Coach Carter Page #8

My phone hasn't stopped ringing.

Maybe someone on the other end

of that phone

has a solution to our problem.

Your intentions are good, Mr. Carter,

but your methods are a bit extreme.

You painted an extreme picture.

No one expects them to graduate,

no one expects them to go to college.

So you take away basketball,

the one area of their lives

- where they have some success?

- Yes, ma'am.

And you challenge them

academically?

- Yes, ma'am.

- And what if they fail?

Then we've failed.

Unfortunately, Mr. Carter,

both you and l know

that for some of these kids,

this basketball season

will be the highlight of their lives.

Well, l think that's the problem.

Don't you?

- Good morning, Coach Carter.

- Good morning.

Quite the Pandora's box

you've opened.

Oh, l get all the blame now?

Let's just say l'm happy to give you

all the credit.

l've got every news reporter in town

waiting to speak to you.

Got a press conference set up

around the front of the gymnasium.

Coach Carter has taken the lockout

to the next level

by canceling last night's game.

Richmond forfeited the game,

making it their first loss of the season.

And for now,

the lock remains on the gym.

Here he comes.

Here he comes now.

Coach Carter! Coach!

Can l get a question?

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

l'd like to thank you for your patience.

At this time, l'd like to introduce

Coach Ken Carter.

You may direct

your questions to him.

Mr. Carter, is it unfair to the players

whose grades qualify them to play?

Basketball's a team sport, sir.

We support each other

on and off the court.

Anybody still think coach

bluffing now?

l feel like running right up

in the middle of all those reporters

and telling them l think this

is bullshit, son.

Maybe you should've gone

to class, Lyle.

Maybe you should kiss my ass, dog.

My grades are fine, homeboy.

- lt's Junior they should've locked out.

- Maybe Junior will kick your ass out.

- Why don't you try spelling it, then.

- Chill, chill, chill, man. Damn.

- Junior, if you need help, l'll tutor you.

- Man, l don't need no help.

Well, he ain't lock us out

for no reason.

We been tripping lately, man.

All y'all know it.

How do you think the community's

gonna react to this lockout?

l'm not really sure. l hope

they'll support these young men.

What, man?

No, man, it's just funny, dog,

because, Junior, man,

you thought it was bad all us knew

your dumb ass was failing science.

Now the whole world about to know

your dumb ass failing science.

- Man.

- Hey, man.

And you have Fremont this Saturday,

the biggest game on your schedule.

Now, Richmond is gonna riot

if you forfeit that game.

Saturday is a long way off.

We'll see what happens.

Thank you all for coming.

That's all the time l have right now.

l have to get back to work.

Coach, have you talked to any

of the parents?

Thank you for your time,

ladies and gentlemen.

l'd like to remind you that classes

are in session,

so as you leave campus,

please do so quietly.

l ain't turning the cheek.

He come up in my 'hood,

l'm serious, it's on.

- Young sirs.

- lt's always been like that.

lt's been a long day.

Reporters. Media everywhere.

Let's take this time to say whatever it is

we want while the doors are closed.

You have the floor.

This is about us.

Man, this sh*t ain't about us.

This is all about Coach Carter.

We're the basketball team.

All l see is you on TV,

getting famous, eating that sh*t up.

- ls that all you see?

- lt's all l see.

You ain't lying.

Well, let me tell you what l see.

l see a system that's designed

for you to fail.

Now, l know you all like stats,

so let me give you some.

Richmond High only graduates

And of those that do graduate,

only 6 percent go to college.

Which tells me, when l walk down

the halls and l look in your classrooms,

maybe only one student

is going to go to college.

''Well, damn, Coach Carter, if l ain't

going to college, where l'm gonna go?''

Now, that's a great question.

And the answer for young

African-American men in here is this:

probably to prison.

ln this county,

between 1 8 and 24 get arrested.

So look at the guy on your left.

Now look at the guy on your right.

One of you is going

to get arrested.

Growing up here in Richmond,

you're 80 percent more likely

to go to prison than college.

Those are the numbers.

Those are some stats for your ass.

Now, l want you to go home...

...and look at your lives tonight...

...and look at your parents' lives...

...and ask yourself, ''Do l want better?''

lf the answer is yes,

l'll see you here tomorrow.

And l promise you...

...l will do everything in my power

to get you to college

and to a better life.

l don't understand this.

lt's a letter, how can it be a number?

How are balancing

those equations coming?

- l can't do this.

- Hold on. Come on, son.

Don't give up yet, son.

Here's a story out of California

that's getting national attention.

The entire boys' basketball team

at Richmond High School

has been benched.

The highly ranked Oilers have

a perfect season on the court,

but some players were

in big trouble academically.

And in an unprecedented move,

Coach Ken Carter canceled practice,

locked the gym and sent his players

straight to the library.

Now, at the start of the season,

l understand you made all of

your players sign a contract

before they could join the team.

What exactly were the conditions

of that contract?

The contract states that

the players must maintain

a 2.3 grade point average

and that the players must

attend all their classes

and sit in the front row

of those classes.

Well, Coach Carter, it's an

unusual strategy, and a risky one

in a sense, in light of

your team's winning record,

but l think there's gonna be a lot of

people out there pleased to learn

that at least somebody still cares

about the concept of a student athlete.

Thanks a lot for joining us today.

l'm sorry to disturb you.

l'm Coach Ken Carter of the Richmond

High School basketball team.

Oh, yeah.

l need to ask you a favor.

My team is studying in the library,

and l've been trying to tell them

that brains and beauty

are a perfect combination.

Know what l'm saying?

l mean, l'm Worm, baby.

How would you like

to watch the Worm work?

Hey, where did you get

that backpack?

Watch out, Too Short.

Why study earth science

or history or algebra?

Getting good grades in those subjects,

combined with basketball skills,

can get you into college.

Girl, you should've bought it.

l would've worn it.

You selfish son of a b*tch.

You snake.

- Miss--

- No, no, don't ''miss'' me, snake.

Mr. Carter, you remember me?

Now, after all the things that my son

has been through for your team,

for you to go lock up

this gym like this, how dare you...

Open up the damn gym!

Let the boys play!

What's up, little cousin?

How you doing?

Got something for me?

That's what l'm talking about.

Hey, hey. Put it down, man.

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