I don't really buy the Surrender Monkey characterization of Leland. Hang him high for hiring Teevens and then shoot him twice when you are done for hiring H.arris but he raised questions the NCAA needed to hear and he had the ear of his peers.Â
Leland was accused by some of tilting windmills, preachiness and being overly academic but I was glad someone from our school had a strong voice within the NCAA decision making. The onslaught of commercialized college athletics hadn't hit in its full force when Leland was around. This was a good 10 years before the new TV contracts, the Ed O'Bannon case resolution and the NW unionization effort.Â
His successor, Bowlsby, was the anti-Leland in some ways but between the traits of these two very different men we could find one superb AD.
But Leland DID hire W.alt H.arris and that is hard to forgive and impossible to forget.
Leland was accused by some of tilting windmills, preachiness and being overly academic but I was glad someone from our school had a strong voice within the NCAA decision making. The onslaught of commercialized college athletics hadn't hit in its full force when Leland was around. This was a good 10 years before the new TV contracts, the Ed O'Bannon case resolution and the NW unionization effort.Â
His successor, Bowlsby, was the anti-Leland in some ways but between the traits of these two very different men we could find one superb AD.
But Leland DID hire W.alt H.arris and that is hard to forgive and impossible to forget.
In 1938 Neville Chamberlain declared "Peace in our time", Superman first appeared in Action Comics, Seabiscuit beat War Admiral ....... and C.a.l last won the Rose Bowl.