NY Times more interested in coach's mask than his big win

FPI / September 30, 2020

On Saturday, Mississippi State pulled off a massive upset by defeating defending national champion LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The 44-34 victory came in Mississippi State coach Mike Leach's Southeastern Conference (SEC) debut.

So what did The New York Times ask Leach about the monumental victory?

NY Times sports guy Alan Blinder demanded to know why Leach wasn’t wearing his face mask on the sideline for much of the game.

Blinder at one point asked the Mississippi State coach if he was "making a statement" by not wearing the face covering.

Leach said he couldn't help but wonder if the face masks aren't just a "homage to politicians."

The Daily Caller's David Hookstead noted: "Listen up, folks. If you show up to a college football press conference to ask the coach why he doesn’t wear a mask, then you’re a clown. It’s that simple. That’s a clown question if I’ve ever heard one. Mike Leach just kicked down the door to the SEC by dominating the defending national champs, and this dude was asking about his face covering."

Hookstead added: "Secondly, and maybe more importantly, the idea of coaches wearing masks is laughably dumb. Whether it’s the NFL or college football, there’s no reason for coaches to have masks on while on the sidelines. The players aren’t wearing masks, everyone is tested and it’s completely unnecessary. If the players don’t wear them around the coaches, then why the hell should Leach?"

Here is the exchange between the NY Times writer and the Mississippi State coach:

Blinder: You didn't wear a face covering actively for a lot of the game. Why not?

Leach: Well I tried to remember the best that I could, then I found myself talking all the time. You know, because I'm calling the plays as well. It was a constant state of talking. So between me taking it down to talk and lifting it up and it falling down on its own and me remembering to put it back up, I think there were a number of challenges there. With a little practice, who knows, it may be better this week.

Leach added: How'd you do with your face mask? Ar you pretty good with masks, guy?

Blinder: I do my best.

Leach: Okay, so let me ask you. Let me get a few pointers here. What do you do when your mask does the breathe in thing on the mouth? What kind of face mask do you have?

Blinder: I just have one I bought on Amazon. Goes around my ears and that sort of thing.

Leach: See, I've got that face sock thing which sits on your neck instead of hanging on your ears. Do you ever find that pretty soon, those things will start to smell bad. And then all of a sudden you're going 'what's that smell? What's going on out there?' There's nothing out there. That's your breath. So I need to practice with it. What do you do when you're talking? Do you have a trigger to remind you when to pull that thing back up because I've found myself a little too preoccupied to do it and then all of a sudden it's around my neck there.

Blinder: Yeah, I think everyone's different. I was just curious what you thinking was, if it was some kind of statement or was...

At that point, Leach interrupts and says: I try to do my best with it, but once you're six feet apart, I can't help but wonder if some of this is a homage to politicians. But I do try to stay six feet apart.

Free Press International