Tasser10 mentioned yesterday how the media is going to “drool” over “the UCLA v. UW storyline” coming up in November. Well Ted Miller is not wasting any time. He is already labeling this game as “Hate-a-palooza” (from the Husky perspective) over at WWL:
[W]hen Neuheisel comes to town. Golly.
It will be a Hate-a-palooza.
Notre Dame fans are defensive about Willingham. They blame him for the sorry state of their program. But their feelings fall short of hate.
A majority of Huskies fans simply hate Neuheisel. They blame him for everything bad that's happened to their once-elite program. They don't just see him as a bad coach and an overrated recruiter. They think he's a dishonest slickster con man who was always looking for his next big gig. And they quickly muster further ill will for folks who try to defend him (who me?).
Neuheisel will hear catcalls all afternoon on Nov. 15. And he'll probably want to borrow one of his player's helmets as he paces the sidelines.
Moreover, UCLA fans on hand -- and back in LA -- figure to be pretty defensive about their alum and new coach getting dumped on, particularly as Neuheisel's previous transgressions are endlessly regurgitated across the media landscape. UCLA fans tend to be mellow, but they also are desperate to believe Neuheisel will shortly transform the program into a contender that can again go nose-to-nose with their hated rival across town at Heritage Hall.
Bruins fans will come with the claws out.
And don't believe the players for both teams won't talk about the off-field issues. The game should be fairly even -- both will finish in the bottom half of the Pac-10 -- but if one or the other plays with more fire, that will be duly noted as a statement about their coach.
And if Neuheisel steals one in Husky Stadium? Golly.
They'll have to invent a new word to describe how bitter the Husky Nation will feel.
Well … we will see how it goes … when we get to that game week. I am sure the reporters based in Seattle (and probably in LA) have already have their templates written up for their stories reiterating about those 50 alleged violations in Washington, the interviews with Notre Dame and Forty Niners, replete with one pot shots after another about March Madness pool. Sure there will be few here and there giving Neuheisel’s side of the story, but majority of the MSM (and the New Media) will go with the easy storyline, especially of the Bruins come into that game with a very average W-L record (as we along with many others are expecting). Simply put people will look to pounce on Neuheisel and the Bruins and that’s fine.
We will do what we can to rebut it. It will be easy for us because we just have point to the posts we have already written on it. But more importantly we are going to keep our focus on the Huskies, their players, game schemes, and record … as we will do week by week … throughout this upcoming season and beyond.
GO BRUINS.