he had an attitude issue and Leach was trying to teach him some kind of lesson.

I don't think that would be the RIGHT thing to do under those circumstances, but it might at least explain the action. And either way, there has been nothing that warrants a firing, in my opinion. Unless they can establish a pattern of behavior, suggest some real damage was done (which doesn't sound very likely) or get past the obvious animosity they had for Leach (and the Dallas Morning News has some emails between administrators and boosters showing the problem), Texas Tech is going to get their little Red Raider painted in court and the media.

[geschinger]

But wait, there's more...My whole thing from the beginning is that the treatment was "inappropriate". This trainer saying "Leach wanted James to suffer" is what is the most telling here.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4790586

It gets crazier and crazier... These statements directly contradict his other statements... If it ever gets to a court he's put himself in a position to get asked "were you lying then or are you lying now" type of questions.

[beaner]

These are sworn affidavits, I'd assume these are the closest statements to the truth that we've seen so far.

[geschinger]

These are sworn affidavits, I'd assume these are the closest statements to the truth that we've seen so far.

It contradicts the statement from a couple of days ago. The affidavit wasn't signed until yesterday. Maybe it's legit and his statement a couple of days ago was not but something doesn't smell right here IMO. He didn't come out and say that he was being misrepresented with his prior statement.

This affidavit was not signed until yesterday after Pincock has already seen Leach fired with one of the reason being him not being willing to sign a document whose content Leach disagreed with. Am I being ridiculous wondering if there might have been some pressure applied yesterday to get a signature?