Mangino story says something about accusers
So Kansas players and former players are all upset because Coach Mark Mangino poked a player in the chest because he was laughing during practice and yelled to a player that he would send him back to a violent life with his “homies” if he didn’t stop talking back.
One former player alleges Mangino gave him a speech asking him whether he was going to become a lawyer like he planned or become an alcoholic like his father. A former player at Kansas State said Mangino pushed him out of his seat because he was sleeping in a team meeting.
And now KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins is investigating alleged “abuse.”
See: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4669621
Well, Jayhawks, if Mangino’s actions constituted some “abuse”, then wait until the Texas Longhorns get a hold of you on Saturday.
Mangino may be out as KU coach. Mostly because he’s lost five games in a row. Saturday night in Austin will make it six. The purported “abuse” of his players is a pretext to the AD wanting Jabba The Hut Mangino to pack up. It’s just now Perkins has some other reason to boot the 2007 Associated Press Coach of the Year.
What this really says, though, is that the complaining football players on campus in Lawrence are weak. Their response to adversity is to whine about it. These are the guys who got into a physical fight with their own basketball team (and likely lost).
It also says these players aren’t taking their “job” very seriously. Yes, I said “job”, because that is what they do in return for a free education. Laughing? Sleeping? Talking back at coaches?
And, who is to say that a college football coach, who may well be the first person to challenge a ghetto kid to make something of himself (like becoming a lawyer) rather than repeat the steps of his father and wallow in a world of alcohol and despair, is not doing the right thing for that youngster in the long run?
Of course it may well be that Mangino is a time bomb about to explode. He may have some anger management problem. But, has this just developed? As Mangino said this week he is not doing anything he hasn’t always done.
The KU athletic director wasn’t eager to investigate his coach when KU was 5-0 and 16th in the AP Poll earlier this season. I guess yelling at players is only bad when you’re losing.
And, don’t forget, those effete national sports writers (Eg., Jay Mariotti) who are all aghast at the alleged Mangino antics are the same ones who crowned Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member Robert Montgomery “Bobby” Knight the “General”. Now you want to see anger issues?