jeffreymark

SOUR GRAPES OVER MIKE LEACH

Mounting evidence suggests Texas Tech officials fired Mike Leach over last year's contract negotiations. When AD Gerald Myers refused to negotiate, Leach's agents went around Myers. Of course Leach's icon status as the Captain and head pirate put Tech administrators in an embarrassing situation. Eventually they acquiesced. Now former regents admit the year old sour grapes festered to a boiling point. So it goes. Administrators take offense to a successful coach's negotiation tactics and try to ruin his life by fabricating a story about child abuse. One might sincerely believe that Myers enjoyed Leach's popularity. It made Myers look good for his supposed superior wisdom with reeling in such a catch. But, Myers and others chose the low road letting their egos get in the way. Now they have created a bigger mess by defaming Leach's character, provoking mass outrage, and leaving their ethics at the door.  

Board of Regents member Jerry Turner sheds light on the firing:

In April, 2008, Mr. Leach's agents from the sports agency IMG sent the school a proposal for a contract extension for $15.25 million over five years that would make Mr. Leach one of college football's 10 highest-paid coaches. At that time, Mr. Leach had a 65-37 overall record at Tech with eight straight bowl appearances.

According to a person familiar with the negotiations, Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers sent back a short note declining to negotiate. The note said the school would understand if "better opportunities" came up. Mr. Myers declined to comment for this article.

In January, 2009, Texas Tech board members say Mr. Leach's agents at IMG sent them an email about the coach's contract situation that was not sent to the athletic director. The regents were infuriated by the move. "They were trying to get us to put pressure on the athletic director and force Tech to come to the terms they wanted," says board member Jerry Turner. "The way they tried dragging people into the negotiation process, we took offense to that. It's hard to really forget things like that."

OURAY'S BIG NAME CELEBRITY

At least our family considers Sam Rushing of Ouray Glassworks as such. Sam, a transplant from Mississippi, sells exquisite glassware. But what makes him so unique is his entertaining demonstrations of glassblowing. This ancient art form launched Sam onto the pages of such notable publications as Southern Living and the 2006 Rand McNally Atlas. From the moment one enters the door they experience pleasantries exclusive to Ouray Glassworks. The cinnamon breeze rising up from fresh wassail provides a reference point sure to make a lasting imprint on the pages of one's memory. In addition, shelves filled with rainbow colored assortments of carefully sculpted glassware and pottery engulf the patron in a visual experience compelling them to make a purchase. And Sam Rushing himself adds to the adventure. Engage him in conversation and he happily responds with a southern drawl. Mr. Rushing loves to talk about a host of subjects ranging from Mississippi State football to politics.

HEADED FOR THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS

Approximately every other year my family heads for the spectacular San Juan mountains located in Southwest Colorado. We usually spend our first night in the historic Taos, New Mexico. This rugged Southwest town, with it's painted desert, shadowed by the Sangre de Cristo mountains(the blood of Christ) claims Kit Carson and D.H. Lawrence as favorite sons. The Taos landscape invites artist from all over the world to capture its mystique on canvas. In the 1970's the down town plaza attracted the peacenik crowd such as John Lennon and others. Taos' sights and pinon smells leave an indelible imprint upon one's soul. Try as you may you cannot shake it. The ghosts of the mountains haunt a person until they acquiesce and make the pilgrimage. In addition Taos serves up a plate of uniquely flavored Mexican food richly drenched in a cultural red sauce, served with blue corn chips. Our adobe style motel room comes complete with southwestern furniture, hewn out of old pine imported from Mexico. A pinon burning kiva for those cold mountain nights completes the room's character. Tomorrow we arrive in Colorado, the end of our destination. I will take plenty of pictures and post them on flikr, so the world can see the magnificent beauty of this region. The breathtaking landscape makes one feel truly blessed of God to live in this greatest nation on earth.

Meanwhile, check out this oil painting of Taos from Alan Heur.

And this from our motel on the plaza.

TRAVEL GUIDES

Planning to take trip this summer? Click here and discover a host of on-line travel planners. I especially liked Travelistic, the You Tube of travel. This site posts videos of far away places.