Whitlock brings the axe down on Mangino

[GoChiefs]

BRUTAL.

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/col...y/1597540.html

Every bad guy has his defenders, people willing to rationalize all his missteps.

O.J. Simpson had girlfriends after Nicole. Somebody is going to put money on Bernie Madoff’s books in jail. My friends will tell you they’ve never seen me overeat.

So I’m not all that moved that some current and former Jayhawks believe Mark Mangino’s nasty and abusive coaching style helped them become tough football players and responsible men. And I’m certainly not touched that Mike Leach, Bob Stoops and Bill Snyder offered up kind words defending their former colleague.

Did you see a lot of cops criticizing the LAPD during the Rodney King controversy? Do you think fat people at Gates stop me at the door and say, “Hey, shouldn’t you have a salad at Whole Foods?”

As for the players, abused survivors often struggle to recognize the damage they’ve incurred. And, even more often, uninjured witnesses almost always fail to muster the courage to object to abuse that doesn’t affect them.

As Kansas’ internal investigation has justifiably dragged on, we’ve settled into a momentary pity party for Mangino.

I’m not participating. Regardless of what happens today at Arrowhead Stadium when Kansas faces Missouri, Mangino deserves to be fired and he owes Kansas fans and his former players an apology on his way out the door.

Let’s quit pretending that Kansas’ 12-1 2007 season justifies whatever level of mental, emotional and physical abuse Mangino decided to serve up.

Let’s quit pretending that Mangino had some verbal-abuse button he flicked off when he left the practice field and that only lazy, underachieving football players were subject to his bullying.

And please, let’s stop blaming athletic director Lew Perkins for standing up to Mangino and acknowledging the university is investigating Mangino’s alleged pattern of poor treatment.

Let me ask a simple question to all the people whining about the “mistreatment” of Mark Mangino: What would Mangino do if he were Mark Mangino’s boss?

Think about it and then try this one: What would Mangino write about Mark Mangino if he were a sports columnist?

You think Mangino would tone down his cold-hearted, you-wanna-get-shot-with-your-homies rhetoric if he were an athletic director or sports columnist?

Mangino went on radio during this controversy and defended his coaching style by saying he couldn’t fix 18 years of parental neglect in four years of college football. I’m paraphrasing a bit. But that’s the gist of what he said.

That’s a brutal truth he told on the kids who helped him earn a $2 million-a-year contract. I’m sure Mangino isn’t complaining that some people are delighted the truth is coming out about him and his methods.

Early in Mangino’s tenure, a former Kansas beat writer for The Kansas City Star tried to get people at the Pennsylvania high school where Mangino coached to explain why he left after a year. No one at the school would talk then. Now that a few brave people publicly voiced their concerns, some folks in Pennsylvania were more comfortable sharing their story with The Star’s J. Brady McCollough.

I’m frustrated more people won’t talk for public attribution.

But everybody wants someone else to stand against injustice. It’s in our nature to sit on the sideline, do nothing and enjoy the freedoms won by others’ sacrifices.

This whole affair makes me angry. I’m bothered that so many people think Mangino’s way is the way of all football coaches. It’s not.

A friend/family member of mine spent three years as a walk-on in Gary Pinkel’s football program. Through my little “brother,” I got to know Chase Coffman, Tommy Saunders, Greg Bracey, Brock Christopher, James Stigall and many other Tigers. And I also got to learn a lot about Pinkel and his coaching staff.

They’re tough and fair and dignified. I might disagree with his X’s and O’s from time to time, but I have no doubt that Pinkel is a good man. A parent can comfortably send his/her child to Mizzou and feel assured that Pinkel and his staff will push their son to reach his potential as an athlete and a young man without resorting to abuse.

You can’t say that about Kansas under Mangino.

Win or lose today, I hope Mangino joins his homies in the unemployment line Sunday morning.

[Buster Hymen]

We can hope the same for you, so we can get some real journalistic review in this town.

[HemiEd]

I am so glad he brought up the Rodney King thing, we don't want anyone to forget about that.

[dtebbe]

Fatgino will be laughing all the way to the bank if he gets fired. He'll take a few anger management or other BS classes and be "gobbled up" by some bigger and better school with an ailing football program.

DT

[milkman]

Originally Posted by dtebbe

Fatgino will be laughing all the way to the bank if he gets fired. He'll take a few anger management or other BS classes and be "gobbled up" by some bigger and better school with an ailing football program.

DT

If some bigger and better school actually had any interest in Mangino, he'd have been gone already.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by milkman

If some bigger and better school actually had any interest in Mangino, he'd have been gone already.

well, he DID withdraw his name from consideration at ND.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by dtebbe

Fatgino will be laughing all the way to the bank if he gets fired. He'll take a few anger management or other BS classes and be "gobbled up" by some bigger and better school with an ailing football program.

DT

I'd say they are building a pretty good case to fire with cause in such he will get no money
Posted via Mobile Device

[Rausch]

I see no difference between him and Haley.

Well, outside the fact that when Haley's breathing fire he doesn't have the required brain cells to serve up creative (and over the line) slams...

[baitism]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

well, he DID withdraw his name from consideration at ND.

It would be crazy if they got a coach who was even fatter than Weis.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by baitism

It would be crazy if they got a coach who was even fatter than Weis.

I was talking about when they hired Weis, but yeah...

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by Rausch

I see no difference between him and Haley.

Well, outside the fact that when Haley's breathing fire he doesn't have the required brain cells to serve up creative (and over the line) slams...

There is no difference other than those Haley berates are being paid millions for what they do. Mangino's kids are working their ass off for free ().

[notorious]

Originally Posted by milkman

If some bigger and better school actually had any interest in Mangino, he'd have been gone already.

This.

I can't imagine him walking into the house of a 4-5 star recruit and telling the parents,"I will take care of your kid."

He is screwed

[notorious]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

There is no difference other than those Haley berates are being paid millions for what they do. Mangino's kids are working their ass off for free ().

No difference at all

[Adam]

Gotta say, GoChiefs oversold the brutality of this column. No new info or opinion.

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

I am so glad he brought up the Rodney King thing, we don't want anyone to forget about that.

I think every one of his article start with that-cut and paste