I gotta tell you, in a day and age where we’re assaulted with the crap from Ohio State and Maryland, it’s almost a relief to read a sweating the small stuff story like this.
All-American defensive tackle Ed Oliver got into a heated discussion with Houston coach Major Applewhite just before halftime of the Cougars’ 48-17 win over Tulane on Thursday night.
Applewhite approached Oliver, who has missed four consecutive games because of an injured knee, on the Houston sideline before halftime and removed the lineman’s jacket from his shoulder. Oliver could then be seen shouting at Applewhite as the team walked toward its locker room at halftime and was restrained by Houston director of sports performance Rod Grace.
Applewhite said after the game that Oliver left the locker room and that he hadn’t spoken to him since, but he emphasized that he wanted the Outland Trophy winner back.
“I love him, I want him to be a part of our team, I want him to be with our team,” Applewhite said. “You’d be amazed how many emotional things you deal with all the time with players. This is just one that you see. But we deal with things like this all the time as coaches. That’s part of our job.”
A pissing match between a star player and his head coach over a jacket? Now that’s the kind of goofy bullshit that makes me love college football.
Get The Picture 
Applewhite really striking a strong note here with the blue-hair, pearl clutchers among the Houston faithful. Heady play in the recruiting game.
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Yep… I’m part of the “get off my lawn” crowd… His a$$ would be out so fast it would make his head swim.
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Why, on god’s green earth, would Applewhite care that Oliver was wearing a jacket, that jacket?
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Was it a Tulane jacket?
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Yeah, it’s weird. Why would a HC be concerned with, of all things, a jacket on game day?
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Well, if you’d watched the video, you’d have picked up that the jackets in question were being used specifically for players playing in the game on a chilly night in Houston. (Was in the 40s, apparently).
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Still, a weird hill to die on.
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There’s a team rule and everybody was following it except one guy? Not such a strange hill. Odd rule, maybe, but if it’s set and understood…
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Dumb ass rules yield dumb ass results. Not defending Oliver here, but given how much free apparel the sponsors throw at teams, having a special jacket for starters only seems senseless and stupid. Waste of focus.
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Dumb ass rules yield dumb ass results? That reminds me of when Todd Gurley had to sit during ’14 and a bunch of people here were outraged because he broke a “dumb rule”. I’m not even a rule guy and generally don’t care what other people do. But it’s funny to me how we decide we only have to follow the rules we agree with. Is that how it works on the job? Nope.
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^ found the statist
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Lol. Chili youre like a falcon. You shreek constantly and we eventually have to hood you so we can all get some sleep.
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Apparently Oliver wanted to play this week, too, and Applewhite held him out. It’s kinda weird.
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Not sure the coach isn’t projecting here with his description of the event as the player being emotional.
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I saw it in TV. I agree with the announcers, it wasn’t really about the jacket. I think Applewhite is wondering if Ed can play, and Ed doesn’t agree. Still, Applewhite handled the press perfectly after the game.
Oh, and supposedly those jackets were for active players on the sidelines.
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BTW, hated to see their QB go out like that without being touched. Houston is snakebit this year.
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Looks like to me Oliver has been benching himself. Applewhite let him know that the jackets were for those who were playing.
He’s a top 10 pick for sure, and I doubt he plays another game for U of Houston.
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I agree, believe Applewhite feels Oliver is holding himself out and resting for the draft. If so, and the jackets were for players, it isn’t unreasonable to expect him to not be dressed as an active player.
Was definitely a bad look and could have been handled better by an assistant coach, but no player should be that vehement in challenging the HC’s request. Discipline is a key part of success, cannot have that type of resistance in front of other players, and certainly not on TV. Not sure why Applewhite felt it necessary to be the one to handle something so insignificant himself. Oliver had a position coach and coordinator for that type of thing in the midst of a game.
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Should have let him wear it and addressed it later behind closed doors. Never a good idea to try to embarrass a person in full view/on national television. “Unspecifed violation of team rules” …you’d think Applewhite would know how to use that particular tool.
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I watched the game last night also. My question: Can Houston afford just 22 of those heavy jackets (for the active players)?
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There’s two sides to every story. We’re just seeing one side. I don’t think this was spontaneous combustion. Been a slow burn for awhile now. Got some oxygen on it, and BOOM!!!!
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Applewhite trying to play the victim in a situation that he totally fabricated out of thin air.
Dont put your hands on people and there isnt an issue.
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You really got to take the coat off Oliver in front of everyone on the sideline? Considering UH’s success since Oliver hit campus and his part in the huge Peach Bowl win a couple years back, I think he earned the right to wear a fricken coat.
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