SB Nation User Blog: redsand514

Bandwagon?

redsand514 — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 01:42:23 -0000

I think tasser summed it up best a while back. After reading the threads over at Bruin Gold, I was really tempted to throw my laptop off my balcony, and hey that might be upgrade because it's a POS. Anyways, a common theme was the word bandwagon. Anyone who criticized Dorrell's meltdown yesterday was accused of jumping off the UCLA bandwagon. The critical flaw in this statement is that most fans of collegiate sports are either students, alumni, family of alumni, or in U$C's case, anyone in south central who can pony up enough $$ to attend a game.

So please explain how any of us are jumping off the UCLA bandwagon, when there probably wasn't one to begin with. Please explain how fans who have an affiliation with the university and bleed their schools colors regardless of how there team is doing, is jumping off the supposed bandwagon.

I've been a UCLA fan my whole life, first because I grew up in a UCLA family, dad is employed by UCLA and secondly I worked my ass off in school so I could attend this fine institution. So please, don't call me a bandwagon, fair weather fan or any of that BS. I want UCLA to win and succeed, and not lose to teams who are very far below them. Myself and bruin fans elsewhere, aren't going to wish it upon these student athletes to lose. It's just very upsetting when these kids bust there ass, but the coach for whatever reason continually puts them in a position to fail.

tired of people claiming this site is anti-dorrell..

redsand514 — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:25:22 -0000

I understand this site can be hard on dorrell, but it's not like its undue. The moderators and other posters continually give objective arguments that are always backed up with hard facts. I understand that numbers can be manipulated in many ways, but they always give there sources and from that information how they came to their conclusions. I like many other bruin fans are optimistic about the season, we want to see our time succeed, if we didn't we wouldn't spend our money on games we can watch on tv or at the local sports bar. So for anyone that plans to rip on this site again for being anti-dorrell please do your research and look at the body of work that this site has amassed. Read the about us section, so you understand who these ppl are.

About dorrell, I'm not too optimistic, I'll give him a chance but that obviously isn't by choice (were not the AD). For those pro-Dorrell people, please again take a look at the 7 games we won the past year, and read the posts following such games. We had a few quality wins. The one that sticks out is Rice. At half-time being up only 13-0 and 16-10 going into the 4th quarter is not acceptable. I also feel like the random posters who see this as an anti-dorrell, were non-existent between the suc game and the Emerald Bowl. If you read this blog, Nestor, dumpdorrell, and other posters were actually optimistic about Dorrell because for some reason he showed a different side of himself, (except for still conservative play calling), that gave us, and especially the moderators some hope. But then if you watched the disaster in bay, Dorrell for some reason regressed back to his old self. So for you people who see this as anti-dorrell, you're blind because Nestor and the other prominent posters will give Dorrell credit when its due, until then we're hoping he'll prove us wrong, and not just once, but consistently.

Amazing Story of a Bruin

redsand514 — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 04:14:57 -0000

From the LA Times:

Dream defies loss of limbs
Kellie Lim, a triple amputee at 8, is now ready to graduate from medical school.
By Larry Gordon, Times Staff Writer
May 27, 2007

Achieving Her DreamKellie Lim knows all too well what it is like to be a very sick child.

Struck with a ravaging bacterial infection that destroys limbs, she became a triple amputee at age 8 and soon faced a life of prosthetics, wheelchairs and often-painful rehabilitation.

But from that suffering, Lim forged a life of achievement. On Friday, she will graduate from UCLA's medical school and then will begin a residency program at the medical center there.

Her chosen specialty? Pediatrics, with a possible concentration later on childhood allergies and infectious diseases.

"Just having that experience of being someone so sick and how devastating that can be -- not just for me but for my family too -- gives me a perspective that other people don't necessarily have," the 26-year-old Michigan native said recently.

And of all the topics she sampled during medical school, only her work with children left her "smiling at the end of the day."

Lim carried out her medical training with a determination that awed her professors and fellow students and won her the school's top prize for excellence in pediatrics.

I'm really concerned...

redsand514 — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:14:30 -0000

about the state of the student bruin fan base. Not only are the students hear bombarded with the continual BS that is churned out by the Daily Bruin, is that I'm pretty damn sure most of them buy into it. Talking with my friends who are casual fans they seem to care little about the state of bruin football and don't even know of understand the extend of our frustration that is constantly being vented on this site. And the information they do get is what they read daily by the dumb bruin editors. The sad thing is that all these "sports writers" are at most of these events and yet for some reason can't piece it together.

I know Ben, and him being a member of the marching band, has been at least to all the home football games for the past 4 years. Its mind boggling how he hasn't been able to see through all the BS that has gone on. The loses to inferior teams, winning games where we were down by 20 or more points. How can he see that as good coaching. Good coaching puts you in the position to win, not how to dig your ass out of a 50 foot hole. His comment about the criticism about "Dorrell's inability for not being able to win those close competitive games" is unbelievable. Anyone who watched us blow it at Notre Dame had to be thinking during the U$C game, "now this seems familar." Clinging to 4 pt lead all we need to win the game is a first down. what we do run up the gut 3 times with 40 trojans stacking the box. Playing not to lose? Yup. Kicking field goals when we should be going for points.

My feeling is that if not for McNeal's ridiculously athletic play, U$C probably would've scored because our defense was on the field for way to long, and it seemed that Booty finally figured it out.

How about the Emerald Bowl? FSU offense can't do crap with our dominating defense in the first half. 4 and Goal from a couple yards out. Lets kick the field goal, while over half of the Bruin defense is pissed off that we didnt go for throat early in the game.

The list goes on and on as documented on the site. This going back to the initial point. When I talk to my friends about the game, they just see it as the other team beating us. Not about how the coach lost it for us, and continues to. Thank you Mr. Walker and the defensive staff for U$C and doing everything you possibly could to make up for the deficiency we had at the top.

Bruinsnation thanks for helping me see the light about UCLA football and sports and hopefully other students and alums as well.

Dear EA Sports...

redsand514 — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 15:35:33 -0000

Bumped from the diaries. Keep the good stuff coming friends. -N

After a trip to my local Best Buy a couple of days ago, I played your ncaa 2007. After about hour of playing a fun and enojoyable game, i just have a few suggestions to make next years game even more accurate.

For next years edition, please do one of the two things. Either dont give KD a headset, or dont give him any animation and just have him stand on the sideslines with his arms crossed. if you would like you can put that play card he obviously doesnt look at, up his ass, or have him stand behind the bench next to the gatorade coolers
Please remove all deep routes from UCLA's playbook and replace them with swing passes, screens, and 5 yard outs
On first down you should only be able to look at running plays up the middle. UCLA doesn't like to pass or run play action on first down. we prefer to pass or even run play action on 3rd and 15. we lick to dick around with safeties and linebackers who arent looking run
Ben Olson's number is #7 not #3. I know there's over 100+ universities with football teams so ill just assume its a small oversight
Chris Markey is good but not that good. He doesn't have breakaway speed, linebackers should be able to run him down
I know Medlock is a great kicker but from 60+ yards? Sweet!!
Kahlil Bell should always go down after first contact. He doesn't like to get hit.
I beat Washington and Oregon. But thats not enitrely your fault. I was playing the game on the easiest level
The Rose Bowl only sells out when we play U$C and over 70% of the stadium should be the opposing teams color. Dorrell and Donahue alumini and supporters like to sell their tickets to $C fans for a couple hundred dollars and because they don't want to be there when he loses. Therefore making a home game feel like an away game
I only got 1 timeout/half i guess i'd only want to stop the clock once

However, I would like to applaud you on creating a great game and give you some kudos.

PAC-10 refs are that bad. I forgot that hitting a receiver after a delfected pass or after he's touched the ball is pass interference. Also I enjoy hitting the opposing teams quarterback long after he threw pass because I dont get flagged. Lastly, after challenging play i gained 4 yards on the original spot.
On 4th and short the game automatically takes me to special teams play window. Of course I want to punt on 4th down. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?
Despite messing up Ben Olson's number, you simulated him pretty well. We all know Ben is that good!
Great playbook studying, despite the deep routes. UCLA only runs plays out of the I-formation and Ace back. Last time I checked UCLA doesn't utilize the shotgun right?
Medlock is great, and for some reason whenever I try to punt, Perez only kicks the ball 20 yards and out of bounds. i guess im still getting used to the whole kick stick thing
Thanks for making the player feel like a great offensive coordinator. Even though I had a hard time passing on first down, it worked almost everytime.
In the fantasy mode, they wouldn't let me fire my head coach.

Again EA Sports, I would like to reiterate you make a fun and enjoyable game. And if anything please make the Dorrell adjustments. I look forward to your 2008 installment. Maybe then I'll finally buy a PS2/3? and enjoy the game. For now Ill be content playing my roommates ncaa 2004 and putting MJD in for ebell. Thanks again!

-redsand514

Go Bruins!

training staff...

redsand514 — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 13:57:15 -0000

probably needed to put a couple ice bag's on perez's leg after all punting dorrell wanted him to do you know especially in the 4th quarter when we're down? i loved the commentators analysis of perez's "knuckle/hook" punt or whatever the commentators were pulling out of there ass. how about you kick a spiral cause thats what were giving you a scholarship to do, of course dorrell is probably happy cause you bailed him out. i apologize for the profanity, i have no idea why im attacking the punter, i guess i'm a jerk, its early, i couldnt sleep. i think the only thing holding me over this is watching classic UCLA games on FSN, you know when mcnown beat oregon by himself. at least we got dorrell on national tv looking like a dumbass. im starting to dread my ND trip. ill see you all there go bruins!

BS

redsand514 — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 22:25:52 -0000

any red flags come up about Dorrell going to Pac-10 about the late hits. reading the quotes yeah it seems like he acknowledged they happened but didnt really seem to upset. im tired of his straight bs never seems to show emotion, i dont Dorrell to be a whining coach all the time but why not call out Stoops whose players are simply that dirty SOBs. any apologies from arizona? tuitami got knocked out during the flow of the play, he still had the ball, ben and christian's hits were late, cheap, and dirty. and i dont understand why the sideline referee didnt throw his flag when pat got hit late. the play happened right in front of him. only the back judge threw the flag in. i really hopes stoops and his players get it for there bs

more offense gripe

redsand514 — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 22:49:10 -0000

#1: why are talented players austin and mcgee with breakaway speed still on the sideline. (yes i know austin muffed the punt) i'm tired of markey and bell being rundown by linebackers and occasionally linemen (i thought running backs are supposed to have some speed) and didnt mcgee break one during that scrimmage not so long ago?

#2: wtf was that 4th and goal play. just from expericence of playing video games sweeps and pitchs suck because you limit yourself to half the field to work with, the lineman lined up in the gap the pulling guard vacates usually ends up in the backfield, as result of all the action ppl usu miss there blocks and the play gets blown up, especially on the goaline when there bringing the house. how bout play action and dump it to a tight walking the endline or what we did before by just putting in the stomach of moline.

#3: how come our coaches couldnt figure out how similar a 3-4 is to a 3-3-5? wow just insert a db got a 3-3-5? or just dropping those 4 linebackers makes 8 defenders, wow it must be fucking magic. again why not use or receivers throw 4 or 5 of the field and make linebackers cover receivers not just tight ends, and just for ben olson's sack open up more passing lanes

#4: speaking of tight ends, logan and moya made some good plays how bout incorporating them more especially in the redzone?

#5: let ben olson throw downfield, yeah he might of been nervous, maybe the lack of pass pro, or both but damn when they stack the line have 1-on-1 throw it up top, breazell was sooo open cause they were staking the line. and whatever happened to the seam route, that was a staple last year to the pass game

but then again what do i know right? can someone please remove the chip inplated in svoboda's head thats destroying any sense of creativity and please dorrell you already won the art shell look alike contest

more offensive frustration!!!

redsand514 — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 06:27:13 -0000

my biggest issue is when going into camp, dorrell was stressing the run soo much more then the passing game. why are they wasting a talent like BO by putting him in game managment mode, but then expect him to convert 3rd and 10s and talk crap about how he cant make plays and execute when defense is looking pass. they got it right with Utah by allowing him to pass early and often. svoboda is saying "theres no room to pass the ball if they play good zone" so why dont we give BO some options and open it up with a 4 or 5 receiver set? i know thats outside the realm of the west coast offense and stubborn KD, but since KD already rotates so many receivers why dont throw all of them on the field and play to our strength. there isnt any team that deep as us at receiver or defense that could possbily handle that much speed. having that much personel on the field can help with the blitzes because you have to someone back in coverage, help BO make some reads. we need to stop relying so much on our running game because it does us no good when we're trying to dig ourselves out of hole. nothing against markey or bell because they are good backs but they have no burst like drew did cause everytime i think there going to break one some defender manages to run them down. and what happened to chane moline? he can be like our mike alstott a complete change of pace back because hes big and more athletic then pitre. against Utah he broke off some big runs with the utes D stacking the line. it just frustrates me and no doubt all of us that we seem to waste all this talent thats just standing there on the sideline. crossing fingers for stanford because for some reason they always give us a hard time

offense?

redsand514 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 22:21:39 -0000

i have a couple questions,

#1 why run a prostyle offense when we dont have the "architect" (Dorrell) calling the plays?

#2 why do we rotate sooo many receivers? isnt it hard in a offense based on timing to get it when you have 8 or 9 different players running those routes? plus how can you convince a recruit you'll get playing time when you have to share it with that many other players.

#3 why didnt we put BO in shotgun so he can better read these blitzes, help blocking, and read the underneath routes?

#4 why dont we have any balls? running on 3rd and goal from the 10 only makes sense if we're going to go for it on fourth down. this is where the "were trying to catch the defense offguard" arguement makes any sense