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Lubbock, Texas The Team Leach Facebook group is proud to announce that its membership has now topped well over 55,000 members in just two weeks with no signs of slowing down. The group was created in response to the abrupt recent firing of head coach Mike Leach from Texas Tech University.
The group consists of an interconnected network of supporters of Mike Leach spanning across the entire world and includes members and alumni from other universities in addition to Texas Tech Alumni, Students, and former players.
The group advocates peaceful civil protest, and demands a thorough investigation into the events leading up to the firing of Mike Leach as well as financial pressure on the University of Texas Tech Alumni organization by the canceling of donations and season tickets to Texas Tech sporting events.
The Team Leach Facebook group's rapid growth is directly related to the frustration and anger resulting from the mishandled firing of former head coach Mike Leach without a thorough investigation and recently leaked emails that show former Texas Tech Regent Jim Sowell and current Chancellor Kent Hance having a discussion about planning to fire the Coach as early as January of 2009.
In an email dated Friday January 9th 2009 Jim Sowell wrote the following in reference to Mike Leach's ongoing contract extension negotiation last year:
"I hope he doesn't sign, that gives us a full year to find another coach after we fire him after next season and pay off the remaining year on his contract."
The Team Leach Facebook Group condemns these types of discussions and finds the manner in which Texas Tech administrators handled the suspension and firing of Mike Leach without due process completely deplorable.
This premeditated firing discussion correspondence has largely been ignored by media outlet ESPN due to their relationship with analyst Craig James whose son Adam James' alleged mistreatment is cited as one of the reasons for the initial suspension of Coach Mike Leach on December 28th 2009.
This conflict of interest and slanted coverage has been disappointing to the Team Leach Facebook group as it undermines the journalistic integrity and ethics of ESPN and its analyst Craig James. The group now is calling for ESPN to reform its ethics reporting guidelines and calls for the media entity to reevaluate the nature in which it handles its coverage and is asking for ESPN to remove Craig James completely from its employment for using his position as a pulpit.
The Team Leach Facebook group also wants a clarification by all media outlets concerning the released affidavits by Texas Tech Administration from Texas Tech Trainer Steven Pincock whom handled Adam James during the incidents that led to Mike Leach's suspension.
In these affidavits Pincock clearly states in Article VIII
"I noticed an electrical closet in the room, and walked inside. I commented on the noise in the room, and told him not to go in that room."
This statement specifically shows that Mike Leach never asked that athlete Adam James be "locked up" in any electrical closet as previously reported, and to clarify that Adam James went into the electrical closet under his own free will and recorded the cell phone video released by the Spaethcom PR firm.
In addition to illustrating Adam James' insubordinate nature, these statements and other information referenced in Pincock's affidavit testimony, shed light on the nature of Adam James’ character as a player who refused to follow rules.
in Article IV of Pincock's affidavit testimony he notes the following:
"James arrived for practice wearing street clothes, his on cap backwards, and sunglasses and began walking around the field in a very non-chalant way He was not wearing the standard jersey and cleats or workout gear expected of all players during practice, including injured players"
The Team Leach Facebook group would like to inform all media outlets that Adam James has been injured before and knew team rules for injured players prior to the date December 17th mentioned in this statement as provided by supporting documentation from former quarterback Graham Harell.
"During the season he [JAMES] was often “injured” (it usually seemed like a very minor injury that could keep him out of practice but never out of any other activity, including games) so he would not participate in some drills in practice."
This statement illustrates that Adam James not only knew team rules, but refused to follow them and had a history of minor injuries that could keep him out of practice.
Given the current information from the affidavit testimony and Adam James’ behavior of insubordination with regards to team rules and recording of a cell phone video in a room he was instructed to not go into, the Team Leach Facebook Group would like all available media entities to make this information publicly available and ask questions regarding the rationale and reasoning behind Adam James for doing such actions.
The Team Leach Facebook Group is planning a peaceful demonstration and rally in support of more inquiries into the firing of Coach Mike Leach entitled, "Reach for Leach", on January 14th, 2009 at Memorial Circle in Lubbock, which already has over 1,600 confirmed guests and invites all available media outlets to cover the event.
Team Leach will continue to call for the resignation of Athletic Director Gerald Myers and Chancellor Kent Hance of Texas Tech for the mishandling and the firing of Head Coach Mike Leach. Team Leach will concentrate all efforts in helping to find out more information concerning this incident, in order to build awareness and ensure factual reporting about the events that have since transpired surrounding the firing of Head Coach Mike Leach.
Press Contacts
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