Some Lessons Learned From Chow (Trojan Spin Generated) Fiasco
by Class of 66 on Jan 15, 2010 5:35 AM PST
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PrintBumped. GO BRUINS. -N
Chow at home. Photo Credit: karthulovesyou (flickr)
1. You don't have to participate in a media-mudfest
BGC (Brother Geezer Chow) did this right. While people here, and elsewhere, were calling for him to speak up, he remained silent and did what he was doing -- visited a sick friend and called CRN. Why didn't he jump in? Because, as he said later, and I'm paraphrasing "That's not how I live." GBC is a man of integrity. And people of integrity do not let irresponsible reporters define the conversation. He very wisely did not legitimize a media circus by jumping in the center ring. Just because someone holds a microphone in your face does not mean you have to become a part of the story. You may decline. You do not have to play on their terms. GBC's refusal to participate in the rumorfest ultimately led to a clear understanding of how irresponsible the reporting was. Had he said anything, it would have been distorted and misused. He was smart enough to see that, from the get go. He knew that, in the end, both sc and the hacks (can't call them reporters) would be embarrassed. And, they were. Big time.
2. Spin, not truth, rules the day
When GBC made clear that there were no negotiations, that he had never spoken with lame, that he was not a part of the story -- the mongers (I just can't call them reporters) started to spin to save their own butts. Take a look around. You will see stories that the negotiations broke down because lame said he wanted to call his own plays. THERE WERE NO NEGOTIATIONS. No direct conversations between Chow and lame.
It takes integrity to admit that one was wrong -- very wrong. None of these hacks had the integrity to stand up and admit they were wrong. And, neither did their bosses or owners.
3. Shilly, Wolf and the bunch should be covering Rutgers.
4. CRN handled this with dignity.
I find it laughable that anyone in Los Angeles, especially those at the slimes or on the sc boards, have the audacity to continue to call him "Slick". Of all of the people from whom we were hearing -- one stood out as the beacon of reason and integrity. it was CRN. He was understanding -- he would not stand in someone's way -- and honest. Nothing he said can be challenged. He also showed poise and humor. His articulate responses made clear that we have a man of substance at the helm.
5. As I have said often, I am glad to have Norm Chow as the OC at UCLA; he will bring us success on the field.
But, I think that his greatest contributions to the program may well be that he sets an example of what it means to have integrity, judgment, loyalty, and honor. If our kids learn that from him, they will be all the much better no matter how many yards they gain or touchdowns they score.
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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"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
Coach Neuheisel and Coach Chow represent UCLA well
The class and integrity they showed was second to none. I know CBH and all our other coaches throughout the university would act the same. UCLA is a first class place and all the people associated with the university, including those at BN, make it easy to be a very proud alum.
Also it was just pointed out to me that CRN is the only head coach in the Pac 10 to have won a Rose Bowl. Add experience to his list of attributes.
Integrity Rules!
I agree with your comments on the show of integrity by our coaches. This quote from Coach Chow says it all. “It’s not about the money,” Chow said. “It’s really not about the money. It’s about the excitement we have here at UCLA. At my point in my career I think I’d like to give Rick a little bit of a hand in helping UCLA football.”
For CNC and for people of integrity, we do what we love with an understanding of what really is important. And, after you have enough of it to take care of your needs, it is not about the money.
No matter what happens with UCLA football in the future, I am really proud to have CNC and CRN on our side and I am really proud to be a Bruin today.
he could have said "No, I am under contract at UCLA and that is the end of it"
While I enjoy the positive spin on CNC’s decision not to speak up, it seems there are definitely some things he could have said that would not have required more than a 30 second phone call to his agent. If he was able to place a call to CRN, he could have placed a call to his agent. Clearly whatever he said to CRN in the initial call led to CRN’s comment that CNC was “planning on staying at UCLA”, which was only a weak denial; and we saw CRN having to hedge his bets in his guarded comments later.
CNC wanted to hear what $C were offering, or at least not dismiss it out of hand, as per Nestor’s intelligent analysis. In so doing, he allowed seeds of doubt to be sown in the minds of potential recruits at an important time. That’s his choice and his perogative, and I am fine with his decision; but I don’t believe that he was somehow rising above the irresponsible reporters and refusing to play their game.
I think Chow had a good reason not to speak up though
I don’t think he was seriously interested. However, his reps – Don and Carter – were approached and they listened. From the reports, it certainly appears that conversations were not as extensive as the Trojans made them out to be. However, those guys had to listen. They would have been totally negligent to their client by not listening to the potential of any job offer that entailed a “blockbuster” raise. They were doing their jobs and being deliberate.
Shelley is the key culprit here. She f**ked up HARD and she refused to correct her "reporting’ when UCLA gave a clear opening via us (BN) announcing that her reporting was inaccurate. UCLA made that announcement after crossing its Is and Ts (within a matter of 20-30 mins).
Chow didn’t have to “rise above it” because he thought the media figures like Smith would do the responsible thing and back off hard. They didn’t. Some guys are old school like that. I am ok with that. We just have to do our part as much as practicable to get the facts out (specifically the ones that counter any information attacking Bruins).
I agree Chow had a good reason not to speak up
Just responding to the praise of Chow in 66’s first point, and comments like
“Had he said anything, it would have been distorted and misused”
I think he did the best he could for us while also considering what was best for him. I am fine with that. But to see this as some victory for CNC and men of integrity against the press seems overblown.
by britishbruin on Jan 15, 2010 7:31 AM PST up reply actions
We will have to disagree
Because from what I have heard (offline) and read in recent days, I believe 66’s assessment is pretty much on the mark.
ok. you definitely have more inside info than me.
by britishbruin on Jan 15, 2010 7:37 AM PST up reply actions
GB66 makes a very good point
Geezer Brother 66 noted that Coach Chow did not talk to the media. I learned 30 plus years ago that it was invariably a mistake to talk to anyone who was representing himself. If they called and asked you a question and you said “No,” they would tell the judge that you said “yes.” Every “pro per” case I handled started with a letter accompanying the answer to the complaint that neither I nor my secretary would take any phone calls, and that all communications had to be in writing so that there would be no mistakes in communication.
I forgot that letter when I spoke to members of the press on a couple of occasions. I was never ever quoted accurately (although I have to say that a month or so ago I spoke to a reporter about a local issue and was quoted accurately, but that’s the rare exception to the rule.)
If I were any of our coaches or players I would institute a strict rule: There will be no conversations with only one member of the press, unless that discussion or conversation is recorded. I have seen meetings end before they start because I took out a tape recorder and said I wanted to record what was said. I think it would generate a step in a positive direction. Of course, some people will write what they want and misquote you anyway, but at least you’ll be able to have some pretty good evidence to rebut things.
Sadly, I think this episode illustrates a sorry point, and does so vividly: The MSM simply cannot be trusted in any way, shape or form. I think they should all be looked at as the enemy, until they can demonstrate that they are honest. That last point, honesty, eliminates basically everyone left alive in Los Angeles.
We dont know what his contract says
It is extraordinarily common to have out clauses in contracts in the sports world for coaches. CNC may have been well within his contractual rights to move to SC. We dont know.
Now maybe UCLA should make it clear you cant leave to go to the Evil Empire but I would guess that is not in his contract.
So he may not quite be the saint we are picturing him here as, he may have been in a sound legal position exploring options (never mind normal operating behaviour).
by Bruin Dad and Grad on Jan 15, 2010 8:19 AM PST up reply actions
The laws on contracts in the US is unlike those in other countries...
I’m pretty sure what I’m about to say applied to any contract. I’m not sure of the details so maybe Fox can elaborate for me. In the US, it is legal to break a contract if the the “breaker” pays the value of the contract to the “breakee,” thereby making the transaction “fair.” Sometimes, there’s no out clause so the value of the contract is decided in court.
The norm for most countries is that contracts are absolute. If there is no specific out clause, the contractors are bound by the contract. Violators are subject to penalties of the laws in those countries.
by solidgoldsound on Jan 15, 2010 10:14 PM PST up reply actions
Not sure on this
I’ve never read one of these big time sports contracts, and all I “know” is what I deduce from reading in the paper and on these blogs. We probably have someone who is much more familiar with these things than I am. It’s obvious, though, that the fact that someone is under contract does not keep that person from breaking the contract and going to work somewhere else. These “buyout” provisions seem to be more akin to liquidated damages clauses. (That’s a provision that says in effect that you breach the contract, it will cause damage to me and we both acknowledge that, but the damage will be hard to calculate so we agree in advance that the damage will be $X or $X per day (e.g., on a delay in constructing a house).)
Anyway, no more speculating. I don’t know the answer, but I’m confident we have someone who does.
Think your right.
Anyone can “break” a contract, but if a value isn’t stated in the contract in the form of damages/buyout it can become a legal mess. Had to have a buy/sell agreement done with my partner, thats the way it was explained to us.(California)
Fox71’s breakdown makes sense. If a buyout value isn’t present, imagine the legal fees that can be generated if someone leaves before the contract is up. Applying to both sides of course
Leverage for a UCLA contract extension
also plays a role here, and immediately quelling any speculation of outside offers would undermine that (from Chow’s perspective). I have no doubt that Chow wants to be at UCLA, but his salary and security are also on his mind as well (and rightfully so).
I am comfortable and pleased with the length of time (48 hours) it took to sort this whole thing out, even during this sensitive recruiting period. Chow could have dug his heals in and waited for UCLA to give him his extension in writing, knowing that a big recruiting weekend was on the horizon, and waiting to see if SC was willing to engage in a “bidding war”, possibly dragging this out longer (and thereby definitively and irrevocably hurting our recruiting).
From what I understand, Morgan center has given him assurances that a deal will be offerred and Chow was satisfied with their word. That tells me a lot about what Chow thinks of UCLA.
Bottomline, Chow held all the cards here, and he played them as well as we could have realistically hoped for.
"I don't forget very much" Rick Neuheisel, 11/28/09
I thought Jon Gold stood apart in this whole deal
He was quick to admit that he jumped the gun, and he brought a lot of actual information to the story. I’d hate for him to get lumped in with the rest of the cast of characters mentioned here.
Double Yup
Key point—Gold admitted and corrected the error immediately. If his heart always pursue truth, he has a real future as a journalist.
by peggysue69 on Jan 15, 2010 9:33 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Berlin, 1939 (Reuters)
In a surprise move, Josef Goebbels announced that the Wehrmacht had jumped the gun a litte in invading Poland. “We should have checked our story better,” said Herr Goebbels from his new office in occupied Warsaw. “Nothing that can’t be corrected with a little more information.”
well
he is supposedly the UCLA beat writer… you would expect him to be less reliant on $C sources, who were the ones putting things out there. But I commend him for going back on himself (even if it made him look a little schizo, it was the right thing to do)
by britishbruin on Jan 15, 2010 9:51 AM PST up reply actions
in reference to point # 4
Kiffin has eclipsed in one year all the supposed infractions that Neuheisel committed at Colorado and Washington in a total of EIGHT years as head coach. Kiffin is already disliked and even reviled in parts of the country because of his stupidity and arrogance. If they have the nerve to call Coach Neuheisel ‘slick’ what are we then to call Kitten? Calling him ‘slick’ might be a compliment as a opposed to a pejorative, as ‘slick’ implies he’s getting away with something and using some degree of intelligence (either craftily or clandestinely). Kitten is already being flogged for his indiscretions and hopefully castigated for them (in other ways) which means he wasn’t all that smart to begin with. His mouth alone is one of his biggest problems.
W.S. Montano Class of 1994
i will say
that the ‘Slick’ moniker is not entirely inaccurate for Rick Neuheisel. The way he handled this whole situation was quite slick. It just means something a little differently that it used to, for Rick.
by Captain Leebeard on Jan 15, 2010 9:55 AM PST up reply actions
Exactly
I’d rather have “slick” and smooth over a bubmling rah-tard any day!
"The entire world that bleeds blue and gold ... they have been dying for this." - Coach Rick Neuheisel
good point
In my own lexicon, I never quite considered ‘slick’ to be that much of a negative. Hey, they did call Bill Clinton ‘Slick Willy’ and even though that could have been perceived both ways, history remembers him (to some degree) for being smart enough to always avoid the harsher penalties. CRN’s record is always mentioned as less-than-honorable in its totality, which is amazing how very minor (already) his ‘infractions’ appear in comparison to this new-punk-of-a-so-called-coach at Condom Central.
W.S. Montano Class of 1994
by wsmontano1994 on Jan 15, 2010 11:53 AM PST up reply actions
a bubmling rah-tard
Note to Editor: Please add “rah-tard” to the growing lexicon of BN-initiated terms.
Prototype definition: one whose accomplishments were made through snake-oil persuasion and duplicity, without genuine competence or integrity.
Nice, 11.
Don't underestimate the gamesmanship
potentially displayed by CRN and CNC.
Making us sweat and wait for an official denial was painful.
But in the end, it made U$C look like complete buffoons, because the more Lame Kitten talks, the better we look. Nobody likes him and I can pretty much guarantee you that he won’t coddle the reporters like Cheatey did, he’s not as “cool” as Cheatey (for the simple-minded)…which means the articles will be taking a different tone quite soon.
CRN is the new sheriff in town, and it won’t be long before he is the toast of LA.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
How about the culdesac?
Because lame is a dead end.
I'll go with culdesack
because Lame is a dead end and a lying sack of you know what.
It's GREAT to be a BRUIN!
Class, integrity, honor, intelligence, dignity – all things learned at UCLA! IT IS GREAT TO BE A BRUIN AS ALWAYS! Proud of our school and the people that work there.
by Forever a Bruin on Jan 16, 2010 1:18 PM PST reply actions
From a Penn State fan...and someone who was supposedly ban hammered over @ Conquest
all I have to say is that I questioned the integrity of Lane Kiffin’s hire, and I got bamboozled no matter what facts I tried to state.
I hope you guys destroy them for years to come.
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