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Tracy Pierson from Bruin Report Online (BRO) blasted Chianti Dan in what is simply a must read article for every UCLA alums and season ticket holders, who care about our football program. Pierson puts the ball squarely on Guerrero's court laying out the reasons why Rick Neuheisel needs to be fired tonight. You need to read the whole piece but there are few excerpts worth highlighting.
Just like all of us at BN, Pierson destroyed Guerrero's absurd post game comments (the article is not behind a subscription link and provides a good sample of why it's worth subscribing to BRO) (emphasis added throughout):
Then, there are the comments from Dan Guerrero that pile on the embarrassment. He told reporters after the USC game: "That we're preparing to play for the Rose Bowl should be exciting to all Bruin fans." That's probably the most ill-advised comment that Guerrero has ever uttered. There could only be a few explanations: 1) Guerrero actually has put on his Bruin blue glasses and wants to cheer for UCLA regardless of the dire situation and, like only a fan could do, holds out hope that UCLA will beat Oregon. If this is true, and Guerrero's blue-tinged perspective has blurred his vision and judgment, then he's unfit for his job and should just go take a seat in the stands and eat some nachos, 2) Guerrero is being held by kidnappers who are making him hold off on firing Neuheisel and say these things, or 3) Guerrero, in his role as Grand Poobah Bureaucrat and Company Line Tower, has completely lost touch with the heart and pulse of the UCLA community.
We know it's not #1, and we suspect it's not #2.
Ooof. More after the jump.
As mentioned above Pierson provides a set of compelling reasons for why Chianti Dan needs to stop fiddling and fire Neuheisel before the BS "championship" game. The reasons include "a chance to start rehabilitating the UCLA football program's reputation":
Firing Neuheisel and not allowing him to coach the Championship Game will, at least, provide a chance to start rehabilitating the UCLA football program's reputation. It will allow, first, anyone watching the game, including the TV commentators and all the endless pundits, to qualify UCLA's performance. While they're watching the inevitable destruction, they could at least say: "UCLA has recognized the problem, has fired Neuheisel and is on its way to turning over a new leaf." There will be speculation about who will be UCLA's next football coach, and that could generate some genuine excitement in the program, something that has been very scarce in a decade. It will potentially turn a devastating p.r. situation into a positive one.
It's not realistic to choose not to play in that game. So, being in this bizarre situation, this is UCLA's best recourse.
And most importantly allowing "UCLA to get a one-week jump on finding a new coach":
Then, also, firing Neuheisel immediately allows UCLA to get a one-week jump on finding a new coach. This is critical. There are coaches out there who won't seriously deal with UCLA while it currently has a coach. There are other programs that have fired their coaches and are talking to these candidates - guys that UCLA would want. It's amazingly naïve to not think that every day you allow other programs to woo these candidates while you can't it's not hurting your chances with them.
This is Dan Guerrero's decision. It's all on him right now. And it's not as if this is mid-season, say after the Arizona game, when it would have taken some considerable guts to make the call. The USC loss was worse than Arizona. And after living through the Coliseum Calamity, and being one week away from pulling the trigger anyway, it's really not that difficult. I's especially so if not doing it could further damage the UCLA name, and hamper your effectiveness in hiring the next football coach.
As we have said this is a matter of whether Chianti Dan is going to be standing in the way of entire Bruin Nation and sabotaging our football program.
If you are looking to take immediate actions:
- Write the Chancellor
- Show up at Morgan Center if you are a student or an alum living in Southern California
- Email to the UC Regents
- Join Fire Dan Guerrero Facebook group
- DO NOT BOTHER SHOWING UP at any athletic events this week unless Chianti Dan lets Rick Neuheisel go
- Of course make sure to Tweet, "Like" on Facebook ... posts like this one going up on BN.
Keep the pressure coming ... on all fronts.
GO BRUINS.