BN Roundup: DC's Greatness, Spoiled Brats & UCLA Graduation Notes
by Nestor on Jun 5, 2009 5:47 AM PDT
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It's Friday. One more week down till the start of the football season. I actually have a lot of UCLA related news/notes to pass on before starting the weekend. I will start once again with DC who continues to show all other college student athletes how to talk up their respective alma maters. From a recent Q&A DC did with the Sporting News here is what he said in response to a question asking him why he kept returning to Howlandwood:
Every year, I had the opportunity not to go back. But I was addicted to winning more than the fame or the NBA lifestyle. We went to the Final Four three out of the last four years. I loved that. No one can take that from me, no matter what happens in the NBA. I would not trade that memory for anything. So, every time the temptation to go to the NBA came up, I thought that maybe we’d get back to the Final Four, and that was it. That was what I wanted.
And once again DC couldn't stop talking about his ex-teammates in the NBA:
I talk to Kevin (Love) and Russ (Westbrook) all the time, and Luc (Mbah a Moute), too. They give me advice, tell me what it’s like as far as this process. Especially Luc. I talk to Luc a lot. But all of those guys are doing really well at the next level. I think a lot of teams didn’t think they’d be as good as they were. But Russell, he’s been great. Kevin Love is going to be one of the top players at his position, and Luc, he was actually starting in Milwaukee.
I don't know if the contrast with a certain other "UCLA" guard in also partaking in the NBA draft could be more clear I know if I were doing the job interview (and I interview lot of kids) I know who I would go with if I had to make a decision which player is going to be the best fit chemistry wise for the entire team and would remain loyal till the very end.
Anyway, let's move on to the next topic. It's not a secret that Chris Forcier has been looking to transfer this off season. FWIW he made it official yesterday by sending a very unique press release (with a set of "Facts") to Brian Dohn. Here are some of those "Facts" in Dohn's blog:
Fact: New QB Coach Norm Chow and New Head Coach Rick Neuheisel have brought in and played since day (1) their own guys (Quarterbacks)
i.e. Kevin Craft.Fact: In late February New QB Coach Norm Chow told me that the younger guys would get most of the QB reps in Spring Ball.
Fact: This is a pattern nationally. When New Coaches come in, they recruit their own guys, especially at the quarterback position. It's just like the corporate world, New Owners bring in New Management. With that being said, I do not fault them.
Fact: In early March 2009, after seeing the writing on the wall, I reluctantly requested a meeting with Coach Neuheisel. In our meeting, I respectfully requested a "Permission to Contact Letter" NCCA bylaws 13.1.1.3 Personal request attached, not to be confused with a 'Release" as it was inaccurately reported by Brian Dohn of Inside UCLA, the Bruin Report and a few others.
Fact: My heart is at the Quarterback position. I have several solid options around the country to play. My quandary is and always has been that I also love UCLA.
Well it turns out that one of thos "solid options" turn out to be Furman University in South Carolina. That is where Forcier will be starting next season. Forcier did include the following in his press release:
Fact: I'm a life long UCLA Fan. I love UCLA Football. Most Bruin fans have been very supportive/good people.
Again, I wish the kid luck. I will be rooting for him. However, everyone needs to recognize what happened with Forcier is nothing unique. We have all seen this before. Folks can just google names like Ryan Fien. To his credit Forcier although is leaving with a unique press release, is leaving with lot more class than a spoiled brat like Brett Johnson.
Speaking of posterboy of spoiled brats, apparently Matt Leinart was hanging around UCLA:
Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart sought help from an unlikely source in an even more unlikely place this off-season.
The Southern California graduate worked out a few times with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady at UCLA. The location made sense because Brady has a home near the campus, and Norm Chow, the former offensive coordinator at USC, is now an assistant at UCLA.
Leinart said he also knows UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, but just being with Brady was like hanging out with Ferris Bueller.
"I figured if I'm running with him (Brady), he can do whatever," Leinart said, laughing. "It was funny, we were out there one day, just me and him, and their whole team comes out. They were in off-season conditioning.
"I almost wanted to wear my 'SC jacket, but that would have been real disrespectful."
Matty is so smart. Isn't he? Part of me really wants him to end up with the Pats so that he gets to go through the microscope of the Boston sports scene (which has its own impression of Pom Pom's ability as a "head football coach" when he has to operate within a level playing field).
Lastly, we will end with a graduation note. Apparently UCLA's graduation speaker James Franco has pulled out. From NewsBriefs.com:
A minor campus controversy ensued several months ago when Franco—who earned an English degree from UCLA in 2008—was announced as a keynoter. An editorial in the student newspaper, The Daily Bruin, questioned the decision ("...we don’t feel he is as esteemed as a commencement speaker of UCLA’s caliber should be"), while a student created a Facebook page in protest, calling him an "average student." The university is currently seeking an alternate speaker.
The Daily Bruin had a problem with James Franco? Really? The same paper that had no problem licking Karl Dorrell and Steve Lavin boots (just go through BN archives) was expressing reservation about someone like Franco who has proven to be successful as a professional. Nice work there geniuses.
FWIW a group of UCLA students have already launched a grassroots campaign to get Conan O'Brien for UCLA graduation: Here are their five reasons posted in a facebook group with already over 1,000 members:
1. He is ridiculously smart graduating magna cum laude from Harvard.
2.Very funny having been president of National Lampoon and a writer for the Simpsons, back when it was funny.
3. He lives right there in Brentwood.
4. What better way to welcome the latest host of The Tonight Show than to have him speak for the greatest school in Los Angeles.
5. He is a real person and has worked his way up, not taking the usual path expected.
Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. Plus Conan can get plenty of materials from Bruin Nation to make fun of those clowns across town. Forget a speech, he has enough content to do a whole show on it.
GO BRUINS.
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Sorry, but my first reaction was why do we want a former Mets relief pitcher at our graduation.
What is the point of having John Franco speak at UCLA. He has no connection as far as I know. Then I looked more carefully and saw it was James Franco, and my first reaction was “Who the heck is James Franco?” I confess I had to look him up. (To be fair, I suppose he has also never heard of me.) Why would he have been an appropriate choice as a commencement speaker in any event? He became an actor, but shouldn’t someone giving a commencement address be truly distinguished in his field? He’s just an ordinary schlump who became a good actor (I guess he’s good because he keeps getting work), but at least one UCLA grad had never heard of the guy.
How about Eric Karros? He became a good baseball player and he’s a good baseball announcer. Or Maurice Jones-Drew? Or Danica McKellar? Or Nestor? BarnestoJJ? All of these people are at least as distinguished as James Franco (well, maybe not Barnes).
by Fox 71 on Jun 5, 2009 6:16 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Or how about you Fox?
Educate the masses about opera. Or 66, another wise Geezer.
by bruinbabe2000 on Jun 5, 2009 7:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
When I start to educate the masses about opera,
the first thing I do is check for overripe fruit and vegetables in the audience. You never want to talk about opera if someone in the audience has both a good arm and a tomato. But otherwise, I’m in. My speech would be in five parts:
1. A good warm up joke, such as “This horse walks into a barn. The bartender says ‘Hey, buddy, why the long face?’” Something intellectual like that.
2. An explanation of how the business world awaits them, but to get there, they must leave out the passive voice, and inverted sentence structure. And save “Hate on” for the exit interview.
3. A brief discussion of the value of leisure time, and how it is enhanced by watching sporting events with the sound off.
4. A penetrating, soul-searching invitation to each person to expand his horizons by cancelling his or her subsription to the fishwrap, and to call out Doh! at every opportunity.
5. Then a mass deputization of the entire graduating class as ncaa investigators, and then sic them on just$c*.
Each of these subjects, of course, woven neatly into an opera motif.
I like it. I’m in.
by Fox 71 on Jun 5, 2009 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Forget the Speech
You should include those elements into their own opera!
by bru79 on Jun 8, 2009 10:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
James Franco recently graduated from UCLA...
that is the connection
by bruinbasketball on Jun 5, 2009 9:59 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
shoot
troy aikman is actually going to be graduating, this spring, idk if hes going to actually be there, but why not have him make the speech?
Conan would be lots of fun to listen to. The problem that many students had with Franco, was A) he just graduated last year—what life advice are we going to get from that? and B) the whole idea of a distinguished speaker—he isnt one.
by uclabruin34 on Jun 5, 2009 9:31 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Conan
Mainly for the first two reasons. As a Simpsons fanatic, you can easily argue the writing was at it’s best when Conan was there.
by bruinbabe2000 on Jun 5, 2009 9:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I thought Dohn was pretty lame
to publish that and include grammatical errors. Maybe show a little compassion to the kid and realize a press release from an emotional 19 year old that didn’t go through a PR firm might be best edited?
"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"
by silverlakebruin on Jun 5, 2009 10:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Payback?
For calling Doh! out for mistakenly reporting CForce had requested a “Release” letter rather than a “Permission to Contact” letter?
sjh
by Class of 66 on Jun 5, 2009 11:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If I recall correctly
Conan visited UCLA in late ’98/early ’99 (it was some time during my freshman year) to film his show or something, so the connection is already there. ;)
by JWongUCLA on Jun 5, 2009 10:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Conan would be a great speaker for graduation
I’ve been watching the Tonight Show all week and have been impressed by him. He’s a great speaker and can think of things off the top of his head. He has had brilliant career so far, therefore able to give valuable life lessons. If only he started in 2011 when I graduate. I would love to have him speak at my graduation.
by TrueBlueAndGold on Jun 5, 2009 11:09 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Conan would be perfect
He did a short bit with Kareem the other night. Maybe Kareem could get Conan to return the favor.
by littlebrother on Jun 5, 2009 11:21 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
He has some experience
He gave the commencement speech to the Harvard class of 2000…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
by tasser10 on Jun 5, 2009 11:23 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Word is that they already offered the gig to Conan originally
and he turned it down. But feel free to file that one in the gossip and rumors file
by Sideout11 on Jun 5, 2009 11:55 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
You know,
For some reason, UCLA has a serious problem retaining commencment speakers. I’m graduating and walking this Spring, and I remember last year, many of my friends were pissed that Bill Clinton bailed. I don’t know what is going on in Murphy Hall but they need to get their act together and find a great speaker to at least offer all of us poor, jobless, and almost completely hopeless grads that are leaving this esteemed and iconic shelter known as UCLA.
I hope they get Conan, He really is intelligent, and a great speaker. Plus, I need to find the humor in wanting to graduate at this point in time…
by UCLABRU1 on Jun 5, 2009 12:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Pres Clinton bailed because he didn't want to
cross a picket line. UCLA at the time was in negotiations for a new contract with one of the unions, and it wasn’t pretty. He was showing solidarity.
Of course, he could have cancelled more than two days in advance last year. OMG it was a FIASCO last year when he cancelled! I was working at UCLA and everyone was in a tizzy going “WHAT DO WE DO?!?!”
by freesia39 on Jun 5, 2009 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
HAHAHAHA
I just visited the Conan group and three of the members from my Fraternity (Alpha Gamma Omega) are admins, and another is one of the co-conspirators. I just got a huge laugh out of that and had to share.
by sponkey21 on Jun 5, 2009 12:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
That orange hair will keep the audience awake
I was at Harvard when Conan gave his Class Day speech in 2000, and his performance left students rolling in the aisles. Let’s bring him to Westwood! He would be a fun speaker and would lighten up the often staid proceedings of Commencement.
On second thought, Jrue Holiday aspires to be the number one NBA draft pick, so let’s give him the stage to articulate his case. His numbers during the season might have left South Campus geeks puzzling over how his PPG would translate into $$$, but he can paint a future bright enough to bring North Campus artists and poets to rapture. Of course, since he only spent 1/4 of a traditional college career here, he’ll only wear 1/4 of a mortar board on the stage.
Back to Conan, though…U$C* got Conan the Barbarian to speak earlier this year, and we could get Conan the Orangutan! Or to quote Pet Shop Boys, “You’ve got the brawn, we’ve got the brains.”
by bryanucla on Jun 5, 2009 1:50 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
C-FORCE
I wish C-Force all the best. He was a good kid who stuck it out as long as he could and still loves UCLA despite all of the adversity he faced. I watched him practice and I thought he might have a chance. With his quick feet, he reminded me of Mark Brunnell who played at UW. I love kids with class like C-Force and Aundre Dean who appreciate what UCLA gave them despite their dreams not coming true.
by bruin75 on Jun 5, 2009 4:36 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Troy Aikman for speaker
Troy would be an incredibly inspirational speaker for UCLA graduation. His personal goal and drive to finally graduate from UCLA even though he is a mega-success speaks volumes.
by bruin75 on Jun 5, 2009 4:40 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Fact: This is a pattern nationally. When New Coaches come in, they recruit their own guys, especially at the quarterback position. It’s just like the corporate world, New Owners bring in New Management. With that being said, I do not fault them.
Fact: You lost a competition to Kevin Craft and apparently you are a douche as well.
Fact: We should have known as much after seeing your website: http://www.qbforce.com/chris/home.htm
Tinman
by Tinman17 on Jun 5, 2009 8:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Grad speaker announced!
Brad Delson, guitarist of the band Linkin Park:
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/linkin-park-s-brad-delson-to-keynote-93860.aspx
Which isn’t that bad – he is a UCLA Alumnus ’99, Communications, Summa Cum Laude, and he established a scholarship fund for UCLA students from Huntington Park, CA.
by freesia39 on Jun 5, 2009 8:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Quick Update
Conan respectfully declined the invitation, citing his busy schedule (understandibly). But he did say he was honored to be considered and wished the Class of 2009 all the best. They are still trying to get him to attend the Undie Run.
by bruinbabe2000 on Jun 6, 2009 7:53 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I graduated with Franco last year
I don’t even have a problem with the fact that he graduated so recently (we had some classes together, nice guy). My problem is: what has he done really? Get a speaker who’s accomplished a bit more. He’s not really Kareem or Bill Clinton status to me (though Bill canceled for political reasons).
by deepdish on Jun 8, 2009 3:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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