Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Did Leavitt Strike One Of His Own...???

((HT: WTSP-TV))

Okay... we have another possible incident where a coach has delivered shenanigans to a player... And what is it with coaches from the state of Florida and their players in the first place...???

In an article by FanHouse.com's Brett McMurphy, Paul Miller, the father of sophomore Joel Miller, contends Leavitt grabbed his son by the throat, then popped him twice in the face. The incident supposedly happened during halftime of the USF/Louisville game November 21.

Five witnesses confirmed the story to Fanhouse.

According to the five witnesses -- USF players and staff members -- Leavitt was pacing in the Raymond James Stadium locker room at halftime when he walked about 10 feet to the locker where Miller was sitting without his helmet. Leavitt then grabbed Miller by the throat and hit him twice in the face with his hand.

"You do something like that [on the street], you put them in jail," Paul Miller, Joel's father and a former Tampa police officer, told FanHouse. "Somewhere [Leavitt] crossed the line."

"I was thinking 'am I really seeing this?' " a player said. "I've never felt wronged by [Leavitt], he's done nothing but help me, but when I witnessed that, I was like 'this is bull----.'

WTSP-TV/10Connects Dave Wirth has his report and Leavitt's retort...


Leavitt emphatically denies the whole thing...
The irony of the matter is that all the apologizing and reporting came one day after Mark Mangino got into trouble on the KU campus. Leavitt and Mangino have been on the same staffs before...

Paul Miller, mysteriously or not, recanted his statement when interviewed by the St. Pete Times newspaper and Greg Auman...

"I stand behind the university and Coach Leavitt 100 percent,'' Paul Miller said. "I truly believe there was no malicious intent to hit anyone. He grabbed his shoulder pad, but it was like a motivational thing. After talking with Joel, he was satisfied there was not a slap, not at all.''

Uh huh... like those of us at OSG HQ said...
"Shenanigans" of the highest order...

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