Tucker’s departure spotlights opportunity, greed, gray area

Re: “Mel Tucker played us all for chumps,” Feb. 13 cover story; and “Tuck and run,”

Feb. 13 sports story

What the Tuck?!

My guess is if you asked Coach Mel Tucker when he was getting into the coaching business if he would be happy being a head coach of a team in a Power Five conference making $3 million per year, he would laugh and say “of course.”

Teddy Roosevelt wisely said “comparison is the thief of joy.” Most people say they value integrity and recognize that envy and greed are not good. Yet we live in a culture that makes a person out to be sucker if they leave $1 on the table. It’s the same mentality that makes billionaire NFL team owners think they are justified in gouging their season-ticket holders on parking and concession prices in their taxpayer-provided stadiums.

People excuse envy, greed and lack of integrity as “just business.” It is society’s fault for excusing that bad behavior. It is not “OK” to break one’s previous commitments just because it is profitable to do so.

Coach Tucker sat in the living rooms of all those kids he recruited and promised them and their families he would take care of them the next four years. Here’s to hoping the next group of kids don’t fall for his pitch.

Russell Ross, Colorado Springs

It may be disappointing to hear one is staying and then for the next thing out of their mouth to be that they are gone.

What is the difference in the greed for more money in the athletes they recruit — at taxpayer expense — to receive free education, room and board, and a small stipend to leave before their collegiate time is up for big money in the NFL and NBA doing the same as Tucker?

Granted, the manner in which he left CU may not have been acceptable to some, but athletes leaving early may not be any different.

Greed for money makes decisions easy, and the average citizen working would leave their job if more money was available someplace else.

Dave Usechek, Parker