Mike Leach is Getting Screwed

For those of you that don't know Mike Leach is the head coach of the football team at Texas Tech university. He is an eccentric man who has always been thought of as "weird" and "out there" but his knowledge when it comes to football has never been questioned.

Right now Leach is having his name dragged through the mud as he is the focus of a controversy involving himself and a player on his team named Adam James.

The story is that James complained of a concussion and was forced, by Leach, to be quarantined in the equipment room making sure it was in order and if he tried to leave he would be kicked off the team. James also claims that a day later Leach forced him to stay in the electric closet at the stadium with a guard outside the door.

Now before you start judging Leach and condemning him like everyone else has know this one important fact. Adam James is the son of Craig James who is a broadcaster for ABC and ESPN. Everyone who has written on the story has mentioned this fact but no one has discussed it.

Craig James works for ESPN and is well connected in the world of sports journalism. If he feels his son was mistreated he could very well go out of his way to cause a shit storm for Leach and get public support on the side of his son. Now I am not saying Craig James would do that or that he is the Godfather of the journalism world but journalists are a tight crew and nothing sells newspapers like controversy.

What is also important to note about the story as being reported by everyone is that it is a first hand account of Adam James and a "university trainer" who is choosing to remain anonymous. Leach has attempted to set the record straight but of course no one believes him and everyone in the journalist community seems to be doing their best to make him look like Hitler.

Another interesting twist in the story is the amount of support Leach is getting from former players who say Leach would never do anything like this and that he is a good guy who cares about his players. Obviously these former players have no incentive to stick up for Leach and would be speaking from personal experiences where as journalists go on rumors and speculation.

In case you were interested Leach's lawyer Ted Liggett James was told by Leach to go into the equipment room because it was air-conditioned and dark which would help him cope with his "concussion" as opposed to being out on the field in any capacity. Liggett also told reporters that James had been complaining about playing time and wasn't happy with the way he was being used.

The reason this story has gained such momentum is due to the recent talks about concussions in the NFL. People are now all concerned that coaches aren't taking the new information seriously and that these players are being forced to play when they don't want to. This is the card Adam James has chosen to play and the public seems squarely behind him.

To me it seems that James wanted more playing time and was upset about the way he was treated which to me says that he doesn't have the heart to play in the NFL. Sorry Adam but football is a sport for men, not whiners. Is there any coincidence that James has had no side effects from the treatment and that none of his teammates have said anything in his defense about the incident?

"The diagnosing doctor has signed a note stating that Adam James was in no way injured by the actions coach Leach took. In fact, he was better off in the building than he would have been outside.''

Because of this whole incident Leach was suspended from coaching in the Texas Tech's bowl game against Michigan State University but he has already filed an appeal to try and get that suspension removed. I think :each should be allowed to play as long as the players on the team want him around.

I think he should remain as the coach of the program but the damage may have already been done. People everywhere are clamoring for Leach to be fired. Jay Marriotti (who I used to like but now think is massive douchebag) wrote, "If Texas Tech has any credibility, he'll be dismissed this week and deemed unfit to be around young men."

It is a shame that a great coach like Leach is being thrown under the bus like this because some son of a broadcaster wants more playing time and can't handle a little tough love from his coach. Mike Leach will more than likely be fired and Adam James will more than likely graduate and then never achieve anything, as far as football goes, after he leaves Texas Tech.

One kid ruining a mans life and a schools football program for selfish reasons.

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