So Karl Dorrell’s latest desperate stunt of throwing out the race card is not working out so well (for him). And let’s make it clear, until Dorrell himself disavows the comments he made to Streeter (throwing Kurt under the bus like he has done to everyone else in the program over the years to avoid any modicum of responsibility) we are going to assume this latest despicable move is all him. And, thankfully, the Bruin Nation has spoken up and has generated an intense back fire that is enabling everyone around the country to see right through Dorrell’s disgusting and despicable behavior.
Dorrell’s move was so horrid that he shot up to number 1 in Coach’s Hot Seat rankings even though his team was not in action:
1. Karl Dorrell – There was a very troubling development in Los Angeles this past week when a reporter with the Los Angeles Times, Kurt Streeter, sat down with Karl Dorrell and they decided together that Dorrell is not being treated fairly by the people who calling for Dorrell’s ouster. In the article Dorrell went as far to say, "I don’t feel I have gotten a fair shake." Shame on Streeter and Dorrell for playing the race card at this moment, because to imply that Dorrell is being held to a higher standard or is not coaching on a "level playing field" because he is black is an outrageous allegation! By any standard Karl Dorrell has done a mediocre job at UCLA, and if you compare him to the coach that preceded him in Westwood and was also fired, Bob Toledo, Dorrell’s record is worse. After coaching 60 games at UCLA, Dorrell is 34-26 (.567) and Toledo after 60 games was 37-23 (.617). Dorrell has two games remaining on the ’07 schedule, Oregon and at USC, and after 62 games at UCLA Toledo’s record was 39-23 (.629). In all Toledo spent 8 years at UCLA and his winning percentage was .605 and he was fired for doing a very mediocre job, and Dorrell should be fired as well if he cannot win his last two games of ’07. Getting back to Kurt Streeter’s article on Dorrell not getting a "fair shake" I hope that both of these men realize that playing the race card every time a black coach does a poor and mediocre job only jeopardizes the opportunity for more black men to get head coaching jobs. If an athletic director or president might be worried that he will have a difficult time firing a black coach because he has done a poor job (see Jerry Baldwin case), then that will lead directly to black coaches getting passed over for head coaching jobs in the future. A few of us here at Coaches Hot Seat have run into Karl Dorrell on numerous occasions and we have defended Karl as something more than just a football coach, but no longer. This is OUTRAGEOUS and UNACCEPTABLE for Streeter to infer that people are racist because they think Dorrell has done a mediocre job at UCLA (he has) and that he should be held accountable for that mediocre job. If Streeter somehow believes that people are scared because of "political-correctness" to send Dorrell packing for the job he has done in Westwood, then he is sadly wrong. Dorrell, like any other man, white, black, yellow, green, blue, orange, or whatever race you want to dream up to divide people with, can end this speculation on his job by winning his last two games. It is just very sad that Dorrell has decided that he cannot stand up like a man and get his team ready to play Oregon and USC, but rather play the race card in a pitiful effort to save his own hide. Shame on you Karl Dorrell, because you should know better. As far as Streeter goes, we fully expect things like this…
I mostly agree with that post except for a major point. At this point in time, Dorrell needs to get out of Westwood, even if he wins the last two meaningless games. Dorrell and his lackeys have been able to move the goal posts the entire season and throughout his career. Everyone before this season was pointed to this as the year UCLA would contend for a BCS game. And in a season which represented the perfect opportunity to sneak into the championship game (which Kansas is on the verge of doing), Dorrell blew that chance. And when Dorrell blew the chance of a BCS appearance, everyone talked about how he could salvage the season by winning the Pac-10. And when that was gone, it was about winning the last 4 games. And now we are supposed to just sit down and be okay with him coming back if he wins 2 meaningless games, and in the process of doing so gives the middle finger to the entire community of UCLA alums, students, season ticket holders, and the fans. We don’t think so.We will make it clear again. Dorrell needs to go even if we pull out meaningless wins against Oregon and Southern Cal.
Going back to Sunday’s disgrace, I think it is worth to share with everyone some of the best responses we have seen on BN, that has metastasized the ongoing fire storm, which should keep going until Dorrell issues a public clarification on what he exactly meant.
bruinhoo made the salient point on how Dorrell’s move will negatively impact African American coaches around the country.
In terms of coaching, if the race card is used successfully to save a mediocre coach, or to bring public opinion or media pressure onto an AD, what lesson will be learned by others? What if 3 years from now, the Athletic Director at another major D-1A school faces an otherwise tough decision between 2 coaches who he believes to have equal chances of success, one of whom being of color. Think of the possibility that after a 5-7 or 6-7 season, an underachieving coach (guess who?) was able to save his job because of the threat of a wave of bad press, even cries of racism? Or that this coach was fired in spite of a slash and burn pr campaign criticizing the decision as racially motivated.
If you are this future AD, who would you hire?
Then there was uclahy who previously argued UCLA should only look at Dorrell’s record in deciding to fire him:
If you are this future AD, who would you hire?
I posted KD should be fired for his record alone.
Now I think he should be fired for implying that anyone who wants him fired is a racist who doesn't believe in a "level playing field."
What a load of crap. That is an insult to the people that hired him, to the tradition of UCLA, to the memory of Jackie Robinson [a true national treasure and UCLA hero who would never cry such BS to defend his own lack of performance], and the fans who have suffered the past five years wishing and hoping and praying that Mr. Dorrell would somehow prove us all wrong and show us he could coach D1 football.
Instead, he plays the race card, and none too subtly in the front page of the LA Times Sports section. Give me a frickin' break!
To make just one obvious point, KD. It is obvious you have overlooked or misjudged the talents of one truly-hard working African American player who you have mishandled horribly for his 2+ year career at UCLA. In case you missed it, his name is Osar Rashaan, and the only reason he is playing now is because of the injuries you complain about when it is clear he should have been playing high up the depth chart at QB from the beginning! Does it matter what race you are if you're a crappy coach?
Just ask OR, you moron. I was wrong. It's not just your record that sucks. You have no more integrity to me, no sir. Not when you play the race card to defend your indefensible record.
How dare you.
I never want to hear your BS anymore. No "level playing field," right, as long as you're the coach at UCLA it will always be tilted AGAINST US!
And from always Class of 66 who as usual posted his sage response:
Now I think he should be fired for implying that anyone who wants him fired is a racist who doesn't believe in a "level playing field."
What a load of crap. That is an insult to the people that hired him, to the tradition of UCLA, to the memory of Jackie Robinson [a true national treasure and UCLA hero who would never cry such BS to defend his own lack of performance], and the fans who have suffered the past five years wishing and hoping and praying that Mr. Dorrell would somehow prove us all wrong and show us he could coach D1 football.
Instead, he plays the race card, and none too subtly in the front page of the LA Times Sports section. Give me a frickin' break!
To make just one obvious point, KD. It is obvious you have overlooked or misjudged the talents of one truly-hard working African American player who you have mishandled horribly for his 2+ year career at UCLA. In case you missed it, his name is Osar Rashaan, and the only reason he is playing now is because of the injuries you complain about when it is clear he should have been playing high up the depth chart at QB from the beginning! Does it matter what race you are if you're a crappy coach?
Just ask OR, you moron. I was wrong. It's not just your record that sucks. You have no more integrity to me, no sir. Not when you play the race card to defend your indefensible record.
How dare you.
I never want to hear your BS anymore. No "level playing field," right, as long as you're the coach at UCLA it will always be tilted AGAINST US!
I truly believed that KD had enough integrity to not play the card -- or to not act in complicity with an accomplice who did.
I thought the last vestige of KD's dignity would be saved by his forgoing the play.
Today, in my eyes, he lost that last vestige of dignity.
I've said often that I'll not gloat or be happy when KD is fired. I would be sobered by the "lost opportunity".
But, that was yesterday and this is today. I cannot feel sorry for a man who allows his name to be used in a racist attack on my alma mater and on all of the people who have carefully crafted fact based arguments on why he should be fired.
Good riddance.
More on Dorrell’s lack of dignity from Fox 71:
I thought the last vestige of KD's dignity would be saved by his forgoing the play.
Today, in my eyes, he lost that last vestige of dignity.
I've said often that I'll not gloat or be happy when KD is fired. I would be sobered by the "lost opportunity".
But, that was yesterday and this is today. I cannot feel sorry for a man who allows his name to be used in a racist attack on my alma mater and on all of the people who have carefully crafted fact based arguments on why he should be fired.
Good riddance.
I believe the latest example is his statement to Mr. Streeter, the alleged journalist. We don't know exactly what he said or the context in which anything was said, but we do know what Mr. Streeter says was said, and we have nothing from CTS which suggests that Mr. Streeter is simply making things up. For CTS to claim that he is being unfairly judged because of his race is a blanket statement, with no qualifications. He therefore directed that statement at me. I suppose there are some who would be flattered to be called a racist, but I am not one of them. It is insulting, and it attacks my integrity. For CTS to make that sort of statement about me without having met me is the kind of claim that kept Blacks from voting or that generated Plessy v. Ferguson. It is an insult to my intelligence as well, implying as it does that I would not criticize CTS if he were White.
I will not sit idly and let CTS make personal attacks on me. He is doing to me (and to you and to everyone else at the BN and in the world, frankly) what he claims has victimized him. It's not right, and I will not let it pass.
And on the off chance that CTS might choose to read this one post out of millions, I say Shame on you, CTS. You have failed the integrity test, in my opinion.
And from NickBruin:
I will not sit idly and let CTS make personal attacks on me. He is doing to me (and to you and to everyone else at the BN and in the world, frankly) what he claims has victimized him. It's not right, and I will not let it pass.
And on the off chance that CTS might choose to read this one post out of millions, I say Shame on you, CTS. You have failed the integrity test, in my opinion.
If Dorrell really had integrity
which his recent comments show he's lacking, he'd make the following comments.
I'm thankful for the opportunity that UCLA has given me. I've worked hard to bring the program up to a certain level, both on and off the field. Off the field, I've done that. On the field, I have not met the expectations that are expected here at UCLA. UCLA is a great school and deserves a winning program. If they choose not to retain me at the end of the year I will not hold any ill will towards them, but will be thankful that I was able to coach at such a great university.
But no, we've got to hear him play the race card. That should be an insult to everyone, whatever your race is. Because you know what Karl, I'm white, but my road has not been easy either. I've had to work my ass off to get to where I'm at now, and nothing's ever been handed to me. Not a damn thing. And I know what the expectations are in my job, and I better meet them. Instead of owning up to your situation like a man, you have to spew this crap!
Lastly, DumpDorrell.com lays out what Dorrell needs to do today:
which his recent comments show he's lacking, he'd make the following comments.
I'm thankful for the opportunity that UCLA has given me. I've worked hard to bring the program up to a certain level, both on and off the field. Off the field, I've done that. On the field, I have not met the expectations that are expected here at UCLA. UCLA is a great school and deserves a winning program. If they choose not to retain me at the end of the year I will not hold any ill will towards them, but will be thankful that I was able to coach at such a great university.
But no, we've got to hear him play the race card. That should be an insult to everyone, whatever your race is. Because you know what Karl, I'm white, but my road has not been easy either. I've had to work my ass off to get to where I'm at now, and nothing's ever been handed to me. Not a damn thing. And I know what the expectations are in my job, and I better meet them. Instead of owning up to your situation like a man, you have to spew this crap!
Karl Dorrell needs to come out publicly immediately and quell the rage in Bruin Nation regarding his comments. He needs to publicly state that UCLA has given him a great opportunity that most coaches would never get in their lifetime … that UCLA has given him every opportunity to succeed and that he is grateful. Dorrell needs to remove the cloud of suspicion he has placed over the greatest legacy of diversity of any university in the world - a university that gave the nation and world Jackie Robinson and Ralph Bunche. Dorrell needs to make it clear he is not leveraging a potential discrimination lawsuit in an ugly scornful game of bettering his bargaining position.
Dorrell will get that opportunity this afternoon in his weekly Monday afternoon press conference. We sure hope the beat reporters, for once, show some of modicum of professional responsibility by raising the only topic that is raging through the Bruin Nation.Meanwhile, I also think it is worth it to share what your thoughts on this weekend’s development with Dan Guerrero and Chancellor Gene Block. Email them at dguerrero@athletics.ucla.edu and at chancellor@conet.ucla.edu and please make sure to let them know that you will be behind them 100 percent when they make the ultimate right move by getting rid of the most despicable and despised head coach ever to lead one of the major athletics programs at the school of Jackie Robinson. I also think it is very important for them to hear from us for their own record, enabling them to build an even more powerful argument that they have the support of the UCLA community when they make the right decision based on his overall on and off the field record at UCLA. Please make sure to note your graduation class or your current class or if you are a season ticket holder under your name. And, of course, we would love for you to share what your wrote to them here in our comment threads.
Let's keep the backfire going.
GO BRUINS.