Although he is certainly a controversial figure he is still remembered somewhat favorably here after his stint as OU offensive coordinator. His new book is more fuel on the fire and I understand he will be in OKC promoting the book. ESPN is coming off in a really bad light.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/New-Leach-book-lands-Bruce-Feldman-on-suspension?urn=ncaaf-wp3731

ESPN has almost no mention of this on their website and the comments are scathing against them.

Sports Illustrated is not quite so reticent:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/the_bonus/07/11/leach.book.excerpt/index.html

Here's an article I wrote on Leach.

Trial_Mike_Leach (http://www.sillimanonsports.com/Trial_Mike_Leach.html)

The article is below but the link above also has a cute cartoon.

The Trial Of Mike "Blackbeard" Leach

The wrongful dismissal trial of Coach Mike Leach vs. Texas Tech is still off in the future but, if you’re like us, you can’t wait. Plus we expect Coach Leach would like to get it over with for if we know anything about pirates, it is this: pirates aren’t patient. And if we learned anything about Leach, we know he likes pirates... and if he could be one, he would. What if the trial was held on September 19th or “Talk Like a Pirate Day”? What if Mike Leach was able to have a jury of his peers? What if when Leach took the stand he spoke as a pirate? See below:

Lawyer: We see you’re dressed in seafaring garb, Mr. Leach. Do you feel you were wronged by Texas Tech?
Leach: Aye, matey! They came for me doubloons!

Lawyer: But they said you sequestered a player against his wishes.
Leach: Lies, they be. All lies. Landlubber talk! Belay ye landlubber talk, me hearty.

Lawyer: But they said you took young master James and put him in a dark room.
Leach: Shiver me timbers! He be lucky he weren’t keelhauled from the poopdeck.

Lawyer: So you sent him into the dark room as a punishment?
Leach: ‘ave ye be nippin’ on a noggin’ o’ rum, ‘ave ye? All scurvy scallywags walk ye plank. We didn’t send James to Davy Jones locker. We kep’ him cool ‘n dark fer ‘is own good.

Lawyer: So ye…er… you did place him in the dark?
Leach: ‘ave ye no ears? We run no school fer milksops! Football be our game ‘n it be no game fer yellow-bellied sapsuckers or fat little wenches. Do ye savvy, or arrrre ye a landlubber?

Lawyer: I’m no land… er, strike that. So you did lock up Mr. James?
Leach: Never said lock, me hearty. Fer ‘is own good, we placed ‘im. Arrrrgh? This squabble has little to do wit Adam James. The cheap bastards be tryin’ not to pay me my booty.

Lawyer: So you think the James matter is a straw dog?
Leach: Avast! Do not speak o’ dog, ya pompous gasbag. Grog, aye. Dog, nay. We had an agreement, aye. I win games and they pay me plunder.

Lawyer:Young James was cleared to practice and came in sunglasses. Why remove him?
Leach: Arrrgh! We be in Lubbock. Sunglasses are fer wussywogs. Eye patches, ya mangy cockroach, don’t ye see? Eye patches fer all! If’n I let one lad go wuss, they all go wuss.

Lawyer: Judge, could you make the witness stop talking like a pirate?
Leach: (standing): No can do, ye lilly-livered landlubber. I ought draw me musket on ye just fer askin’. Give me my doubloons and I be sailin’ out o’ here.

Lawyer: Judge, this is too much. Please instruct the witness…
Leach: He’s a lubber, Judge. Don’t ye listen to that scurvy bilge rat! He’s tryin’ to take me hawse. I did no wrong. I’m Michael “Blackbeard” Leach. They all be rogues a-plotting. I’m Michael “Blackbeard” Leach and I’m a better man than all ye milksops put together!

Lawyer: Judge, he’s pulled a sword on me! Judge! Judge! Eyyyowwwwww…..

He's obviously still very popular in Lubbock. Look at the line.

http://kfyo.com/mike-leach-book-signing-in-lubbock-photos/

The store sold out of his book. I loved the t-shirt in pic number 24 which said "Tech football for men who aren't afraid of the dark".

Anyone go to Mike Leach's book signing this weekend at Barnes & Noble on May Avenue? It is my understanding they sold out of the books. Whether people like Leach or not he is an interesting character. He did not play a down of college football, yet became a successful coach after completing law school. Since he has a juris doctor degree he can be referred to as Dr. Mike Leach the way Tom Osborne is almost always referred to as Dr. Tom Osborne as if he is smarter than other coaches because he has the degree. I could do a whole post just on the use of the title "Dr." and how we seem to elevate some with it while we never refer to others as "Dr." A lot of preachers are awarded honorary doctorates so they are known as "Dr." even though it is an honorary degree. Newt Gringrich has a PHD. in history and was a history professor at Georgia State before being elected to Congress. I never hear him referred to as Dr. Newt Gingrich but I do hear Tom Coburn referred to as Dr. Tom Coburn. So much for my rantings.

Bigray in Ok

Lawyers that want to be called "Doctor" are the worst. Three additional years of schooling are not enough for that title in my opinion. This is coming from a law student mind you...

Other than that, I love Mike Leach. I'm totally bummed that I missed his signing. Here's hoping Neuheisel gets the boot and he winds up at UCLA.

We missed the book signing too. I didn't know he was going to be here until we saw it on the news.

man, I missed it - I not a big book reader but I would love to read this one

I remember hanging out in the Othellos bar in 99 when I live in Norman and Leach would be in there drawing plays on napkins and asking random people in the bar if they thought the plays would work

He is a character and the college game is better and more interesting when he's in it.

Today, Berry Tramel had an article speculating on where he may land. UCLA was on the top of the list.