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Don't Lose Hope

There is not much point to analyze the actual game from last night. To put it simply it was KD's "CSUN moment" at the Rose Bowl.  It is over. Read various UCLA boards linked on the blogroll here on BN. He is done. He has no support. His hardcore supporters are all either gone or have changed their tune. They know it.  They can feel it.  And by the sounds and pictures from ABC's coverage of last night game, it couldn't be clear the whole Rose Bowl knows what we have known for more than two years - the emperor has no clothes. KD is a joke as a football coach. Yes he sounds like a decent, honest, and hard working human being unlike that imbecile Steve Lavin, but just like Lavin he is now a joke.

And the word is getting out. Not just here online but also offline. Dan Guerrerro is hearing our frustration, and he actually had some real interesting comments in the LA Times:

UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero heard some harsh words from fans as he walked off the Rose Bowl field Saturday after a 37-15 loss to Washington State.

The words were directed toward Guerrero, but the topic was Coach Karl Dorrell, whose team is 4-4 after three consecutive defeats.

Some in the crowd made it clear that they wanted a new coach, but Guerrero would have none of it.

Guerrero said Dorrell, whose teams had won 10 straight at the Rose Bowl before Saturday's defeat, has four games left to "right the ship."

"With any program, my issue is to provide the resources and the things needed to develop a successful program and that's what we're going to do," Guerrero said. "Last year we had a pretty darn good year, so you don't throw out that good year just because we're struggling right now.

"There are reasons why we're not clicking on all cylinders. Obviously, we just need to bring this team along and allow them to grow.

"Hopefully, we'll get some good wins here at the end of the season."
Now despite Lonnie White (who by the way for your info is apparently a Trojan alum) best effort to coax some kind of word of confidence out of DG on KD, DG said very clearly that KD has to "right the ship," by getting some "good wins" in rest of the season. I think it is more than reasonable to interpret these comments as DG basically signaling KD that he needs to turn this around and win 3 out of his last 4 games, including a victory over Southern Cal.

Now, while DG has somewhat laid down the gauntlet for KD, we have to do our part. You have already seen what we can do to get the message out. Our little internet poll instantly got picked up by CNNSI and ESPN.  Some of you are already pulling of creative stunts to get the message out. But we need to keep at it. Remember this post from M, in which he outlined some of the things we can do to pump up the volume:
  • Work in concert.   Given the realities of big time college athletics, you need to work with others to have the maximum impact.   Cancelling your yearly donation or season tickets may not do much, but cancelling them with many others in a choreographed way just might.

  • Get the message out.   Let people know what's going on.   Spread the word any way you can, on the Internet, with posters, or flyers.    Write letters to the Times, comment on Dohn's blog, whatever.   The more information that is out there, the better.

  • Take it to the streets.  Go ahead with the t-shirt idea.   Start wearing them on campus and to games.    Or paint your message on banners, or, better yet, your chest.   And don't forget the send us pictures, or post them yourself on BN, along with a personal message about what inspired you to take that simple action.
  • Share your passion.   Come on Bruins Nation, and share with us your stories on why you became a Bruin, are passionate about UCLA sports, and then why you are fed up with Bruin football.

  • Contact the Morgan Center.  A well organized email, letter, telephone and/or petition campaign (again, think concert of action) can up the pressure.   Let them know that 7-8 wins and an occassional lower tier bowl game aren't enough. Keep it calm and fact based (and by no means personal).   Remember, well supported, coherent arguments breed credibility.

  • Use emerging technologies.   Start a campaign on Facebook.   Use Myspace.  Comment on blogs like Bruin Nation.   Do whatever you can to get more like minded people involved.   Personally, I think the Facebook idea has the potential to huge.     It's never been easier to organize groups of people, and take near instant action.

  • Prepare for the long road.  One letter writing campaign isn't going to do it.    Any effective effort is going to take great thought, persistence and resolve.
I see in the comments some of you are already working on t-shirt designs. This is great. Whatever you come up with, we will more than get behind it and actively promote it here on BN.

But I also think when you are doing these little things like wearing t-shirts at games, on campus, or at Bruin gatherings, take pictures and fire them back to us or post them here on BN. Let us know the baby steps you are taking to get the word out.  Remember it was actually a threat of student protest in South Bend which got the Notre Dame brass to move against Willingham.  I do believe the UCLA students and alums are creative, intelligent, and passionate enough to pull this off.  Remember those two brave students who started LoseLavin.com?  I think we have the power to amplify their wonderful efforts to expose an incompetent coach out in public.

Whatever you do - do not lose hope. I will not. I love UCLA basketball. But I will not use basketball as an excuse to forget about football.  I love everything about UCLA including our football tradition. So I will personally keep talking about our football program no matter how painful it is relentlessly, and keep exposing KD.

Now I hope all of you will be doing the same both online and offline. Let's take our program back. Just don't lose hope or give up on taking back our proud football tradition. I am pretty sure we are not bunch of cowardly quitters like Karl Dorrell.

GO BRUINS.

0 recs | Comment 11 comments

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We got your back!
Just emailed you. Lets get to work on it!
I truly hope for a great season, but if we dont have one we must dumpdorrell.com

by DumpDorrell on Oct 29, 2006 10:37 AM PST   0 recs

Keep us posted guys
DD - you should also feel free to cross post the posts from your blog in the diaries to get a wider circulation.  Don't be shy about it.

Go Bruins.

by Nestor on Oct 29, 2006 10:39 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

ha, never crossed my mind
thats funny, cuz Ive been wondering if I could write 300 word diaries. It never occurred to me to use our posts.
I truly hope for a great season, but if we dont have one we must dumpdorrell.com

by DumpDorrell on Oct 29, 2006 10:52 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Yeap
absolutely. that is the beauty of this community tool provided by scoop which runs BN and other SBN sites.

Just poste on top of your post something like (crossposted over at Dump Dorrell).

and then tell us what you writing on DD and what action items you have lined up.

There is a reason why we have the 300 word req. We want well thought out, substantive posts in the diary section. And all of your posts on DD more than fits that bill.

by Nestor on Oct 29, 2006 11:00 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

T-Shirt Manufacturer
I design and manufacture apparel for a living.  

If anyone can provide online support for sales I will take care of the rest.  

If you are serious about making Fire KD shirts or anything to save Bruin Football please email me at info@merchlab.com

GO BRUINS!!

by kdblows on Oct 29, 2006 10:48 AM PST   0 recs

Excellent ...
deleted your original comment as per our email.  Keep us posted!

by Nestor on Oct 29, 2006 10:49 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

Suggestions For Wording
Here are what we have for ideas

<u>The Front</u>

Save Football
Dump Dorrell
(with a football between them, skull and crossbones is another idea - although could be used against us as racist)

<u>The Back</u>
and the back, here are ideas being thown out:

  1.  Let's not end up in the toilet bowl again
  2.  Welcome to The Suck
  3.  (List of Dorrell achievements)
No wins against SC
No Pac-10 Championships
Toleso had a better record
etc.
4.  Hire X Coach

Please give us some feedback and suggestions! We have a manufacturer on board and we can get this design out tomorrow!

I truly hope for a great season, but if we dont have one we must dumpdorrell.com

by DumpDorrell on Oct 29, 2006 11:01 AM PST   0 recs

my formatting sucked on that post
nm
I truly hope for a great season, but if we dont have one we must dumpdorrell.com

by DumpDorrell on Oct 29, 2006 11:02 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

RE: Item #4:
PICK ONE (or print all three)

*NORM CHOW

*AL BORGES

*RICK NEUHEISEL

 

by theREAL_LOGAN5 on Oct 29, 2006 11:10 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

postgame show
im in the band...and when we went out for the postgame show all the bruins went back to the lockerroom except two, Bruce Davis and Justin Hickman  who were just sitting on the bench watching WSU celebrating with thier fans at the corner of the rose bowl.  Bruice Davis looked like he was almost in tears.   Its really disappointing how much talent we have on our team thats really going to waste by our coaching staff.  Moral on the team really must be pretty low.  I really hope we can pull off a couple more wins for a bowl game and beat SC

by bluejoe on Oct 29, 2006 11:07 AM PST   0 recs

Moral on the team
I have heard from friends today that although the players are saying the right things in public, wheels are coming off internally. No one in this team really respects KD and you can see how no one is responding to his message on the field.

by Nestor on Oct 29, 2006 11:12 AM PST to parent up   0 recs

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