Crockett football team not allowed to practice, Coach Sensabaugh under fire

[FBfan26]

Sad story...I know if I was a parent id be Raising Cane!

[32hammer]

If a kid gets hurt Friday night and a parent wants to raise the issue that the team was less prepared than they could have been due to not practicing, I wonder if the parents would hold the administration liable?

[BatmanDevil]

What a cluster most of NET is when it comes to getting your kid an education and if they want to play sports for a solid program .Sounds like DC finally got a coach that wants both for their system and maybe the t's were not crossed a certain way or someone's toes were hurt.Give those kids a frigging break.We only  have one school ( Greeneville ), within a 100 mile radious that ranks high in education and has the coaches that don't have their fingers up their az and have won a state title .Now,these guys in Washington county go and do this to their kids for any reason.What a sorry joke.I'm with you Blazer,I'd like to see any team in NET do what my Devils have done,after they go to the playoffs.

Edited October 9, 2017 by BatmanDevil

[Tribal]

55 minutes ago, WBNC83 said:

I think a lot of people knew something like this was going to happen. Whether he's fired or resigns at the end of the season Crockett will be looking for a new football coach. The whole situation is sad and really unfair to the kids. 

The last sentence sums it up.  The kids are having a great season and don't deserve to have it ruined because of this BS, regardless of whose "fault" it is or who is "right."  GS says on his FB page that "football is not important" compared to these unrelated issues, and he's certainly acting that way because his approach has now made him the issue and disrupted the season, which is the last football most of his seniors will ever play.  I'm not at all saying that the county doesn't have issues, or that those in charge have done things correctly as I have no idea.  But none of the issues he's brought up in such a confrontational way is so life or death that it couldn't have waited until after the season for him to address it publicly.  He would say it's all about the kids (from elementary school on up), but it's actually very selfish IMO, whether he realizes it or not.

[FBfan26]

14 minutes ago, Tribal said:

The last sentence sums it up.  The kids are having a great season and don't deserve to have it ruined because of this BS, regardless of whose "fault" it is or who is "right."  GS says on his FB page that "football is not important" compared to these unrelated issues, and he's certainly acting that way because his approach has now made him the issue and disrupted the season, which is the last football most of his seniors will ever play.  I'm not at all saying that the county doesn't have issues, or that those in charge have done things correctly as I have no idea.  But none of the issues he's brought up in such a confrontational way is so life or death that it couldn't have waited until after the season for him to address it publicly.  He would say it's all about the kids (from elementary school on up), but it's actually very selfish IMO, whether he realizes it or not.

You say it's selfish but from what I've read on Fb it looks like they have been waiting for somebody to speak out and actually care about the kids well-being Beyond football. His message is clear and I think alot of folks realize it.

[Tribal]

23 minutes ago, FBfan26 said:

You say it's selfish but from what I've read on Fb it looks like they have been waiting for somebody to speak out and actually care about the kids well-being Beyond football. His message is clear and I think alot of folks realize it.

If the issues have been around a long time, and most or all have nothing to do with football, why does he have to assume the bully pulpit during football season?  The whole thing seems really strange to me, as he was hired to do one thing--coach football, as he's not a teacher or faculty member--and yet now he's become the spokesperson for everything that might be wrong with the school system.  As I said, he could be right about every issue he's raised yet still be wrong in when and how he's going about it IMO.

[osunut2]

31 minutes ago, FBfan26 said:

You say it's selfish but from what I've read on Fb it looks like they have been waiting for somebody to speak out and actually care about the kids well-being Beyond football. His message is clear and I think alot of folks realize it.

I think what Sensabaugh is doing is both noble and commendable to a point, and given his position in life, he arguably has nothing to lose, if he truly is speaking out for the kids. That said, I think it's also important to note that we are only getting one side of the story at this point. I'd like to see all of the cards laid out on the table.

[BlueDevil58]

The players are being barred from practice because it looks like GS has effectively gotten himself fired for insubordination after he was told to stop posting negative things about the school and system on Facebook to turn parents and the community against the teachers and county school board/administration.

GS has portrayed himself as a hero crusading for the kids throughout all this, and I think he means well, but the truth is that he's been going off half cocked about stuff he does not understand and even threatened on Facebook to blackmail the school on Friday.

Since he's gotten there, all he's done is condescend to everyone around him and demand that the school board do whatever he says, not understanding why they can't just snap their fingers and make it happen.  Let me give you a hint: it's not "just gold ol' boy politics," but a man like GS isn't used to being told "no."

So... some things GS has done on Facebook to get to this point:

***He demands the school system bus all JMS and JES kids to the new Boone's Creek School, effectively turning it into a feeder for Boone (which can't handle the 500+  kid freshman classes that would result and would require a new school built there) and effectively closing David Crockett down within a few years, all while leaving the Boone's Creek kids out in the cold in their own aging building.  Either that, or build a whole new school for JMS and JES immediately--which is actually in the works--but he's told parents those plans are just a lie when told of them.  They're not.

***He's demanded that Washingtonian County schools immediately stop using inmate labor, even though there is literally no money to pay for maintenance otherwise and that would take a ruling by the county commission.

***He's demanded that David Crockett's football stadium, which was just painted (with inmate labor) be condemned and replaced with a multi-million dollar facility including a new weightroom.

***He's alleged that any teacher who doesn't come out and publicly support him (and get fired) is a worthless "yes man" who hates kids and parents, putting everyone in his building under fire.  Then he threatened to "expose" people who had anonymously offered him support.  Throwing your supporters and teachers under the bus is not effective leadership for a coach.

***He blamed another faculty member for losing his first fundraising money (he's done very little fundraising) and got that person fired, even though as a coach it should be his responsibility to handle that instead of handing that duty to someone he doesn't know.  That's as much on him as anyone.  This was also on his Facebook.

***He's telling people that the new school the county is spending millions to build in Boone's Creek will be seized by Johnson City as soon as it's built, which is not legally possible.  Frankly, this showed me just how ill informed he is on the issues he claims to be raising "awareness" about.  He may mean well, but he's mostly just spreading BS and lies to get people worked up.

***Sensabaugh has complained very loudly about all the out of pocket expenses he's taken on as coach at D.C.  Welcome to public education!  Most of that is normal, and if he's handled his fundraising and not demanded charter buses for road games and things like that, he wouldn't have had to pay so much.  Again... he's blowing things out of proportion to draw attention to himself.

***On Friday; when the Principal and AD met privately with him to warn him to stop before he's fired (a meeting I only know about because GS posted about it on Facebook), Sensabaugh responded by alleging someone in the school offered him drugs one day (which he never reported before now, even though there is a police officer in the building) and said he was recording the conversation to use as blackmail.  He took this straight to Facebook, of course.

A petition is currently being circulated among the players asking that Sensabaugh be fired for the way he's treated them this season, including allegations of verbal abuse, public humiliation, and incompetence. The teachers at Crockett have few positive stories to tell about him, either.

This isn't about them not having a place to practice or anything like that.  This is about Sensabaugh being sent packing for insubordination and demanding the school system completely restructure itself and magically come up with millions of dollars to do so, then smearing the school system when they can't do this.  That kind of behavior would get anyone fired anywhere.

People see a "leader" here because that's how he's painted himself throughout this.  I see an ill-informed rich jackass who was hired to be a coach and now is trying to run the whole school system through indimidation and a media smear campaign, so he's getting the axe.  That is the opposite of leadership.

Edited October 9, 2017 by BlueDevil58

[FBfan26]

20 minutes ago, Tribal said:

If the issues have been around a long time, and most or all have nothing to do with football, why does he have to assume the bully pulpit during football season?  The whole thing seems really strange to me, as he was hired to do one thing--coach football, as he's not a teacher or faculty member--and yet now he's become the spokesperson for everything that might be wrong with the school system.  As I said, he could be right about every issue he's raised yet still be wrong in when and how he's going about it IMO.

You sound like the principle on coach carter right now.

[FBfan26]

18 minutes ago, BlueDevil58 said:

The players are being barred from practice because it looks like GS has effectively gotten himself fired for insubordination after he was told to stop posting negative things about the school and system on Facebook to turn parents and the community against the teachers and county school board/administration.

GS has portrayed himself as a hero crusading for the kids throughout all this, and I think he means well, but the truth is that he's been going off half cocked about stuff he does not understand and even threatened on Facebook to blackmail the school on Friday.

Since he's gotten there, all he's done is condescend to everyone around him and demand that the school board do whatever he says, not understanding why they can't just snap their fingers and make it happen.  Let me give you a hint: it's not "just gold ol' boy politics," but a man like GS isn't used to being told "no."

So... some things GS has done on Facebook to get to this point:

***He demands the school system bus all JMS and JES kids to the new Boone's Creek School, effectively turning it into a feeder for Boone (which can't handle the 500+  kid freshman classes that would result and would require a new school built there) and effectively closing David Crockett down within a few years, all while leaving the Boone's Creek kids out in the cold in their own aging building.  Either that, or build a whole new school for JMS and JES immediately--which is actually in the works--but he's told parents those plans are just a lie when told of them.  They're not.

***He's demanded that Washingtonian County schools immediately stop using inmate labor, even though there is literally no money to pay for maintenance otherwise and that would take a ruling by the county commission.

***He's demanded that David Crockett's football stadium, which was just painted (with inmate labor) be condemned and replaced with a multi-million dollar facility including a new weightroom.

***He's alleged that any teacher who doesn't come out and publicly support him (and get fired) is a worthless "yes man" who hates kids and parents, putting everyone in his building under fire.  Then he threatened to "expose" people who had anonymously offered him support.  Throwing your supporters and teachers under the bus is not effective leadership for a coach.

***He blamed another faculty member for losing his first fundraising money (he's done very little fundraising) and got that person fired, even though as a coach it should be his responsibility to handle that instead of handing that duty to someone he doesn't know.  That's as much on him as anyone.  This was also on his Facebook.

***He's telling people that the new school the county is spending millions to build in Boone's Creek will be seized by Johnson City as soon as it's built, which is not legally possible.  Frankly, this showed me just how ill informed he is on the issues he claims to be raising "awareness" about.  He may mean well, but he's mostly just spreading BS and lies to get people worked up.

***Sensabaugh has complained very loudly about all the out of pocket expenses he's taken on as coach at D.C.  Welcome to public education!  Most of that is normal, and if he's handled his fundraising and not demanded charter buses for road games and things like that, he wouldn't have had to pay so much.  Again... he's blowing things out of proportion to draw attention to himself.

***On Friday; when the Principal and AD met privately with him to warn him to stop before he's fired (a meeting I only know about because GS posted about it on Facebook), Sensabaugh responded by alleging someone in the school offered him drugs one day (which he never reported before now, even though there is a police officer in the building) and said he was recording the conversation to use as blackmail.  He took this straight to Facebook, of course.

A petition is currently being circulated among the players asking that Sensabaugh be fired for the way he's treated them this season, including allegations of verbal abuse, public humiliation, and incompetence. The teachers at Crockett have few positive stories to tell about him, either.

This isn't about them not having a place to practice or anything like that.  This is about Sensabaugh being sent packing for insubordination and demanding the school system completely restructure itself and magically come up with millions of dollars to do so, then smearing the school system when they can't do this.  That kind of behavior would get anyone fired anywhere.

People see a "leader" here because that's how he's painted himself throughout this.  I see an ill-informed rich jackass who was hired to be a coach and now is trying to run the whole school system through indimidation and a media smear campaign, so he's getting the axe.  That is the opposite of leadership.

You must be on the board lol. From a outsider looking in even on coacht you here the good ol boy term used alot of times when it comes to these County schools in the Hills and etc. Somebody's telling the truth.

Edited October 9, 2017 by FBfan26

[BlueDevil58]

6 hours ago, FBfan26 said:

You must be on the board 

I wish.

I know a lot of people in that system and I've been following the stuff on Facebook after he news story broke.  I've taught and coached for years in other systems, too.  I just rolled my eyes as I read rant after rant from him.

The stuff he's griping about is mostly just the reality of working in any county school system in TN.   If the counties had the money that Kingsport, Bristol, or Johnson City get they wouldn't have most of these problems, but they don't have that money so they have to make do with what they've got.

GS doesn't get that and has destroyed his team and burned his bridges because of his one man crusade to personally run the school system.  When he turned on the teachers in that system and then started blaming others for his own screw ups (the fundraising fiasco) is when he crossed the line from being a leader to being a demagogue.

Edited October 10, 2017 by BlueDevil58

[BatmanDevil]

Either way it's a cluster and once again the kids pay the price.None of this makes sense.If GS is the coach or not,those kids should be on the field and someone should be coaching them.

Edited October 9, 2017 by BatmanDevil