Complete Garbage

[Bruce Blingstein]

Fellas, a shoulder pad shuffle and a baby tap to a face doesnt cause a lockerroom to "gasp" and hear "ooohhhh" like reported.  It also doesnt create a stir of conversation amongst players in the lockerroom and if it were an "everyday Leavitt lockerroom stuff" why was this situation talked about so much, again by the players amongst eachother.  

I applaud the few players that downplayed the situation to not snitch, shows loyalty to your coach, but its pretty crystal what happened.  Then you have the whole how Leavitt handled it.  no apology, no team meeting, instead an arrogant stance.  

[Defdans]

Did I read a different report than others?  2 or 3 players said they saw, first hand, Leavitt slap him.  Several players said they were told by Miller that he slapped him.  1 or 2 players said they didn't see exactly what happened and one player said that what happened should stay in the locker room.  What are these "conflicting reports", aside from Leavitt himself and Miller's 2nd version of the story? As for Miller, why would he have lied originally?  There's no logic behind that.  Now there's plenty of reason for him to lie to the investigator, because he thought Leavitt would keep his job and he didn't want to get kicked off the team.  Leavitt apparently made it pretty clear to him that he was the big boss and wasn't going anywhere.  

I mean come on!

I've always been a big Leavitt supporter but after reading the report, I think it's pretty clear what happened.  As much as it pains me to say this, McMurphy got this one right and Leavitt deserved to be fired.  You can't slap kids.  That's over the line.  Then he lied and tried to cover it up.  

I'm sad this happened as I genuinely hoped Leavitt would be our coach for the next 20 years, but I don't understand how anyone can be really upset and conclude that this was some huge conspiracy concocted by the University.  Frankly, i don't think the University had any choice but to fire Leavitt.  

[Triple B]

Did I read a different report than others?  2 or 3 players said they saw, first hand, Leavitt slap him.  Several players said they were told by Miller that he slapped him.  1 or 2 players said they didn't see exactly what happened and one player said that what happened should stay in the locker room.  What are these "conflicting reports", aside from Leavitt himself and Miller's 2nd version of the story?   

You mean besides the 2 or 3 players, the strength coach and the State Trooper?

[BullyPulpit]

Did I read a different report than others?  2 or 3 players said they saw, first hand, Leavitt slap him.  Several players said they were told by Miller that he slapped him.  1 or 2 players said they didn't see exactly what happened and one player said that what happened should stay in the locker room.  What are these "conflicting reports", aside from Leavitt himself and Miller's 2nd version of the story? As for Miller, why would he have lied originally?  There's no logic behind that.  Now there's plenty of reason for him to lie to the investigator, because he thought Leavitt would keep his job and he didn't want to get kicked off the team.  Leavitt apparently made it pretty clear to him that he was the big boss and wasn't going anywhere.  

I mean come on!

I've always been a big Leavitt supporter but after reading the report, I think it's pretty clear what happened.  As much as it pains me to say this, McMurphy got this one right and Leavitt deserved to be fired.  You can't slap kids.  That's over the line.  Then he lied and tried to cover it up.  

I'm sad this happened as I genuinely hoped Leavitt would be our coach for the next 20 years, but I don't understand how anyone can be really upset and conclude that this was some huge conspiracy concocted by the University.  Frankly, i don't think the University had any choice but to fire Leavitt.  

Apparently you did read a different report if you missed the FHP trooper's account, Coach McKeefery's, Mike Ford's and a few others. There were only 3 who said they witnessed it themselves and Joel Miller changed his story. I think all of you are missing the point of my anger. It is not that Jim Leavitt got fired, it is that USF railroaded him with a horrible, slanted investigation. I don't care how different his version of the facts were; hell, throw his and Miller's statements out and go from there. IMO, this was not enough to warrant firing the man and ruining his career.

[mikebeau]

c'mon man, its over.

he did it.  he denied it.  he's fired.  lets move on

[Bruce Blingstein]

c'mon man, its over.

he did it.  he denied it.  he's fired.  lets move on

SERIOUSLY!!

slanted investigation!! holy crap, you have to be kidding me. 

[BullyPulpit]

c'mon man, its over.

he did it.  he denied it.  he's fired.  lets move on

SERIOUSLY!!

slanted investigation!! holy crap, you have to be kidding me. 

Refute the issues I raised? Nope.

I investigate things for a living. I work on cases with two sides and people with deeply rooted interests. I can read through the bs and I know how to read a report and understand where loaded or leading questions were asked. Sorry if I'm questioning the legitimacy of this report based upon numerous questions that it raised in my mind. However, unlike most of the posters on here I didn't rush to judgment, instead waiting for the report to come out. It comes out completely inconclusive and self-serving to USF (saving the school about $6,000,000) and I'm somehow being absurd....whatever.

[Defdans]

Did I read a different report than others?  2 or 3 players said they saw, first hand, Leavitt slap him.  Several players said they were told by Miller that he slapped him.  1 or 2 players said they didn't see exactly what happened and one player said that what happened should stay in the locker room.  What are these "conflicting reports", aside from Leavitt himself and Miller's 2nd version of the story?   

You mean besides the 2 or 3 players, the strength coach and the State Trooper?

Show me the quotes from the players.  I remember ONE player saying it was just a shaking of the shoulder pads, and it was the player who went on to say that "it was like a family" and "should stay in the locker room".  

The strength coach?  Yeah, I'm really surprised he backed up his boss's side of the story.  There's no motivation for him to lie, is there?

Unless I'm mistaken, the State Trooper didn't describe the incident in detail, only that it was "typical" Jim Leavitt halftime stuff.  

[Bruce Blingstein]

c'mon man, its over.

he did it.  he denied it.  he's fired.  lets move on

SERIOUSLY!!

slanted investigation!! holy crap, you have to be kidding me. 

Refute the issues I raised? Nope.

I investigate things for a living. I work on cases with two sides and people with deeply rooted interests. I can read through the bs and I know how to read a report and understand where loaded or leading questions were asked. Sorry if I'm questioning the legitimacy of this report based upon numerous questions that it raised in my mind. However, unlike most of the posters on here I didn't rush to judgment, instead waiting for the report to come out. It comes out completely inconclusive and self-serving to USF (saving the school about $6,000,000) and I'm somehow being absurd....whatever.

So when you investigate for a living and one side is being caught consistenly lying what usually ends up being the end result?

[Defdans]

Did I read a different report than others?  2 or 3 players said they saw, first hand, Leavitt slap him.  Several players said they were told by Miller that he slapped him.  1 or 2 players said they didn't see exactly what happened and one player said that what happened should stay in the locker room.  What are these "conflicting reports", aside from Leavitt himself and Miller's 2nd version of the story? As for Miller, why would he have lied originally?  There's no logic behind that.  Now there's plenty of reason for him to lie to the investigator, because he thought Leavitt would keep his job and he didn't want to get kicked off the team.  Leavitt apparently made it pretty clear to him that he was the big boss and wasn't going anywhere.  

I mean come on!

I've always been a big Leavitt supporter but after reading the report, I think it's pretty clear what happened.  As much as it pains me to say this, McMurphy got this one right and Leavitt deserved to be fired.  You can't slap kids.  That's over the line.  Then he lied and tried to cover it up.  

I'm sad this happened as I genuinely hoped Leavitt would be our coach for the next 20 years, but I don't understand how anyone can be really upset and conclude that this was some huge conspiracy concocted by the University.  Frankly, i don't think the University had any choice but to fire Leavitt.  

Apparently you did read a different report if you missed the FHP trooper's account, Coach McKeefery's, Mike Ford's and a few others.

Unless I got the letters and names mixed up, Mike Ford didn't say he saw exactly what happened.  But feel free to point me in the direction of the quotes you think directly contradict Leavitt slapping him.  I read McKeeferys and I read the FHP Troopers (which, btw, did not describe the incident in detail OR say that Leavitt did NOT slap him).  Show me more than one player who specifically states they saw the whole incident and that Leavitt's hand did not come in contact with Miller's face.