Seniors Fumble At Spaulding

by Nestor on Apr 16, 2008 4:01 AM PDT in Football

dokein has already diaried on this topic. Apparently the "seniors" organized a "ditch day" at practice yesterday by going ~~"over the wall"~~ bolting through the gate (lame).

Apparently this has been a "tradition" for last 30 years (including Rose Bowl winning teams which CRN was a part of) and last year Karl Dorrell organized it himself. From the LA Times:

The "over the wall" day has been going on at UCLA for more than 30 years, including Bruins teams that Neuheisel played on, though players on those teams actually went over a wall instead of stampeding through an open gate. A year ago, then-head coach Karl Dorrell organized the day himself so it would not disrupt practice.

BTW not only Dorrell "organized" ditch day he brought it back after Toledo had scrapped it:

The tradition started decades ago, but was halted during Bob Toledo's tenure. However, Dorrell brought it back, although the message was a bit skewed. The Bruins pulled the ditch day once during bowl preparations.

That was from Dohn, who predictably wasted no time to pounce all over this story and sound off his alarm bells:

UCLA is coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons which led to the firing of coach Karl Dorrell, and much of the spring chatter at UCLA was about using the 15 practices to ready for the season opener on national television against Tennessee.

It was also supposed to be the last high impact practice before Friday's scrimmage, and was another day for the Bruins to work its depleted and inexperienced offensive line while trying to get a better grasp on offensive coordinator Norm Chow's new system.

Neuheisel also apologized to several referees, who showed up to work the practice.

Apparently number of high school coaches and recruits showed up for practice too:

Also, a number of high school coaches and recruits showed up for the practice, not to mention some referees. The assistant coaches were mostly stunned after Neuheisel visited with the players, then came back on the field to say practice was done.

As for CRN, he didn’t sound very pleased about it. However, recognizing that this is also a part of a culture that he will have to adjust to for now and then fix in the coming years, he reflected on the positive perspective:

"Our guys showed good solidarity. It's not what I would have liked to happen today. I remember being a part of teams that did this and still had successful seasons. Hopefully we can benefit in some way from this," Neuheisel said.

Unlike Dorrell CRN didn’t "organize" this ditch day. He is also checking with the NCAA to find out whether he can get that day back:

Neuheisel, who said he had no heads up this would happen, was checking to see if the ditch day counts against the 15 spring practices allowed by the NCAA, and it is believed it will. He added programs were allowed 20 practices when the tradition began, and acknowledged the offseason was much different than it is now.

It will be interesting to see if this "tradition" continues next year. Paulsen and Carter were the two upperclassmen who went on record on this:

UCLA senior tight end Logan Paulsen later came outside the locker room and said that Neuheisel was "upset" when he met with the seniors, but he "understood what we were doing."

Neuheisel said he wanted to make sure "they were all doing it together. I didn't want there to been fighting because some kids wanted to be out here and some didn't. So I said, 'Go make up your mind and have some solidarity.' " […]

"We discussed it, and we said we weren't going to do it, but it is one for all and all for one," junior linebacker Reggie Carter said. "A lot of seniors, it's their last go-around, and it's a tradition that we do every spring. So they wanted to get one in. If everyone is going to do it, we're going to do it as a team.

"One day isn't going kill us. Whatever we didn't get done today, I'm sure Coach Neuheisel will make sure we get it made up somehow, someday."

I am pretty confident that CRN and his coaches will more than make up for it.

However, I am disappointed at the seniors (especially considering how they could become a key part of CRN's efforts to revitalize our program). Given the terribly mediocre record they have compiled under the previous regime, it would have been nice if we had seen leadership from players like Cowan, Olson or Harwell, and send a strong signal to their commitment to reestablishing our program by trying to persuade their team-mates to scrap this "tradition" at least for the time being. This was a great opportunity for those players to exercise symbolic leadership and send a strong signal to rest of the program about how serious they are in terms of their commitment to bring our program back to where it belongs.

Over the grand scheme of things this story will not matter much. As I said above CRN, Chow and Walker will find a way to make sure these guys are as prepared as they can get heading into the season opener. And I am sure CRN will chip away in his attempt to establish a culture of accountability (for performance on the field) in his program (we can already see some of the results from the stories we have been hearing from spring practice in terms of which players are making their moves on the depth chart). Yet this was an opportunity for number of aforementioned seniors to show leadership and they kind of fumbled it away. I have no doubt that message will be communicated to them.

GO BRUINS.

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Comments

Duh!

"Back-to-back disappointing seasons" from KD's chief apologist.

Traditions bind us together -- but there must have been a way to honor the tradition without missing a key practice day.

I agree that the seniors could have made a statement by not ditching -- could have shown some leadership and judgment by staying and re-defining the tradition if for only one year.

We need some strong statements that we are on our way to a new attitude and approach -- and they could have made one, yesterday.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Apr 16, 2008 7:41 AM PDT 0 recs

importante note

Quick note: Today is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar birthday, and you can go to his blog and wish him a happy birthday:
http://www.latimes.com/kareem

by Lakers33 on Apr 16, 2008 3:24 PM PDT up 0 recs

Not to beat a dead horse but..

Apparently this has been a "tradition" for last 30 years (including Rose Bowl winning teams which CRN was a part of) and last year Karl Dorrell organized it himself.

Simple math indicates that this "tradition" must have started during the regime of our beloved Terry Donahue and, perforce, have been fostered by him for the next eighteen years or so. Poor CRN; his quotes seem somewhat strained and as he was clearly embarrassed by this.

As you posted, maybe some traditions are best abandoned.

God, it's great to be a Bruin!

by whp68 on Apr 16, 2008 7:47 AM PDT 0 recs

wall...

dohn is a tool. hes just upset because he and mickey mouse had nothing to write about yesterday except for the wall.

sometimes we forget these guys are only 18-22 year olds that are out there to have fun. and unless you have been through spring practice its hard to understand what they were doing. spring practice is repetitive, long, and sometimes it feels pointless, especially when you turn around in august and you start over again. in august you have games to prepare for, in spring you have practice to prepare for. so it can get a little dull and this was just a little excitement.

this showed great leadership, to get the whole team to buy into this they definetly had a few leaders in that locker room. they used to all run up to sunset and all go swimming together, but im not sure if they did that yesterday. its not like the day was a total waste either, im sure they lifted in the morning and then watched film before going out to spaulding, so were able to learn at least something. but all in all it is something that lifts morale and brings them together.

by hbruin84 on Apr 16, 2008 7:47 AM PDT 0 recs

i'm sure

Westbrook, DC, LMR, and Love had "ditch" days... that's probably what got them to the final four back to back to back... yeah, riiiigggghhhhht... you want "solidarity," look to them and the other bruin squads that are in the hunt for titles year in and year out.

by bruinthug98 on Apr 16, 2008 8:14 AM PDT 0 recs

I was thinking the same thing...

Can you imagine Howland's reaction if his players did this? Or Wooden's?

by RedDoor on Apr 16, 2008 10:45 AM PDT up 0 recs

love it

i love it how these guys are 'saintesque' now. i agree, that they wouldnt do something like this today. but looking back on it, i could see guys like ryan hollins or brian morrison pulling this stunt off, in the early days of howland. and its all relative, i dont see this tradition carrying on, i bet this is the last we see of it.

its sad but, the 'wall' tradition for the seniors, was probably the highlight of spring ball under dorrell.

by hbruin84 on Apr 16, 2008 1:09 PM PDT up 0 recs

Ditch Day Should Have Been Ditched

The Seniors showed a lack of maturity, even though this is tradition. The momentum created by the Neuheisel/Chow hirings, the Walker retention, and the decent recruiting has been tempered by an uneven spring practice. A committment to extra effort, rather than a goofy traditional day off, was the right choice. That said, this is a minor nothing that will be forgotten in a couple of weeks. CRN will come up with a way to offset this quickly. The next practice will be murder. Go Bruins.

by 75NatChamps on Apr 16, 2008 8:59 AM PDT 0 recs

Totally agree with you Nestor

I hate to say it, but there are certain "rights" earned, and while it shows solidarity, it doesn't reflect a whole lot of leadership, which is what the team is sorely lacking.

Oh, how I wish I could be at the next practice.

by bruinhopeful on Apr 16, 2008 9:21 AM PDT 0 recs

What time is Thursday practice?

Is it the same 4 PM?
I'll be there for sure.

by lildre on Apr 16, 2008 9:52 AM PDT 0 recs

I remember having a tradition like this in HS

Afterward, the seniors would be benched until they earned their reinstatement by the underclassmen on the team. You can probably imagine what THAT involved... hope the guys have ice and Ben Gay handy for tomorrow evening.

by bruinchick on Apr 16, 2008 10:05 AM PDT 0 recs

Gulp.

This wasn't the best idea, guys.

Go back to this "tradition" AFTER you've returned to that OTHER one...you know...WINNING SEASONS.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Apr 16, 2008 10:36 AM PDT 0 recs

I don't see the point in this tradition at all.

Are there any perennial contenders in any college sport that have a tradition of skipping practice?

Dohn's not a popular guy here but his article notes that the tradition began when teams were allowed 20 spring practices. Now they only have 15, and this year the guys have a new coaching staff.

Neuheisel clearly doesn't like this thing and I agree with him. Let's start some new traditions, like contending for PAC-10 and National championships every season.

by FreewayBruin03 on Apr 16, 2008 10:45 AM PDT 0 recs

New Rule...

Ditch day ONLY when you win the Pac-10.

by jose007 on Apr 16, 2008 10:57 AM PDT 0 recs

What happened to

EARNING your benefits? This sounds like an entitlement. When anyone feels "entitled" it's a disaster.

The Virginia Tech football team has a tradition of passing around an old school lunch pail painted in team colors to the hardest working defensive player during the season. The symbolism is "he showed up to work and got it done" the best. VA Tech's football team isn't the shining standard of integrity - but they do win, and with the exception of Marcus Vick seem to comport themselves in a very sportsmanlike manner. It's a source of pride that VA Tech defenders EARN their possession of the lunch pail.

That's right, BN - why doesn't Rick Neuheisel do something similar with the ... (drum roll) ... PASSION BUCKET!? What a great way to usher in a new culture of winning, mental toughness and PASSION for playing football for the best team in the country!?!? You need that bucket overflowing if you're going to play to win 12 regular season games plus a bowl game!

by Seanny Rotten on Apr 16, 2008 11:06 AM PDT up 0 recs

Lunch Pail a good idea..

..in this case, maybe CRN and the staff should inaugurate the tradition of "The Blowtorch"..

..as in, those who ditch/don't pull their weight in practice (i.e., from sluffing off and dogging it) gets that little beauty shined on their lazy asses.

God, it's great to be a Bruin!

by whp68 on Apr 16, 2008 11:42 AM PDT up 0 recs

Symbolically, the message fits

I think the traditions themselves can reveal a lot about team's attitude. Take the VA Tech example. The lunch pail symbolizes a VA Tech defense that may not be the most talented or athletic bunch, but definitely the hardest working. What does a practice ditch day symbolize? I wonder who came up with this tradition in the first place.

I hope the Bruins decide to scrap this tradition and come up with a new one. You play like you practice. With a new HC and OC, this team definitely needs all the practice time it can get.

by hspigskinfan on Apr 16, 2008 3:29 PM PDT up 0 recs

CRN made the politically-correct

statement that there shall be no disrespect shown toward the disposed former coach.

I understand that it was KD who revived the practice-ditching tradition. So CRN had no choice but the grin and bear it.

Criticism for anyone but the disposed former coach is misdirected.

by bluegold on Apr 16, 2008 11:27 AM PDT 0 recs

This is KD's Underbelly

It's going to strike few more times before the nightmare is completely over.

by bluestreet on Apr 16, 2008 12:50 PM PDT up 0 recs

Not Rick's best day...

The seniors have not "earned" this with their play the previous years. Not a good idea in front of the recruits. Doesn't show RN has control over the team. Overall, a step back for the program, although certainly not worth hyper-ventilating over this. I think Rick's gotta come up with a way to turn this negative into a positive with something he does in the future.

by waters96 on Apr 16, 2008 11:27 AM PDT 0 recs

OT

On a lighter note, a nice article from Stewart Mandel.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/stewart_mandel/04/16/ucla.spring/1.html

by artybruin on Apr 16, 2008 12:23 PM PDT 0 recs

Last sentence

speaks volumes.

UCLA will "finally be fun to watch". Finally.

by tasser10 on Apr 16, 2008 1:15 PM PDT up 0 recs

Should CRN have anticipated this?

If it's a 30 year tradition, including the time he was a player and assistant coach, shouldn't CRN have been anticipating this...and nipped it in the bud at the opening of spring practice by suggesting that there is too much work to be done with new systems to be installed for it to continue this year? I love CRN but he shouldn't have been surprised. Hurts if we lose an official practice because of it.

by SinnerBoy 99 on Apr 16, 2008 1:09 PM PDT 0 recs

The guy who should have tipped off CRN ...

should have been DeWayne Walker.

It's a 30 year "tradition," but it was discontinued under Toledo. Unless CRN was following the program on a day to day basis last five years he wouldn't have known whether this continued after he left Westwood.

by bluestreet on Apr 16, 2008 1:13 PM PDT up 0 recs

He did, didn't he?

Didn't he ask the players to have "solidarity", whether they do it or not, to all do it as one? I think he asked the players beforehand not to do this.

by tasser10 on Apr 16, 2008 1:16 PM PDT up 0 recs

Screw the seniors. Really.

Neuheisel was going to try to make the seniors part of the rebuilding effort rather than just cutting them loose and focusing on the season after next, but why should he? Why should he invest resources in people who won't be here next year and don't have the class to stick around when we have coaches and prospects who spend hours on the freeway to watch then practice? Why stick by people who accomplished nothing in three years and who quit in games last year when they were behind?

Bench them all and start working with the people who are UCLA's future.

by Chandler on Apr 16, 2008 11:57 PM PDT 0 recs

Really?

By your logic, every single year, coaches should stop caring about the seniors because, after all, they're not part of the future. Hey, might as well cut them loose, they won't be around the next year. Nice message to send, really. Blame the players because their coach was inept. Oh, they "accomplished nothing", I get it. Only seniors on winning teams matter. Shoot, let's get rid of all the seniors on Stanford's team, they're useless.

Yes, ditch day was a dumb move, no doubt. But the university and RN still have somewhat of an obligation to these players, to let them finish their education and to prepare some of them for the NFL. Getting rid of them would be...Dorrellian...

by tasser10 on Apr 17, 2008 7:22 AM PDT up 0 recs