Even as University of Kansas Football Head Coach Mark Mangino‘s termination seems eminent, people are still supporting the coach who is accused of poking senior linebacker Artist Wright in the chest during a practice.
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has publicly stated he thinks the Mangino investigation is a “witch hunt.”
Leach is completely correct. This is a bogus investigation that is nothing more KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins wanting to get rid of Mangino.
The Jayhawk coach has denied the allegations and he continues to run the team as “business as usual.”
And that’s the way it should be. Mangino is above the garbage and rumors being spread about him by Perkins and the former players that are his lemmings.
Despite all the negativity swirling about, one man rallied the troops in an impressive pep rally in preparation for Saturday’s Border War in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium against the Tigers of Missouri.
Don Fambrough, a prolific former KU coach who, according to KUSports.com “who annually relays some of his anti-Missouri sentiments to team members in the days leading up to the game,” organized a rally Wednesday following the Jayhawk’s practice.
More than 150 people turned out to show support for the Jayhawk players and Mangino, who’s future still hangs in the balance.
Fambrough told KUSports.com how ridiculous he thought the entire situation was:
“(Players have) been down in the dumps because of all this commotion going on about what they started up there on the hill,” said Fambrough in the article, referring to athletic director Lew Perkins’ recent announcement that KU was launching an investigation into football coach Mark Mangino’s treatment of players. “That was the dumbest damn thing. Why the hell didn’t they wait until after the season? That’s what anybody with any damn knowledge of the game of football would do. If you got something to gripe about or something to be upset about, come see me after the season. Not with two games left. That’s the dumbest damn thing I ever heard of, and I don’t give a damn who hears me say that.”
This show of support should be proof that KU needs Mangino, but we won’t know how this story is going to end until after Saturday’s game.
I wish Mangino and the Hawks the best of luck in the Mizzou game and in this on-going saga. I also congratulate the team for having 15 of its players be named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team. And Mangino has done nothing for the team off of the football field, right? Give me a break.
Mangino should also be applauded for taking care of his team on Thanksgiving.
According to a KUSports.com article, “in-state players, Mangino said, are encouraged to take out-of-town players home with them for holiday dinner.
“‘No player spends the holiday alone,’ Mangino said. ‘If other families do not bring them in, our coaching staff and myself, we bring them to our homes to have holiday dinner so that no player spends the holiday alone.
“‘That’s the worst thing that could happen to a young guy.'”
Now that is cool. Even in the face of these allegations, Mangino is still taking care of his team. Mangino has class, and Perkins shouldn’t be gunning for him.
Sure, some might criticize the fact that Mangino hasn’t communicated much with Perkins since the investigation was launched, but why should he? Perkins has already made up his mind.
I hope Perkins’ turkey is extra dry today as punishment for what he is doing to Mangino and the KU football program.
