The Morning After, Part 7: Arizona

That Rick Neuheisel loves the ol’ Alma Mater like so many of us do, and because of that belief, I am confident he will do the right thing this weekend. Call a press conference. Announce his resignation, effective immediately. I just can’t imagine either of his coordinators taking over the rest of the season. Harold & Kumar – or even Cheech and Chong – would seem better suited to the task.

Neu should be replaced Monday. Arizona did it and look where they are now. An interim coach is a perfect way to start that healing process we need right now.

This captures my mood precisely

G-
This was a great commentary.
The beat down reaction proves that the glass can be half full, even in dark times.
The question is- absent RN taking the high road himself and exiting stage left, how do we know for sure that DG will actually do something?
Either DG does the right thing and gets a new coach (the glass becomes full), or he says just one more year (he drains our glass, which is now empty).
We all know the obvious, about what needs to be done. But how many times has DG been oblivious?
Really hope I am wrong here, but I have lingering doubts after the cumulative years of football disappointment.

Will more than 50,000 show? Already got my tix through parents weekend, but was there for the half empty Bowl for Texas earlier in the year, and with this “performance” as a lead in, the stands won’t be filled with powder blue.

DO NOT SETTLE FOR NEU GETTING FIRED!!!

HE IS JUST THE RESULT OF DOUGHNUT DAN GUERRERROR.

DOWN WITH DOUGHNUT DAN!

I hope he can apply g’s first rule and say “I’m sorry, I’m not the right person to coach this team the way my alma mater deserves” in a presser on Monday. I think the relentless optimist (hasn’t been seen in his body language in quite a while) in him will tell him to keep plugging away until Guerror dismisses him.

We need some students or alumni who can camp out in front of the Morgan Center in between their classes taking shifts to protest Dan Guerreror’s continued employment.
We are %99 and won’t tolerate Dan any longer.

from one dad to another, all I have to say is, “good for you.” Being a dad and a husband is the hardest job in the world, but the most rewarding.

Sums up how I’m feeling in many ways. Easily the most embarrassing game since I’ve been following them. I foolishly keep thinking they’ll turn a corner too. That I really thought they would win that game is an extra slap in the face.

Basketball team is ranked.

Plain and simple DG needs to go. He obviously doesn’t care or respect his fan base, nor his current students or alumni to even consider an early termination of CRN contract. This football program has been an embarassment not just this year, but the past years as well. I’m tired of wasting my money to come and watch a below average football team play, game in and game out. At least with an early termination of CRN, it shows that UCLA means business and not going to accept the embarassment that has been occurring!

As a proud graduate of UCLA (film/tv), a long time booster (many checks written happily to the program), and 25+ year season ticket holder, I am officially disgusted. I began my relationship with the program when names like Donahue, Green, Easley and Aikman made us believe the program was a model of classy college football success. I suffered through Toledo’s collapse, the insane hiring of Dorrell, and the mediocrity of the last ten years. Like many here I celebrated the hiring of RIck Neuheisel and genuinely believed he would turn around the program. Instead I’ve witnessed 3 1/2 years of comic ineptness, and I’m fed up.

And to add insult to injury – and yes, Dan, I’m going to call you out here – I’ve had two meetings with Guerrero (a courtesy, I guess, to supporters) cancelled by him at the last minute. I don’t claim any special privilege, I just would expect the same courtesy from UCLA’s AD that I give to people who come in to see me – keep your appointments, and be on time. The irony is, my intention for the first meeting was to offer encouragement and general support. The second meeting the same. Now, I no longer care about meeting him, and if I did my message would be very clear – fix your program or I’m out. My time is precious to me, and my support for the program should be to them. And if Guerrero is that careless with this supporter, I can only assume he is the same with others.

Sad, sad state of affairs for this once proud – and one day mighty again – program. it starts at the top. Guerrero, you’ve failed. Man up, own it, and fix it, or get the hell out. I take no joy in seeing Rick fail – he’s a good man, I don’t care who says otherwise – but he is not the right man for this job. Unless/until the University and its AD decide to treat the football program with the same devotion they treat the maintaining of our beloved campus, the research departments, the faculty, and the other “priorities” at UCLA, nothing will change. Except one thing – this booster – one among many, meaningless to the athletic department – will, sadly, stop supporting the program. I frankly doubt they’ll notice or care. Which is exactly what is wrong with UCLA football.

We indeed are finally united. I believe I will be feeling numb the rest of the season no matter how well we finish.

I’ll get excited about basketball, but it’ll be hard to truly celebrate a football victory unless major changes are made.

BTW, your 9 year old seems like he’s been raised pretty well so far ;).

I have only walked out of a couple of movies in my life and shut off a few games. Last night I couldn’t get past the first half, and shut it off. It speaks for itself. I don’t have anything new to add. It’s a shame that it has come to this because on paper I like our team, and I thought Rick Neuheisal would have been the one to lead us. He hasn’t really done anything in his 3 1/2 seasons that I would say were redeeming other than some decent recruiting. But even that recruiting, while it looked good on paper, I can’t say I’ve seen any single player on the football field live up to expectations. Jetski and Coleman have been close. Brehaut and Rosario (this year until the fumble) have been close. But not a single superstar. Certainly no one on defence. Nobody reliably playing their position all season (maybe Fauria is close to that, and again Rosario has looked very good this year, much much better – but again on Paper the dude should have 40 catches a game).

It’s coaching. Tresey has a shitty scheme, and Rick can’t make the pistol work right, The second drive last night was about the best I have seen the pistol. But after that, same thing over and over.

New coaches. New mindset in the locker room. Maybe a new AD. But, change.

He won’t give up on his dream job half way through the season, especially because after his 4 years at UCLA, he will likely never coach again. No one will hire that track record. I feel bad for Rick, I hate to see a Bruin fail. But you know what he failed. One thing that never flew at UCLA as a student is failure. No, he will have to be fired, and DG is not man enough to do that. Get ready for the Lame(er) Duck session of the Neuheisel era. BTW, Tresey is god awful, he is a Chuck Bullough clone. Who would think that we would fire Bullough and get a guy with the exact same lack of imagination. Even with a score of 42-7 we gave their receivers cushion. Good lord.

I really hope RN does resign, not because I don’t like him, but because it would be the right thing to do. I just hope he goes out with class.

Told her I am pulling my donation until such time as Neuheisel is removed. I anecdotally asked her if she was getting a lot of calls and, this is no joke, she said ‘no, it’s been pretty light today’. Just an update for all who think other people are conveying their feelings

Blessing in disguise. It closed the RN show. RIP to that and Mom.

with a hangover. I had a headache, body aches, and just felt lousy. The sad thing is that I didn’t have anything to drink last night. Clearly, I’m having somatic symptoms caused by the psychological pain that was caused from last night’s defeat. But, it’s more than having had lost a game. I’m experiencing a REAL loss, like losing a love one. Mourning their memory and what could have been if they were still alive, but there is no coming back from this. The damage has been done, and the only thing that awaits me is moving through the five stages of the grief cycle (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance). I’m somewhere between Depression and Acceptance; somewhere between, "why bother," and, "it’s going to be okay." But it hurts; it hurts badly, because even though it’s gone, I wish it still was here, football that is. Like many have said, I have to begin to heal, and that can only come with having a new beginning. With a new beginning, comes hope; with hope, comes positive feelings and thoughts; once that is achieve I can begin to behave again like a proud Football Bruin fan. Until, I have basketball to look forward to.

RN is a salesman. He’s good at projecting his reputation as a good coach. But the facts just do not back that up.

He has a HUGE ego. He has hired 2 sets of coordinators. Norm Chow did not get along w/ him, thought the pistol was I’ll suited etc, so he left. DC’s were just bad coaches (where did they find Tresey? In the World league or Arena league or something?). Second set of Assistants was worse.

Organization and motivation are what the CEO’s responsible for. And RN’s failed completely.

Those are the facts my friends. And those facts will not change no matter how badly we what them to.

Dear UCLA Athletic Director,

Last night I found myself remembering the good ole days when Karl Dorrell was UCLA’s football coach with a 10-2 winning season and he actually beat USC – when beating the Trojans meant something? Karl never had a losing season in 5 years in Pac-10 play. Unlike Rick Neuheisel, beating Texas only in a season where they also lost to Oklahoma, Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State & Texas A&M.

Rick Neuheisel finished last year with a Pac-10 record of 8-19 with his best finish being 8th place. He hasn’t even beat the watered down version of the Trojans. The Trojans even lost to Notre Dame and we still can’t get pass them! In 2010 his overall record as UCLA coach was 15-22. Rich Rodriguez finished at Michigan with the same 15-22 record and he is gone!

My daughters asked, “Dad, how come we don’t go to games anymore?” You know with kids you have to tell the truth. I told them since George Bush has left the office, the United States Government doesn’t believe in torture anymore.

Even the name of their offense is weak – Pistol. Why not gun, hammer or something other than pistol? As firearms are concerned, pistols are at the bottom of the food chain.

I have never seen a person that has failed upwards better than Rick. He took two winning programs and ran them into the ground. I don’t know why it took Jerry Jones 4 years to realize that the Cowboys would never be a winner with a Bum-I mean, Wade Phillips as head coach. When will UCLA’s athletic department realize the same?

HR
howardroark10@yahoo.com

I’m attending Northern Az University, and I am usually very proud to be a bruin. In fact, many of my friends say I’m in denial since I always seem to talk about my days at UCLA. Yesterday, I was very excited to proudly wear my UCLA jersey to class in support of my team. Imagine my shame when I turned on the TV to watch the game? I barely go to the end of the first half, before I just didn’t care anymore.

Here’s a little tidbit I read today, “UCLA has yet to defeat a Pac-10 or Pac-12 opponent that has gone on to finish the season with a winning record with Neu as head coach.” WHAT?!? You’re kidding me, right?

UCLA needs to get itself head out of the sand, and quit looking for ‘the diamond in the rough.’ Stop trying to get a bargain head coach. It is simple, cough up the money, and we’ll get a quality coach. Finally, for the love of all things football, PLEASE, no more UCLA Alums as head coaches.

   I thought it was interesting last night that the commentators touched on the subject of UCLA recruiting andd our inability to recruit top talent including QB’s. Although they offered no answers, they did open the subject to discussion.
   My son the sports writer and I have had many a discussion about the inability of UCLA to recruit top talent. He grew up in the Inland Empire when Eisenhower an FoHi were powerhouses. I grew up in the OC and there were always schools that pumped out talent and sent that talent to UCLA.
  When was the last time we had an athlete from Bishop Amat, Long Beach Poly, Servite etc? Somehow these schools don’t show up on our radar. There are many other schools through out the LA area and the Inland Empire and the OC that have talented player that we are either missing or they are eschewing us in the recruiting process.
  We should be able to recruit from this base constantly. We should be able to find one or two capable QB’s and restock our team yearly. The players are here we just need to recruit them.
  We also need to offer these recruits top coaching. The talents here but they are going to other schools in the Pac-12 or to BCS schools. Why we can’t find 22 kids that can play Pac-12 football is beyond my imagination.
  Until we decide to become a football school, we’ll have many a night like we had last night.

I can’t even translate my anger into thoughtful comments or a post. Every time I try I want to beat the crap out of my keyboard and yell at my computer. It’s abuse. No one should be wasting their $$ or time supporting this fake brand called UCLA. This is not the UCLA Standard. This is GARBAGE.

Great post Greg. Every time I read your posts I feel a little better knowing that there is a group of fans that feel the same way I do. You wouldn’t believe some of my fellow Bruin fans that still believe this regime can work.

All I can say is before I lose my composure:

“FIRE RICK NEUHEISEL!!! NO MERCY!!!”

and if you don’t, well wait, add him to the list:

“FIRE DAN GUERRERO!!! NO MERCY!!!”

Can someone write an article on how lousy our advertising strategy is? I mean, we have L.A. in the name and many who weren’t privileged enough to attend UCLA can’t even make the mental connection that it should be their team/school. There are teams out there that have spent millions on this, i.e., the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. When I ever speak to people who didn’t attend UCLA, I make it a point to say, "L.A. Bruins," "L.A.’s Team."

Well thought out and well written. It captures your mood.

I also like your picture of Neuheisel. I was watching last night thinking how he just looks like a defeated man. I don’t know if he can overcome this predicament. I’ll still pull for him, though, as long as he’s our coach.

Just ripped one into Dan Guerrero!