So much for Dorrell cleaning up the underbelly ...

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 5:41 AM PDT in Football

We have been going hard after Pom Pom for last two weeks for his lawless goons at South Central. Now we are going to do the same thing with Karl Dorrell. One of the main reasons Dorrell was brought into Westwood (besides the obvious which is to beat SC and compete for the Pac-10 titles) was to clean up the battered off field image UCLA developed under Bob Toledo. Last few years instead of working with the kids in the program, Dorrell has gone out of his way to weed Toledo kids out of the program in the name of cleaning up the underbelly.

Looks like discipline issues still exist under Dorrell as two of his own recruits get implicated in a fight off-campus:

Two UCLA freshman football players, John Hale and Jess Ward, pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony assault charges in connection to a house-party fight in February.

Warrants were issued Wednesday for Hale and Ward for their alleged involvement in a brawl at the home of Ward's parents in Running Springs. The players reported to San Bernardino County Superior Court on Thursday and were released on their own recognizance after making their plea.

"We are aware of the circumstances that occurred in Jess' parents' home," UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell said in a statement. "John and Jess called me the day after the incident and told me what happened. It appears that John and Jess were not involved in the altercation other than trying to move it out of the house. Based on the information available to us, we have decided to wait until the outcome of the legal process to impose any disciplinary action."

Uhm ... that's not good enough KD. And it would really be bad if it turns out that KD was aware of this fight from February and still let these guys participate in spring drill. That would be inexcusable on the part of Karl Dorrell.

These two players should be immediately suspended from the team and banished from all team practices until the legal issues are resolved. Like we have said ... Dorrell's program so far has been a big joke. A dismal and embarrassing failure.

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Idiots ...

They can't tackle anyone on the field ... so they are trying to practice tackling off the field.

Dorrell should suspend this clowns immediately off the team.

by bluestreet on May 5, 2006 7:29 AM PDT reply actions

What really bothers me ..

is Dorrell's statement:

"John and Jess called me the day after the incident and told me what happened. It appears that John and Jess were not involved in the altercation other than trying to move it out of the house."

WTF? If you knew about this back in February why didn't you put these kids on interim suspension pending the outcome of legal proceedings. UCLA should give the image it will not tolerate even the appearance of its athletes getting anywhere near these kinds of situation. This should not be tolerable. And I am really interested in finding out whether this incident took place before, during or after spring drills/scrimmage? Dorrell should give the answers if he wants to project the image of being a straight forward guy.

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 7:33 AM PDT up reply actions

You are reaching ...

to defend Dorrell.

If Dorrell found this out any time around spring practice ... then they should have been put on interim suspension ... right away.

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions

I think a careful coach ...

would not take any chances and have the kids on interim suspension until the facts are sorted out.

He should have specially done this considering he well knows what is going on at South Central. It would have been his chance to make an example of how to discipline kids and make Pom Pom really look bad.

I know this incident come no where close the pattern of thuggery going on at South Central, but Dorrell still blew it.

It wouldn't have cost him a thing to put these kids immediately on suspension.

Of course like the chickenshit he is (punting on 4th downs on opponent territory) he failed to deal with this situation aggressively again.

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions

A few thoughts

The legal process as far as this team goes should begin when warrants are issued. That's when the police have determined that there is justifiable reason to detain someone for an alleged crime. Once this happens, they need to be suspended and let the justice system take its course. That is what I call accountability.

There is a bit of a fine line here that, as much as we may doubt Dorrell here, he is still trying to be a legitimate head coach, and as a legit coach, he has to at least build a fundamental trust with his players. No one is saying to turn them loose and let them ransack the town like Pom Pom, but if in Dorrell's mind, the only version of the story he got to this point was the one of these two players trying to remove instigators from a party, then I can see why they weren't immediately suspended. Until recently this was the story, but the police saw differently, and so now they need to be suspended.

As much as we flame Pom Pom for not pulling the trigger on discipline, I don't want to see a trigger finger on Dorrell either. I'd just like for them to abide by the decisions made by the police and the justice system (and in SUC's case, actually have them face it without some shady lawyer bailing them out).

We have to leave open the possibility that they're telling the truth, because if they're right, and he had administered suspensions too quickly, I think the coach would quickly lose the respect of his players. We may not respect him all that much, but it's important that players respect their coach. If they're guilty, the justice system will show it, and then we will see if Dorrell can do the responsible thing.

by scittles on May 5, 2006 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions

A strong and secure coach ...

(may be someone like Howland) would have no problem why he has to make a tough decision and keep these kids away from the team while things are being sorted out. He had no problem telling a suck kid with Mono. to stay away from the team. He should have told these kids that as hard as it is for him he needed to suspend them on an interim basis before things were cleared up.

The problem is Dorrell is a weak kneed, insecure coach. It showos through his actions on the field, and it shows through his actions (or lack there of) off the field.

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions

Strawman post

of course I don't expect Dorrel to deal with these kinds of situations in the manner you laid out here.

All I am suggesting Dorrell should have been more aggressive in dealing with this story when it came up, considering how the LA traditional media treats any problems arising out of UCLA (if he didn't know that from what transpired during the Toledo days then he is a even a slower learner than I imagined him to be).

Dorrell should have been more aggressive ... asked these kids to focus on school and put them on interim suspension until all clear sign came from the legal channels.

He didn't. And now this will look bad for UCLA and on Dorrell no matter how you spin it (for the time being).

Bad PR move by Dorrell and UCLA (but then again that is nothing new for these clowns).

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Funny post ...

Coming from a guy who sounded like a total douchbag carping at Cedric Bozeman during basketball season.

If you have anything substantive to contribute here backing up with stats. and links by all means.

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 12:38 PM PDT up reply actions

What a douche

He can link to Wiki!

by bluestreet on May 5, 2006 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Judging by your pathetic contributions ...

to this community so far ... you do not have any standing to attack another poster for not offering substnative comment.

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions

And the retarded snark ...

just confirms that you are being a douchebag.

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree with you scittles

I completely agree with all you Skittles. I agree that Dorrell did the right thing back in February and now that the players have been arrested, I would expect Dorrell to come out with the statement early next week about them and probably a suspension until things get sorted out.

by bluejoe on May 5, 2006 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Well ...

I don't think Skittles is pushing for immediate suspension right now. Skittles if I am reading him right is ok with Dorrell waiting until things are sorted out.

I agree with you that these kids should be put on interim suspension immediately.

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Now that they've turned themselves in...

...I feel like they should be suspended until either charges are dropped or there's a verdict in their trial. To me, the situation changed when the warrants for their arrest were issued. Football should probably be a very low priority if you're facing assault charges anyway. I was okay with Dorrell waiting to suspend them after he got their version of the events though.

Drawing a comparison to the Medlock situation, there was no time period between the action and the arrest that time, so this conflict didn't really present itself. But if Dorrell had suspended them at the time of the call, the question would become, is there going to be an arrest/charge/trial? And if not, when does he lift the suspension?

by scittles on May 5, 2006 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions

yeah..

Thats what i gathered from your first reply and thats what I was thinking as well. Now that they have been arrested, it would be a good move to suspend them until things get sorted out. I wouldnt think Dorrell would announce it until early next week though.

by bluejoe on May 5, 2006 3:48 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree with that ...

Dorrell can salvage this situation if he puts them on interim suspesnion immediately.

However, I do stand by the other point I made about he should have been a little more aggressive about investigating this situaiton on how own and have the courage to put this kids on interim suspension when the story broke. It's not fair ... but that's the world we operate in today.

But I agree with your point about putting them on suspension immediately.

by Nestor on May 6, 2006 5:57 AM PDT up reply actions

I agree with this

In February, when Ward told KD, it would have along the lines of "Hey coach, my parents were out of town and I threw a party at their house. It got out of hand, and the police showed up and arrested two guys.

At this point, KD doesn't need to anything; Ward and Hale haven't done anything wrong.

Once the kids get arrested though (3 months later), that changes.

by McCloskey on May 5, 2006 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions

Well ...

One can argue those are the kinds of explanations USC players give Pom Pom when they get in trouble and then he decides not do anything about it.

by Nestor on May 5, 2006 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions

True

and my reasoning means I can't criticize them when their players fight (over video games, LOL) and don't get punished, because neither player was arrested.

by McCloskey on May 5, 2006 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Not sure about this one...

Come on now. I still think Dorrell is just about one of the most mediocre coaches in College football, but I think this is a bit of a stretch. Sounds like your run-of-the-mill party with the parents out of town where some kids have a little too much to drink, and a couple jackasses get into it. Considering it was in Ward's parents house, would make sense that they were just trying to remove the jackasses.

Nothing close to $C's rape, weapons, assault allegations...

by norcalbruin95 on May 5, 2006 9:56 AM PDT reply actions