Leach and Mangino firings: further evidence of the wussification of America's youth?

• myron pater boswell

  Granted there are two sides to the Mike Leach saga down at Texas Tech: abusive coach (don't lock a kid in an electrical closet if he has a concussion) or malcontent player (why did the kid have a cell phone with him while locked in that locker? Is that standard to have while at practice? And aren't most of his teammates coming out on Leach's side?). And with Mangino fired for berating his team--for being verbally abusive, as well as poking a finger in a kid's chest--I pose whether these are two further incidents that verify the Wussification of the American Youth.
  
  Dodgeball and Tag being banned from schools, because they eliminate kids or humiliate them. Participation trophies for your 5-year-old nephew's soccer team that went 2-13 on the season. Parents creating any excuse/crutch (504 plans, anyone?!?) for any weakness or problem their kid has?
  
  Is this any wonder we are losing our competitive edge to China and India?
  
  Interested to hear some Huddlers' thoughts on this whole situation, specifically how the Leach/Mangino firings factor into the whole (lack of) toughness we seem to have in America any more...
• berry

  Leach got shafted. The closet was huge, and none of the snakes were poisonous.
• Sonofanump

  Schools and companies are looking for any reason to get out of bad deals right now.
  How many endorsement deals does Tiger Woods have left.
• j_crazy

  

  Mangino's firing was MORE justified than Leach's. Leach punished a kid (for reasons I'm yet unaware) by making him stand in a dark cool room, which Leach knew would help the kid's condition. Mangino punished a kid by causing harm to him.
  
  Leach's firing is an example of ESPN (even lowly part time analysts) having waaaaaaay too much pull.
  
  Mangino's firing was a case of an angry over the top coach getting what he deserved.
• Swamp Fox

  Please don't get me started on 504 Plans.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Swamp Fox wrote: Please don't get me started on 504 Plans.

  Get started on them! I want to hear.
• Nate

  Did James come out of the closet in more ways than one?
• devil1197

  I'd try to get out of playing 400-800K also.
• Fab1b

  

  Society has become soft there is no doubt about that. Take the sport of wrestling, real wrestling guys not that WWE shit, and look at how some of the rules have changed over the years. I have been involved with wrestling now for 30yrs both as a wrestler, coach, and official now. The sport has been softened by so many administrative rules (for safety) it gets frustrating sometimes. Also as an official I have to be sure I stop something or prevent everything I am able too so I don't get sued and that makes me the bad guy in alot of people's eyes but hey I am not going to court to battle anyone. We have allowed those who whine and cry to be heard over those who put in the hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. We allow those who don't like something to dictate our lives because they got offended or hurt, yeah society is soft as hell and it is ruining our youth in this nation! The youth believe that if they just sit on their ass and cry about it, they will get their way and you know what they are right, the rules will be changed for them and that sucks!
• Early Cuyler

  

  berry wrote: Leach got shafted. The closet was huge, and none of the snakes were poisonous.

  Don't try too hard.
• Ironman92

  

  It can also be portrayed as big shot/successful coaches can become too arrogant to do what is right.
  
  I'm sorry, but after hearing the whole interview with the chancellor....Leach has no arguement.
• darbypitcher22

  

  I still think there are too many missing details in the Leach case... all we've heard is the Tech side and the player's side of the story... not much from the other side... there's still a ton more of informatin I'd like to have
• Benny The Jet

  

  darbypitcher22 wrote: I still think there are too many missing details in the Leach case... all we've heard is the Tech side and the player's side of the story... not much from the other side... there's still a ton more of informatin I'd like to have

  I think if there were more to the story it would have came out by now, unless his lawyers told him not to say a word. I haven't heard Leach deny anything, which leads me to believe he knows what he did was stupid. Like they were saying earlier, I think him getting fired was going to happen, the whole $800k bonus just sped up the process.
• ts1227

  

  Is it wusification, or young people finally having the balls to stand up to someone and stop subscribing to the "your elders are unconditionally correct and may not be challenged regardless of how fucking stupid they may be simply because they are older than you" mindset of the past?
• Strapping Young Lad

  

  Why was a kid w/ a concussion forced to stand in a closet, again??? That sounds like a strange thing to have someone do, in all honesty.
• BCSbunk

  myron pater boswell wrote: Granted there are two sides to the Mike Leach saga down at Texas Tech: abusive coach (don't lock a kid in an electrical closet if he has a concussion) or malcontent player (why did the kid have a cell phone with him while locked in that locker? Is that standard to have while at practice? And aren't most of his teammates coming out on Leach's side?). And with Mangino fired for berating his team--for being verbally abusive, as well as poking a finger in a kid's chest--I pose whether these are two further incidents that verify the Wussification of the American Youth.
  
  Dodgeball and Tag being banned from schools, because they eliminate kids or humiliate them. Participation trophies for your 5-year-old nephew's soccer team that went 2-13 on the season. Parents creating any excuse/crutch (504 plans, anyone?!?) for any weakness or problem their kid has?
  
  Is this any wonder we are losing our competitive edge to China and India?
  
  Interested to hear some Huddlers' thoughts on this whole situation, specifically how the Leach/Mangino firings factor into the whole (lack of) toughness we seem to have in America any more...

  The world has been wussified ever since the traditions of Sparta were abolished. S P A R T A!
• Fab1b

  

  ts1227 wrote: Is it wusification, or young people finally having the balls to stand up to someone and stop subscribing to the "your elders are unconditionally correct and may not be challenged regardless of how fucking stupid they may be simply because they are older than you" mindset of the past?

  You are right, too many people don't stand up for themselves and just do what they are ordered to do by someone older or over them. The older you are the wiser you are crap is that crap!! Being older doesn't get you listened to or respected. Sharing your knowledge, giving respect, and helping others do the right thing is what makes one wiser!
• Swamp Fox

  There are times when it is entirely justified to give a student a hand up. There are certain physical disabilities that make it necessary and proper to provide such assistance (504 Plans and other similar devices) as will enable a student to fairly compete in the classroom. There are also sometimes psychological issues that need to be attended to to insure a fair educational opportunity for students. For certain students, these "accommodations" are both fitting and proper to provide. When they are being used as a crutch, an excuse for the kid not to do a blessed thing but "pass", then I have a huge problem with them. I have sat in on more of these 504 meetings than I care to remember, where the only reason we were there was to develop a way to insure the student "passed", whether they did any work or not and secondly, to take any parenting responsibility completely away and put the honus on the teachers to provide all kinds of simpler assignments and the like so that a minimal amount of work would be collected (if the "student" did anything at all) and he or she would "pass". When the "student" then failed to do anything because he had seen that nothing would be demanded of him, we would be back to "adjust" the accommodations . I actually attended one of these "second meetings" where the mother turned to her child's guidance counselor and said "I thought we had a plan in place that would enable "Little Bobby" to pass??? My response to her, when it was my turn, was when "Little Bobby" turned in his missing assignments, I'd grade them and if he completed them satisfactorily, I would give him a passing grade because he had earned it. I think the longer you are in public education, the more jaundiced you sometimes become.
• ytownfootball

  

  Fab1b wrote:

  ts1227 wrote: Is it wusification, or young people finally having the balls to stand up to someone and stop subscribing to the "your elders are unconditionally correct and may not be challenged regardless of how fucking stupid they may be simply because they are older than you" mindset of the past?

  You are right, too many people don't stand up for themselves and just do what they are ordered to do by someone older or over them. The older you are the wiser you are crap is that crap!! Being older doesn't get you listened to or respected. Sharing your knowledge, giving respect, and helping others do the right thing is what makes one wiser!

  Eh...that can go both ways. There are plenty of examples of older folks who show respect and are simply attempting to pass on their experience to prevent others from making mistakes they know they'll regret but are rebuffed by those who are too damn hard headed.
  Those are the ones who think their dads are the dumbest people on the planet until they're about 25 (give or take), then the ligh bulb comes on.
• Fab1b

  

  And I totally agree with that as well, I was just saying the old saying of older is wiser is not always right! 100% two way street!
• ts1227

  

  agree 100% fab1. People often seem to not want to acknowledge that it can go both ways.
• Heretic

  

  ts1227 wrote: agree 100% fab1. People often seem to not want to acknowledge that it can go both ways.

  Yeah. When you have a situation that can be summed up with "kids didn't like abrasive asshole authority figure", it's kinda weak to simply make a "kids are wusses" argument, as that discounts the whole "abrasive asshole" part.
• Hesston

  

  I agree this generation is soft and lazy
• Fab1b

  

  Heretic wrote:

  ts1227 wrote: agree 100% fab1. People often seem to not want to acknowledge that it can go both ways.

  Yeah. When you have a situation that can be summed up with "kids didn't like abrasive asshole authority figure", it's kinda weak to simply make a "kids are wusses" argument, as that discounts the whole "abrasive asshole" part.

  There is always going to be both situations happening. What I dislike about society today though is the catering to softies! Change the rules because they can't hack it, that is what grinds my gears !
• ytownfootball

  

  Agreed.
  
  However, when faced with true infringements upon, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness all that wussification shit exits stage left faster than any other country in the world. While we as a nation put on the facad of being good little soccer moms, minivan drivers and wearer of pink shirts, we're definately not the ones you want to step across the line on. The line may be further back than it ever has but when push comes to shove we can certainly be bad ass.
  
  As long as this fact remains I don't really give two shits about the whining and sniveling that goes on regularly, I just SMH.