As he was loaded onto the stretcher and wheeled out of Martin Stadium, Washington State sophomore quarterback Luke Falk offered up a sign of hope for fans in attendance: a thumbs-up to all those in attendance.

But as Falk was transported to the hospital and in the days following that Nov. 21 game against Colorado, the WSU community has been holding its breath, awaiting the return of its star player.

Since that game, Head Coach Mike Leach has not done much to help ease the worries of Washington State fans. In an interview following their 27-3 victory over the Buffaloes, Leach told an ESPN reporter that Falk was “healthy as can be” and that they were merely resting the quarterback late in the game.

Leach has always adhered to a policy of not discussing injuries, but his explanation of the very evident and serious injury Falk suffered from that night angered some talking heads. Many believed his statements undermined the seriousness of the injury, and led some to think he would force Falk to play before he was fully ready.

But Leach is notorious for offering up brash and borderline, condescending answers to media questions, and his dismissal of this particular inquiry is not all that surprising to those who have followed the coach over the years.

His responses came off as cold and showed little concern for Falk’s health, and thanks to Leach’s avoidance of injury-related statements since then, WSU fans have been left to wonder to what extent Falk was affected by his rumored concussion.

He did not appear in last week’s Apple Cup match-up against the University of Washington, and was replaced by redshirt freshman Peyton Bender, dashing the hopes held by many fans that Falk would be healthy enough to return to the field.

Now, while the team and its fans await to hear what bowl game the Cougars will be selected to play in, they will also have to wait and see whether Falk will return to the field this season.

Reporters may still feel compelled to probe Leach on the status of the quarterback, but I have a feeling they will continue to be shut down and belittled until they learn to drop the subject.

Should Leach be more open about communicating injuries? It would surely give the fans some sense of relief to have an answer, either yes or no, about whether or not players are healthy enough to go.

Many expected Falk to play in the Apple Cup until the moment Bender took the field. But Falk remained on the sidelines, and the team’s chances to find success remained benched as well.

On the other hand, Leach doesn’t owe anyone an explanation about injury information. To his credit, he is not a doctor or physician, and with the complicated nature of many injuries these days, especially concussions, maybe he does not feel comfortable or qualified to talk about these topics.

In the end, Leach is going to do what he wants to do. He doesn’t care what fans or any members of the media think about his policies and practices. That has been his style since long before he arrived on the Palouse.

Now that he is nearing the end of his fourth season, it’s foolish to think Leach will change his ways because there is more attention on WSU football. You wanted the coach, you got him and all the antics that come along with him.

As long as his players are treated correctly and fairly when they are injured, then there is no real reason to complain. Let the man coach, and hopefully he will turn this whole winning thing into a tradition at WSU. Keep questioning his methods, and the old pirate may pack up his ship and set sail.