Is it possible that being Black helped Cobb to be fired?
I just received the following item from something called "SpyTime", which is run by a former pro athlete friend of Marvin Cobb. . . apparently this athlete, like Cobb has run into some of the nasty, racist, side of pro sports. I can understand why individuals who have seen REAL racism and experienced it would eventually begin to assume that racism is at the heart of most of their horrible experiences. . .
In the instance of Marvin's firing it is hard to figure the role that racism might have played. I tend to believe that any role might have been like this:
Unfortunately, white people are taught that Black people are more dangerous and stronger than they are. I feel its the job of every anglo-saxon mother's son to simply banish that thought, but I must admit that it's hard to overcome your training. I believe at some point, the fact that it was Marvin, with his particular appearance (he is roughly 6'1" and about 200 to 205 lbs. . .all muscle and in excellent condition) may have caused a more "fear"-based emotional reaction from board members receiving disagreement from Marvin. It is interesting that this recent episode of breakdown in good relations started exactly at the point at which Marvin sent a curt reply to board president, Jeff McCobb via email. Jeff had been sending dozens of emails to Marvin and Marvin was scheduled to be taking a weekend away with his fiancee. . .so the, rather rude issuance of directions for several projects at once caused Cobb to respond harshly. . .It's basically kinda rude to send lots of "important" emails right on the heels of a person working several 18 to 20 hour days. . .
Starting at that point, there was a total breakdown in communication between Jeff and Marvin. . .interesting. . .Why are we so bent? Have we never had someone disagree? I don't know. . .I just try and figure out "what the heck?". . .
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HERE is WHAT I GOT FROM SPYTIME
A Study in Modern Day Racism
Marvin Cobb, who is a black man .... Before the victory Confetti could settle TO THE GROUND !!!
Los Angeles Daily News
Winning decathlon chief fired
With him, state took 3 U.S. academic titles
By Lisa M. Sodders
Staff Writer
Thursday, May 12, 2005 - The California Academic Decathlon named CSUN faculty member Susan Beatty as its interim executive director Thursday, after announcing it had fired its chief.
Beatty replaces Marvin Cobb, 51, who confirmed that he had been fired by the organization's board of directors.
Cobb had been executive director of the California Academic Decathlon since August 2001. California teams have won the national championship three years out of the last four years.
"The action by the current CAD board of directors is both unfortunate and unfair," Cobb said. "It would seem to me that they've taken their eye off the decathletes. I will continue to pray that this program will continue to be available for California high school students for years to come."
Beatty, a part-time lecturer of mechanical engineering at California State University, Northridge, has been a member of the decathlon's board for seven years and also has served as board president.
Decathlon Board President Jeff McCombs (who works for yahoo & didn't raise a penny) declined to comment on Cobb's firing.
But, he said, the organization's priorities will be to work more closely with county decathlon coordinators and shore up the organization's finances.
"We're extremely pleased to have national champions come from California, but our fundamental mission is improving academic excellence for California high school students and rewarding that excellence," he said.
Cobb was criticized last fall after he announced the program was at least $60,000 in debt and in jeopardy of being canceled.
Donors - including then-Secretary of Education Richard Riordan - stepped in and saved the program, making donations and pledges of $260,000.
Cobb said the program's debts have been repaid, with the exception of an undetermined amount of payroll taxes owed to the IRS.
The statewide high school competition, usually set in March, follows regional competitions of a 10-subject academic event. Nine-member teams spend months studying everything from calculus and microeconomics to literature, as well as preparing essays, speeches and interviews.
Cliff Ker, Los Angeles Unified School District's Academic Decathlon coordinator, said Cobb would be missed.
"He is a very intelligent, very caring person who happens to be competitive and has taken great pride in the accomplishments and success of all the kids," Ker said. "We're really going to miss his leadership."
Cobb formerly was executive director of the Los Angeles Sports Academy in Inglewood from 1998 to 2001. From 1986-97, he was assistant athletic director for administration for the University of Southern California.
A USC graduate, he'd played both baseball and football for the school. He also played defensive back for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1975 to 1981.
Cobb said he is considering teaching algebra and geometry and coaching football and baseball at a high school.
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Lisa M. Sodders, (818) 713-3663 lisa.sodders@dailynews.com
http://www.academicdecathlon.org/
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In the instance of Marvin's firing it is hard to figure the role that racism might have played. I tend to believe that any role might have been like this:
Unfortunately, white people are taught that Black people are more dangerous and stronger than they are. I feel its the job of every anglo-saxon mother's son to simply banish that thought, but I must admit that it's hard to overcome your training. I believe at some point, the fact that it was Marvin, with his particular appearance (he is roughly 6'1" and about 200 to 205 lbs. . .all muscle and in excellent condition) may have caused a more "fear"-based emotional reaction from board members receiving disagreement from Marvin. It is interesting that this recent episode of breakdown in good relations started exactly at the point at which Marvin sent a curt reply to board president, Jeff McCobb via email. Jeff had been sending dozens of emails to Marvin and Marvin was scheduled to be taking a weekend away with his fiancee. . .so the, rather rude issuance of directions for several projects at once caused Cobb to respond harshly. . .It's basically kinda rude to send lots of "important" emails right on the heels of a person working several 18 to 20 hour days. . .
Starting at that point, there was a total breakdown in communication between Jeff and Marvin. . .interesting. . .Why are we so bent? Have we never had someone disagree? I don't know. . .I just try and figure out "what the heck?". . .
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HERE is WHAT I GOT FROM SPYTIME
A Study in Modern Day Racism
Marvin Cobb, who is a black man .... Before the victory Confetti could settle TO THE GROUND !!!
Los Angeles Daily News
Winning decathlon chief fired
With him, state took 3 U.S. academic titles
By Lisa M. Sodders
Staff Writer
Thursday, May 12, 2005 - The California Academic Decathlon named CSUN faculty member Susan Beatty as its interim executive director Thursday, after announcing it had fired its chief.
Beatty replaces Marvin Cobb, 51, who confirmed that he had been fired by the organization's board of directors.
Cobb had been executive director of the California Academic Decathlon since August 2001. California teams have won the national championship three years out of the last four years.
"The action by the current CAD board of directors is both unfortunate and unfair," Cobb said. "It would seem to me that they've taken their eye off the decathletes. I will continue to pray that this program will continue to be available for California high school students for years to come."
Beatty, a part-time lecturer of mechanical engineering at California State University, Northridge, has been a member of the decathlon's board for seven years and also has served as board president.
Decathlon Board President Jeff McCombs (who works for yahoo & didn't raise a penny) declined to comment on Cobb's firing.
But, he said, the organization's priorities will be to work more closely with county decathlon coordinators and shore up the organization's finances.
"We're extremely pleased to have national champions come from California, but our fundamental mission is improving academic excellence for California high school students and rewarding that excellence," he said.
Cobb was criticized last fall after he announced the program was at least $60,000 in debt and in jeopardy of being canceled.
Donors - including then-Secretary of Education Richard Riordan - stepped in and saved the program, making donations and pledges of $260,000.
Cobb said the program's debts have been repaid, with the exception of an undetermined amount of payroll taxes owed to the IRS.
The statewide high school competition, usually set in March, follows regional competitions of a 10-subject academic event. Nine-member teams spend months studying everything from calculus and microeconomics to literature, as well as preparing essays, speeches and interviews.
Cliff Ker, Los Angeles Unified School District's Academic Decathlon coordinator, said Cobb would be missed.
"He is a very intelligent, very caring person who happens to be competitive and has taken great pride in the accomplishments and success of all the kids," Ker said. "We're really going to miss his leadership."
Cobb formerly was executive director of the Los Angeles Sports Academy in Inglewood from 1998 to 2001. From 1986-97, he was assistant athletic director for administration for the University of Southern California.
A USC graduate, he'd played both baseball and football for the school. He also played defensive back for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1975 to 1981.
Cobb said he is considering teaching algebra and geometry and coaching football and baseball at a high school.
---
Lisa M. Sodders, (818) 713-3663 lisa.sodders@dailynews.com
http://www.academicdecathlon.org/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments
Cobb was being disrespectful or insolent in his dealings with him. Sometimes the simple explanation is the correct one. I see chris tune is still proud to state he is maintaining the CAD webwsite. The exec dir. pro tem, Ms.Beaty, is a former pres of the CAD board. I doubt a self-described conservative , like mr. tune wouldn't associate with a org that was racist (i wouldn't)
SO WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE FIRING ? Was it because the board wouldn't allow itself to restructure, as mr. riordan suggested ? Is it because mr cobb's assurance of there being $ 260,000 in comitments to the CAD were unrealized ? I am puzzled especially when I read the Daily News article of today where a new exec dir has been chosen.
Remember this is a very old article. I would not willingly work for the current CAD board. I DON'T TRUST THEM!
Timing is important. You should examine the dates on these things.
Even though time has passed, I still cannot justify the firing of Marvin in any really normal sense.
He had run a very successful set of events. He had been eminently fair in all his dealings. . he had raised or gotten commitments for lots of money and had decent ideas for other fundraising events.
The board did not seem to understand the very event that they were supposed to be promoting. They were not following the basic rules that had been laid out for their governing (there were term limits for board members which were not followed at all).
I ask the question "Is it possible. . " because I wonder about that. I'm a conservative, but I don't put it past others (mostly liberals oddly enough) to be offput by a willful black man who is successfully running an organization and who sometimes disagrees with an "out of touch" board.
There is nothing either conservative or not about this position. It is a position of full neutrality. I know that bad stuff happens and I wonder out loud if that was around in this event.
Chris Tune
referring to this article back in May now in November 2005