Spaulding Roundup: Quarterback Decision, Pass Protection Issues, Team Health & Other UCLA Notes
by Nestor on Oct 12, 2010 5:49 AM PDT
in Football
Email
Print
Let's start our Tuesday by checking in with various news- related items from the football program. Coach Rick Neuheisel gave the team a day off yesterday to collect themselves a bit following Saturday's disaster in Berkeley. Of course everyone wants to know what Neuheisel (and Norm Chow) will handle the QB situation. It appears Neuheisel is not in any hurry to name his starting QB. From ESPNLA:
"I haven't made a decision as to who the starting quarterback is," Neuheisel said. "I want to look at the film with the coaches. ... I want to go through it verse by verse. I want to watch practice and I want a bunch of competition at practice and then I want to see what I want to do."
As discussed yesterday the heart of our complex problems lies within our starting OL, which is essentially made up of a rag tag group of seniors (sans Mike Harris) who were pressed into starting roles during the pre-season due to devastating injuries and attrition issues. Despite a valiant performance from them through most of the year (especially in the area of generating a run game), the reality finally caught up with them. Neuheisel recognized the pass protection issues ...
"The pass protection was subpar yesterday," Neuheisel said. "Kevin (Prince) didn't have enough time to get his feet set. And while I know everybody points to the quarterback when the passing game goes awry, you can't put it all on him.
"There wasn't enough time, and we've got to do a great job of shoring that up."
... having impact on all facets of our offense:
"We're not good enough, not good enough," Neuheisel said of the receiving corps. "Some of it's separation, but in (some cases), we're not giving them enough chances to get down the field and that gets back to (pass) protection."
So with all that in the background it makes sense for UCLA coaches not making a rash decision in terms of naming their starting QB. More after the jump.
Right now, I'd prefer UCLA coaches stick with Kevin Prince for at least one more game for number of reasons. First, I think Prince deserves at least one more full shot given he was the QB who engineered big wins against Houston and Texas (albeit both of those teams look kind of over-rated at this point of the season). Second, even if the coaches want to switch to Richard Brehaut, I don't think it's smart to put him in that position in an atmosphere like Eugene in front of a national TV audience. That is too much pressure on that kid and it is not worth it to risk shattering his confidence impacting his performance later in the season.
Third, I was among those who were livid when first getting a glimpse of Prince and Brehaut "laughing" at the sidelines. I have seen the video bunch of times now and the more I view it, the more I align myself with the thought that those guys were keeping each other lose during the heat of the moment. So I wouldn't hold that against either Prince or Brehaut. So, more I think of it, I think the coaches should stay with Prince for at least one more game and give him next 10 days to take full control of this offense.
What we do know is that Prince's performance to date is clearly not acceptable. We cannot afford to have a passing attack like this:
UCLA ranks last among the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams with a passing efficiency of 80.51. The Bruins are averaging a national-worst 4.31 yards per passing attempt and are 117th in the nation with an averaged completed pass of 9.39 yards.
If Prince can't get it done and fails to put together a credible performance against the Ducks, then the coaches should move towards making a QB switch, getting Brehaut ready for starts in the following two home games.
In terms of injury issues UCLA's list is growing. It appears that freshman Anthony Jefferson is out for the season with "a lisfranc fracture, a fracture and dislocation in the foot." Per Jon Gold CRN thinks he will be able to redshirt because he "appeared in only portions of three games" during first half of season. The availability of Sheldon Price is also unclear as he was getting an MRI done for his sprained knee. So the CB position is a little thin.
I imagine the coaches will probably think about moving Damien Thigpen to CB. I think there might be other options. For example, it might not be a bad idea to move Tony Dye to CB and try either Dalton Hilliard (if he is healed up) and Dietrich Riley at safety positions. I imagine Andrew Abbott is also going to get major action if Price stays out.
Speaking of staying out, Chris Foster from the Trojan Times is breathlessly reporting that UCLA is expected to suspend three starters due to violation of team rules. Foster got so excited and giddy that he then took the time to list all the other suspensions in past three years under Rick Neuheisel. Of course we saw none of that from hacks like him when the program across town was piling up its rap sheet with no disciplinary actions to speak of from its head coach.
Anyway, I am sure we are going to know the names of these guys shortly. It is certainly disturbing especially when you put them in context with this display before the game and the reports of them laughing around after that tough loss. This is something that is ultimately on Rick Neuheisel. To his credit, when disciplinary issues have come up Neuheisel dealt with them in a decisive way (something the LA Times' UCLA hating hack aka Chris Foster forgot to include in his typically sh!tty and vendetta filled beat "report").
CRN needs to make sure that he is in control and let these guys know that this kind of attitude will not be tolerated at UCLA. That is not the kind of identity we want to see develop around our program.
GO BRUINS.
75 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Hopefully there is a real qb competition this time
that lasts more than 24 hours and includes actual practice.
Not to be too snarky but CRN really lost credibility with me with that one. I want to see what he does rather than hear what he says. I hope he gets it right and does what he’s laid out here.
by silverlakebruin on Oct 12, 2010 6:34 AM PDT reply actions
personally
it seems that we need to work out the best offensive unit, not the best QB. If we can’t pass protect adequately, then the justification for playing Brehaut pretty much goes out the window. With a bye week maybe they can work out whether the OL can give Prince/Brehaut enough time to throw and then judge the QBs on who gives them the best chance to win.
by britishbruin on Oct 12, 2010 6:49 AM PDT up reply actions
what's good for the goose is good for the gander
There you have it…a passing game starts with the blocking and finishes with the catch. The QB is integral, but certainly not the only crucial piece.
Put other top team’s QB in Prince’s place and I would imagine his production goes down. Why? Hurried throws and drops.
If there is to be talk of “why not replace Prince”, then the same should hold for the other personnel in the passing attack.
My guess is that our personnel is simply not that good, especially the line.
BTW
I won’t link because it says nothing, but Chris"I’ll wait til Wooden is dead before I criticize him" Foster states that 3 players may be suspended for Oregon, but he doesn’t say who or what for, but does manage to use it to imply we are an out of control program from a discipline standpoint.
by silverlakebruin on Oct 12, 2010 6:36 AM PDT reply actions
Also note
It was Chris Duffresne who ran the hit piece on Coach. So yeah it’s a team wide strategy – Foster/Simers/Duffresne – to launch attacks on UCLA.
Why is the LA Times so negative about UCLA?
Not being rhetorical, not looking for rhetoric. Curious if anybody has any facts/data/knowledge that would explain it? It is unmistakable and consistent. It’s hard not perceive some sort of editorial bias against the Bruins. Is it directed at Neuheisel, the administration, something/someone else? Simers piece Sunday was directed at the fans, for heaven’s sake. Just curious. And as previously stated, subscription cancelled.
Honestly not sure
Their antagonistic stances against UCLA has been well documented here in last 5-6 years. It is really stunning. It is coming to a point I think UCLA needs to serious examine its policy of issuing credentials to guys like Foster and Simers. Clearly these guys are not out there to “report.” Their knowledge of the game is suspect at best. They seem to have no interest in writing about the nuances of the game. They have done one hit pieces after another. I don’t see why these guys should continue to get access to our programs.
Slimes
Per my mom who is a journalist and has worked at many local papers (never the Slimes but she has friends who have worked there), it’s because the sports desk is filled with USC (and to a lesser extent, CSU Fullerton) alums. UCLA doesn’t have a journalism department. She hates USC just based on her experience with USC grads at newspapers (my mom went to Northwestern) and according to her, most people in the newspaper industry also think that the Slimes has turned to utter crap.
by Raisin on Oct 12, 2010 10:46 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
It's not just in Sports
The Times frequently runs articles that attempt to embarrass UCLA. Now, I’m all for reporting stories when they are merited, but it’s struck me as a bit funny that there are often articles on UCLA departments/operations that portray them in a negative light, but never anything comparable for USC. As Raisin says, a lot of people from USC’s journalism school end up at the Times, and the Times and USC are part of old Downtown Los Angeles power/infuence.
by Westwood Wizard on Oct 12, 2010 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions
got that right
the Times has been a USC employment agency for decades…. the good news is that the internet has broken their circulation advantage
LONGER THAN 5-6 YEARS
In the midst of our 8 game win streak vs. $C, i remember an $C loss getting more coverage than a Bruin win. Absolutely disgusting. I thought I was just paranoid at the time.
My read
The sports section (apart from Bill Dwyer) does not have the horses the rest of the paper has. Note, there has never been a sports story akin to the City of Bell disclosures. They totally whiffed the southern cal corruption story. Earlier this year, some of the reporting in USA Today (if you travel a lot, you will read USA Today, believe me) on our basketball troubles was more insightful than the Times, IMHO.
Many adherents to this site believe this is an issue of bias. I cannot deny that. But I think by and large, their sports reporters cannot cut it.
One example. Last Sunday, one of their reporters wanted to know why UCLA fans did not thank him for predicting that CRN is a flop. (The reporter will eat his words one day believe me—with a fork and spoon.) Now, that a journalist got himself into a hissy fit with UCLA fans illustrates why he ought to be fired. Talk about childlike unprofessionalism.
That’s my view.
Thank goodness for the bye week...
As many have already mentioned, the play of our offensive line was pretty bad on Saturday and as our offensive line goes, so goes our offense. That’s gotta be the case with any offense in this sport. Watching Sheller get beat all day to by the OLB to blindside Prince, or watching Cal’s linebackers break through and get to Franklin in the backfield was a bit disheartening. That’s got to affect the confidence of a QB or an RB to let the play naturally develop and it hamstrings the offensive coordinator’s playbook. I’m not making any excuses for Prince’s throwing accuracy, for Franklin’s fumbling issues, or our receivers having stone hands and a seeming lack of effort/interest. It just seems that w/o a strong offensive line, it’s hard to judge which parts of your offensive attack (if any) are actually working.
Some teams use their bye weeks to address areas of concern, to tighten down problem areas, to improve their skills and come out looking fresh. Other teams get bored with no game on Saturday, practices suffer, motivation lags, and it carries into the next game. This bye week offers a good opportunity to circle the wagons and improve, I hope the Bruins take it. They are 3-3 right now, the same record they were last year after 6 games. Lots of opportunities for success right now if they want to work for it.
Oregon blur
read this ESPN article on the Oregon blur offense and ask yourself if an extra three days will help….
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/101012_tuesday_morning_quarterback&sportCat=nfl
Have we thrown any screen passes this year?
And how many reverses and double reverses? With a battered OL, sometimes you need to take advantage of misdirection. I don’t think we are doing that.
misdirection is a huge part of the offense we have run this year
by britishbruin on Oct 12, 2010 6:45 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah...
the receiver goes one direction and the pass goes another.
Roses are red, violets are blue...f*** $C.
haha
our misdirection is being misdirected :-)
by britishbruin on Oct 12, 2010 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions
but seriously
see the excellent breakdown of our motion and misdirection here
by britishbruin on Oct 12, 2010 9:41 AM PDT up reply actions
misdirection, yes
screen passes/bubble screens, no. I would love to see Josh Smith/Randall Carroll get their hands on the ball more, and little WR screens seem to be the easiest way to get it to them.
by bucknellbruin on Oct 12, 2010 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions
The Prince
I agree with Nestor this time. Prince has to be the starter against Oregon – unless he stubs his toe walking to class. But it is put up or shut up time. Personally, I think he will fall flat again. I just don’t think he has the right stuff. He does not seem to be much of a leader. Laughing on the sideline when your team is getting blown out is no way to inspire ‘his’ team. At least three jobs are on the line at Oregon: CRN, NC, and Prince. I think Mr. Guererro should be looking for CRNs replacement right now.
Seriously?
First of all, I think the laughing on the sideline issue is far overblown, like Chris Foster overblown. The fishwrap does enough hitjobs on our players, we really don’t need to be doing it to ourselves. Without being there with him, nobody knows whether he was really jerking around or just joking to keep himself loose and get his mind off the fact that he’s down four scores. Have you never joked around when you’re nervous?
Second, it has already been outlined that our OL vastly underperformed on Saturday. You can’t pin that on Prince or NC. With an OL that gives minimal protection and receivers that don’t go up for the ball, what did you expect to happen when a team actually wised up and forced us to beat them with the pass?
Third, it’s ridiculous that you’re already calling for Neuheisel’s head. Yes, Saturday was unacceptable, but you gotta give the guy time to fix the problem. Further, using #2-ranked Oregon as a “win this or you’re fired” game is incredibly short-sighted and borderline trolling. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to beat Oregon, but am I expecting to do so without vast changes in the OL/WRs? Hell no. Cal just gave them a blueprint of how to stomp us. We need to use the bye week to account for the glaring weaknesses exposed Saturday, and quite frankly, I don’t think CRN needs his job threatened to do just that. Nor does Prince need his starting spot threatened to get the WRs to catch the damn ball. If you want to threaten someone’s job, go talk to Reggie Moore, since the WRs are easily the most underperforming unit.
by b d on Oct 12, 2010 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
On and off the field ...
There is news that 3 or more players will not play in the Oregon game. This along with the continuing problems at QB, offense and defense this second Pac10 schedule will clearly make a very, very long football season.
I’m very concerned about next season as well.
Let's face it,
we’re looking at seven wins IF everything goes splendidly and we get every conceivable break. More likely it will be just four or five wins, maybe even just the three we have now. It is painfully clear that this team just isn’t very good, the Texas Surprise notwithstanding. Do you really want the coaches to put the emphasis on trying to get six Ws instead of five or five instead of four? I’d rather they take the long view and use the rest of this season to get ready for next season. Give the young players plenty of playing time. Try different player combinations to see what works. Open up the playbook. Be more creative. Take more risks. It’s just football, fergodsakes. The whole program is too uptight.
no, I want 6 wins
bowl game, etc. Long view involves also building momentum, maintaining a perception that the program is moving forward not backward. We can spin 4-5 in conference, 6-6 overall against tougher slate of games than last year, as progress. 5-7 or worse and we look like we are going backwards.
by britishbruin on Oct 12, 2010 7:38 AM PDT up reply actions
The world doesn't care
if we end up with five wins or six or if we go to some fourth-tier bowl game against Mississippi State. Spin it all you want; six wins won’t fool anybody; mediocre is mediocre. I’m not saying the Bruins should concede even a single game, just that this is already a lost season (unless you believe in miracles) so every decision from now on should be macro (building the program), not micro (winning this or that game). Obviously winning games helps build the program, but this is not a team that’s going to win many more games anyway. I say take the long view, loosen up, experiment. The USC game is an exception, of course, but that’s another matter.
Six wins during regular season
Would be successful at this point. That’s not “spin.” It’s based on what transpired with this program through this off-season. You can look through posts after posts when we discussed UCLA’s pre-season on this very specific topic. Don’t just swoop in here and offer declarative statements on what is “spin” or what’s not without actually reading previous facts and story lines in place.
probably my fault for using the word 'spin'
my point being more that CRN can go into living rooms coming off a 7-6 season and explain how we are making progress (though it may not be immediately obvious to a kid how 7-6 followed by 7-6 is progress – it (should be) obvious to us but we’re not the ones CRN needs to convince).
8-5 and the results speak for themselves; 7-6 and CRN is still in a position to sell it to recruits; 5-7 and it’s a lot tougher, particularly given the nature of a couple of losses to date.
6-6 also means beating at least one of Oregon, Arizona, Oregon State and $c; and beating $c in particular would be a boost to local recruiting.
by britishbruin on Oct 12, 2010 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree we "need" 6 wins for recruiting.
There we can show we were holding our own in a tough conference while staring recruits in the face. If we go on a losing streak from here on out, its going to get very ugly fast.
Of course the world doesn't care
but you and every Bruin fan should. Why? Because getting 6 wins against this type of schedule is still progress because it won’t be viewed as taking a step back. Getting 6 wins gets us to a bowl game (no matter how low profile it may be) which also means EXTRA PRACTICES for the younger guys. Making decisions to win games isn’t exclusively a micro decision but also applies to the macro you are referring to.
this schedule doesn't
look so tuff now. The Texas teams are vastly overrated and the Kansas St game was winnable as was the Cal game! Looking at talent on both sides makes me think the only games we should have worried about were Stanford SC & Oregon.
every other game as far as talent goes we are right there! I’m so tired of excuses from the coaching staff! every team deals with injuries and youth – make it happen!
if protection is the issue FIX IT! or make the right play call adjustments to over come it!
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's" - John Wooden.
TheUclan
We got your point. If you have anything else to add besides just attacking coaches left and right by adding points which hasn’t been offer or analyzed then go for it.
Otherwise, if you are going to just rant like you rant on a mobile phone, then you need to stop. Thanks.
not sure what you mean? mobile phone?
in your post you mentioned injuries and pass protection. Is there a time limit to vent my frustration with the coaching staff? seems after Saturday everyone on here was pretty upset at the coaching staff.
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's" - John Wooden.
You are writing as if you are texiting
You are not offering anything new. It is fine to vent at times or meltdown. However, this is Tuesday. We have been discussing these issues to death. Yet all you are doing right now is just ranting.
texting? lol
i knew my writing skills were poor but man they must really be bad! lol
fair enough I’ll do my best to offer up something more but unfortunately my writing skills are what they are. I guess its a good thing i own the company.
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's" - John Wooden.
LOL
That’s always nice. Seriously, give it a shot.
One thing to keep in mind. If you have bunch of thoughts popping into your head … step back sometime … and then write them down in a word doc. Look around to see if anyone else is on them already. If they are respond there. If not offer them up and if you have extended takes … then throw them up in fanpost.
Just trying to make this a better place where Bruins who are thinking through the issues can talk about them as reasoned manner as possible.
Six wins would be almost be overachieving at this point
we have to be realistic about the actual status of the team, not engage in wishful thinking. for me it all goes back to the starting O-Line. I think I posted about this before the season began. When we starting losing O-Linemen to missions, academic issues, etc., we were in an immediate hole. Everything on offense goes through the line, and ours was hit hard. Not making excuses for the team, just pointing out a fact. If the Bruins get to six wins and a bowl game with this patchwork line, those paying close attention will understand what an overachievement that will have been for this line.
I am in touch with Chris Foster...we email once in awhile...
and i asked him about his story early this morning and got these two email responses back…
“And I have two of the names, but it would be unfair to run those until they are officially suspended”
and this: “The story, if it all comes out, is even harsher, but I doubt the full tale will get revealed.”
ROFL
Let me see. A LA Times reporter is concern trolling about “full tale” after it was his newspaper that looked the other way for all those years under Carroll. Not to mention not once did that paper ever put together a full list of what transpired under Carroll. These people are beyond pathetic.
I heard Foster is actually guilty of three felonies
I can’t say what they are cause it’d be unfair to him, but suffice it to say the story, if it comes out, is harsh, but I doubt the full tale will be revealed.
i think he's good friends with
three wealthy and influential former writers for the Times.
by bucknellbruin on Oct 12, 2010 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
He's not.
He’s reporting a rumor which may or may not be true/exaggerated and covering his ass with the “the whole story might not come out” line so nobody knows that he probably made half of it up. Look at the “Norm Chow leaving for SC” fiasco: it doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, just having it out there is harmful to the program (and gets the fishwrap lots of hits). The fishwrap is sinking to the level of the National Enquirer, etc.
As far as I can see
as long a we are talking about Prince as our QB, we are wasting our time. Love the heart, don’t like anything else. Move on. See ya on 12/4.
"as long a we are talking about Prince as our QB, we are wasting our time."
I was at the Cal game, and apparently no one else saw the last five plays where we couldn’t go 8 yards with a quarterback other than Prince.
I'm sorry but
prince has had plenty of time to prove he can get the job done! I’m so tired of hearing about the lack of protection I’m gonna be sick. Prince hasn’t taken a beating like KC did? when hes had time to throw what has he done with it? absolutely nothing!
The coaching spin is laughable and I’m a huge CRN supporter.
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's" - John Wooden.
Dude
We haven’t been able to pass block in any of our games, including the big wins. During the Texas game he still didn’t have time to throw, our running game saved us big time. Use your eyes and watch Prince take three steps and have a guy in his face, that can’t happen. Our OL still needs a talent influx, sad after three years but its the truth.
Blitzes
We are horrible at picking up the blitz. Part of that is on the QB and part of it is on the O-Line. Against Cal, the blind side blitz by the CB was killing us.
I watched the RN Show...
All he did when James Washington asked him what went wrong at Cal is to give the same tired excuses: We are young, inexperienced, and “have to get better.” Coachspeak.101. Looking at it with math, a 10% improvement would be 1 more reg season game than last year approx. Is that going to happen at 7 reg wins? Right now 6 wins will be uphill to get to a bowl.
I have come to the conclusion that RN may have been over sold. In the middle of year 3, the team is no better and in some ways worse.
1970
We let you on and you just offered up a take that is nothing original and you have offered before. If you want to offer criticisms of the staff that is fine. However, you are going to need to bring something more than just messageboard style repetitive rants. If you can’t do it, then don’t bother commenting. Thanks.
disagree!
CRN is the real deal i think he has been let down by his coaching staff. I still have faith in him as our coach!
"Success is never final, Failure is never fatal. It's Courage that count's" - John Wooden.
He seemed pretty specific in the quoted text in this very fanpost...
Let me reiterate: “it all comes down to pass protection (or the lack thereof).” I’m not sure I 100% agree with that, but it’s definitely not coachspeak. I think it’s maybe 50% lack of pass protection, 35% receivers dropping good passes, and 15% Prince overthrowing open receivers.
I know that some might say Prince overthrowing stems from feeling pressured by the lack of pass protection, but some of it is on him. This is his second year playing behind a ragtag OL. You can never make it a non-issue as a QB, but he should be getting used to it and learning when to get rid of the ball to avoid huge sacks. However, getting time to throw should not be as big of a problem as it is for us, and Palcic needs to spend as much time as possible this week teaching/working pass protection.
If he's to get rid of the ball quicker
we need WR’s that have the speed to get seperation faster….we need TE’s that can catch the ball…we need to have some RB dump off’s in the offense. I can’t remember any passes to RB’s.
Well, that's one solution
One which we should have gone to on Saturday when it was clear that the OL was going to give him next to no time to get rid of the ball, but in the long run, if we want to have any sort of deep threat with which to force defenses to respect the pass and not stack the box, we need an OL that can give Prince time to go through his options. Dumps and screens are nice curveballs to throw (pardon my sports metaphor mixing), but what really forces defenses to respect the pass game is a couple of deep balls, and frankly, we don’t have any of the ingredients for that: our OL gives little to no time to throw, our WRs have a serious case of the dropsies, and KP can be inaccurate (whether this has to do with being pressured or whatnot, I don’t know. I have yet to see KP behind a solid pass protection scheme he can be confident in).
In all fairness to CRN
He’s done a good job of bringing in talent. Unfortunately, The O-Line prospects he’s brought aren’t producing for various reasons…be it career ending injuries (abele), mormon missions (X-man) or personal problems (hasiak). The O-line was the position that was in the worst condition of all when he came in. Look at the roster now, by next year we’ll finally have some depth at the position…in two years we will be deep. He’s got about 5 or 6 big guys coming in with the next class.
If those 3 guys were playing now…along with a healthy Maiava, we would probably be in a completely different position. Also, take into account the fact that we are breaking in a new offense this year. One which is foreign/new to all the offensive staff.
Who really gives a s**t what fish=wrap whores say
Over the past two decades we have seen the decline of newspapers. There are many reasons for this but mainly the truly good writers have either died or retired and we are left with the dregs. Of course, nothing was ever brought up about SCum Central as “no charges were filed”-I wonder how that happens and what victims got a free education. I say we stop giving access to these people but do we turn to such as SHilly Smith or some of the other unqualified hacks employed by electronic media. Personally, I trust Bruin Nation even though I do not always agree with some of their conclusions.
@themightybruins relays OC Register report of 6 suspensions
I know that since it’s the OC Register, many of you will just shake it off based on their bad history covering us, but added to Foster’s report, this is not good.
On Foster, I know he isn’t liked, but he attributes it to an unnamed source in the program. You can laugh it off, but I honestly don’t think that Foster is sitting down at his computer trying to make up stuff to embarrass CRN or the program.
If the suspensions have in fact taken place, then that indicates that CRN has taken care of the matter. But I have to say, this isn’t looking like it’s going to be a good story. After a terrible game, this is just more bad news for the program. It’s a distraction for the players and the staff when the heat has been turned up. It’s obvious that there are people that are looking for CRN and the program to fail—this is just more ammunition for them.
by Westwood Wizard on Oct 12, 2010 11:19 AM PDT reply actions
I don't think it's the reporting of the suspension
I think what is really upsetting is the manner in which it is reported. You get the feeling that Foster is happy about the suspension. Also, trying to paint UCLA as a dirty program that is out of control. Combining Stan Hasiak and Mike Harris into the same group as EJ Woods, Richardson’s and Shirley is just plain wrong. Failing to report that the one’s who reportedly broke the LAW are no longer with the team and were dealt with quickly.
Exactly
Foster’s article implies that UCLA and CRN have some chronic behavioral problems and that it is part of the program’s culture. He should have advanced the point that CRN has dealt swiftly and strongly with behvioral issues since his arrival in Westwood and should be applauded for it.
Also, I never saw him chronicle a 3 year list of violations and concerns with the roster across town. Maybe his paper didn’t have enough ink.
I’ll let you all guess why Foster’s context is the way it is.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Noticed that too.
I was scratching my head as to why all of the past issues had to be reiterated.
by LongtimeBru on Oct 12, 2010 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions
Bruin Football Expections ...
My perspective:
I now live in Virginia. I get my info about my Bruins from #1 Bruin Nation; # 2 LA Times( like it our not); and the LA Daily News.
I’ve been in VA for six years…during this time the Bruins have been very well respected (in the ACC) for their leadership in football and basketball. The UCLA respect has been dropped big time based on the lack of TV coverage for UCLA football and basketball. This year the TV football coverage (with Texas)was the best coverage for the season so far and who knows about the hoops game given last years season.
We need to pick up excitement with some football and basketball winning in the nation.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bruins Nation
Related FanShots on Bruins Nation
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
