The big game, the big decision

Another loss to the hated Trojans? That song, the band, the horse, that two-finger thing and Pete Carroll’s hair thrown in my face for another year? Uggh!

But, a win . . . and Dorrell stays?

Go Bruins?

Jody Whipp

Redondo Beach

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Living in Southern California, we are not blessed with the most obvious signs of the arrival of late autumn, the turning of leaves and the onset of cold weather. Instead we have to rely on the annual late November bluster of USC fans talking about how they are the best team in the country, to remind us what time of year it is.

This year’s flavor of bluster, however, is distinctly un-Trojan-like. Somehow “we are the best two-loss team in the country” just doesn’t have the same swagger.

Kyle H. Worrell

Playa del Rey

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Kurt Streeter’s proclamation that the “race issue can’t, and shouldn’t, be avoided” in the discussion of Karl Dorrell’s fate is right on. The conference race, the Rose Bowl race, and the BCS race can’t and shouldn’t be ignored despite Dorrell’s integrity, character and class.

These same race issues also factored into the evaluation of Houston Nutt of Arkansas, Chan Gailey of Georgia Tech and Sonny Lubick of Colorado State -- to name a few others in the college coaching ranks who were terminated because the performance of their football team did not meet expectations.

Karl Dorrell is being evaluated on merit.

Mr. Streeter needs to get over himself already.

Darin Puhl

Manhattan Beach

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The most objectionable thing in Streeter’s columns is the suggestion that a .600 record is acceptable at UCLA. Sure, from 1989 to now, UCLA’s overall record has been .576. But from 1970 to 1988 the record was .702 -- with UCLA routinely ranked in the top 20. Six out of 10 is acceptable only when you don’t think you can do better.

I don’t have it in for Coach Dorrell. On all the intangibles surrounding the program he has made a positive difference. But I don’t think even he would say the football team is where it should be yet.

Richard Murphy

Whittier