HC Jimmy Lake "hit" a player?
Tempers were flaring last night in the Oregon vs Washington game. Washington was basically getting dominated. And they've been having a much worse than expected season. That could be why head coach Jimmy Lake went off on one of his players. This is being called "striking a player" by some:
Back when I was in high school in the 70's this would have been nothing, so usual that no one would have raised an eye brow. There was far worse things than that from coaches toward players then.
The AD of Washington University sports is looking into it:
That's not the only news coming out of the game. Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal said some colorful things that were caught live on some social media platforms:
“Those f*%#@+*#g guys right there,” Cristobal said of Washington, captured through multiple players’ live social media feeds, “they represent everything that’s wrong with football.
“So when you kick their ass, you let them know it.”
https://www.i-5corridor.com/p/wet-and-angry-oregon-again-passes
But all of this is a "nothing to see here folks" kind of a thing......... right?
November 7th, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^
Considering that guys are getting hit with force that rivals a car crash multiple times during the game, I'd call what he did there a light slap. That's football. That's a coach correcting a knucklehead player. We can debate whether or not its appropriate, but that's nothing new in football.
November 7th, 2021 at 10:31 AM ^
I remember watching that happen live. It was the only time when I was a kid that my mom actually turned her head toward the tv when a football game was on.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:03 AM ^
Eh, Woody was an ass and assaulted an opposing player, he was not correcting one of his own.
apples and onions.
November 7th, 2021 at 6:48 PM ^
Exactly. OMG CANCEL CULTURE FIRE THE COACH FOR BEING INTENSE/MEAN!!
Sick and tired of the soft nature in this country. BTW, OP put a lot of thought into his post which is even funnier.
November 7th, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^
We're on to Penn State.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:36 AM ^
Our complete focus is on Illinois this week and playing in the Big House.
November 7th, 2021 at 12:15 PM ^
My dream is for James Franklin to show up to an empty Big House this Saturday.
November 7th, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^
I think Washington is looking to get rid of Lake anyway. If he were 8-1 this would be brushed aside, just like with the Orgeron scandal. His real crime was hiring John Donovan.
November 7th, 2021 at 10:32 AM ^
Yeah, you've really got to mind your P's and Q's when you're on ice as thin as Lake's is.
November 7th, 2021 at 10:48 AM ^
I think UW will make sure this stays in the news cycle
November 7th, 2021 at 10:53 AM ^
when you're on ice as thin as Lake is.
Are you suggesting that Jimmy Lake's ice is thin?
November 7th, 2021 at 10:31 AM ^
Wow EC you are so tough!!!
Yes, we should go back to the 70s, back to the days where coaches were choking players...
November 7th, 2021 at 10:49 AM ^
He was simply saying times were different.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:04 AM ^
Yes, when I was in high school coaches would break clipboards over your helmet, drag you around by the facemask and literally kick you in the ass whether it was at practice or at a game in front of everyone. It wasn't appropriate then either.
This one, eh. In a non trainwreck year probably an apology should be enough.
November 7th, 2021 at 1:13 PM ^
PB - Quick being such a baby. Smacking a helmet does no physical harm to a player.
IMO shoving him in the back is worse.
Signed,
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
November 7th, 2021 at 3:19 PM ^
I’ve witnessed two actual hands on throat stranglings over the course of my career. I, personally, have been beaten with a whiffle ball bat the boss used to carry around for such a purpose.
All of this in a professional engineering setting in the ‘90s. Nobody got in trouble. It was a different time.
November 7th, 2021 at 10:33 AM ^
Washington was basically getting dominated.
Actually it was a close game and they were ahead for most of the first half. I think they were winning when this happened.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:00 AM ^
Haha, yeah, I was going to say Washington was never getting dominated in this game. Led for most of the first half, down 1 point at halftime. Certainly were not getting dominated if this was in the first half.
Even in the second half, they were within a score (8 points) for all but about four minutes.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:07 AM ^
Washington had 166 total yards, Oregon had 427.
Washington did score 9 in the 1st qtr. But they got a touchdown after getting an interception that was returned to the 6. The other 2 points in the qtr. came from a safety.
In the first half they had drives of 6 (for their first TD), 9, 9, 7, 18, 27, 22, and -1 yards
In the second half they had drives of 8, 6, -3, 75 (for their other TD), and -10 yards.
It was a really bad night for them.
November 7th, 2021 at 12:08 PM ^
Great, but on the scoreboard they were winning, as a big underdog. It's pretty dumb to lose your composure in that circumstance.
November 7th, 2021 at 10:37 AM ^
They should fire him for punting with two minutes ago down 8, which the ensuing snap resulted in a safety and sealed their fates.
Lake is a terrible coach
November 7th, 2021 at 10:43 AM ^
I heard later that they had a 2% win expectancy either way. With Washington it's probably even lower on 4th-&-10 since they can't complete a pass over 2 yards. Lake was maybe thinking that making Oregon handle a punt in the driving rain would get him a turnover or better field position? IDK. Instead, his own team made the miscue.
That all said, I think I'd do the thing with 1.5% probability vs 2% if the former didn't make me look like a compete coward/moron.
November 7th, 2021 at 10:37 AM ^
If a coach were to hit in a situation like that I don't have a problem, as long as it's fair game and the player can hit back, and have to repercussion for it. That'll fix things quickly. /s
November 7th, 2021 at 10:48 AM ^
Helloooooo “for cause.”
November 7th, 2021 at 10:56 AM ^
Washington will fire him now because they have “cause” to do so. That team is terrible and now they don’t to pay him out.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:04 AM ^
Is there a slow mo of this?
To me it looks like he slaps his helmet with the play sheet and pushes him back.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:07 AM ^
Maybe they should do a booth review and toss him for targeting
November 7th, 2021 at 1:44 PM ^
After review, Lake did not hit the player. MSU keeps the ball.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
Smacking a kid on the head when he is wearing a helmet isn't striking a player. He's telling the kid to use his head. I think that is universally understood in football.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:19 AM ^
I saw the report on ESPN but didn't watch the highlight. It doesn't seem like that big a deal upon viewing it. He probably shouldn't have done it, but it doesn't strike me as a fireable offense on its own.
In the context of a miserable season, it might be enough to prompt UW to can him before the season ends, though.
November 7th, 2021 at 6:53 PM ^
"Saw the report on ESPN."
More times than not, how most of the cultural/ideological nonsense that intertwines with sports gets published.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:27 AM ^
He smacked him in the face mask with the play sheet and shoved him toward the bench. Meh.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:29 AM ^
Lake is a bad head coach. He is in over his head.
November 7th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
Josh Connerly... COME ON DOWN!!!!!
November 7th, 2021 at 12:05 PM ^
Josh Conerly, too!
November 7th, 2021 at 12:30 PM ^
Yes! And Jennifer Connelly!!!
November 7th, 2021 at 1:16 PM ^
And E from Entourage
November 7th, 2021 at 11:48 AM ^
Josh Connerly... COME ON DOWN!!!!!
November 7th, 2021 at 12:17 PM ^
Washington University is in St Louis. I don't know why their AD would care.
November 8th, 2021 at 8:35 AM ^
+1 for attention to detail
November 7th, 2021 at 1:46 PM ^
Seems ho hum to me. Football is a tough, violent, aggressive game, played by large men. I've been a college football S&C coach at several schools and college football is more aggressive than any other sport. Hockey and lacrosse come close, but not quite. They have a completely different feel than basketball, soccer, baseball, etc. While I wouldn't recommend Lake's actions and I'd guess he'd admit he let his frustration get the best of him, it does not warrant disciplinary action. This is the problem with the social media era. I blame the internet (and most of societies woes).
November 7th, 2021 at 2:58 PM ^
This is the problem with the social media era. I blame the internet (and most of societies woes).
IIRC Woody Hayes got fired before the internet existed.
November 7th, 2021 at 3:16 PM ^
IIRC Woody Hayes got fired before the internet existed.
I'm being a bit dramatic on purpose. But, do you think the two incidents are the same? I think there are a few key differences. One, Woody is hitting a player on an opposing team whereas Lake is hitting his own player. Two, Woody's is a true punch with a windup and a closed fist and he attempted a second punch that was blocked. Lake's was more of a punch/push with his play card in his hand and followed up with a push and hand signal of "get back off the field" "what are you doing?" kind of thing. Woody was trying to start a fight whereas Lake was trying to prevent one. I'd be surprised if this results in Lake's firing. I picture an apology and an explanation of poor judgement. Woody's was inexcusable. I don't see the incidents as the same. This is an example of the internet making more out of something than it is.
November 7th, 2021 at 3:37 PM ^
The only (known to me) example of a coach getting fired for hitting a player is Woody Hayes, so the internet making something bigger than it actually is doesn't hold water.
Lake hasn't been fired yet, nor even disciplined.
November 8th, 2021 at 7:33 AM ^
The only (known to me) example of a coach getting fired for hitting a player is Woody Hayes, so the internet making something bigger than it actually is doesn't hold water.
I think this thread is evidence to the contrary.
November 7th, 2021 at 4:58 PM ^
Eh. I saw worse from our coaches in HS. Late 90s.
November 7th, 2021 at 5:33 PM ^
This is a nothing burger. I agree with Jimmy Lake on this. The reason this is going to become a story is so they can fire him for how bad Washington is this year.
November 7th, 2021 at 10:14 PM ^
This can facilitate one of those "fire for cause (but we'll say we are moving in another direction...but we'll pay some severance just to smooth things over" - UW was losing to Arizona 13-0 at half vs. Don Brown's defense.
They have yet to play a good game all year.
UW needs to cut the line and fish for a better coach. EZ seats for next home game vs. ASU for $6 plus $40 fees, That is not going to last past November.
ASU and WSU may win in Seattle which will end his tenure for sure.
November 8th, 2021 at 8:38 AM ^
Excellent embedding skills!
Washington and Oregon both have in-state rivals, but no game on their schedules is more important than this game.
November 8th, 2021 at 10:47 AM ^
UW has in recent years has had poor discipline, even under Peterson. They talk ALOT on and off the field. I think Lake in a very frustrating moment for him probably lost it a little. In a different time this is nothing.
He fired Donovan and one or two other assistants. My guess is behind closed doors the conversation was strike one, you're in the process of strike two for a poor season, get rid of these assistants.