Just a few days ago, I stumbled upon an early-August column by ESPN’s Rick Reilly titled “Remember us? We’re UCLA football.” Reilly writes about Bruin coach Rick Neuheisel’s little-brother complex, his hyperactive desire to catch up with Pete Carroll and the big bad Trojans across town. It’s almost sad, really. And yet, ultimately, more funny than sad, because it involves UCLA sucking, which is always, always funny.
Funniest part: the advertisement that UCLA put in the Los Angeles Times last year, and the Trojan photoshop thereof:
So, anyway, it is with unrestrained glee that I learn how poor wittle Ricky boy rather blatantly expressed jealousy of the attention paid to USC last Saturday in the press room after his squad’s latest date with mediocrity. So reports the Daily Bruin, in an article brilliantly headlined “Mediocre team frustrates coach”:
In the press room beneath the Rose Bowl there are four big plasma screen televisions. One of these televisions was showing the thrilling game between USC and Notre Dame Saturday afternoon. Media that gathered in the press room had clustered to watch the dramatic finish.
At that moment UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel walked into the room, sunburned and exasperated after his team’s 45-26 defeat to rival Cal.
Almost no one moved. Necks remained craned toward the USC game until a frustrated Neuheisel spoke sharply.
“Would everyone like to watch the end of that ball game?” Neuheisel asked. “I am more than willing to wait.”
There was a hint of bitterness in Neuheisel’s voice, a slight sign of the wounded pride of UCLA football.
Neuheisel wants his team to be playing in those electrifying games. The Bruins want to receive the attention reserved for college football’s best teams – the attention that is reserved in this town for USC.
But for now, UCLA is playing mediocre football.
Of course they are. They’re UCLA. That’s what they do.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I want to hate Neuweasel, but he really hasn’t done anything to charge me up. He’s sort of just a bumbling guy who I’d feel bad for if I didn’t get so much enjoyment from watching UCLA go winless in the Pac-10. Although starting BS rumors about Ken Norton Jr. becoming the UCLA D Co-ordinator to steal recruits from SC is sort of vexing.
What does charge me up are people who say Norm Chow is some kind of genius special coach and deserves responsibility for USC’s national championship teams. Yet they conveniently ignore the fact that Chow hasn’t done anything but fail since Pete Carrol fired him and replaced him with a 27 year old kid without anybody noticing he was gone. Chow got fired by the Titans after 3 terrible years, and then went to UCLA last season where he led the Bruins to the worst offensive production in school history and one of the worst seasons in Bruin history as well.
Karl Dorrell looks like a genius compared to the coaching staff at UCLA these days. 7 wins total in 2 years? Dorrell averaged 7 wins PER season, and never won less than 6 EVER.
4th and 2…do you really think Chow would have called a rush up the middle by LenDale White…without even having Reggie Bush in the backfield?
Cue Hitler, at the 1:35 mark. 🙂
Hating Neu-weasel is easy if you are a Colorado or Husky fan. For the rest of you I can understand the apathy.
I know Lendale White’s rush up the middle didn’t work, but it worked all game long, including on previous 4th downs. USC walked all over Texas in that game.
The point is moot though, as USC would have lost to ASU, Oregon or Notre Dame that season if Norm was the OC, giving Ohio St. a chance to lose another big game.
Not Ohio State — Penn State. The Nittany Lions were #3. OSU was #4.