The Fixer Of Westwood

by Nestor on Oct 8, 2007 2:04 PM PDT in Football

Phew. What a relief.

Once again Karl Dorrell is planning to "get things fixed":

"For the first quarter and a half he played pretty solid, where there wasn't any big change in the score,'' Dorrell said. "You can tell his inexperience showed at times, a little bit later in the game, which caused, for us to make some mistakes and put him in bad situations. Unfortunately for us, we're trying to win a football game and we came up short in doing so and made a lot of mistakes both from a coaching standpoint and a players standpoint and we just need to get things fixed.''

Yes. Those were the Thinker's comments after the latest debacle of this sorry season. From now on I will also start referring to the Thinker as "The Fixer" of Westwood.

Luckily, Bruin fans from across the spectrum are finally waking up and coming out of the woodwork to echo what we have been saying about the Fixer for all these years. From Brian Dohn's blog, here is a sampling of "thoughts" from UCLA fans streaming in wrt to state of Dorrell's joke of a football program. Few highlights below:

From Marc:

The UCLA football program is in a very terrible state. They lack direction. Karl Dorrel is a pathetic hapless loser. If UCLA sticks with this guy, then the bottom is still to come. This could be the bottom; but with Karl at the helm the bottom may well be an 0-12 or 1-11 season in the near future.

From Biz:

Brian, even when we were bad during the Donahue and Toledo years, I don't recall being so depressed about the football program. I'll be surprised if Dorrell is still the coach at the end of the year. I believe the AD will stick to his commitment with reestablishing UCLA's elite status in football much like basketball.

From El Mariachi:

Brian, did you ever land a job that provided you with five years at full pay to learn how to perform it? Me either. That's UCLA's commitment to a winning FB program in a nutshell.

I guess Carnesale got what HE wanted - points for hiring a minority HC - but the players only got a guy that's making $1M a year to play the part of HC.

UCLA right now is a fractured program that is capable of losing to absolutely anyone. It is two losses to Cal and Wash St. away from becoming .500 and completely broken.

I wish the players would take the initiative, march on Dan Guerrero's office, and demand he hire a HC that's actually qualified.

From Paul:

I think the state of the UCLA football program is equal, or worse, to the state in which Bob Toledo left it. It is a program with no direction and no future. Both starting quarterbacks are mediocre and there appears to be only minimal depth at most positions. The coaching staff seems unable to make offensive adjustments during the game or motivate players before the game, with DeWayne Walker remaining the notable exception. Dorrell needs to go so the program can begin rebuilding. Recruits should want to attend UCLA -- a beautiful location, national media exposure, a strong conference and proud tradition (100 titles). Mediocrity does not draw fans and since football is a revenue sport that alone should be a huge red flag for the athletic administration, regardless of their affection for Dorrell. Thanks for listening.

From TheStick:

My father and I have been attending UCLA Football games since the mid to late 80's. We were at the Rose Bowl for Saturday's game against Notre Dame. At not time since we've been attending games has this program looked so offensively unprepared as they did Saturday. Despite having a third string walk on Freshman this team should have beaten an extremely below average Notre Dame team. There needs to be a change in the coaching staff in order to remedy the situation. A change is needed now.

And finally from Chuckster, a former supporter of the Fixer:

From day one I have been a Dorrell supporter, believing his work ethic and commitment to all things blue and gold would bring success. I for one have had more than a few jobs where my lack of experience was disregarded because of the energy and potential I could bring to the position. That being said, as growth and knowledge of ones position increase so should the ability for failure decrease, especially those of significant proportion. That, I'm afraid is far from what is happening during Dorrell's tenure. He seems to me a man running the 100 meters against world class sprinters and continually losing, changing shoes, sportwear, starting position, never to realize there are some who have it and some who never will.

Again those are some samples. If you want to read the whole thread dominated by folks who want to get rid of the Fixer click here. Unbelievably couple of morons posted in that thread still defending the Fixer.

Well the only thing that's left for us to do is join DumpDorrell.com's campaign, which will hopefully raise the awareness re. the incompetency of our clueless head coach to whole another level, putting immense pressure on the UCLA athletic department to do the only thing it can do to "fix" our cursed program: get rid of the Fixer of Westwood.

GO BRUINS.

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Comments

Finally!

It only took two humiliating losses this year, and years of mediocrity, to get him to admit to "mistakes...from a coaching standpoint."

Thank you, Karl. It's about time.

by Barnes2JJ on Oct 8, 2007 2:12 PM PDT reply actions

Don't give him too much credit

Not clear to me whose coaching he is blaming. The Fixer does have a track record 'fixing things' in his own mind by scapegoating other coaches.

by Nestor on Oct 8, 2007 2:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Very true

Hey, baby steps. Maybe in another 5 years he can say, "I am 100% responsible for this humiliating defeat." (Just let him say this while coaching someone else.)

by Barnes2JJ on Oct 8, 2007 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Sure

He can take all the responsibility he wants at whatever his next job is.

Just not at UCLA.

by Nestor on Oct 8, 2007 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Watered down, of course

as it was from "both from a coaching standpoint AND a players standpoint."

by Class of 86 on Oct 8, 2007 2:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Meaning

his assistants weren't following his orders and the players were too inept to carry them out.

by Class of 86 on Oct 8, 2007 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Exactly

by Nestor on Oct 8, 2007 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Until I see

a quote where HE PERSONALLY takes responsibility for this teams failures, then he will remain, in my mind, a scapegoating coward.

Honestly, even though I know in my mind that the firing of KD is so close at hand, I can't tell you how depressed I am that our team is in this state. I don't really know if I'll be able to take it if somehow he isn't fired after the season. As a soon to be alumnus and potential donor to the school, it is in the Morgan Center's best interest to bring a swift end to the KD era before other students with less persistence and tolerance than I have turn their back on the football program for good.

by Tydides on Oct 8, 2007 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Turning Backs

Hmmm

Imagine the visual if the Den for 1 min moment of "sadness" "turn their backs" at the RoseBowl.

The visual could be very compelling for the media.

by Nestor on Oct 8, 2007 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions

That was my suggestion a long time ago

It's hard to convince people to leave the stadium, or not to enter.

But it ought to be very easy to convince people to turn their backs. Just start doing it. The people behind you will have to stand up, and tell them to turn around too. It ought to spread. Remember that there's usually a little time for banter coming back from the first time out. Most networks delay lineups a bit. If you could get things coordinated so that the majority of the stadium had its back turned coming out of a time out, the likelihood is that the cameras would go on.

But as I've said before, the key is to get a producer interested. Tell them in advance to watch for it, then when it's getting done there will be no question about what's happening and the on-air guys will know what to say.

by Fox 71 on Oct 8, 2007 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions

I envision

an in-game "marching sign" that reads "DUMP DORRELL", where two people hold it and walk across the main aisle leading from the tunnels, as far around the RB as possible. It's especially effective on national TV, during another loss, between quarters.

You do risk the wrath of the few, straggling Dorrell supporters that might be left, but it's good exposure that ESPN and others would likely pick up.

by Class of 86 on Oct 8, 2007 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions

I like it

It won't get far, of course, before the Sign Police show up. Maybe it would be prudent to have several signs, and when one goes down, another springs up to take its place.

by Fox 71 on Oct 8, 2007 3:02 PM PDT up reply actions

How about...

DUMPDORRELL.COM with BRUINSNATION.COM under it?

If it gets shown on ESPN, it might generate thousands of clicks on both sites, and maybe get some reporters to check out what is going on on DD and BN.

by Barnes2JJ on Oct 8, 2007 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions

The Sign Police are a problem

but if you're sorta quick you can sometimes get at least one-quarter of the way around the stadium before they get to you. A second sign could then take over on the other side of the RB for another quarter turn.. All you need for the TV cameras to pick you up is about 60 - 70 seconds total, as they only use about 5 seconds worth on air anyway.

A few friends of mine and I did this several years ago at Qualcomm stadium in San Diego with a "Cryin' Ryan Leaf" sign, and they crowd only booed when the security dudes took the banner away. We did get TV exposure, though.

The "cops" didn't give us too much of a problem with it, didn't even kick us out.. You just have to give up the sign when they ask for it, be respectful, don't run away, etc.

by Class of 86 on Oct 8, 2007 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Rivals has rated all D-1 teams.

I looked at the lower part of the list, didn't find UCLA and then started looking upwards. Rivals has them at number 37. But it looks like Rivals realizes that they are giving us too much credit. Here's the quote:

"37. UCLA (4-2)
Hey, stop laughing at the Bruins. Seriously, be nice. Next: vs. California (Oct. 20)."

We are acknowledged by a national something (whatever Rivals is, and frankly I'm not sure) as worthy of laughter. CTS has turned us into a recognized laughingstock.

Nice going, CTS. I wonder if DG has grades for "inducing laughter at football program?"

by Fox 71 on Oct 8, 2007 2:44 PM PDT reply actions