Miscellaneous

Happy New Year

By Chris Stevenson

On the eve of the end of the 2009 college football season I have to weigh in on several topics.

First - Mike Leach. Let's just get something straight right way.  A player, albeit the son of a former NFL player and college star, makes an accusation and brings down an entire regime at Texas Tech.  This is troubling, not because it didn't happen the way he said, but because 10 years of goodwill and a lifetime career is ended based on a naked allegation.  A mutiny of one.

Make no mistake, I'm not a Mike Leach fan.  I take that back, I'm a Mike Leach fan, but not a Texas Tech fan.  I don't really care much about Texas Tech, unless they beat my team.  But Leach was a rogue; an anomaly and a novelty in college football.  And for that, I loved the man.

In less than a week's time, a player - Adam James - took down a career, a regime and a coach based on a simple allegation.  I don't know if it's true or false.  But what's worrisome is that it doesn't matter.  There is no due process in the court of public opinion.  An allegation is all it takes.

My ultimate opinion is that Adam James is a forthright pussy who felt himself better than the establishment, better than the chain of command and his superiors and ultimately he won.  I think this sets an extremely poor precedent, if this precedent can even be set given what happened to fat Mangino.  Locked in a small dark room?  So what?  Coaches have ways of motivating and disciplining players that might stretch cultural acceptance.  But if the player is the son of someone with a public persona and pulpit - watch out!! I've lost all respect for Craig James.  Never had any for Adam.  All I'm saying is that it's a very dangerous issue where a single player can make a naked allegation and a coach from a prominent program gets fired.  The balance of power has shifted.

Full post as published by Cursed With Ambition on January 01, 2010 (boomark / email).