Guest Post on the Lebanon Sports Mafia

[Note: The content of this post was written by frequent commenter I]

There are so many mysteries here.

What about the previous head football coach, a young man from out of state named Dave Kline? It was his first head coaching position and he suddenly announced his coaching departure at the football banquet knowing the following year the team would be playing in a smaller classification and have a terrific season. What a resume builder that would have been for him. Lead a team that hadn't had a winning season in however many years and in his forth year go to state? It looks like he's actually the one that built the program yet I've heard no mention or credit given to him? He claimed he was leaving for his family because his wife had a new baby but the next year he was coaching for Silverton. Did the "sports mafia" run him out? Was that poor guy unknowingly thrown to the wolves with no support?

Here's one of his quotes from the Express: “They need to bring somebody in that has the same goals of having high integrity and high standards,” Kline said. “That is the most important thing.”

Was there a hidden meaning? What did he know?

Then there's Bo Yates. If nothing else here is a man that bites the hand that feeds him. The superintendent hired him and apparently gave him the financial support to build up athletics. It was his first administrative position. We have not seen Bo giving any credit to Jim Robinson and there is mounting evidence he is actually stabbing him in the back.

He didn't have a winning season the entire three years he was at West Salem.The year after he left they played the exact same teams as when he was there and finished 4th in state. The next year they were classified 6A instead of 5A and finished 2nd in state. If he built the program as Dave Kline built Lebanon's, why would he leave? He doesn't mind taking other peoples credit, why wouldn't he stay and accept his own? What happened in Salem?

Who are the puppets, who are the pawns and who is really running this horror show?