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Sark's influence on Huskie football
SteveSuckisian
Member Posts: 68
THE CHANGING NARRATIVE OF A LOATHED AND ENABLED STEVE SARKISIAN
A disease. A medical condition. A weakness. A flaw. An addiction.
Alcoholism is labeled in a number of different ways, which might be why it’s so hard for us to determine how we feel about it. It makes us sad, confused, angry, frustrated, hurt. Sometimes, amidst the laughter and jubilation of the atmosphere in which it is cultivated, we don’t even know we’re staring an alcohol problem straight in the eye. So as it cooks and bubbles and rises to the surface like hot magma inside a rumbling volcano, we pretend it’s not even there, that it’s not a thing.
We joke about it, we chuckle at every one of our friends we deem a borderline alcoholic, and we keep the party going until that climactic moment when we simply cannot rage any longer. And then, suddenly, it’s not fun anymore.
This is where we find Steve Sarkisian.
By this point, not one week into Sarkisian's newest job, you’ve probably heard the story. The former University of Washington head football coach then the former University of Southern California head football coach, fired after being placed on indefinite leave just 24 hours after a strange drunken practice incident. The dismissal was necessitated by a substance abuse problem that, based on most reports, indicated Sarkisian was struggling with a severe alcohol and drug dependency. Shortly after multiple incidents begat termination, it was made public that the 41-year-old admitted himself to a rehabilitation facility, though from every indication, this never happend.
Drug and alcohol abuse has officially wrecked Sarkisian’s career. It contributed to an ugly ongoing divorce that has divided his family in two and left him broke. It has almost certainly brought his life to a point that he never could have envisioned after him and Lane Kiffin, supposed wunderkinds, conspired to fool the college football world and somehow gain employment they proven they never deserved.
Sarkisian was considered a hot shot assistant, one who thrived under the uber-successful tutelage of Pete Carroll, then set out, with Kiffin, to prove their brillance at the aforementioned college programs. He was a supposed leader on the rise at both stops, a outlier, a guy who had it all with still more to gain. He had the perception of a strong family, and more money than most of us will ever see in a lifetime. All of that gave outsiders reasons to like the man. Later, reality set in and we would find out why many had despised him.
When Sark was introduced as Washington’s newest head coach in December of 2008, many Husky fans were fooled by the big talk, and the desperaton of the Willingham years, but many longtime Husky fans were not. His first press conference was a babbling promise of success, filled with broken english and hyperbolt used by newly hired P.E. teachers. Sarkisian was in every way the anti-Willingham, brimming with false personality, goofty youthful exuberance, and the ability to fool just about anyone to whom he talked with.Sark was a supposed savior.
Very quickly over time, the honeymoon came to an end, as these always do. Steady progress led UW to their first bowl game in eight years in Sarkisian’s second season at the helm. A fourth-place conference finish the following year kept momentum rolling in the program’s favor. But a crushing big loss after crushing big loss including to a Baylor squad, while giving up 67 points, halted the Sark lovefest. Another postseason loss in 2012, this time to Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl, stirred up questions about Sarkisian’s ability to get the most out of the talent he had recruited. Heading into the 2013 campaign, a troubled relationship between school, coach, and fan base was in full swing. By the time 2014 rolled around, Sark was gone, off to supposedly greener pastures in Los Angeles. While Huskie fans screamed with glee.
Over the course of five seasons as the head coach at Washington, Sarkisian’s marriage to the Huskie fan base simply fell apart. The UW faithful spent the bulk of the ’13 season calling for the coach’s head. When he left for Southern California prior to the Huskies’ appearance in the 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl, everyone felt it was a blessing in disguise. The abrupt departure would both preclude the administration from firing Sark and simultaneously prevent him from fighting ( and as we have seen suing) to the point of termination. It was the best case scenario for all parties involved. Huskies rid themselves of a coach they didn't want. Sark was able to run from the gathering posse. USC was sold a bill of goods.
That didn’t stop Husky fans from issuing parting shots at their former head coach, however. Word abound of Sark's dark behavior. Thus began the stories of Sark's messy personal life across the vast spectrum of the internet – Twitter, Facebook, message boards. Sarkisian was indeed a con man.
To pretend that most Husky fans haven’t wished a smidge of ill will upon Steve Sarkisian would be naïve – most have. Personally, I’ve exhausted nearly every opportunity to poke fun at the man on social media and in print since he left, all in the spirit and pursuit of tawdry laughter.
And I’m not alone in that. Once upon a time, as recently as a few days ago, we all made jokes at Sarkisian’s expense. Jokes about his public drunkenness, his drug used, about his alleged sleazy ways, about his lack of successes, about anything this confidence man failures could give us. And people laugh now at both Sarkisian and his wayward friend Kiffin.
Twitter and Facebook alike were perpetually abuzz with jabs at the former Husky head coach. Sark is an easy target – a chubby, big talking fraud, able to maniupulate his relationship with Pete Carroll into a millionaire. He held the reins of football’s most powerful positions. He could seemingly do no wrong, despite his attempts. And we hated him. We hate him now and for everything he stands for.
So now a new script for the man we begrudge… and another pull for his failure. Everyone has their reasons for bitter loathing. It was probably easiest for Husky fans to spew vitriol, and maybe it was at that moment that the national portrayal of who Sarkisian was as a person began to shift. People finally turned against Sark, it was clear that his future is no longer bright, he will always be tained.
And this, finally, is the part of our story where confusion really sets in. Alabama and Nick Saban hired Steve Sarkisian !
Then again we know how this will end, Sark will dig his own grave. That he will knowingly act like the addict his is, and on his own accord prove he is nothing more than a fraud for a football coach.
Because if one thing is absolutely clear here, it’s that Sark was enabled beyond the point of needing help. He was enabled by Pete Carroll, leading to Washington, he was enabled at USC, he was enabled by his bosses, by his coworkers, by his assistants, and by anyone else who turned a blind eye to his disgusting off-field hobbies.
Ultimately Sark caused his own problems. No one forced him to down all the drinks and drugs he consumed. No one forced him to head to bars after games or stock a liquor cabinet in his office. No, he did all that himself. Along the way, however, he had help. He had help from the people, mainly his assistants, who imbibed with him, who told him exactly what he wanted to hear, who processed his absurd expense reports, who hid the stories from the public, who swept the dust under the rug. He had help controlling his problem at every turn. But as is the case with many problems, he eventually couldn’t help himself.
What’s captivating about this story, this budding scandal that has begun to emerge, is that there is more. What we already know about Sarkisian – his alcohol dependency, his substance abuse, his trials and tribulations – is just the tip of the iceberg. There is more to this tale that has yet to be revealed, that will surely surface in the coming years. More that will raise eyebrows and shape beliefs and transform a narrative that has gone from punchline to pity almost overnight.
As the remaining details come to light, the court of public opinion will rule on the fate of a man who has succumbed to an enabling culture that has delivered him to this point: caught between an overindulgence in his own personal vices, believing he was everything and anything he actually is.
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ALCOHOLISMF
A disease. A medical condition. A weakness. A flaw. An addiction.
Alcoholism is labeled in a number of different ways, which might be why it’s so hard for us to determine how we feel about it. It makes us sad, confused, angry, frustrated, hurt. Sometimes, amidst the laughter and jubilation of the atmosphere in which it is cultivated, we don’t even know we’re staring an alcohol problem straight in the eye. So as it cooks and bubbles and rises to the surface like hot magma inside a rumbling volcano, we pretend it’s not even there, that it’s not a thing.
We joke about it, we chuckle at every one of our friends we deem a borderline alcoholic, and we keep the party going until that climactic moment when we simply cannot rage any longer. And then, suddenly, it’s not fun anymore.
This is where we find Steve Sarkisian.
By this point, not one week into Sarkisian's newest job, you’ve probably heard the story. The former University of Washington head football coach then the former University of Southern California head football coach, fired after being placed on indefinite leave just 24 hours after a strange drunken practice incident. The dismissal was necessitated by a substance abuse problem that, based on most reports, indicated Sarkisian was struggling with a severe alcohol and drug dependency. Shortly after multiple incidents begat termination, it was made public that the 41-year-old admitted himself to a rehabilitation facility, though from every indication, this never happend.
Drug and alcohol abuse has officially wrecked Sarkisian’s career. It contributed to an ugly ongoing divorce that has divided his family in two and left him broke. It has almost certainly brought his life to a point that he never could have envisioned after him and Lane Kiffin, supposed wunderkinds, conspired to fool the college football world and somehow gain employment they proven they never deserved.
Sarkisian was considered a hot shot assistant, one who thrived under the uber-successful tutelage of Pete Carroll, then set out, with Kiffin, to prove their brillance at the aforementioned college programs. He was a supposed leader on the rise at both stops, a outlier, a guy who had it all with still more to gain. He had the perception of a strong family, and more money than most of us will ever see in a lifetime. All of that gave outsiders reasons to like the man. Later, reality set in and we would find out why many had despised him.
When Sark was introduced as Washington’s newest head coach in December of 2008, many Husky fans were fooled by the big talk, and the desperaton of the Willingham years, but many longtime Husky fans were not. His first press conference was a babbling promise of success, filled with broken english and hyperbolt used by newly hired P.E. teachers. Sarkisian was in every way the anti-Willingham, brimming with false personality, goofty youthful exuberance, and the ability to fool just about anyone to whom he talked with.Sark was a supposed savior.
Very quickly over time, the honeymoon came to an end, as these always do. Steady progress led UW to their first bowl game in eight years in Sarkisian’s second season at the helm. A fourth-place conference finish the following year kept momentum rolling in the program’s favor. But a crushing big loss after crushing big loss including to a Baylor squad, while giving up 67 points, halted the Sark lovefest. Another postseason loss in 2012, this time to Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl, stirred up questions about Sarkisian’s ability to get the most out of the talent he had recruited. Heading into the 2013 campaign, a troubled relationship between school, coach, and fan base was in full swing. By the time 2014 rolled around, Sark was gone, off to supposedly greener pastures in Los Angeles. While Huskie fans screamed with glee.
Over the course of five seasons as the head coach at Washington, Sarkisian’s marriage to the Huskie fan base simply fell apart. The UW faithful spent the bulk of the ’13 season calling for the coach’s head. When he left for Southern California prior to the Huskies’ appearance in the 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl, everyone felt it was a blessing in disguise. The abrupt departure would both preclude the administration from firing Sark and simultaneously prevent him from fighting ( and as we have seen suing) to the point of termination. It was the best case scenario for all parties involved. Huskies rid themselves of a coach they didn't want. Sark was able to run from the gathering posse. USC was sold a bill of goods.
That didn’t stop Husky fans from issuing parting shots at their former head coach, however. Word abound of Sark's dark behavior. Thus began the stories of Sark's messy personal life across the vast spectrum of the internet – Twitter, Facebook, message boards. Sarkisian was indeed a con man.
To pretend that most Husky fans haven’t wished a smidge of ill will upon Steve Sarkisian would be naïve – most have. Personally, I’ve exhausted nearly every opportunity to poke fun at the man on social media and in print since he left, all in the spirit and pursuit of tawdry laughter.
And I’m not alone in that. Once upon a time, as recently as a few days ago, we all made jokes at Sarkisian’s expense. Jokes about his public drunkenness, his drug used, about his alleged sleazy ways, about his lack of successes, about anything this confidence man failures could give us. And people laugh now at both Sarkisian and his wayward friend Kiffin.
Twitter and Facebook alike were perpetually abuzz with jabs at the former Husky head coach. Sark is an easy target – a chubby, big talking fraud, able to maniupulate his relationship with Pete Carroll into a millionaire. He held the reins of football’s most powerful positions. He could seemingly do no wrong, despite his attempts. And we hated him. We hate him now and for everything he stands for.
So now a new script for the man we begrudge… and another pull for his failure. Everyone has their reasons for bitter loathing. It was probably easiest for Husky fans to spew vitriol, and maybe it was at that moment that the national portrayal of who Sarkisian was as a person began to shift. People finally turned against Sark, it was clear that his future is no longer bright, he will always be tained.
And this, finally, is the part of our story where confusion really sets in. Alabama and Nick Saban hired Steve Sarkisian !
Then again we know how this will end, Sark will dig his own grave. That he will knowingly act like the addict his is, and on his own accord prove he is nothing more than a fraud for a football coach.
Because if one thing is absolutely clear here, it’s that Sark was enabled beyond the point of needing help. He was enabled by Pete Carroll, leading to Washington, he was enabled at USC, he was enabled by his bosses, by his coworkers, by his assistants, and by anyone else who turned a blind eye to his disgusting off-field hobbies.
Ultimately Sark caused his own problems. No one forced him to down all the drinks and drugs he consumed. No one forced him to head to bars after games or stock a liquor cabinet in his office. No, he did all that himself. Along the way, however, he had help. He had help from the people, mainly his assistants, who imbibed with him, who told him exactly what he wanted to hear, who processed his absurd expense reports, who hid the stories from the public, who swept the dust under the rug. He had help controlling his problem at every turn. But as is the case with many problems, he eventually couldn’t help himself.
What’s captivating about this story, this budding scandal that has begun to emerge, is that there is more. What we already know about Sarkisian – his alcohol dependency, his substance abuse, his trials and tribulations – is just the tip of the iceberg. There is more to this tale that has yet to be revealed, that will surely surface in the coming years. More that will raise eyebrows and shape beliefs and transform a narrative that has gone from punchline to pity almost overnight.
As the remaining details come to light, the court of public opinion will rule on the fate of a man who has succumbed to an enabling culture that has delivered him to this point: caught between an overindulgence in his own personal vices, believing he was everything and anything he actually is.
SHARE THIS:
Share Facebook208 Twitter Google Reddit Email Print
RELATED
What To Do When All The Crazy People Want To Fire Sark
In "Husky Football"
Sarkisian named UW coach?
In "Husky Football"
Cyber Monday: It All Began With Willie Bloomquist
In "Husky Football"
ALCOHOLISMF
Comments
Arrogance is the down fall of many great leaders
"But do you really think the team this year is no better than the first 7-5 team he coached? I would say they are a hell of a lot better, this team might have beaten Oregon 3 years ago. "
" I support Sark and think he is a good coach. I appreciate that he has the moral compass to teach these kids, not just coach them to win at all costs, and that’s something that should matter at a quality institution like UW."
But then again, this is 2016 and most people are not enlightened like the degenerates at HH.
A troubled relationship with the school, coach, and fan base in full swing? UW faithful spent the bulk of the '13 season calling for his head?
Bull. Fucking. Shit.
Doogs were jerking off all over each other's faces enjoying what Grinolds described as a "special season" and that "Sark was building towards 2013".
Christ, I'll never forget the full fledged Sark apologism that took place all over the internets after Sark got his shit pushed in by a shitty ASU team in Tempe that capped another 3-game losing streak.
We were the only fucking website that went full apeshit after that annual fuckshow. We were the only website that allowed Sark's drinking and pee pee rumors to be poasted. We were the only website that called out the Doog media for their silence and capitulation to Sark's and the athletic department's interests.
Fuck you Alex Akita. Tell the truth about 2013 you fucking hack.