Barkley Commits to TrOJies

by BruinFaithful on Jan 24, 2008 7:06 PM PST

We knew from the beginning this would be a longshot and an uphill battle for this kid. Considering he goes to Mater Dei, with their long history of filtering players to SUC, and his whole family being a SUC school. His father even played Water Polo at SUC. Although this is bad news, it is still very very early and anything can change. Sunshine can turn our program around. PUSC might be placed under probation. He might not like his playing time situation there with all the QB's they already have. Anything can happen. Seems like his decision was also based on staying close to home, so UCLA fits that bill and I'm sure Sunshine has not given up on bringing him to Westwood. We just need to worry about us now and we will be fine. Sunshine has thankfully been shoring up our recruits and we have every faith that he has the program moving in the right direction.

According to Scout.com:

His father, Les, is a former USC water polo and since he was a kid, Barkley dreamed of playing for the Trojans.

"I've always loved the schools and loved the color," said Barkley. "It's always been in me. It's real evident."

Here's the link:

http://recruiting.scout.com/2/722832.html

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Who needs him.

If he "loves the color" he's a jack-off, to use a technical legal phrase. Screw him. Good riddance.

(Unless he changes his mind, in which case he will be one of the greatest kids ever, and finally out from under the smothering trOJan atmosphere at home and able to breathe the clean, pure air of Westwood.)

by Fox 71 on Jan 24, 2008 8:35 PM PST reply actions

Hey Fox

Are you an attorney? If so what practice? Do you live in TX?

by BruinFaithful on Jan 25, 2008 1:39 AM PST up reply actions

The Texas attorney is sjh class of 66

I practices in LA for years, then semi-retired to Florida. Purely civil litigation, about 50-50 plaintiff and defendant now. As a youth, it was almost all insurance defense stuff. To put my checkered career in perspective, I remember that the very first ever pleading I ever signed after I got sworn in was on behalf of The Adolph Coors Company. The guys saved that to allow my first client to be memorable.

That was in '74. I knew I was ready to retire when new hires in my firm were born after I had been in practice for several years.

by Fox 71 on Jan 25, 2008 5:43 AM PST up reply actions

Funny story

Thanks for the info.

by BruinFaithful on Jan 25, 2008 6:13 AM PST up reply actions

What's wrong with Bruin Blue

We have an awesome color. He has no taste. Enjoy the ketchup and mustard you scumbucket lowlife.

by joeb @ Bruins Nation on Jan 24, 2008 9:00 PM PST reply actions

Yeah

Who wants to look like Ronald McDonald, running down the field on Saturdays. HAHAHAHAHA. I wonder how he feels about Red, White, and Blue. Would he pick his country over the color of the flag?

by BruinFaithful on Jan 25, 2008 1:39 AM PST up reply actions

The silver lining in all of this

is that we even made a run at him. As the kid said, he has been a Trojan for life, born of Trojans. What could you expect?

But to me the difference is that we even attempted to recruit him, and did so with a straight face speaks volumes about CRN's impact on the program.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on Jan 24, 2008 9:53 PM PST reply actions

Meh

Forcier and Crissman get to learn under THE quarterback guru, and I have a feeling that with this staff in place, UCLA won't have to worry about fielding a more than adequate QB for a while.

by LA Seitz on Jan 24, 2008 10:20 PM PST reply actions

Quote in the OCR

In a break from the incessant quips about the Angels, Ducks, or Kobe, the Orange Caounty Ragister put up one of those quotes from their brain-dead readers concerning Barkley:

'Matt Barkleydecided he wants to go to a university where he has the best chance to win. Pete Carroll already won his first victory against the UCLA "Coach Dream Team."'
Mark Newman
San Clemente

..somehow, scoring a lock recruit hardly constitutes a startling victory. It will be interesting to see if Mr Barkley has as much fun in the coming years running Carroll's sputtering offences as Booty and Sanchez did this year.

by whp68 on Jan 25, 2008 8:31 AM PST reply actions

its even more pathetic

somehow, publicizing a verbal committment given "silently" four months ago is a loss for the dream team.

All it does is show Petey is dying for press and had to make something public he normally wouldn't have. It shows Petey's weakeness more than anything else.

"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"

by silverlakebruin on Jan 25, 2008 8:53 AM PST up reply actions

It really shows..

..that Pete's running, if not scared, a little apprehensively.

by whp68 on Jan 25, 2008 5:07 PM PST up reply actions

How is this considered a victory?

The guy already had usc high on his list and was known to be a heavy lean to them for a long time. UCLA came in recently and suddenly it's considered a victory to have a meaningless verbal commitment for a guy who was already committed to them in the first place?

by UCLA4Life on Jan 25, 2008 2:41 PM PST up reply actions

Starting to feel the heat

On the PMS show am 570 last night. Petros said that Petey asked Barkley to give his verbal now to stop the rumors, and all the talk of the dream team, and the guru Chow.

by wizardofoc on Jan 25, 2008 8:57 AM PST reply actions

Great prospect, but oh well

This shouldn't even be news except that it comes in the wake of all the waves UCLA has been making. The recruitment of a prospect of Barkley's stature typically starts after his first varsity game. Considering that Barkley comes from a Trojan family, I'm sure he's been leaning toward SC since puberty. I don't think KD even considered Barkley a possibility with Forcier already here and Crissman on the way so Barkley's commitment should not be construed as some kind of loss for our Dream Team. The real recruiting battles will happen for the class of 2010 when UCLA's system will be in full-swing.

by ishXdavid on Jan 25, 2008 10:19 AM PST reply actions

Good for him

If his heart is set for USC, then more power to him. I wish the kid the best except when he lines up against us. The only time I'll admonish a kid is if he takes a cheap shot stab at UCLA. So, he likes their color. Big deal. Nothing to get all worked up and be so sensitive about.

We have talent at the QB position already and there are plenty of other guys out there. A CRN/CNC combination will have top QB's clamoring to come to Westwood. Our future looks bright and Pete is already feeling the tide turning. Just perform on the field and everything else will take care of itself.

by BlueReign on Jan 25, 2008 10:29 AM PST reply actions

We should say thanks to the kid

Now we won't waste any time and effort on his recruitment. RN and NC can focus on the next best guy or two or three and reel them into the Bruin fold. Good luck to Barkley. Clarkson, the QB guru that Barkley works with, has several others in the pipeline and it is well known that Clarkson and Chow are tight.

by SinnerBoy 99 on Jan 25, 2008 11:35 AM PST reply actions

Fully Understandable

His parents raised him to be a condum in the same way that we raise our children to be Bruins.

My daughter won't consider sc -- that's how she was raised.

The story isn't where he signed.

The story is that we had the confidence to go after him, even if it was a longshot. The message is that we feel strong enough to take a shot even if it "misses". There is not success without risking failure. We finally have a team ready to take risks. They wll succeed more often than not.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Jan 25, 2008 2:42 PM PST reply actions

If we keep doing this..

..one of Pete's recruits just might give him the air (as they like to say ion those old 40s movies).

Now, that'd be news!

by whp68 on Jan 25, 2008 5:05 PM PST up reply actions

Don't Laugh

but this just may happen. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame hotshot QB will be in a tight race this season with incoming freshman star Dane Crist and some others they have. It is very possible that if things don't go as planned, and that is a very real possibility, that Clausen could end up coming to Westwood. While remote and only achievable if things don't work out, it could happen. He would sit out a season and have two years left with the QB guru Norman Chow. I have heard these rumors for the past few days and thought I would pass them along. It would take alot of things to happen, but Clausen is from So. Cal and never even thought about the Bruins when KD was in charge...........but things have obviously changed.

by jbcoach on Jan 25, 2008 5:20 PM PST reply actions

Won't laugh

but do you really want a kid that drove up in a Hummer limousine? Personally, he is Ron Powlus II. He'll have a good college career but will never live up to the hype surounding him. Yes, a lot of the hype was created by the media but he fed it too.

Lets allow Chow to work with what we have and if they feel it is not up to snuff, then we'll look into other options.

by BlueReign on Jan 25, 2008 6:06 PM PST up reply actions

Why The Sour Grapes?

It's sad to see those of you who ostricize Matt Barkley because he committed to our rival. Do I wish he would have chosen UCLA, instead? Definitely! But that wasn't realistic as he grew up in a Trojan family. If anyone could have influenced his decision to be a Bruin, it would have been his quarterback coach, Clarkson, who has close ties with CNC. But as you can see that wasn't enough.

As most of you know, he's a gifted athlete, great student, but most of all he is a young man of high character and strong faith. I wish him the best at SC, but will always root for the Bruins to beat SC every year.

by ocbruin84 on Jan 25, 2008 10:59 PM PST reply actions

You have just described Anikin Skywalker

Nobody with great character and strong faith should be seduced by the dark side. His friends should throw an intervention and get him out of there. Next thing - he'll demand to know the location of the rebel stronghold.

by Fox 71 on Jan 26, 2008 7:49 AM PST up reply actions