Jim Mora Jr. is a Jackass

This was a very tough week in picking a Jackass, as there were several candidates.
I thought about Terrell Owens yet again, for his spitting at DeAngelo Hall. I thought
about Tank Johnson for his troubles with the law regarding guns and murder. I also
thought about all the players who were involved in the brawl between the New York
Knicks and Denver Nuggets. Those are all worthy candidates, but they couldn’t top
this weeks’ winner, none other than Jim Mora Jr.
In an interview last week with radio hosts in the state of Washington, Mora made a
fool of himself saying he would jump at the opportunity to coach his alma mater, the
University of Washington. He later realized that he should NEVER have gone out and
said something publicly like that and tried to claim he was “just kidding” during the
interview. Based on this interview transcript, it’s quite clear Mora was anything but
kidding.
Interviewer: If it ever works out, if there's an opening, and you're available, we want
you to coach the Huskies.
Mora: Well, I really have a lot of respect for Ty, and I know he'll do a great job. But if
he ever decides to move on, and get in the NFL or you know, go back to Notre Dame
or whatever, if that job's open you'll find me at the friggin' head of the line with my
resume in my hand ready to take that job.
Interviewer: If you're available.
Mora: It doesn't even matter if I'm available.
Interviewer: So if you just won the Super Bowl, and it's available, you're there?
Mora: I'd be there
Interviewer: You're there, OK.
Mora: Dewey, I promise you that. Now, I want to see Ty succeed, and I want to see
that program succeed. But if he decides at some point that he's ready to move on
and they want me, I will be there. I don't care if we're in the middle of a playoff run,
I'm packing my stuff and coming back to Seattle.
Interviewer: So, are you saying ...
Mora: You know, it's funny, and I mean that, and I'm dead serious, the further I get
away from it the more I'm drawn to it. You know, that's the job I want, so...
Interviewer: You would leave the Falcons for that job?
Mora: Absolutely.
Interviewer: Wow.
Mora: As I'm sitting here, I'm looking at a Huskies helmet.
Sure, you were just kidding Mora. That’s why you said you’d leave in the middle of a
playoff run, which you’re in currently, or if you had just won the Super Bowl, the
biggest victory any football coach can get. It’s also why said it’s the “job [you] want”,
and that you are “drawn to it”. Yeah, I’m sure those are ALL jokes! Give me a break,
a joke isn’t a conversation that goes on for fifteen minutes and doesn’t at the very
least end in “I’m just kidding, I love the Falcons”. Please. To top it off, to come out
AFTER the fact and say “It was me doing a radio interview with a close friend and
former college roommate, and just joking about the [Washington] job," In fact, I say
two or three times during the thing that I want Ty [Willingham, current Washington
coach] to succeed. I mean, I want to be here in Atlanta forever. This is where I want
to raise my family. Our 10-year-old, she's how many years away from college, and
she's already trying to decide whether she wants to go to Georgia or Georgia Tech. I
guess you've got to watch what you say to anybody anymore. I'm doing an interview
with my best friend, joking around, and all of a sudden it's a big story. Believe me,
there's nothing to it."
All of the sudden it’s a big story? What are you talking about? Why wouldn’t it be?
You’re discussing another head coaching position while you’re currently employed
and in the middle of a playoff push. You’re also talking about a position that is
currently filled. Not only are you making things awkward for the Atlanta Falcons, but
also for the University of Washington as well.
Finally, if you’re going to go out there and say the things that you said, don’t try to
patronize the rest of us by saying it’s a joke, we all either heard the clip or read
about it, you were as serious as a heart attack. It’s not that big of a secret that you
met with Washington officials no more than two years ago to discuss the position
when it WAS open, so we all know you truly do have interest in the position. Mora,
you have to use better judgment than that buddy. How can you even preach to your
players to not say something stupid in the media when you, their leader, are doing it
yourself? Your career in Atlanta is cooked my friend, and it should be. For being so
ignorant and going out onto the public airwaves and discussing leaving your current
job for one that is already filled, and then claiming it was a joke, Jim Mora Jr., you are
the BSN JACKASS OF THE WEEK!