Turner Gill Buffalo Coach
Occam’s razor is a principle established in the 14th century that (paraphrased) states “All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best.” The hiring of Gene Chizek over Turner Gill, when applying the principle of Occam’s razor seems to point out that “all things being equal” Turner Gill’s race led him to be treated unequally when he was passed over for the head Auburn football coaching position. This shows that in spite of the mantra of Change that got us our first Black President, that discrimination in many areas of life is still alive with its ugly tentacles reaching out in various social and economic environments.
For those of you who do not follow college football the story is probably off of your radar. For those who have been following you are well aware of Turner Gill and the Auburn football head coaching position saga. Turner Gill, who is Black, took a small historically terrible football team, the Buffalo Bulls, and in three years of coaching the team had such a dramatic turnaround most pundits described him as the best coach available on the market. Auburn ended up hiring Gene Chizek, a white man who posted a pathetic record of 5 wins and 19 losses at Iowa State. Almost universally college football pundits scratched their heads in the non-verbal gesture that symbolizes “What the hell were they thinking”. It made no sense on paper, until you dig a little deeper.
Auburn is a Deep South SEC team in Alabama a historic hotbed of racial conflict. Not only was Turner Gill a Black man, that alone may not have been a problem but…gasp… he was married to a white woman! Ironically this was also the case of the third candidate in the running for the position, Charlie Strong from Florida. Various reporters interviewing other coaches and individuals in the league reported that many folks new neither Gill nor Strong were going to get the position either because of ethnicity or the color of their spouse. The rationale from the top of Auburn was that they were more “comfortable” with Chizek, who had spent some time at Auburn before as an assistant coach.
The outrage over the hiring was so great that it prompted Charles Barkely, an Auburn alum to state this:
“I think race was the No. 1 factor,” said Barkley, who played basketball for three seasons at Auburn during the early 1980s. “You can say it’s not about race, but you can’t compare the two résumés and say [Chizik] deserved the job. Out of all the coaches they interviewed, Chizik probably had the worst résumé.” – ESPN.Com
So back to Occam’s Razor. You have a Black candidate, who has a dramatically better track record, who almost universally is considered the better coach. Did I mention that 90% of the fans on message boards and internet site polls wanted Gill? Yet Gill was passed over by the Auburn administration for a White man who was dramatically worse in every category.
Occam’s Razor points to race. This situation also leads one to believe that if it can happen in such a high profile setting we must assume that it is still occurring across the nation in lower profile situations. How many Black, qualified, individuals are being passed over for jobs, contracts, appointments and other situations because the folks doing the hiring were just “more comfortable” with folks who were white?
Obama ran and won his campaign on the mantra of Change. How does the Obama brand of change deal with real and significant issues of race and class discrimination such as are illuminated by the Chizek over Gill hiring? Or is the election of Obama more of the, “I can have a Black friend, I am OK with a Black boss, but I will be damned if my daughter brings home a Black man” syndrome?
Occam’s Razor tells me that race, racism, and discrimination based upon race are going to be alive, well and kicking in this nation regardless of what color the President is.
PS. One side note: Where are all of the conservatives who champion equality of treatment based upon resume not skin color on this issue? Rush Limbaugh was quick to blast out Donnovan McNabb for getting treated better because he was Black is he blasting Chizek for being white? Hypocrites
Deus Ex Machina 
The fact is, Auburn should have kept Tuberville in the first place. Just four years ago, they were the best team in college football but got screwed by the BCS the same way Texas got screwed this year. The entire backfield from that team (Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams) were high draft picks. With a little patience, they would have rising again under Tuberville.
Turner Gill is too good for them, if you ask me, and if the fact that he has a white wife is what held him back, they did him a favor because he didn’t need the grief. Bo Pelini may be a keeper at Nebraska, but if he falters, Turner Gill will be the perfect fit.
College football is a funny animal. Fans at my alma mater, a I-AA school, think we should never lose a game, and should compete for talent with UF, FSU and Miami. Derangement runs amok.
By: brotherbrown on December 17, 2008
at 4:40 pm
The simple fact is, all the Obama election proved is that a minority of white Americans is willing to vote for a vastly superior black candidate…
Over a poor white one.
McCain still won over 55% of the white vote, while losing every other racial demographic.
Racism is still alive and well in America – particularly in those states which leaned the heaviest towards McCain and the White People’s Party…
By: BT on December 17, 2008
at 5:12 pm
Tim Wise had written an excellent article about the fact that Obama had to absolutely ignore racial issues (beyond being a superior candidate) in order to win support of whites… the fact that he could not speak to color, or more precisely, issues affecting Black folk specifically, reinforced the persistence of racism in America.
I realize I’m preaching to the choir, so I won’t bother with a Google search to find the article.
By: t-shirts101 on December 17, 2008
at 5:23 pm
Occams Razor would also make us presume that since Conservatives aren’t rallying on behalf of Gill then for them it really isn’t about judgment by merit at all…but something else.
By: Deus Ex Machina on December 17, 2008
at 6:27 pm
When I start caring about Auburn football, pull me from my grave and beat me with 3 broomsticks tied together with duct tape, then toss my remains down the sewer. Big Ten Forever.
Now to the point. This past election illustrates three things: 1) a lot of white people can make a decision about a person without regards to race 2) a lot of white people will make a ignore race if it serves their best interest 3) there is no hope for some folks
That said, I think for black people it is always more important to approach people as it pertains to their best interest.
By: james on December 17, 2008
at 10:54 pm
Some folks don’t operate according to their best interest, hence Turner Gill was overlooked.
BT mentioned elsewhere that even though Obama won by a sizeable lead, 45% of white folks didn’t vote for him. Obviously, some have changed their minds ’cause he’s receiving a very large (70%+) approval rating right now.
In light of the fact that whites – generally speaking – operate according to their own best interests, I think it’s best we do the same… unless or until we deal with those who recognize that what’s best for one is best for all.
I’m hopefull that an Obama presidency is best for all, time will tell.
By: t-shirts101 on December 18, 2008
at 1:57 am
I am still wondering how/why Obama’s name popped up into this discussion about overt white racism and a black coach in the SEC.
I hope not every subject that happens to have a racial component doesn’t find a way of including Obama in the discussion over the next four to eight years.
By: Roderick on December 18, 2008
at 7:20 pm
“shows that in spite of the mantra of Change that got us our first Black President, that discrimination in many areas of life is still alive with its ugly tentacles reaching out in various social and economic environments.”
Obama won the Presidency because the white man (woman) is falt on his (her) belly unable to get up (financial catastrophe and the credit crisis). Had the white man (woma) been only down on his (her) knees (ie., without Lehmann) McCain would have won. Incompetent whites have run this country to the ground so badly that even some racist whites were willing to give Obama a chance!
“Auburn ended up hiring Gene Chizek, a white man who posted a pathetic record of 5 wins and 19 losses at Iowa State.”
Nothing new here. Chrysler hired the incompetent white male Bob Nardelli despite running Home Depot to the ground! And now that worries me more than the racism at Auburn.
““I can have a Black friend, I am OK with a Black boss, but I will be damned if my daughter brings home a Black man” syndrome?”
No. More like a young white woman in the Washington DC Metro thinking that “I can vote for Obama as a President, but I will be damined if I sat next to a non-white in the bus. Forget blacks..there are whites who voted for Obama who say that they can have an Asian friend, have an Asian boss but I will be damned if my daughter brings home an Asian date syndrome even if he is the son of a Hong Kong billionaire who happens to be the same religion as most of America. Dont believe me. Try Monroe or Tippecanoe counties in Indiana both of which heavily voted for Obama…or even better try Delaware County where the KKK has been active in the past.
“Occams Razor would also make us presume that since Conservatives aren’t rallying on behalf of Gill then for them it really isn’t about judgment by merit at all…but something else.”
Yes. I dont see Ward Connerly protesting..neither are the racists Barbara Grutter and Jennifer Gratz from Michigan or the racist organizations that backed Anti-Affirmative Action initiatives. Nothing new there!
By: George on December 19, 2008
at 8:07 pm