What Dorrell can do to earn our forgiveness

by godblesstyus95 on Nov 26, 2007 9:08 AM PST Comment 47 comments

Bumped from the diaries. GO BRUINS. -N

I hate what you've done to this football program, Karl Dorrell. But there's one thing you can do. One thing, and we may forgive you.

End this misery now, Karl. Make an announcement. Do it before the Southern Cal game. Make the announcement that you will resign after the Southern Cal game. Win or lose, you will resign. Spare us any uncertainty that, win or lose, you will be gone come next Monday. It's clear Guerrero won't fire you until after the Southern Cal game. Let all of us root for the Bruins without the fear that victory may mean you will be back.

Five years ago, UCLA gave you the opportunity of a lifetime. Now it's time to give back. Tell everyone that you were "thankful for the opportunity" (don't get me started about that one), but in the best interest of the program, you will coach your last game next Saturday and then tender your resignation. Tell us you tried your best, but you just weren't up to it. Go out with dignity, Karl. Put your alma mater before yourself. Do it for players. Do it for the fans. It would be an honorable thing to do.

You've ripped us apart, Karl. We are tormented. We are apathetic. We bicker amongst ourselves. Our hatred for our cross-town rivals now equals (or maybe has even been surpassed by) the hatred for what you've done to our program. Some of us even hate you, Karl. One of the best rivalries in all of sports is happening next Saturday, and many die-hard Bruin fans can hardly care less of the outcome. Many of us care more about the following Monday and who will be your successor. This is what you've done to us.

Of course, we've given it right back to you: Duhrell. Dullard. Doofus. The Thinker. The Sleeper. Dorvell. Dorrellian. Lavinesque. CTS. Toast. All these names are well known and widely spoken by us, Karl. You may not even know what some of them mean, but ask any one of us, and we'll tell you. They are borne from the angst and frustration of the last 5 years. Fellow Bruins calling each other names. This is what you've done to us.

Did you know there's a countdown to "End of KD Hell" Karl? It's set to go off Monday, December 3rd. That's when we expect, EXPECT, not necessarily PREDICT (that's a whole other story about you Karl, I won't get into that) that Mr. Guerrero fires you. If he doesn't, then there's another fellow Bruin who will get our wrath. But you can wrest that decision from him Karl, spare him our wrath, and do what's right for the program.

And hey, beat Southern Cal, go out with pride, there may be another coaching gig waiting for you. Somewhere, but not here.

You've thrown players and assistant coaches under the bus. You and Mr. Streeter then threw UCLA under the bus. You've given us 5 years of clichés, here's one for you: it's time to right the ship. It's not about winning or losing anymore. It's about saving our football program. It's time to give back, Karl. The time is now.

Make the announcement that you will resign after the Southern Cal game. Tell your players to play their hearts out; that what you've done is in their best interest, what's best for the program. Tell Bruin Nation that UCLA means more to you than your livlihood. The entire Bruin Nation can then unite, and root harder for you this Saturday than they ever have. And maybe some of us..after everything you've done to us..just maybe... we can forgive you.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

0 recs | Comment 47 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

I am all for that

Then, we can all root whole heartedly and without reservation for a win over $uC.

by bruin8uclap on Nov 26, 2007 5:57 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

It's up to DG not CKD

DG is the one we should be clammoring here. DG is the one who needs to cut the deal with CKD, pull the plug, and say "sorry Karl, the Show's over, here's your 750k, now be on your way." Not that we could ever consider CKD football a show, but I digress.

Now we have this whole race card being pulled, which is stupid and only complicates things. Karl pulling this card is only going to make hiring another Black coach in America that much more difficult. If I was a Black Coach in America, I'd be pissed right now at CKD. I'd say, "what are you doing to us Karl." Now watch how many AD's are going to want to hire Black coaches. They will be ever hesitant now for fear that like Karl Dorrell, it will be that much harder to get rid of them when they don't perform. They will fear being called racists if they even tried. Karl, seriously pal, if race was an issue, you would have never been hired in the first place.

by BruinFaithful on Nov 26, 2007 12:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I can't bring myself to root against UCLA

And I will root for us with everything I got. But fuck Dorrell. He is a selfish asshole.

He has killed the joy. I don't care about this game either. But I will end up watching it.

by bluestreet on Nov 26, 2007 7:28 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

HEAR! HEAR!

But I doubt Excitement will!

The Mad Bruin

by lostnacfgop on Nov 26, 2007 9:20 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Great Post

This is what I hate most about the KD era. At the Notre Dame game I began to boo KD for his inane play calling and the stupid mistakes that cost us the game. Another Bruin season ticket holder and donor became enraged at me because he thought I was not supporting the team. He almost took a swing at me.

This is what KD hath wrought.

And now many of the comments on these posts have descended into childish name-calling and questioning of our Bruin loyalty. Bruin-on-Bruin hit jobs, when we should be focusing our animosity at the cross-town asshats we play on Saturday. Now that is on US, we should be bigger and better than that. Yet, is there anyone out there who doesn't believe:

This is what KD hath wrought?

His very nature is divisiveness...from not backing his players up in the media, to making bad coaching hires and then firing them each year, to claiming there is a racial element in the heat he is feeling now.

Yes, this is what KD hath wrought.

Don't hold your breath in hopes of him doing the "honorable" thing. Instead hope that our boys will remember what last year's win felt like and conjure up the same passion and emotion. Hope that KD coaches the hell out of the kids this week and on Saturday and gives us one last improbable victory pulled out of his butt.

And hope that DG looks at 5 years of inconsistency, embarassment and mediocrity and does the right thing on Monday...

by bbuclabruins on Nov 26, 2007 9:28 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Good stuff

Dare to dream, right?

I forgot to mention that there was more booing than usual at the RB this past Saturday--mostly after the runs up the gut.

I also saw very little celebration among the fans after the game. This program has had the fun and life sucked right out of it.

I can't wait for the UCLA Donor Office people to call me about renewing my season tickets. I hope they have about 30 minutes to spare to allow me to vent.

by Barnes2JJ on Nov 26, 2007 9:48 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

My impression exactly, Barnes

From Tunnel 27 (where I've been perched all year 'cept for ASU) the loudest cheers where for the Defense on 3d down. The rest of the time it was like being at a Dodger game in the early 80's.

Barnes were you listening to the post-game interviews on 570? My overwhelming impression was no more than apathy about BO's return - and a conspicuous absence of enthusiasm in the responses of the players who were asked "what does it mean to have Olson back at QB for the team?" Not sure if I'm being too critical, imagining things or if there really is a lack of confidence in the big-armed, slow-footed lefty.

The Mad Bruin

by lostnacfgop on Nov 26, 2007 10:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

570

I usually listen to the post-game show but this time, I did not.

After the ASU game, I was so sick of hearing the callers whine on about our injury situation and the great recruits coming in next year that I just couldn't take it again Saturday.

I suppose it is possible that BO does not "fit in" with some of the players, but more importantly, I am seriously concerned about his health coming out of the SC game. SC's defense is the real deal and our O-line's "matador-style" blocking (combined with BO's limited mobility) may make for a deadly medley.

by Barnes2JJ on Nov 26, 2007 10:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

There was a lot of celebrating in the locker room

They showed the locker room on the big screen after the game. Everyone (I assume the seniors) were celebrating and having fun. Good for them, they went out with a win.

I was in the big $$$ donor section with decades-old alumni and they were also ripping KDs playcalling. And I did notice a lot more boos coming quickly after the numerous 0-yard run-up-the-middle plays.

by mark the bruin on Nov 26, 2007 10:01 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Running up the gut

You are right about that. Over and over and over. Worse than a bad case of Norwalk Virus. We watched the game from home and could hear the booing from the TV. In addition to that redundant play game after game, how about the fact that he did it against the famous Oregon 7? HELLLLOOOOO Dorvel, is anyone home? Do you not study your opponent before a game? Got a new name for your play: "DORWALK VIRUS."

Alumnus/Parent '08/ Chancellor's Associate

by BruinMum on Nov 26, 2007 4:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't post often, but I read everyday...

I feel much sadness in the Bruins Nation (football division) caused by KD. It makes me sad to see brothers in arms fighting about whether we should be forced to root for the Bruins to win or lose, or to simply not care, in the hope that whatever we decide as an individual will be our coping mechanism until KD is eventually fired, whether it is after the SC game this year, or next year, or whenever DG finally pulls the plug on the mistaken experiment to hire an inexperienced coach who never figured out how to do it. The writing on the wall. The only open question is the timing. In the meantime, we fans of Bruins nation fight with each other.

KD could heal us all by doing the right thing and resigning before the game. Then, instead of being remembered as tearing the BN apart, he could be remembered for the one great decision he finally made at the end, to leave with some honor and dignity. I hope somehow that he makes this decision so that the healing can begin.

In the meantime, I can never root against the Bruins so my coping mechanism is to not watch. Therefore, unless KD resigns before the game, I will be away from my TV.

My final hope is that we don't let KD divide us in the end. Because in the end we all want the same thing - greatness restored to the Bruin Nation.

Once again, thank you for the great post, and in the words of our fearless leader Nestor, "GO BRUINS"!!!!!

by waters96 on Nov 26, 2007 10:21 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

DG Please Decide Now

I am not going to get sucked into the debate over Dorrell. As I have stated many times, the answer is obvious. But, what has been bothering me is the lack of unanimity among Bruin fans. Why is there still a vocal group that continues to support this mediocre coach? I now realize that the problem is mediocrity. Being mediocre leaves enough doubt that some fans will continue to hang on to the hope that success is just around the corner. Unfortunately, having a mediocre football program reminds me of the old Woody Hayes saying about passing the football, "Three things can happen and two of them are bad." You can be the eternal optimist and expect that things will eventually turn positive, or you can be a pessimist and think things will just get worse. However, the third option, and ultimately the most devastating to the morale of the fans is nothing changes.

As paragraph 4 of GBT95 post so accurately notes, instead of getting behind OUR team, Bruin fans "...are tormented. We are apathetic. We bicker amongst ourselves." While GBT95 suggests it is time for Dorrell to do the right thing and resign, we all know that is not going to happen. If he resigned, without negotiating a settlement, he would lose his payout. Even the most ardent of Dorrell detractors do not believe he is stupid enough to just walk away from $2 million. Also, there is the pride factor. Quitting is the easy way out. Altruism aside, we all know that in athletics you only walk away for two reasons: either you are old and it is time to retire (see Lloyd Carr and Sonny Lubich) or you resign instead of being fired (Francione). When was the last time a coach in the middle of his career walked a way from a head coaching job?

Therefore, instead of pleading for Dorrell to do the right thing, all efforts need to be focused on Dan Guererro. His comment over the weekend regarding looking at the entire body of work is reasonable. Five years minus one rivalry game is enough time to make that determination. If the AD is satisfied with a regular season record fluctuating between 5 and 7 wins a season, with a 20% chance of a 10 win season, then Dorrell is his man. However, if he meant the statements he made when Dorrell was hired about competing for a Pac 10 title, then it is obviously time for a change.

While I agree with what GBT95 wrote, we can not expect the declaration about Dorrell's to come from him. It therefore must come from the AD. The AD has had more than enough time to make his decision. The outcome of one more game is not going to make a significant change in Dorrell's body of work. Therefore, I would hope DG will make the announcement of Dorrell's future before Saturday so all Bruin fans can be done with this distraction and give full support to OUR team on Saturday without the fear that an upset win will save Dorrell's job for another mediocre season.

by Bruin77 on Nov 26, 2007 11:03 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

If this isn't the stupidest post

Come on people. Do you honestly think CKD is going to resign and forfeit his 750k buyout? Would you? Bullshit!!!! You know you wouldn't and neither would I. If you would, then you must be the stupidest business man in the world. I LOVE LOVE UCLA, but if it was me I would say fuck that, this is 750k we're talking about here. Not to mention, he would forever be seen as a coward and a quitter in the coaching world and would almost assure himself of never coaching again. When was the last time you heard of a coach resiging, that wasn't allowed to resign by the Administration to save face???? When???? The only time Coaches resign is when they are on top, or are allowed to. So please, stop this asking him to resign nonsense. We need to push him out.

by BruinFaithful on Nov 26, 2007 12:00 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Ok

I happen to agree that Dorrell will never resign but let's not attack someone who put a lot of effort into writing up a diary. That is not cool.

by Barnes2JJ on Nov 26, 2007 12:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not attacking

I'm trying to make a point were our efforts need to be focused on, because there seems to be a consensus here. Also, just like college, volume does not supercede content. I'm sorry somebody wasted a lot of time writing this, but I also have a right to voice my opinion.

by BruinFaithful on Nov 26, 2007 12:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You can disagree

and voice your separate opinion without labeling someone's post as being stupid or the "stupidest post ever." Wouldn't you agree?

by Barnes2JJ on Nov 26, 2007 12:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

It's just that this is not the first time I've heard people on here clammoring for CKD to resign. Honestly, I just can't take it anymore. I didn't mean to say that only the post was stupid, more so that this prevalent naive mentality is stupid. The bottom line is, it's not going to happen. It's not even logical to assume this would ever happen. That's all I was trying to say.

by BruinFaithful on Nov 26, 2007 12:40 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Uh

The gesture may not be practicable, but it IMHO it is "stupid" to call this post "stupid."

You may or may not think godblesstyus95's plea to the Doofus to go out with some pride is practicable. But what this post does beautifully is capture how so many of us are feeling. I am certainly grateful to godblesstyus95 for writing what I was feeling.

What it does is advance the message perfectly how majority of UCLA fans are feeling about CTS destroying UCLA football.

by bluestreet on Nov 26, 2007 12:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Call me stupid then....my feelings aren't hurt

First of all, quitting is NEVER prideful. Secondly, I've always considered myself a logical person, as many other people have told me I am. Therefore, to me it is not logical that CKD or any coach would quit and leave 750k on the table and worse have himself viewed as a quitter amongst his peers. The the worst thing you can do in the Coaching world is quit. He would completely be black balled FOREVER. He would be the ultimate hypocrite. How would he ever be able to look a kid in the face again and say "Play all Four Quarters no matter what and Don't EVER QUIT." If any of you can honestly say that you would quit if you were in the same circumstance, then you can ask CKD to do the same. Otherwise, shut up. Thirdly, I have been a strong believer in focusing on the things I can control. Trying to get CKD to resign is NOT in OUR control. This might only strengthen his resolve. Although he sucks as a Coach, he has shown to have thick skin. If I were him I wouldn't leave unless booted either. What is in our control is NOT going to the games. One thing people pay attention to money. We as BRUINS have not done a good job of that. Last I checked, there were 73k peole at the Rose Bowl this Saturday and we broke an all time attendance record this year. That is not sending a message to DG or the administration that we are displeased. How many people here, who are asking for CKD to resign, were at the game Saturday???? I bet a lot.

by BruinFaithful on Nov 26, 2007 1:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

My feelings are fine too

Let me see if I can break this down:

First of all, quitting is NEVER prideful.

Neither is punting on 4th and short with ball deep in the opponent territory or taking the knee with plenty of time to mount an half ending scoring drive in 2nd Q. I can go on and one.

Secondly, I've always considered myself a logical person, as many other people have told me I am. Therefore, to me it is not logical that CKD or any coach would quit and leave 750k on the table and worse have himself viewed as a quitter amongst his peers. The the worst thing you can do in the Coaching world is quit.

Again the intention of the post was to send a message and articulate the feeling of UCLA fan. At least that's how I read. And I think he did a damn good job of it.

He would completely be black balled FOREVER. He would be the ultimate hypocrite.

KD has already been blackballed for being an incompetent coach. Duke just opened up a spot for new HC. You think they will be knocking on the door of this losers?

How would he ever be able to look a kid in the face again and say "Play all Four Quarters no matter what and Don't EVER QUIT." If any of you can honestly say that you would quit if you were in the same circumstance, then you can ask CKD to do the same. Otherwise, shut up.

See above. The Doofus quit on us a long time ago. This will be nothing new.

Thirdly, I have been a strong believer in focusing on the things I can control. Trying to get CKD to resign is NOT in OUR control.

Dude this was all about sending a message. And I think gbt and others on BN have done a spectacular job of developing the message and narrative around KD. If not for their efforts, we wouldn't see the heat around KD, that we see today.

Last I checked, there were 73k peole at the Rose Bowl this Saturday and we broke an all time attendance record this year. That is not sending a message to DG or the administration that we are displeased. How many people here, who are asking for CKD to resign, were at the game Saturday???? I bet a lot.

Uh last I checked I never heard on TV a UCLA crowd booooo so vehemently and so emphatically at the Rose Bowl. I think that also sent DG a message.

You are wasting your energy on a silly point rather than embracing the underlying spirit of gbt's post which is absolutely on the money.

by bluestreet on Nov 26, 2007 1:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

NO....ur not getting my point

My point was that I don't need some post to articulate my feelings redundantly. I was just sick of hearing for the 100th time on BN somebody asking for CKD to resign, when it's not gonna freaken happen. You sound like my GF. Oh, I want you to understand how I FEEL. We know what the problem is and we know how we feel. Asking Dorrell to resign on a post he is NEVER going to read makes no sense. What we need are solutions, not feelings or rhetoric. Finally, the administration doesn't care about boos as much as revenoos. They count dollars, not boos. I think a dead silence from empty seats would have been more effective. Have you ever seen the Dodgers play on the road at places like Pittsburgh and the seats are empty and the announced attendance is like 8k. That's pathetic. What do you think George Steinbrenner cares about more? 60k pissed off booing New Yorkers or 8k happy ones? Still, you didn't answer my question. If you were CKD, would you resign and surrender 1.75million in earnings?

by BruinFaithful on Nov 26, 2007 2:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

BruinFaithful

If you have "solutions" in mind then offer them up in the diaries. We will hear you out. Don't whine about meaningful contributions from other community members who are pouring their heart and soul into their takes.

Instead of concern trolling, why don't you offer your takes in a substantive manner instead of attacking other's contributions. And if you keep this up by just attacking other poster who have been coming here for years offering one substantive takes after another amplifying our message, you are not going to last long.

by Nestor on Nov 26, 2007 3:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

WOW

Firstly, nobody was whining. Secondly, how mature of you to threaten me with banishment. I thought this was a place where I could freely voice my opinion. I thought I made some great provocative points in my response, but obviously none of those were recognized by you. I do have solutions to share and I'm convinced they are significant.

I've been reading posts here almost daily for the last 2 years or so and have seen one HUGE common theme that I believe must change before we achieve true excellence in Football and that is MENTALITY. I was at UCLA when you were there Nestor and I think you might know me. I have had a HUGE amount of success as a leader and business owner in the corporate world and the principles that apply to success there parallel the sports world. In order for us to achieve success in Football we must have a Winning and Championship MENTALITY from top to bottom, from the Administration to the Fans to the Alumni to the Coaching Staff. Too many times, even here, I have seen examples of the wrong mentality. People complaining in here about USC cheating and what they did wrong. WTF does that have to do with success at UCLA? I've seen comments like Cheatie Petie and stuff like that, instead of focusing on what they've done right and using it as an example and proof of what is possible. This MUST change, because WINNERS don't make excuses for LOSING. WINNERS find ways to win, in spite of all obstacles and in the face of all adversity, like our BB warriors. When I was at Baja Cantina last week and I saw my Bruins down by 13 to MSU, I didn't panic. I wasn't worried. Why? Because I knew the resolve of this team and it's leader and I knew we still had a few good runs left in us. Even though you, yourself doubted us Nestor. Just like I wasn't worried when we went down by a bunch to Arizona in the desert under Toledo and McNown. Say what you will about Toledo, but he was a great Offensive Coach and a good recruiter. His largest downfall was allowing Rocky Long to leave and not replacing him with adequate talent.

In the corporate world when I knew my peers were cheating, I didn't go tattle to the boss or use it as an excuse for losing. I had the resolve to win regradless, because I knew and believed I was better and would win in spite of their cheating ways. We need some of this ourselves. I have several friends and colleagues who are Trojans. When we beat them last year, they didn't call us cheaters or lucky. They gave me sincere congratulations. They said you deserved to win. They said you kicked our ass. True story, that same Tuesday last week I ran into Tim Floyd at Baja and we engaged in a meaningful conversation. I congratulated him for his success and wished him the best, except for when he's playing UCLA of course. I thanked him for making the series more competitive and raising the level of competition. He was genuinely thankful. We also talked business and was impressed in enough with my company and projects that he decided to give me his cell and office number. I know some of you might not like this, but I might even do business with him. I still wanna whoop him in BB, but that doesn't mean I'm shallow and immature enough to not do business with him or appreciate his talent. This is what true competitive WARRIORS do, like Magic and Isaiah. I wanna kill you on the court, but we can be friends and respect each other off.

Say what you will, but Pete Carroll is a great recruiter and College Coach and if you're a mature adult, you have to admire what he's done. As much as I loved wacthing that look of pain on his face when the final whistle was blown last year, I still have to respect what he's done. In order to achieve greatness we must change our mentality. I know you know this is true Nestor. You even gave an example of this negative mentality amongst the administration here, when you chronicled DG's battle. We saw it under Chancellor Young and Carnesale. Look what happened when we tried to bring Pitino in? Instead of being praised, Pete Dalis was murdered in the public eye and media. He wasn't supported verbally or financially by the Administration in this endeavor. They just hung him out to dry. I think this is the main reason why he ultimately resigned. He knew he couldn't win with that administration. We as Alumni also need to get more involved and donate more. I myself am a donor. Sad, but too many of us are too apathetic. Historically also though, the administration has curbed too much Alumni involvement for fear they might lose control, like many schools have in the SEC. The school must learn and understand that we can work together towards greatness without these concerns. They must also understand that athletics is the main outlet which brings exposure to the university. They need to realize that nobody is going to run a 3 hour commercial on national TV on UCLA academics for free. This is NEVER going to happen. Sports is all we have in this regard. I myself became infatuated with UCLA, and made it my ONLY destination, after watching us beat Michigan in the 1983 Rose Bowl ,at the tender age of 10, and then win again in 1984 and again in 1986. I thought Eric Ball was a GOD. Back then, it seemed like we were in the Rose Bowl every year. Had USC been in that 1983 game, my fate might have been different, God forbid. Watching this one game was such a powerful influence, that it even made me a better person. I decided to work hard in school and get good grades, only because of my drive and desire to be accepted at UCLA. I turned Cal and Stanford down to go to UCLA. SC even offered me a full academic scholarship, ha. I took that offer and dismantled it in my human paper shredder.

We as a whole, especially the administration, must understand that UCLA Football is a powerful business and marketing tool, not just water cooler banter. As much as I love BB, Football is still the sport of choice, even in CA. When mentioning College BB, I have had people repeatedly tell me "So what, Football is the sport. BB sucks." or "Yeah, but you suck at FB." People still love some good 'ol smash mouth on Saturdays, even 'round these parts.

If I had the decision making ability, I would change many things about UCLA sports. First, I would go raise a crap load of money. Then I would shit can Dorrell and go get the BEST coach available and pay him a market salary. I would renovate Pauley and The Rose Bowl from top to bottom and install luxury revenue generating suites. I would charge Alumni/Fans top dollar to drink booze and eat there. I would bring in a Top Notch Branding company to rework our image and those God awful uniforms and Cheerleading outfits. This is just for starters, but then again I have always been a dreamer. The posibilities are endless. Michigan charges for $40 per car to park on their golf course for god sakes. UCLA is a GRAND institution and it and it's faithful DESERVE the best. I was watching CNBC last week and I saw a profile on a College Sports Themed Real Estate Builder and what they did for Georgia Football. It was amazing, they built a Bulldog Themed Luxury Conodo project close to Bulldog Stadium. They had Bulldog paraphenalia everywhere. Bulldog logos everywhere, on the carpet, the elevators, and in every condo unit. They took every tenant on a private Bulldog shuttle directly to their luxury suites. It was incredible. I dream for this day at UCLA and I hope I see it in my lifetime. We too can have this. Let's go make it happen.

by BruinFaithful on Nov 27, 2007 6:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

Sorry I stopped reading after this:

I have had a HUGE amount of success as a leader and business owner in the corporate world and the principles that apply to success there parallel the sports world.

As gbt already said you need to "chill" just a bit.

by Nestor on Nov 27, 2007 7:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know you, BruinFaithful

and you don't know me. I have nothing substantive to add to your conversation with Nestor. I have one observation, for what it's worth. I have never seen anyone who actually was a huge success at something say so quite this explicitly: "I have had a HUGE amount of success as a leader and business owner ...."

Of course, there are politicians who loudly proclaim all their successes, but no one believes them anyway.

I don't mean to drop napalm into the situation, but the "HUGE success" language struck me as somewhat unusual. This is obviously not germane to anything, so ignore it if you choose.

(One anecdote before I drop off - I knew a guy who said to a group (can't remember the exact context) that "You'll really like me once you get to know me." We all got to know him, and nobody liked him. I don't know why that seemed relevant, but it did.)

That's it. Adios.

by Fox 71 on Nov 27, 2007 10:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

So why do u care then????

Your comments are a clear indicator of your overwhelming bias. You guys are no better than a mob and Nestor is your leader. You all swing from his nuts like a pack of squirrels. How quick you all run to defend each other who are part of your little mob and are part of the consensus here. How quickly you pounce on others who would disagree. There is a word for this type of journalism and it is found in mediums like Al-Jazeera. It's ironic, because my post wasn't even pro Dorrell. I make one little comment earlier about how naive I thought it was to expect Dorrell to resign. That's all I did. Then you encourage me to post solutions and then rip me for doing so. It's funny that you only chose to focus on something you could pick on rather than all the well thought out substantive ideas I offered. You people who ripped me for supposedly insulting a beloved poster do worse than that. You are the same people who loved and kissed Dohn's ass and now bad mouth him. HAHAHAHA. You personally attack me without even knowing me. It's funny that you took the time to read such a worthless post, as you pose it to be. These tactics are divisive. There was nothing negative about my post. I offered true and honest solutions. I'm glad that a group of people who considers itself so open and impartial is exactly the opposite. Maybe Nestor is still sore that I punked his geek ass when he was trolling the halls of Campbell or that I dropped his ass while playing football at Drake. You can cancel my account now, as I will no longer be visiting you worthless site. Let the games begin.

by BruinFaithful on Nov 28, 2007 3:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Dude, chill out

The point of my article wasn't to discuss the logistics or probability of KD resigning, and certainly is not a letter I intend on sending to him directly (nor do I expect KD to be a loyal BN reader either) but was to articulate that after all the self-promoting acts, all the damage done to the program, all the division amongst Bruin followers, that the one last selfless act KD has left to possibly induce any empathy amongst us is to resign. Period. Of course it won't happen. That wasn't the point.

There has been plenty of content on BN calling to action of withholding $$, contributing to billboard and ad campaigns, letters to DG & media, and boycotting games. I have done my part in each of these, and will continue to do so. I don't expect KD to resign any more than I expect SUC to self-impose sanctions stripping them of their BCS title.

"It's not losing, it's bad defense that makes me shake" Lute Olson

by godblesstyus95 on Nov 26, 2007 3:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

well said 2 times

editor, DumpDorrell.com ... formerly posted as DumpDorrell

by BruinCore on Nov 26, 2007 6:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry guys, but, NO WAY Dorrell gets fired IF...

... we beat $SC.

And there is NO WAY Dorrell resigns.

Why?

Politics.

Liberal politics.

UCLA (c'mon fellow Bruins, don't pretend you don't remember) is a bastion of LEFT WING, LEFT LEANING politics, plain and simple.

When DG says he must evaluate the WHOLE BODY OF WORK, I believe it's a CODE WORD for saying he must look into the ENTIRE CONTEXT of what it means to have (ahem, the JACKIE ROBINSON) of the football program.

Back in the day, LARRY FARMER was fired, after what, one or two seasons? The athletic department and administration tried to "make up" for that with WALT "HAZZARDOUS TO THE PROGRAM" HAZZARD, which is why he got an extended stay. Besides that, Coach Wooden was still not that far removed yet.

Dorrell is different in the minds of the "higher-ups". How?

They find him "nice".
His non-threatening manner is probably nice to work with at the department.
Easy arguments are made that THIS was the year of COLLEGE UPSETS like no other (parity in the minds of the higher-ups, parody in our minds).
Injuries, well documented
Even "Cheatie-Petie" stumbled this year
Flashes of brilliance by beating RANKED teams
No SCANDALS among the football players (the Crenshaw Coach gets a pass, because he wasn't formally CHARGED with anything)
Next years recruiting class
Ty Willingham (recent example of a school

being too harsh, UCLA doesn't want that rep)

10. And the liberal list goes on, and on, and on.

Guys and gals, brace yourselves and get ready for another year IF WE BEAT $SC. Heck, even if we "keep it close", I don't see anybody at UCLA having the intestinal fortitude to Kut Karl Off!

No way.

To GET FIRED, Dorrell will need to either...

Have a LOSING SEASON,
Players be involved in somekinda ___ gate

(Remember Harrick, Toledo)

Word gets out that KD beats his wife
Word gets out that KD beats his dog
Or some other reprehensible act.

As long as TICKET SALES remain strong, KD is in there!

I don't like it.

But... It's Like That, And That's The Way It Is -HUH!

Get ready to BRING IT, full force for next year.

KD is here to stay.

Sorry.

... and if by chance we see,
a man from $SC,
every...
(I said)EVERY Bruin starts to roar...
U - C - L - A
UCLA, BEAT 'SC!

by class1984 on Nov 26, 2007 12:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Hmm

I actually took it the other way on how this Doofus thing works out.

The way I see it the way Doofus played the race card reminded me of how Clarence Thomas always whines about not getting a fair shake.

by bluestreet on Nov 26, 2007 12:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

gee, how could I have been sooo blind . . .

Of course its them durty freakin' hippie libruls that kept Rahman-Hazzard on board. All about complexion and had nothin to do with the fact that the preceding 4 (count-em) HC's to Walt H. lasted no more than 2 years each, at a program where stability and excellence were hand in hand (The wizened one came on board in '46, hung in 'til '75)? Stop channelling Rush O'Hanitwit.

All that and you don't even know the lyrics to the fight song, either. NEXT!

The Mad Bruin

by lostnacfgop on Nov 26, 2007 1:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Come back to the light

I can see how the KD years have killed your hope. Not a ray of light in your post. But let me correct a few things for you:

- Whole Body of Work: that means the entire five years, not just the entire season. Body of Work has nothing to do with Symbolic meaning. Even if KD was MLK's nephew he should be fired.

- Nice at the office but crappy on the field is not going to cut it, especially with parents and good recruits.

- Most good teams had ONE upset this year, or at most two. Any more than that and it's no longer an upset, you're just a bad team. We've been upset four times this year, twice embarrassingly.

- Injuries: if losses caused by injuries don't count, then neither should wins over other teams with injuries (i.e. Oregon). Also, Utah beat us with their 2nd string QB, RB and wide receivers.

- Cheatey Petie is not the standard to which we compare UCLA. Period.

- Flashes of Brilliance do not trump long periods of Suckitude. That's only for historically bad teams.

- The Crenshaw Scandal is not about being charged or not, it's about DG being lied to and UCLA being embarrassed.

- Next year's recruiting class will most likely stay, especially if a good coach is hired.

- Ty Willingham: last I checked, Washington still kinda sucks. oh, and 5 years is longer than 3 years.

So there it is my friend. No defense, no excuses.

by tasser10 on Nov 26, 2007 3:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

N, can you link to the posts leading

up to the Florida Final Four game last year? The difference between the posts just before we played Florida in Bball and the posts before what has always been the most important football game of the season are astounding. The difference, in my opinion, is that CTS has robbed us all of hope, and DG is teasing us with his "body of work" crapola.

by Fox 71 on Nov 26, 2007 12:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Call me stupid then....my feelings aren't hurt

by BruinFaithful on Nov 26, 2007 1:04 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Strongly disagree

with your argument regard KD "quitting", as you put it. While I agree that it is highly unlikely that he would resign purely out of his own volition, a negotiated buyout settlement could be reached and announced this week, letting KD coach on Saturday, and then leave.

As to your claim that quitting is not prideful, nor logical, it just does not make sense. For examples in football, you can look to the U. of Arkansas, which is set to announce Houston Nutt's (encouraged) resignation later this afternoon. Nutt is leaving the team immediately, not staying to coach his team in its bowl game, but there have been no cries that he has abandoned his team, or that he has now been blackballed from the profession. In fact, he is now rumored to be the top candidate to take over at Georgia Tech. A hypothetical situation seeing Dorrell resign during this week would be no different.

by bruinhoo on Nov 26, 2007 1:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Wrong

First of all, If you read my previous post I mentioned a buyout, but that is up to DG not us asking CKD to resign. Secondly, Nutt was reportedly offered an extension of 2.4 million and declined because there has been scandal regarding his program. He probably knows there is stuff that is going to hit the fan. He hired Mitch Mustain's high school coach as OC just to get the kid to come to the school, then he decided to can the kid's OC and so he split to USC. There was also the matter of the phone records which were obtained and proved he and some of his supporters sent the kid nasty messages. Since the SEC is the most penalized conference in the history of the NCAA, it's not hard to imagine what's coming. Plus, Houston Nutt has options which CKD does not. Nutt's case is totally different. He might as well leave now before he is investigated, sanctioned and becomes damaged goods. As I mentioned earlier, coaches only resign for two reasons. They are either asked or forced to resign or they resign by choice while they are still on top.

by BruinFaithful on Nov 26, 2007 2:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

True regarding Nutt...

That the situation at Arkansas is more muddied, if not nutty than anything we may think is going on in Morgan Center.

Looking at your last post, it seems that we are thinking of rather different things. My background assumption is not that Dorrell will wake up tomorrow morning realizing that he is screwing UCLA out of his salary and immediately resign with no strings attached. While that may be the shared ideal on this site, realistically it is not going to happen. My reasoning is based on some sort of pressure being placed on Dorrell to resign (DG giving the option to resign now, or be fired next week/uncertainty ofer his future...), and to negotiate with the athletic department regarding the termination of his contract (possibly a lump sum payment, or shortened term of years for a slightly smaller $$ than called for in the contract). Basically, my view falls into the category of being forced to resign.

I suppose my disagreement with your earlier post is the assumption that, given the circumstances surrounding Dorrell and UCLA Football (while not the psychosis surrounding aspects of the Arky program, still known to be pretty shaky), that if KD were now to announce his retirement effective at either the end of the regular season (next week) or at the end of UCLA's season (next week, or late December), that it would be viewed as abandoning the team (to be distinguished from cases such as Terry Bowden walking away in the middle of his teams season). While Dorrell resigning effective after the SC game would be somewhat unusual in that he would not have a new job waiting for him, it is quite common for coaches to leave their team after the regular season, but before a bowl game (see Nick Saban for a rather notorious case, but not "blackballed" from the coaching fraternity).

by bruinhoo on Nov 26, 2007 5:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Enjoy the attendance record..

..that was built up because of the expectation over a good year; a lot of that bolstered by season ticket sales, the 13-9 victory over USC, and the expectation that this was our year. If you look over the past seven or eight years of attendance you will see that the average fluctuates from 48,000 to this year's 72,000 or so. There have been peaks and valleys -- a valley being after Toledo "left".

After this year's incredible disappointment and underachievement, season ticket sales might well plummet. In fact, if the folks in the AD are on the ball, they will have their finger on the pulse of the fans and see it coming. Furthermore, if there is a promise of "our great malaise" continuing, then season ticket sales and walk-up ticket sales will continue to fall. Eventually, the program will go into a death spiral that will take years to pull out of (after Dorrell has left).

Didn't the Lavin years tend to empty Pauley? Only NOW isn't it beginning to fill up again?

I hate to post stuff like this without numbers; I did the research and got 'em somewhere. If I get a chance and it's not flogging a dead horse, I'll post them for the group's analysis. But they pretty much bore out my speculations above. And, if I am wrong, then I feel sorry for the average Bruin fan. Maybe it is true that all most of 'em care about is the quality of the tailgating parties outside rather than the quality of the football being played inside.

..as a side note, I had no idea it would take only $750 large to make Dorrell go away. That, coupled with the fact that Chris Petersen will NOT be getting $1.011 million next year (i.e., if he could win 12 games this year, he would have gotten that as a raise) combine to make an awfully affordable replacement package for UCLA football. I mean, those are numbers that can be sustained by the expectation of a good program being run by a competent coach.

by whp68 on Nov 26, 2007 1:34 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

The unspoken reason for increased season tix sales

Domers.

That's right. Domers. Up until about 2 weeks before ND week (right about the time it was apparent that the Irish reeked like last Lent's fish-sticks), non-donors could not touch a single game ticket to the ND game without purchasing a season ticket. ND's fan base is huge and nationwide, and this was the first time that UCLA hosted a football game against them. I would surmise that this accounted for at least 7,000 to 10,000 of the season ticket sales this year. That anachronistic program still puts butts in seats in big numbers, and it was cheaper and easier to buy season tix for a seat to the RB (selling the rest on E-bay or stubhub) than it would have been to deal with scalpers.

There ain't no marquee game on next year's schedule, though. Tennessee? Who cares. Fresno State? Yawn. Season seat sales will drop tremendously next season - and that correction will be heavily fed by fan disappointment if there is no change at the top.

The Mad Bruin

by lostnacfgop on Nov 26, 2007 1:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Do you know how attendance is calculated?

I had heard that some teams and some sports start with the ticket sales and then count the number of tickets sold for that particular day and add them up. (The American League did this, as I understand it.) So if the Royals had 20K in season ticket sales, there would never be a game in which the attendance was less than 20K, even though you could look around the stands and count maybe 800 or 900 people maximum.

So if the Rose Bowl is a sell out, but half the people don't show, what would the attendance figure be?

by Fox 71 on Nov 26, 2007 3:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It would be

92,000 or whatever constitutes a sell-out at the RB. I have been to several games this year where the "announced" attendance did not quite match the obvious "actual" attendance.

Also, keep in mind that the end zones are filled with a few thousand kiddies who, I believe, get free tickets.

by Barnes2JJ on Nov 26, 2007 3:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That is right!

Ticket sales in football are bolstered by the "I'm going to college" program. This year there were 2 IGTC games, the Washington and Arizona St. games. So 2 games had 5-10 thousand kids with free tickets.

Also the Cal game was highschool band day, so there were a couple thousand of them as well.

You have the opener against BYU when we had high hopes, and people came out big for that game. Then there is the Notre Dame factor, which was big.

So the Oregon game is the only game without boosted numbers. And, with all those Bruin faithful out there, the boos were the worst in years.

by isodore on Nov 26, 2007 5:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not sure where the $750,000 came from?

From looking over KD's contract, that figure seems to be in error. Under the terms of his current contract, Dorrell would be due the following if terminated without cause (no matter what we may think of his performance, sucking at his job does not equal cause). From Dorrell's contract, as posted on Coaches Hot Seat, he would be entitled to:

His base salary for the years 2008-10: $350,000/year, payable monthly ($1,050,000 total)
His additional salary, paid through a personal services contract to his company (KDJ8 Enterprises) through January 15, 2010: $350,000/year, payable quarterly ($700,000 total)
A 5-year anniversary bonus (2006-10) of $500,000, pro-rated if fired without cause before the end of the 2010 season. If terminated at the end of this season, the bonus owed = $200,000
The contract states that if Dorrell is terminated without cause, the amount of any future salary received by Dorrell for services performed, including but not limited to coaching, will be deducted from the base salary owed by UCLA for that year.

My calculations put the total cost of buying out the contract at $1,950,000, disregarding any reductions due to Dorrell taking another coaching position between 2008-10. Minus the $200,000 bonus already earned by Dorrell regardless of his future status at the university, the expense of buying out the contract is $1,750,000. The total cost is payable as follows:

2008: $900,000
2009: $700,000
2010: $350,000

by bruinhoo on Nov 26, 2007 2:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Bowl Eligible

Coach Dorrell is proud of the fact that the Bruins are now "Bowl Eligible". With 10 starters returning on offense, 10 starters returning on defense, this was not supposed to be just about "Bowl Eligibility", but having a REALISTIC chance of winning the conference title, going to the Rose Bowl or even challenging for the Championship. As the Bruin Cheerleaders chanted back in the 1971 season "What's the Use, Bruins? What's the Use." Since there probably is a Bowl (albeit something like the Emerald Bowl) this season, Karl Dorrell will need to coach the Bruins in it. Then it will be "too late" to find a new coach, so we will be told that Karl Dorrell will remain as coach. If the Bruins were to get thumped by the Trojans, like they were a couple of years ago (66 to 19) then there is a chance that the Athletic Department will be galzanized into firing Dorrell. In my opinion, even if the Bruins make it "close" against the Trojans, "covering" the pointspread of 17, then it will be considered "progress" (Oh, the closest game for the Bruins in the Coliseum in a long time). That "progress" and the little Bowl the Bruins will go to will be given as an excuse for yet another year of Karl Dorrell. I hope I am wrong and this is the end of Karl Dorrell's time as the Bruin Head Coach. This job was just too much for him. He needs to gather experience at Division I-AA or II first, learn what it takes to be a college Head Coach. Beating the Trojans will only prolong the misery.

by hendersonbruin on Nov 26, 2007 2:28 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Repeating what I have written

If Dorrell were coming back, Guerrero would have said so....At both WSU and U of A, the AD's ended all speculation weeks ago about their head coaches. Guerrero has remained silent. I think that is all we need to know...Let's all look forward to Monday and our liberation from Dorrell Hell....

by Gary72 on Nov 26, 2007 6:55 PM PST reply actions 0 recs