Tech’s Leach is hurting his own cause
We love Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. By we, I mean just about everyone not associated with Texas A&M. Even OU, OSU and Texas fans get a kick out of Leach, who is that crazy old uncle who will do or say just about anything.
But Leach’s response to the NFL overlooking his quarterback, Graham Harrell, while the Cowboys drafted A&M backup QB Stephen McGee, and Leach’s blistering attack on the Cleveland Browns for allegedly downgrading star receiver Michael Crabtree does not help Tech’s cause.
Everyone got a laugh out of Leach saying “The Dallas Cowboys like him (McGee) more than his coaches at A&M did.” Heck, the Cowboys might even have chuckled at that one, though no one in Aggieland did, I promise you.
But the NFL will not laugh at all at Leach’s comment concerning Crabtree. Reports out of Cleveland said the Browns didn’t like Crabtree’s attitude when he visited their complex before the draft, likening him to a diva.
“Michael Crabtree has been more successful as a receiver than that guy (Eric Mangini) as a coach at this point,” Leach said. “…Let’s see how all those non-divas do up in Cleveland this year.”
Again, this is great stuff for us in the news business. But is it great stuff for Texas Tech?
Remember last summer, when the Big 12 staged its media days, a three-day event in which coaches and players from the league meet with media from the region and the nation. The whole premise is to promote Big 12 football; its teams and its players.
Leach failed to bring Harrell, who was considered a Heisman Trophy contender at the time. Fast forward five months, when the Heisman committee invited just three players to New York for the trophy ceremony: Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow.
Harrell finished fourth in the Heisman voting but was far back of the other three, and Leach ripped the proceedings. Ironic. Leach wanted the Heisman committee to promote his quarterback, but when given the standard opportunity to do the same for Harrell, he passed.
Now Leach has taken on the Browns — and some would say the Cowboys. These are organizations that in the future will have the opportunity to deal with Texas Tech players.
I’m not suggesting any credible franchise will discriminate against Red Raiders. But the latter rounds of the draft are not scientific; teams take fliers on players. A team has a choice between a player from Tech and a player from, say, Iowa State. What’s the incentive to pick the Red Raider, who has spent four years listening to his coach trash the NFL and its decision-makers?
Is it fair? No. But it’s life. Mike Leach is hurting his own cause.
Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.
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Comments
Mike leach needs to spend more time dealing with what he can control, and stop making a fool of himself over the things that he cannot.
There is one Mike Leach (thank goodness), and 32 nfl head coaches. Maybe, just maybe, Mike Leach doesn’t really know how to do all of their jobs better than they do. It is possible.
I don’t disagree with your points, but it’s what makes Leach a great fit at Tech. As the years tick by, he’s becoming the college football equivalent of Bob Knight.
In the grand scheme of things, Bomar didn’t do anything more than countless big name guys have done at many schools. Most of them don’t get caught (you’re extremely naive if you deny it). Heck, Troy Smith took money from Boosters at Ohio State, was suspended a few games and later went on to win the Heisman Trophy. Bomar got a big head and made a mistake. He was wrong. If you saw the Outside The Lines Special on him a couple years ago, you would know that he is very remorseful and knows he made the biggest mistake of his life. What made his case different was Bob Stoops. Pete Carroll or Jim Tressell would have suspended him and swept it under the rug. Stoops obviously was a little more harsh. The people who get on here and act like Bomar owes them something (3 years later) or ruined their life need to get a life and get over themselves. Righteous Indignation is a stinky perfume…
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i’d trade one sound bite from mike leach for every quote from the lot of big 12 coaches. he says what he means and means what he says. would you rather have to use quotes from bob all day? leach doesn’t care what the world thinks about him; he just goes about his business running an over-achieving program that keeps its nose clean. hyper-political correctness is not even on his radar. he’s a breath of fresh air in a world filled with men that are absolutely full of crap.