All Fired Up Over Firing of Parker

Congratulations to USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett, for achieving an almost impossible consensus. Virtually every sportswriter and sportscaster in the Southland agreed that the firing of Charlie Parker was wrong, ill-timed and the reasons given by Garrett were merely a cover-up for the purpose of hiring Paul Westphal.

I didn’t think anyone could get this group to agree about anything. Thank you, Mr. Garrett, for restoring my faith in the sports media.

STEVEN F. EPSTEIN

Beverly Hills

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The report: “USC Basketball Coach Parker Fired; Black Coaches to Investigate and Consider Boycott Against USC.”

What’s going on here with the BCA? Charlie Parker is black, his predecessor at USC is black, his replacement is black, his boss is black. If the university is contemplating hiring a white coach down the line, they are considering one [Paul Westphal] who is eminently qualified.

If I were an athletic director at a major university, I think I’d take special pains not to consider a black coach because I’d have the BCA on my tail if I ever had to fire him.

GIL WAYNE

Newport Beach

Editor’s Note: The Black Coaches Assn. became involved because it was questioning whether one of its members was being treated fairly by USC. It was never an issue of race, but of ethics.