WTH? UCLA Schedules Beat $C* Bonfire During Ben Ball?
The "planners" at UCLA scheduled our Beat $C* bonfire during tonight's Ben Ball. According to the "What's Bruin Blog" from the official site linked below, it is scheduled for tonight at 9:30 pm PST. Just a slight problem with that "scheduling." The basketball game against Pepperdine tips off at 8:06 pm PST. Seriously who did this scheduling? Did that person have any kind of common sense? Heck of a job guys. You completely let down our football program by failing to generate any kind of interest around senior day (as evidenced by the joke attendance figures over the weekend). Can't get scheduling of huge tourney games of non-revenue sports program right. And, now you pull this garbage. It's like these guys are working OT to gin up bad karma for this weekend. The incompetency is beyond surreal. GO BRUINS.
about 2 years ago
Nestor
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Epic fail.
At least they’re having the bonfire this year though.
CRN’s Twitter: “Monday press conference at 1pm. Tonight I’ll swing through the Bonfire Pep Rally. Looking fwd to seeing all who attend…starts at 9:30pm.”
by inhowlandwetrust on Nov 23, 2009 3:42 PM PST reply actions
BTW
any of you that have twitter, you should definitely follow both CRN and CBH. twitter has become such a recruiting tool that both of them update all the time.
by inhowlandwetrust on Nov 23, 2009 3:43 PM PST reply actions
Reserving Judgment
We’re going to the Pepperdine game tonight and plan to swing by the bonfire afterwards. If festivities are held up until after the game is over, a lot of fans who might otherwise not have come will attend since they are already there. If that’s the case, it could be a great move. If, on the other hand, the bonfire is winding down when the game lets out, I will have two words …. epic fail!
Then why can't they schedule it for 10 or 10:15?
That would be a smart move. This is just idiotic.
Formerly ryebreadraz
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Nov 23, 2009 3:49 PM PST up reply actions
If you start putting the start time too late
you will lose a lot of the older alumni. 9:30 is already pretty late for some of the older crowd, if you list the start time after 10 (on a Monday night), I think you would lose even more folks, but we’ll have to see how it works out
A lot of people
are leaving Tuesday evening to go on vacation. You would probably lose more people that are leaving early for thankgiving break than you would lose because of the basketball game. Personally, I’m going to go to the basketball game first, and then i’m going to stop by the bonfire afterwards. Since the rally is 9:30-10:30, im guessing the part where the team comes out and the bonfire is started occurs around 10:30ish.
Not the ideal plan, but i’m sure they made the best of a tough situation
What makes you think they made the best of a tough situation?
Is it the Morgan Center’s history of great planning?
Formerly ryebreadraz
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Nov 23, 2009 4:27 PM PST up reply actions
What "tough" situation?
If they actually did a decent job of getting the word out they would have a problem getting a crowd going for a 6-7 pm gathering tomorrow. Sorry not buying any of the excuses?
Or they could have had this freaking rally tonight around 7:00 pm and lead it into the basketball game. This was just asinine on the part of UCLA “planners.”
Judgment Reserved
The rally began about 10 minutes after the basketball game ended. It was just enough time for the departing crowd to make their way to the IM Field.
If it had been thrown before the game, they probably would have missed out on a lot of commuting alumni, and if it had been put on Tuesday, there would be a great deal of students gone for the holiday. There’s no way to please everyone, but they did their best.
As it was, those who excitedly left the basketball game were able to catch all of the festivities – a good display of UCLA’s talent in voice and dance, as well as a great speech by CRN to Phil Collins and entertaining antics by the football team.
The bonfire was huge and got us all pumped up for the game on Saturday. I left wishing that the game would happen right then, because I couldn’t contain my energy.
Perhaps they should have publicized event time as “post Pepperdine game,” but the rally organizers were very aware of the basketball game and wanted anything besides forcing fans to choose between the two events. The students put a great deal of themselves into preparation for the rally and the results were magnificent.
It would be nice to see some faith, rather then premature “concern trolling” as you might call it.
I would hope that most of that older crowd is in Pauley
Formerly ryebreadraz
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Nov 23, 2009 3:54 PM PST up reply actions
So true ...
What they should have said is “Right after the Bruins matchup with Pepperdine” along with an update for when that would be.
Yeah I am too
In year’s past they have always been a bit late getting started, so they could time this perfectly to start right as Pauley is emptying out, but we shall see
Well
We are a football school now lol
There's no one in the world that wants to beat UCLA more than _______.
Inexcusable!
But not the worst thing the AD’s office has done.
DG is great but he has to make sure his people pay attention to all of the details.
sjh
If I remember correctly...
Nothing really happens with the team in the first half hour of the rally anyway. It is usually dance groups and stuff, with the coach and team coming on stage to talk at the very end before the bonfire. The basketball game should get out with plenty of time for what I would be interested in.
Also, this scheduling is really stupid. But to be fair, there were fewer options this year since it is Thanksgiving week and students will only be here through Wednesday. Tuesday night probably would have been better, though.
Yes BUT,
it’s also bad because say we lose our basketball game, everyone is going to be in a bad mood, and everyone will bring bad vibes to the rally, which is supposed to pump everyone up.
We won’t lose though.
by inhowlandwetrust on Nov 23, 2009 4:07 PM PST up reply actions
Shocked!
I assumed incorrectly that the game was at 7:30 when I heard about the rally. At the time I thought “hmm cutting it a little close, but I won’t miss too much”. When I noticed today that the game is at 8pm I couldn’t believe it! They used to hold the rally after games all the time but it would start later. Now people will be feeling like “should I leave this game early or stay and miss a lot of the bonfire?” TERRIBLE. F.
"The entire world that bleeds blue and gold ... they have been dying for this." - Coach Rick Neuheisel
The basketball scheduling is bad this year.
We have a late game the night before an early football game, and then 2 days later another game right before the bonfire. I think the idea was to get the Basketball crowd to join in the bonfire, but there are no guarantees this will work. They are trying to kill me from exhaustion I think.
Well...
…we’ll be at the basketball game and whatever part of the bonfire we can after the game…
UCLA - Champions Made Here
The bonfire has become pretty weak.
I’m all for fire safety and such, but the past few times it’s been a confetti machine made to look like fire. The excuse was the wind was too high and dangerous. I’m sure the fire marshall knew what he was doing, but from most of our perspective the the wind was nonexistant. My freshman year, the fire was EPIC. Although, we did go on to lose that game, so who knows.
As for the scheduling, it makes sense to have these on the same day, but only if people are coming out of pauley at the beginning of the event. This event is geared toward the students, and most if not all of the dorms make it an event to come down.
GO BRUINS!!!
by moutekicksboute on Nov 23, 2009 4:09 PM PST reply actions
Which year was your freshman year?
My freshman year was 2005 and that bonfire kicked ass!
by inhowlandwetrust on Nov 23, 2009 4:10 PM PST up reply actions
Yup, 2005
That fire was HUGE
GO BRUINS!!!
by moutekicksboute on Nov 23, 2009 4:21 PM PST up reply actions
The bon__ has been murdered
a once proud tradition has become a joke. An event to put on someone’s Grad School app, but nothing remotely connected to Bruin tradition and pride. Personally, I blame KD. His steady destruction of this program has left most current students without any historical perspective re: this program. Unfortunately, that combined with event planners who have ZERO interest in sports has left most to accept the little brother status for our program.
Dustball!
You are assuming students show up for the basketball anyway...
I’ve been to a couple of the games so far and it was way too empty.
Bruin-4-Life!!!
The band and cheer can be 3 places at once..
I think there were times when we were split 4 ways. Things get thin at that point, but there are 50 some dance/cheer/yell and 250 marching band members.
I remember in the past this happening too and there was entertainment until the basketball game ended.
the problem is that
for years the people organizing these events have been people who know all about Lady Gaga and Britney, and nothing about athletics. The serious disconnect is found in the complete lack of competitive spirit possessed by these wannabe celebrity party planners. Typically they do a fine job planning cute events and shows, but the purpose of athletic rallies are completely lost on these people. There needs to be greater involvement by alumni in these SAA sponsored events. As alumni, this needs to be all of our responsibility.
Dustball!
I'll be at the Bonfire since I'm performing tonight
but I too was shocked when I found out how they scheduled it. Epic fail.
If this bon fire is how it was two years ago....
The timing of the end of the game and the start of the actual fire might work in favor for everyone. Two years ago, they said the fire will start up at 9:30, but in reality, they lagged it to 10:30. If this is the case, then as the game ends, everyone in from the game can just hop over to the bon fire at the IM field.
Hey all, just came back from the basketball game and the bonfire
It actually all came together really well! I didn’t know the rally was tonight, but as the game finished and everyone began filtering out, all of these people started amassing towards a stage and bonfire on the IM field. The event seemed like it had just started at the time, and I still made it in time to catch a mixture of performances by dance teams, acapella groups, the UCLA dance team, and then finally an appearance by CRN and the team. The fire did not start until 11:00, but it was HUGE. no more confetti with lame lights like when I was a student, but a huge flame you could probably see from miles away.
I do think the timing was perfect, as the Pauley crowd seemed to mostly join in for the bonfire. The crowd was sizable throughout the event, and there was even an appearance by Chancellor Block and his wife. Wish I could write a more detailed report, but I must turn in for the night.
The timing worked out weel
but I saw a lot of people walking to their cars after the game saying that they wished they didn’t miss the bonfire. So the execution went well, but I’m still wondering how saying that it began at 9:30 was a good idea.
Formerly ryebreadraz
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Nov 24, 2009 12:27 AM PST reply actions
well*
let’s pretend I can type
Formerly ryebreadraz
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Nov 24, 2009 12:27 AM PST up reply actions
Timing was great
I’m pretty sure I remember that the bonfire has often been tied to an event taking place in Pauley, with the expectation that the people inside will come outside and join after it’s over. I don’t know who chose the 8 pm start time for the basketball game tonight, but otherwise I think the idea was actually in keeping with tradition. If the game had started earlier, this wouldn’t have been an issue at all.
In any case, tonight’s crowd was as large as any bonfire crowd I’ve seen in a long time, and they were as optimistic as any crowd I remember since the winning streak ended in 1998.
If nothing else, I gained a new appreciation for the way Rick Neuheisel can work a crowd. I’m hoping someone posts the entire football team segment of the bonfire online somewhere, or someone points out a time when it will air on television. Rick worked as a great emcee, throwing it to the players as several of them gave their thoughts on the upcoming game.
As a special note, the only non-senior (I believe) who was brought forward to speak was Brian Price. Upon being asked to give him “encouragement”, the crowd broke into a “one more year” chant. Running with it, Neuheisel asked him if he was going to make the fans happy. (Price at least pretended that he cared about our wishes…)
Concur on CRN
I was off-center from the stage so everything was a little hard to hear even with the big speakers, but when CRN came out to speak, his voice really projected out, which really captured the attention of the crowd. He’s got wit and charisma to boot… I’m pretty happy about who’s heading our football program.
Remember...
It’s was probably the same chick who wrote that guarding the bear “was no big deal”
Elanie should be fired and sent back to Samo High.
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