Des Moines Register
04-11-06
Letters to the Editor
REGISTER READERS
When good is never good enough
What happened at Iowa State to basketball coach Wayne Morgan is
something every black man or woman knows about: Being just as good is never
good enough.
When it comes to head-to-head comparisons to see who gets promoted, who
keeps his or her job or who makes the starting lineup, if, as an African-American,
you are equal in ability, it is never good enough. If you want the job or the
promotion or playing time, you must be better than your white counterpart.
Morgan thought he was safe; his record either was very close or matched that of
his predecessors. He was in the finals in the National Invitational Tournament,
made the second round of the NCAA tournament and, with a stellar recruiting
year, had the promise of an even better year in 2007. It wasn’t good enough.
It happens all the time at all levels. In business if you are looking for that
promotion to vice president, you’d better be heads above the rest.
I hate to say it, but if Morgan had been white, he would not have been fired at
Iowa State with a 55–39 record.
— Clarence Hudson, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Summit
Systems LLC, Urbandale.
The losers at ISU wrestling
Judging from the news coverage and his press-conference comments, Cael
Sanderson is off to a questionable start as the new Iowa State University
wrestling coach. His effusive praise of his mentor and predecessor, Bobby
Douglas, rings hollow.
If the 26-year-old Sanderson thinks so much of Douglas, why was he an
accomplice in shoving Douglas out the door? Instead of talking of his love,
admiration and respect for Douglas, why didn’t Sanderson say something like
this to ISU Athletic Director Jamie Pollard before Douglas was axed:
“Look, I’m only 26. Give me a couple more years to learn what being a head
coach is all about. Pay me more, give me more responsibility, but let’s do this
right. We owe too much to Douglas. There is a lot for me to learn before I take
over all responsibility. We can have a win-win proposition here.”
Instead, Sanderson and Pollard both come off as losers in the treatment of
Douglas.
— Herb Strentz, Urbandale.