Mangino rant is right on

I will start off by saying that, although I grew up in the Kansas City area, I attended college at a small school in Tennessee. So, I don't have any financial allegiance to any schools in this area. Also, I happened to be in Tennessee over the Labor Day weekend and am just now hearing about Kansas football coach Mark Mangino's berating of wide receiver/kick returner Raimond Pendleton. Although it looked as if he was about to have a heart attack -- literally -- and he dropped many more F-bombs than I'd prefer hearing, his actions were fantastic.

In case you didn't witness it in person, have you seen the YouTube video? Just type in "Mark Mangino" and you'll see a video that's getting some tremendous play and responses.

I wrote extensively about this in my "Behind the Stats" column for Metro Sports' Web site this week (www.kcondemand.com), but I just have to say, regardless of your argument, I believe Mark Mangino had every right to do what he did to Pendleton. Yes, Pendleton was excited and did what many other athletes do -- enjoyed the moment. Celebrated in his own way. Yada, yada, yada.

But what Mangino did is also part of sports. Coaches sometimes berate or call out their athletes. I was in a locker room one time when a coach, while yelling at one of his main players, "accidentally" smacked him upside the head. It stunned everyone in the room. And I was the only person not directly a part of the team. So, if it stunned the players and other coaches, you know it shocked me a little. Did the coach mean to do it? Only he knows for sure. The coach and the player are friends of mine, and both have said it was a heat of the moment kind of thing. It happens in sports, particularly when a coach is trying to foster a team attitude.

In order to build a team concept, as Mangino is trying to do with Kansas football, a coach has to make sure each individual on that team is on the same page. Dick Howser did that. Bill Snyder did that. Vince Lombardi did that. John Wooden did that. Even Bobby Knight does that. That's not to compare Mangino to those legends, but I'm hoping you get the point.

Coaches are not perfect people. Even someone like Wooden, who's widely considered one of the top coaches in the history of sports, has said he wasn't perfect. But he was demanding of his players. And he got their respect because of that.

Mark Mangino is trying to do the same thing. He demands a lot from his players and the other people around him. In the long run, though, that's what will help build a better football program at Kansas.

By the way, in case you haven't done so yet, be sure to check out Dave O'Hara's latest post from Tuesday, right below this one.

That's it for now. We look forward to seeing everyone at Chappell's Restaurant in North Kansas City Thursday night as we welcome KC music icon Tony DiPardo on "Behind the Stats" from 6-7 p.m. If you can't make it to see the show live, be sure to tune in to 1140-AM or 1160-AM.

Matt Fulks