NCAA football coach under fire after posting controversial Obama clip
Washington State Cougars head football coach Mike Leach is no stranger to controversy.
Leach’s acrimonious departure from Texas Tech in late 2009 was characterized with allegations of inappropriate treatment of players, a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination and a slew of bruised egos.
The controversies haven’t exactly stopped since Leach joined Washington State in 2011.
Former Cougars wide receiver Marquess Wilson alleged physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Leach shortly after the coach’s first season ended. A school investigation found Wilson’s claims were without merit, and the receiver also recanted his claims.
Leach also has a propensity to post about a wide range of topics on Twitter.
From tweeting about politics to travel to other sports, a cursory glance at Leach’s Twitter feed shows a person who is unafraid to be utterly random.
Unfortunately for Leach, his latest Twitter foray has sparked an avalanche of controversy.
https://twitter.com/Coach_Leach/status/1008523255668355072
Leach, in the name of “open discussion,” tweeted a YouTube video of former President Barack Obama making some eyebrow-raising comments.
“Ordinary men and women are too small-minded to govern their own affairs, but order and progress can only come when individuals surrender their rights to an all-powerful sovereign,” Obama said in the video.
Twitter users immediately lashed out at Leach for the controversial video. Based on the original transcript, while Obama did give the aforementioned quote, it was taken completely out of context.
“Those ideals have often been threatened by an older, more traditional view of power. This alternative vision argues that ordinary men and women are too small-minded to govern their own affairs, that order and progress can only come when individuals surrender their rights to an all-powerful sovereign,” is the full context of what Obama said.
Leach was quick to respond to his vociferous critics. He maintained that despite the veracity of the video, he really wanted to talk about the actual content of that piece of Obama’s quote.
https://twitter.com/Coach_Leach/status/1008570508009304066
Leach also seemed to be trying to drum up sympathy, claiming that he and others have also been the victim of doctored “fake news.”
I have been at this for a while on a national level, yet no one has proven that. Also, imagine how me and others feel when false statements come out about us
— Mike Leach (@Coach_Leach) June 18, 2018
Of note, Leach seems to be a fan of President Donald Trump, perhaps exacerbating some of the more hostile responses he’s gotten to the video. Leach has publicized plenty of pro-Trump tweets in his feed. He has often retweeted traditionally conservative voices.
New rules. pic.twitter.com/ecUiltCfUE
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) June 10, 2018
At last! There’s photographic evidence of collusion between the Trumps and the Russians!
(via @keeperofthecup) pic.twitter.com/SYdNxPqDxF— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 10, 2018
Both Gorka’s and Travis’ tweets were shared on Leach’s timeline.
For his part, Leach seemed to eventually capitulate to the Twitter critics, deleting the original tweet and posting the full, unedited video of Obama’s speech.
This is the complete speech. I agree that the video was incomplete. However, I believe discussion on how much or how little power that our Gov should have is important……Remarks by the President in Address to European Youth: https://t.co/BnNzxyivyN
— Mike Leach (@Coach_Leach) June 18, 2018
Not surprisingly, Leach still wants to have that difficult discourse about how much power the government should exert.
It’s an uncomfortable conversation that’s absolutely worth having. But as Leach seems to be learning, Twitter — where countless people can hide behind their keyboards — may be the absolute worst place to try and have that type of conversation.
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