Daily Bruin Writer Compares Dorrell Critics to Known Facist/Anti-Semite

by Nestor on Feb 14, 2007 4:45 AM PST in Football

It has come down to this. The assclowns over at Daily Bootlickers are now comparing Dorrell critics over at DD to a known anti-semite and fascist. Here is what Ben Azar of Daily Bruin wrote about Dorrell critics over at Dump Dorrell:

The dumpdorrell.com Web site has criticized Dorrell for every reason imaginable, including poor in-game coaching, failure to take responsibility, inability to recruit and insincerity. It makes some ridiculously baseless, LaRouche-like assertions that should serve as red flags to the people that actually put stock in the Web site. One assertion that really has me chuckling is that the assistant coaches that have left have mostly been forced out by Dorrell, who is using them as scapegoats to deflect responsibility from his "horrible" beginning as a head coach.

And here is DD's rapid and on point response:

Lydon LaRouche is a known anti-semite and fascist, and a convicted felon. Ben went too far with that even loose comparison of our crticisms of Dorrell’s coaching to LaRouche. No one on the internet or in the sports world takes the Daily Bruin seriously and we certainly don’t. But that doesn’t release Ben Azar and the Daily Bruin staff from the obligation to report responsibly. Ben should be VERY careful to use hateful people like LaRouche to throw around criticisms of commentary he doesn’t agree with or like. We at DD can take all the criticism Ben has to give us in his piece. We won’t accept the hate.

That is, of course, just uncalled for on the part of these amateuer idiots at the Daily Bootlicker. Keep in mind though that this is not something new coming out from this so-called joke of a sports section from UCLA's student newspaper. The Daily Bootlicker has an illustrious history of bootlicking incompetent UCLA head coaches. You want proof? Remember this gem from a Daily Bootlicker sports writer glorifying another incompetent head coach who destroyed the hall mark of UCLA's athletic program:

In his third year as head coach at what is the premier coaching job in college sports, Steve Lavin has proven to be well on his way to acceptance into the exclusive fraternity of his Bruin brethren, forever entrenched in UCLA lore.

He is everything that Bruin fans want in a head coach. He's young, stylish, hardworking, debonair, positive, energetic and one hell of a recruiter. He's the first coach since the Wizard of Westwood to guide the Bruins to more than one win in consecutive postseasons. He's making a name for himself as a great coach.

Comparing fellow Bruins to a known anti-semite, fascist is beyond reprehensible. And it is deeply disappointing and embarrassing as an UCLA alum that we get to read that those kind of careless, reckless comments are being published in our own student newspaper. And you wonder why we call out these so-called sports writers as bunch of bootlicking student writers who often come across as nothing short of uninformed, clueless, ignorant, and useless "reporters".

I am all right with these guys writing like a bunch of trained monkeys who can only cut and paste press releases, and use information based on their access to the Morgan Center Sports Department. But, writing like a Bill Plascke, making assertions not based on reality and without facts, doesn't give an individual who presents himself as a UCLA student the license to compare his fellow Bruins to a known facist and anti-semite.

We are interested to hear from you guys whether we should call on the Daily Bruin to either issue an apology to DumpDorrell.com or fire Ben Azar.

Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section. We are also running a poll on this issue. So make sure to vote for what you think is the right tact for this community to take in response to this story.

We like this to be as much of a community decision as possible. That way, we can be clear that our message is coming on behalf of thousands of UCLA alums, students, and fans who make up Bruins Nation.

UPDATE: A lot of great comments in this thread. Before we reach a decision on whether or not we will make a formal demand, you can always send your individual comments to Ben Azar at bazar@media.ucla.edu and the Daily Bruin editor at editor@media.ucla.edu. You can use the posts on Dorrell scape goating (click here) and on Dorrell's overall record (click here) previously posted here on BN. As usual, please be polite and respectful when sending these emails. Rely on facts.

GO BRUINS.

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Comments

Ben Azar

How did the drivel he wrote pass the "smell test" before it was printed.

He should issue an apology, the person who let it go to print should be fired.

by artybruin on Feb 14, 2007 8:20 AM PST reply actions

if you're bored...i mean really...

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/benazar/page5/

by redsand514 on Feb 14, 2007 3:26 PM PST up reply actions

At the very least

Azar should issue an apology to all Bruins who are critics of Karl Dorrell. That's the minium. We should also consider calling on the main sports editor of DB to step aside.

This is disgusting.

by bluestreet on Feb 14, 2007 8:22 AM PST reply actions

I wrote him an email yesterday

I'm waiting for the response.

by BruinFan1 on Feb 14, 2007 8:49 AM PST reply actions

Very Sad

I can't believe this from an actual UCLA student! He should issue an apology or be fired immediately!

by abby8065 on Feb 14, 2007 9:34 AM PST reply actions

Sad Indeed

I hate to see a young kid get fired but he should at least be disciplined and/or suspended from the paper. He's GOT to know better than this.

Go Bruins!

by Minnesota Bruinfan on Feb 14, 2007 9:41 AM PST reply actions

Daily Bruin

There is only good that this web site does as far as looking out for the interests of the UCLA athletic community, and what we want for the betterment of the school, and the players who have the "time of their lives" in the four years more or less that they spend at UCLA. When the AD makes bad hiring decisions, there is nothing awkward about calling them out. As Nestor has said before, this is not the TD era when the AD was in coverup mode most of the time. The light does indeed shine all through the dark recesses of the AD these days and characterizes the "true" nature of affairs, nothing more. Tell the DB to grow up!!!
Bill

BillSouthBay

by Mensgym on Feb 14, 2007 9:45 AM PST reply actions

Kids Say The Darndest Things

This is not a first time a DB pundit said something that crossed the line....

The bright side is, if you're going to say something dumb, you're better off doing it as an undergrad than as an actual columnist.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/11/ucla-student-columnist-defends.html

"UCLA student columnist defends tasering of student, asks readers to send him Rodney King jokes "

by laertes on Feb 14, 2007 10:00 AM PST reply actions

Notice what's missing?

I am a lawyer. Most of what I do now that I'm semi-retired is to draft pleadings that are supposed to convince people that the point I am making is valid. There is an old saying that applies to what I do: "When you don't have the law, argue the facts; when you don't have the facts, argue the law; when you don't have the facts or the law, baffle 'em with BS."

What's missing in what I've seen of the DB article is the "because," which is the most critical aspect of any verbiage intended to explain or convince. This young boy (he's obviously not grown up enough to be called a young man) wants to convince people that the Dump Dorrell crowd (in which I am proud to belong) is off base in its criticisms of Coach Dorrell, and should stop leveling these criticisms. But there is no "because." He has not explained (and frankly he cannot explain) why he thinks our criticism is incorrect, or why Coach Dorrell should be retained. Hence, being devoid of "facts or law" to argue, he tries the only course remaining.

Perhaps this lad would care to explain away the numbers, which show that Coach Dorrell has the worst three and four year record since World War II. But he can't.

In my opinion, his story was childlishly inept. But his ineptitude was done on a public stage, and has brought a significant portion of UCLA Alums and fans into disrepute. His failure to do his homework, and his inability to recognize his own mediocrity has created an open wound in an otherwise healthy UCLA body. In this respect, young Mr. Azar and Coach Dorrell are in exactly the same situation. In my opinion, Coach Dorrell has been given too many free passes already. I believe that UCLA should dismiss both both Coach Dorrell and his little "not-ready-for-journalistic-prime-time" friend.

Let them both learn their trades in smaller venues, and then when they have proven that they're ready for the big time, we would welcome them back because they are Bruin Brothers.

P.S. to Mr. Azar: You really should proof-read your stuff, or have someone else do so for you. It's bad for someone who presumably wants to be a reporter to call something a fact when it is an opinion. It's also bad to write a piece intended to convince someone of something, and have the punchline -- the "because" -- sound like it was coming from the prototypical Valley Girl. "You know, like -- whatever."

by Fox 71 on Feb 14, 2007 11:07 AM PST reply actions

Get rid of the Bruin Sports section.

First you get Woods (Plaschke in training) and now tis Its just pathetic.

by Bruinbown on Feb 14, 2007 11:20 AM PST reply actions

Disagree, mostly anyway

Lyndon LaRouche is one of the most controversial politicians / characters in United States history. Some thought he was brilliant, some thought him an Anti-Semite, and many more just think he is an extremist and conspiracy theorist.

The bottom line is that, as "LaRouche" was used in the article above, it didn't appear that it was used in a derogotory fashion (i.e. - for its anti-semetic connotation). Rather, I believe that it was used as it is mostly used in popular culture--for its conspiracy theorist / extremist connotation. Accordingly, I would not write a letter to the Daily Bruin, and I would not call for this writer to be fired.

I don't think the writer intended to be racist or call dumpdorrell anti-semetic, so I don't think we should make that the issue here either. Sorry to any who were personally offended.

by rfirpo on Feb 14, 2007 11:21 AM PST reply actions

I don't buy that ...

I don't think it is baseless to make the argument that Larouche is a known anti-semite and facist.

At the same time I also take issue with how this writer trivialized Dorrell critics as bunch of "extremist" or "conspiracy theorist." That in itself is an insult to thousands of UCLA alums and students who are unhappy with Dorrell.

At the very least the kid should issue an apology. He clearly crossed the line.

by bluestreet on Feb 14, 2007 11:24 AM PST up reply actions

Another lawyer chiming in here...

I have not analyzed the DB piece from a legal standpoint, so I cannot offer any opinion as to whether it is actionable or slanderous or not.

That being said... I'd like to echo Fox 71.

Hit them with facts. Since this columnist sees fit to say we have baseless attacks on KD's coaching, then take the high road, and go with facts.

They don't need a treatise, just give them a basic Top 10 of un-interpreted, un-spun, simple facts.

Example: Number of assistant coaches fired or asked to leave in 4 years? Number of OCs in 4 years?

Don't insult, don't call for firing. But I think it's OK to ask for an apology. Contrast their knee-jerk style with a measured, surgical, tactical response.

Don't give them a phone book-size letter -- write it so it's clear, and so that eveery apragraph, on its own, could be published, because we have NO say over how theye dit any letter we send. In other words -- DO NOT write in Diane Pucin's rambling, where is this going, touchy-feely without hard facts style. Make every word count.

The key is not poetry, it's potency.

Also, feel free to quote any of Azar's previous articles where he either agreed with DD sentiments, or made similarly wild comments.

Enough from me.

MIM

by Meriones on Feb 14, 2007 11:22 AM PST reply actions

I like that a lot

A measure and surgical response would not be that difficult for DD to come up with because I think they have already written detailed, though out posts on why they think Dorrell has a history of scapegoating assistants. And then you throw in Dorrell's over all numbers.

I think it would not be that difficult to get this kid to at least issue an apology to all Dorrell critics.

by bluestreet on Feb 14, 2007 11:26 AM PST up reply actions

Yeah - size matters

Most court rules have a page-length maximum for pleadings, and it isn't easy getting all your good points within the allotted page length.

I agree with MIM's point re a response. This list from BN shows the numbers which I believe support the call for Coach Dorrell's termination:

http://www.bruinsnation.com/story/2006/12/29/181950/84

But I disagree with MIM on one point. Young Mr. Azur really wrote a poor article. His attention needs to be caught. I have seen many a young associate attorney receive his or her walking papers for one major screw-up. When this happens early in a career (and it almost happened to me), it makes you think more about how you approach your job the next time. I still think both Coach Dorrell and Mr. Azur should be shown the door.

by Fox 71 on Feb 14, 2007 11:32 AM PST up reply actions

Matter of styles, agree to disagree...

But your points are well taken, 71.

With re: to the prior BN list shared with DD, I'd say that the safest ones to use are Nos. 5-10, and 12-14. The rest risk either being too extreme ("1-3 against $C? But... but... they're $C????", "No Pac-10 championships? But... how can we beat $C?")), or using subjective terms ("revolving door"). Stats like our record against winning teams or our losing record in october and November are less likely to be seen as subjective, and more likely as clearly objective.

I still don't think people should ask for Azar's firing... but DD can certainly say it's not asking for firing while making its point.

Something like:

"Mr. Azar is a student, writing for a student publication, presumably in his early in his early twenties. Accordingly, Mr. Azar is entitled to learn 'on the job' from his errors in judgment and correct his mistakes.

"Coach Dorrell, on the other hand, is not a student. He is a professional.

"In the world of football, Coach Dorrell has been a professional head coach, a professional assistant coach, and a prfoessional football player almost as long as Mr. Azar has been alive.

"Accordingly, it is troubling to hear Coach Dorrell's repeated statements about how much he himself is still learning on the job about managing a team, using the clock, calling plays, or simply being a coach."

Etc., etc., etc.

MIM

by Meriones on Feb 14, 2007 12:19 PM PST up reply actions

I'm impressed

That's a pretty well-done letter, even with the et ceteras.

I guess I should remember the sick feeling I got when I really screwed up, and the intense relief at being let off the hook, so I'll withdraw the suggestion that the reporter be asked to leave the DB.

Here's one for you -- take the other side of the case, and argue the position of the Dorrell supporters. He should be retained because ....

About all I can think of from an objective situation is (1) 13-9, and (2) that 10-2 season. What else is there?

by Fox 71 on Feb 14, 2007 12:25 PM PST up reply actions

Thanks, 71.

I'm still a relatively young associate (in my early 30s) so I find it hard to advocate for the firing of anyone, even Dorrell. I've been in those called-on-the-carpet situations myself in my day. Happily, I'm in a great place professionally now, but I remember being green and foolish.

Sometimes, though, an employee is not the right fit.

I WANT KD TO DO WELL, and come roaring back next year with a 10-3 or 11-2 season. I would feel much better about two 10-win seasons sandwiching a QB-lost-to-season-ending-injury season.

To argue the other side? Easy to see, even if I don't agree. In no particular order:

(1) In the midst of increasing media scrutiny against the professional integrity (e.g. violations of NCAA agent rules), academic integrity (e.g. Spanish 3 at Trade Tech), and moral integrity (e.g. sexual assault charges being quietly dismissed by alums in the city attorney's office) of not only our crosstown rival, but numerous big-time prgorams across the country (i.e. Ohio State, Colorado, Florida State, Cal) Dorrell has helped maintain and cement the integrity of UCLA Athletics. Winning the right way still counts.

(2) After years of disregard and neglect, Dorrell's program has re-established recruiting ties to Crenshaw and Long Beach Poly and other local schools. This not only bodes well for football recruiting in the short-term, but can promote UCLA's non-football recruiting and outreach, athletcially AND academically, to inner-city and minority populations, who have been underrepresented in recent freshman classes.

(3) Dorrell has established a winning record at home the past two years. Attendance has gradually climbed, thus increasing ticket and concession and merchandise revenue for the program.

(4) Tyrone Willingham was dismissed after 4 years, and many sportswriters around the country critiqued the decision as coming too soon, citing race-based and non-race-based issues. Race aside, a four-year tenure bending in firing, barely one year removed from a Pac-10 Coach of the Year Award, would only further the knee-jerk, hot-tempered hiring practices of college athletics. Dorrell's team and program is in place now. Fair and rational judgment should come this year. This fifth year is crucial.

(5) Dorrell has aggressively sought minority assistant coaches, and sought them from the NFL and college ranks. Several of those assistants who have left the program have gone on to the NFL (Bienemy, also our TE coach last year?), further fostering the reputation of UCLA as a program that can help prepare talented players for the pros.

Etc., etc., etc.

OK, now I REALLY have to go back to work.

MIM

by Meriones on Feb 14, 2007 1:01 PM PST up reply actions

And now the response from the bench

(I've just promoted myself)

Thank you, counsel for the pro-Dorrell and anti-Dorrell sides.

MIM, your points were valid, but insufficient. The key point that the anti-Dorrell forces keep bringing up which cannot be erased, overlooked or even minimized is his record. He has the worst three year and four year record for any UCLA coach since WW II. (And for you justsc people who may be reading, that's a pretty long time.)

I hereby rule that he must go after this year, no matter what. That is to say, if he goes 0-12, he's out because of obvious incompetence; if he goes 12-0, he's out because notwithstanding his incompetence, Al Davis will probably want to hire him; if he goes somewhere in between, he still has to go because he has such an adverse impact on the Gross National Product since he forces all of us to write this stuff instead of doing something productive.

by Fox 71 on Feb 14, 2007 9:07 PM PST up reply actions

Thank you all for your comments

I think the responses here show how great a community we have. Today, this week, is an extremely busy week to be dealing with this. As it is I personally have to delay a business meeting to respond to Ben Azar's email to us and to make a quite note here. We are in communication with Ben and we hope to resolve this the right way, with well though out dialog. There are a couple of responses we hope for:

An acknowledgment that the LaRouche reference was clearly wrong.
An apology to the UCLA community especially those who were offended or who are critical of Dorrell's coaching.

We don't agree with other loyal Bruin fans who think Ben should be fired. We think this is a lesson for him and the DB, let's just hope they heed it. We also will hold off for now on publishing a response to the point of the article, that criticism of Dorrell's coaching is extremist, because honestly that is secondary. We want to clear the canvas of this LaRouche brush that Ben and the DB has painted all Dorrell critics with.

Thanks again to MIM and Fox and everyone else for your comments.

by DumpDorrell on Feb 14, 2007 11:59 AM PST reply actions

Another Bruin Lawyer Piping In

I'm with DD on this. It was an idiotic comment and an apology is certainly in order. Sometimes columnists write stupid things. Let's hope he has the hindsight and huevos to admit his error.

by Barnes2JJ on Feb 14, 2007 12:16 PM PST up reply actions

Um

an apology is NOT in order.

by bluejoe on Feb 15, 2007 2:19 AM PST up reply actions

Um

Yes, it is. You have your opinion. I have mine.

Here's the deal. LaRouche is a twisted nut. If you research the guy at all--and there is plenty to research because he has been around for decades--you can figure it out for yourself. He may or may not be an anti-Semite, but his writings about the "Holocaust" (which he always places in quotes, like he is not sure it really happened) and about Zionism, have led many reasonable people to conclude that he has some serious issues with Jews.

On another note, I'm old enough to remember when LaRouche would purchase hour-long nationwide TV infomercials during prime-time hours and he declared that Pres. candidate Walter Mondale was a "Soviet agent." Now, I was no Mondale fan, but if this didn't certify LaRouche for the padded rooms, then I don't know what would.
By the way, if you do your homework, you will know that the LaRouchites were the original crazies who truly and strongly believed that you could get AIDS from mosquitoes. I would not doubt that they still push that garbage.

The important point to all of this is that words have meaning. Azar obviously disagrees with DD's opinions about Dorrell. Ok, fine, who gives a rat's ass? And, let's assume that Azar never intended to imply that DD was a facsist or anti-Semite, but only a conspiracy theorist, like LaRouche, who certainly is a conspiracy nut. Let's give Azar all that.

Azar could have simply stated that DD was "conspiratorially-minded" or something along those lines, if all he meant was to imply that DD's opinions were wacky or wild-conspiracy-based. However, he did not. He used the phrase "LaRouche-like" which is a coded buzzword and brings up a whole host of baggage given that LaRouhe and his fans really have some serious issues.

It is NO DIFFERENT than if I called someone "Hitler-like" meaning that they are a facsist or a dictator, but I never intended to imply that they also hate Jews and love blonde labradors. If you use certain words, you have to consider all of the baggage which comes with it.

All of that being said, Azar used the wrong phrase/word. He should have been more careful. He has the right to write whatever he likes, even if a lot of us disagree with it, or if it comes across the wrong way or whatever. I think, as do many people at BN and DD, that he should apologize.

By the way, Azar should really apologize for the quality of his writing. It's embarrassing that a writer who gets published in any newspaper writes that poorly. That, to me, is the real crime here.

by Barnes2JJ on Feb 15, 2007 7:11 AM PST up reply actions

By the way, send your emails

Ben wrote to us early this morning that he had heard nothing about this, so we are the only ones making a big deal of this. Let him and the editors know that this is not true.

bazar@media.ucla.edu
editor@media.ucla.edu

by DumpDorrell on Feb 14, 2007 12:05 PM PST reply actions

DD

diary up your comments with email addresses for Ben and the editor. I am pretty sure its over 200 words

by Nestor on Feb 14, 2007 12:07 PM PST up reply actions

I sent him an e-mail

I asked if he wanted to open a dialogue, but have not had a response. I also told him I would share this dialogue here and on DumpDorrell, unless he asked me not to.

But it looks like he's resolving things directly with DD, which is fine with me.

by Fox 71 on Feb 14, 2007 12:18 PM PST up reply actions

I'm still confused.

I haven't been this far from the majority since the last presidential election, but I am still wondering why we are getting so worked up about this Daily Bruin article.

Putting aside those that were personally offended because of the possible anti-semetic implication of the LaRouche comment [that's not me by the way, but I understand where that could be coming from], I just don't understand why people are "offended" that this writer called Dorrell critics "extremists" or "conspiracy theorists."?

Azar disagrees with a lot of us. And maybe he is a schill for the Bruin coaches and athletic department. And maybe he's not a great writer or columnist. But none of that offends me. Call me extreme, call me crazy for loving the Bruins--I don't care. Either way, I am certainly not going to ask for an apology or for your resignation cause you disagree with me. There are, unfortunately, a lot of people who still like KD and think he is a great coach floating around UCLA and the nation. And guess what? Those people probably read Azar's article and agreed 100%!

In any case, I strongly disagree with the vast majority here who believe that this kid should be fired. It is simply too big of a leap for me to come to the conclusion that he meant to equate dumpdorrell with anti-semites. If you think he was making a derogatory and racially laced comment, I understand why you are mad. I just don't see that, and I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt on that one.

BN ofen refers to the Daily Bruin along these lines: "assclowns over at Daily Bootlickers." Do I mind? No, I agree with BN, and I love BN. But what if the Daily Bruin called us to say the poster should be fired or should issue an apology for using what they perceive to be deragotry language?

Anyway, sorry to disagree with many of you. It sucks when our home newspaper seems out of touch and under educated on our teams and programs. However, I can't say it offends me.

by rfirpo on Feb 14, 2007 4:05 PM PST reply actions

Correction.

I re-read the comments, and I am not sure a "vast" marjority think Azar should be fired. My mistake.

by rfirpo on Feb 14, 2007 4:11 PM PST up reply actions

A perfectly valid opinion.

I, myself, am willing to chalk up Azar's piece to youthful exaggeration.

However, since others are worked up, I threw my hat into the ring a bit. I'm probbably still riding off my letter to the Tiems re: the Spanish 3 class.

But hey, if the guys at DD want to do something about it, I say power to them. I just gave some suggestions on doing it via a more 'measured' approach.

MIM

by Meriones on Feb 14, 2007 4:28 PM PST up reply actions

Totally agree. Good point.

by rfirpo on Feb 14, 2007 5:43 PM PST up reply actions

There is a difference between BN and the DB

we don't hold ourselves out as aspiring reporters. We are bunch of fans who are unabashed partisan homers for UCLA and rabidly follow our programs.

No one is here doing this on a professional basis. So the comparison between BN and DB is just ridiculous.

by Nestor on Feb 15, 2007 4:51 AM PST up reply actions

That's not the only difference

Most of the regulars at BN are better writers than this youngster at the DB. And we don't have the benefit of such skilled and weathered editors, either.

by Fox 71 on Feb 15, 2007 6:07 AM PST up reply actions

One more thing

where the heck are you getting that idea that "vast majority here" wants the kid fired?

Look at the quick poll on the right.

25 percent wants an apology while another 29 wants a step by step strategy asking for apology first and then perhaps consider calling for firing.

So a majority of BN - 54 percent - at this point wants just an apology.

So what you wrote is off base and without merit.

We may not do much out of this. But we did want to bring strong attention to the fact that DB writers are not writing garbage in a vacum like they used to during Donahue and even early Lavin era.

If they write something absurd, idiotic and this case offensive, we will bring attention to it, and embarrass them in public. They better get use to it.

Perhaps it will give them some incentive to write more thought out, fact based articles on UCLA sports.

by Nestor on Feb 15, 2007 6:08 AM PST up reply actions

See first reply after my comment.

Also, when I posted the poll was just starting as well. That said, I certainly saw strong comments calling for him to be fired; and specifically wanted to address that point.

by rfirpo on Feb 15, 2007 7:42 AM PST up reply actions