Bruin & 49ers Legend Randy Cross BLASTS UCLA Administration For Football Irrelevance
by Achilles on Oct 26, 2011 10:51 AM PDT
in Football
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PrintThe video resides on the CBS Sports Youtube Channel. The headline asks a simple question: Is UCLA Becoming Irrelevant ? (HT uclaike):
(via CBSSports)
The man in the video is CBS sportscaster Randy Cross. Randy Cross is a Bruin and 49ers legend who was inducted into our school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. If you need a flashback from BN:
His mother, "Rita, was the manager at Dkystra and Sproul Residence Halls on the UCLA campus"."Being a Bruin to me is all about your chance to be a part of something very special that few ever get to experience. It wasn't about promises, it wasn't about gifts and it wasn't about arrogance or honors. For me, being a Bruin was the perfect place, at the perfect time and being around the perfect kind of people. "
Randy is also an avid follower of BruinsNation. He actually retweeted Nestor's post on Randall Carroll just two days ago. Randy is also, among other things, one of the more articulate national observers of the sport of football.
With that in mind, it's not surprising that Cross' monologue sounds as if he's reading a Bruins Nation blog post. He just tore into UCLA administration for our "embarrassing" football program which in his word has become a charade. The video begins by noting -- as we did -- that the Arizona game was embarrassing to anyone even loosely affiliated with UCLA and that it sickened him on a personal level.
I am posting a rough transcript of the video after the jump. It should be Facebooked, tweeted and shared with everyone in your Bruin network:
That game last night against Arizona was embarrassing to anyone who is even loosely affiliated with UCLA. That loss to Arizona just sickened me personally.
I am not here to drill Rick Neuheisel. Rick Neuheisel is getting stuff from every single possible angle. He's been on the supposed hot seat since before he even played a game this year.
I want to talk to the University itself.
Where are you people?
How do you want to compete? Okay because you are one of the best academic institutions in America. That is a given. You also are very good in lot of different sports. But two sports that really count - basketball and football ... basketball that's another sport and that's another show ....
Football you have got to spend money to compete. You have to get some cooperation from your admissions department to compete properly. This game of football right now is about money. ...
So if you are not serious about competing, and if you are not serious about spending the amount of money that has to be spent, do everybody a favor and just in football - because you are an academic institution - go to the Ivy League. Play football there but don't keep this charade up. Please.
I don't have to add anything more to that. Well one thing ... make sure you sign the petition. Go Bruins.
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Dan clearly counted Randy Cross as one of the "several" angry fans.
Nothing to see here, right Dan?
Formerly AllHailMightyBruins
Hopefully those attending the cruise...
will rip Dan up so that he understands how important football is to the majority of people out there!
by WickedBruin on Oct 26, 2011 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions
If all goes according to plan...
he won’t be hosting any trips to Italy.
Just him and his wife
with a box of Gallo wine.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
The title of the video is a bit off.
The question isn’t, “Is UCLA becoming irrelevant?” The question is, “What can UCLA do to become relevant again?”
Formerly AllHailMightyBruins
Just signed the petition.
Nice work admins getting the ball rolling. Something tells me Dan is going to get an earful.
Thank MexiBruin for the petition
It’s his work. We’re his advertisers on this one.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
I suppose based on the quantity/quality of his posts I just assumed he was an Admin.
I met Mexi at Maloney’s once for a game. Good guy.
I'm happy to say AchiBruin is one of the people I have met in person!
At Maloney’s in Westwood!
Quick recount of people from BN I have met personally:
Class of ’66 (Steve)
BritishBruin (Jack)
UCLALUV (Karen)
UCLAfan11 (At Tennessee)
BruinKid or is UCLAkid (Sean W)
ArchiBruin
That is a particular point of pride with me. I’m looking forward to meeting BlueWave and Tasser if everything works out. I would like to me Insomniac and Tyler. I have spoken with GBruin and JoeBruin15 on the phone. Would like to meet those guys!
And look at that, ArchiBruin beat me to it.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
Admissions
Seems like after I commented last week that the Academic Senate was the major factor of our demise in football, not the players, not the coaches but our ability to admit some of the necessary players to compete, my views were rejected. With comments like Stanford, Cal, Wash, all have the same standards as UCLA for admittance. How un-informed those responding are. Randy Cross substantiated the same view. Wish some would know the facts before ranting on.
by Blue Critter 2 on Oct 26, 2011 12:22 PM PDT reply actions
Whatever man, it still can be done, take your BS preaching home.
What about actually coaching the players we do have?
You are still incorrect
And Randy’s video proves it. He says, loud and clear, that MONEY is what it takes to compete in college football. Money is the major factor, not the academic senate.
Seriously, you come to whine about that? So people disagreed with you, big deal.
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Where do we get said money?
Honest question: Is it possible for UCLA to get the money needed to improve the football program in the current budget environment?
I mean, if you’re the Chancellor, would you want to explain to the LA Times or Chronicle of Higher Education why you’re increasing spending to football at time when tuition spikes have become the norm?
by FreewayBruin03 on Oct 26, 2011 7:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Athletic budget and Academic budgets are separate.
Athletics expenditures do not affect tuition.
And there is that $20 mil windfall coming next year with the new Pac-12 TV contract.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
It is not the major factor
It may have a role somewhere, but there are many bigger issues than our admissions criteria.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Dumb it down for ya...
In 2008 our recruiting class was ranked 10th in the nation. 2009 our recruiting class was ranked 5th in the nation. 2010 our recruiting class was ranked again 8th in the nation. Those are the cold hard facts.
And just because I know you are interested, 2011 and 2012 we have fallen off the map. If you want to come on hear and preach its because of some academic senate you are sorely mistaken. We have a program on the map, we get recruits. We become irrelevant as Mr. Cross states we lose recruits.
the reasons for our demise are legion.
Admissions is but a drop in the bucket. But let’s talk about admissions for a second.
Both Marshawn Lynch and DeSean Jackson wanted to come to UCLA. Both were rejected by admissions and went on to play for Cal who presumably has equal admissions standards as we do. Both have gone on to star in the NFL.
That being said, we have seen what Dorrell and Neuheisel have managed to do with the talent they do have. Just having them on the team would not have greatly improved our results.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
You can add defensive linemen like...
Brandon Mebane and Cedric Ellis
by beanandcheeseburrito on Oct 26, 2011 4:01 PM PDT up reply actions
Lynch and Jackson are definitely talented and entertaining football players
but I could totally do without them representing my university. All I can think of when I watch Lynch play is the time they cut to him on the sidelines at a Cal game, he was shakin’ his dreads and making a thizz face and the chyron at the bottom of the screen noted that his favorite book was “The Cat In The Hat”. With all due respect to Dr. Seuss and the Hyphy movement, come on man. As for Jackson, let’s just say that I used to be embarrassed by Josh Shipp’s occasional showboating / trash-talking behavior…
Is Change in Admission the Answer to a Better Football Team?
Do you think we should lower the standard of admission to UCLA to become relevant? I personally, want a better football team but to change admissions process in return is not fair for those who got into UCLA the hard way. Also, lowering the standards does not guarantee we will get elite talent, or make us win in at all. I mean look at San Jose State, I am sure their standards are not as high as UCLA, and they have not won in a while. Someone in a different blog wrote UCLA should follow Stanford’s example, and I do not know how they let their football players get in but to change a system to allow a few to get in for a special purpose is unfair.
"Winners Then, Winners Now... Bruin in Madrid"
Considering you haven't explained how Stanford is able to field a great team
You are still rejected. I wish YOU would know the facts before ranting on. Don’t bother posting this garbage again until you’re ready to explain this obvious logical disconnect.
Also, looking over your posting history
On BOTH of your accounts, it looks like you’ll say absolutely any stupid thing to cover for Neuheisel. Why you felt the need to create another account just to spout the same stupid garbage is beyond me, but before you start slinging stones and talking about how uninformed others are, you better be able to substantiate why Stanford seems to have little problem fielding a good team if academics is such an issue.
The next time you copy paste this bullshit without backing it up earns you a ban.
wow
I work for the UC system and if Cal can except them then UCLA can too. UCLA NFL draft picks have done great things. The talent is there.
Graduation Rates
Keep in mind that our “high standards” are producing graduates either. Read yesterday’s article on the football graduation rates in the Pac-12.
Would we even win in the Ivy League?
Even Harvard had Ryan Fitzpatrick.
by South Campus is for Lovers on Oct 26, 2011 1:56 PM PDT reply actions
Honestly, we would not win the Ivy League nor be a threat...
1) The Ivy League schools do not give ahtletic scholarships. However, all have significant “need based” financial aid programs with many, like Harvard and Princeton, have extremely agressive sliding scale financial aid where families making up to $220k, in some areas, still receive assistant while families, making under $80k, receive grants for the full cost of attendence (tuition, fees, room, board, pocket money, books and etc). Despite being cheaper, Ucla can not compete.
2) Ucla would have to raise academic standards for football admissions.
3) Ucla does not have the academic reputation to compete in the Ivy League. Schools like Harvard, Yale and Princeton offer opportunities that UCLA students can only dream about. When I tell UCLA friends about, lets say, the corporate recruiting that occurs at Harvard, they are absolutely flabbergasted or about Jeb Bush going to Harvard Institute of Politics and staying in one of the dorms, they think that I am lying.
4) Most of HYP’s student athletes had d-1 offers coming out of hs but decide on one of HYP becasue of those opportunities. You think that anyone is going to be turning down d-1 offers to play for UCLA in the Ivy League?
5) We would have some of the worst facilities in the Ivy League. The student gyms around the Harvard campus are excellent and the student athletes’ facilities are incredible. Yale and Princeton are similar.
At least we would finally be playing at Drake stadium.
by beanandcheeseburrito on Oct 26, 2011 3:55 PM PDT up reply actions
totally off topic
I don’t know why but the moniker “beanandcheeseburrito” makes me laugh. Great screen name!
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