FanPost

Keeping Focus (on Chianti Dan) & Maintaining a Strategy

I've been follwing BN for years, but have never fan posted before, because quite frankly I don't think I can write as great as the contributors here. But the whole current situation at UCLA has inspired me to at least voice how I feel. Thanks for your patience.

As the colossal failures of DG securing our next head coach continue to pour in and inherently tarnish UCLA's reputation as a leader in college sports, academics and brand as the greatest and most balanced university of God's green earth, I wanted to take the opportunity to make a few points as to echo what a few here on BN have reminded us to not lose focus of - that's to have DG fired and replaced immediately. Every single minute that he remains our AD, is one more truly viable and qualified candidate that flat out rejects us or is overlooked and scooped up by someone else. Not only is each rejection embarrassing to the four letters and those who represent it, but each rejection makes UCLA look like the kid nobody wants on their kickball team or the girl who can't get anyone to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance.

Each time rejection occurs, desperation becomes more apparent with each proceeding attempt thereafter. Allowing this process to continue to snowball as its current pace will only result in what we are all fearing - UCLA becoming non-relevant. DG's inability to pre-plan or have any form of contingency can be summed up by Sun Tzu (I'll be using The Art of War for most of this post), "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

With everyone's emotions running high and all over the place (common when a group of people care about something so much), I thought it was important remind everyone to maintain the laser focus required to achieve our goal of driving out DG. As such, I just wanted to contribute a few suggestions to organize everyone's input and opinions as to a strategy moving forward. "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."- Sun Tzu

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." - Sun Tzu

Personally, I feel this is going head to head with Chianti and convincing him to meet our demands regarding the state of our program. IMHO, this has fallen on deaf ears. He is ultimately the one wielding the power on who'll be our next head coach and all things UCLA athletics. It's been painfully apparent and noted here on BN that DG doesn't gives a rat's ass on the UCLA constituency based on the firing of RN, absolute neglect to interview Leach, the candidates he's planning on lining up despite the furor that his list is creating... the list goes on. Based on the common and overwhelming lack of confidence in this guy, can we really expect that we can get him to bend our way?

"When strong, avoid them. If of high morale, depress them. Seem humble to fill them with conceit. If at ease, exhaust them. If united, separate them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise." - Sun Tzu

So far, I feel that our existing efforts are accomplishing this. Pressure on Block and the Regents should create a break within the administration and forge a self-preservation environment. The best way of creating this environment and therefore making the dismissal of DG as collateral damage is to demand the replacement of Block. Granted getting rid of Block may not at all be realistically possible, but place enough pressure on his job security and he'll definitely be looking for the sacrificial lamb. It's human nature that he'll naturally succumb to.

"All warfare is based on deception." - Sun Tzu

Some may disagree with me, but I don't feel that throwing out what candidates meet our criteria is helping us all that much. DG is going to screw it up no matter candidates we put out there. Do any of us really think he's a closer? And according to some theories here on BN, DG may or may not be sabotaging the efforts to go after a quality coach as to cover for the Pauly renovation debacle. Some of you have claimed that he can throw his hands up and say that he offered all the money necessary, but ultimately no one was interested in UCLA, buying himself an out. Then why offer him anymore good candidates that he can fail at and use as a scapegoat? Let him think that he knows best because really, that's what he thinks! In the meantime, we'll be working the out all the logistics to replace him. Let's just replace him, and replace quickly.

"Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain." - Sun Tzu

A new AD "who gets it" will be able to have a much better success on closing a quality coach that we'll feel comfortable with while striving to the high UCLA standards we've been accustomed to.

"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."and"Opportunities multiply as they are seized." - Sun Tzu

I mentioned it in a comment before. Let's get serious about the AD replacement. Who are the top 5 candidates for this position and how do we contact them? How do we organize an event that will serve like a convention or a huge town hall meeting of alums and current students? This whole football debacle has made one thing known, UCLA whales (boosters & alumni) are on the same page as us and are trying affect change with their money (as are we, but not on their scale). Let's parlay this and position ourselves to take advantage of this camaraderie into real effectual change. Some here seem to personally know major players (unfortunately, I don't) that have major influence (monetary, etc.) on the administration. Would they come to an event such as this if we provided a platform for Bruins to take back their school and restore it to the prestige it justly deserves? If we can somehow organize a "shareholder's meeting" of some sort and draw massive media attention to it (print ads, tv, etc.), I'm pretty sure if Murphy Hall didn't feel the heat yet, then they definitely would now. Couple this with the huge movement here on BN, it's quite possible we'll all witness epic changes that will change the UCLA landscape to a return to glory for years to come.

"In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack--the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers." - Sun Tzu

Again sorry for the Sun Tzu tone of things, I just it was appropriate since, to me at least, it seems we are waging war on a tyrannical and incompetent regime.

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.

In This FanPost

Teams

Trending Discussions